wow what ever happened to C.S

[all2kind]

As a business owner for over 30 years, I have been reading the blog "negatives about suppliers".
I'm schocked for one what people expect even after reading suppliers policies, but I'm more schocked at the responses from business owners (suppliers).
The bickering, the name calling, the arguements back and forward, it is just not good business practice, it causes angry people, bad reviews, loss of business, loss of revenue.
Before puting items up for sale make sure you have an inventory you can stand behind, if you like to experiment great, but offer it with a discount and make it clear this item could have some defects. review your website and policies to make sure it is all in order and clear to consumers, if you are to busy it means you are doing well so hire some one to do that job, but make sure to supervise and revise any changes made to websites etc. And do training sessions on how to deal with people have clear policies for your staff on the matter and abide by your own policies. If you have a no refund policy find a way to satisfy the complainer,never argue, call names, delete messages,lose your temper, turn the negative into a positive and you'll have a returning client for life, of course there are those people who you just can't please but if you are polite understanding and calm you'll get a lot further.

As for consumers before buying read the business policies first and understand them if you don't understand ask questions, the timeliness of the response will all ready give you a clue of the C.S. (2-3 days is normal except for Holidays and weekends you should expect longer) Be reasonable you are not the only customer they have. All of us business owners try to please everyone, we are human,we have families, we get sick, deal with personal problems, need a vacation once in a while, and want to celebrate holidays like everyone else, we just can not be available 24/7.
We are also resticted by our manufacturer's shipments, policies, procedures etc.

Remember a rude attitude on either side accomplishes nothing, using these guidelines has kept me in a very succesful business.

 

[oldsoldier]

As variance to the general rule against cross posting I have copied this thread from the reviews of suppliers forum because it brings up some good points. Feel free to discuss the topic, but we won't tolerate flaming bashing or trolling.

 

[Retriever]

I only give a company 1 chance to make things right. If they don't or won't, then I just find another vendor.

 

[WhichWitch]

All2kind - Well done! My thoughts exactly!

 

[wseternmd]

So far my experiences my the few vendors I have bought from has been great. As much as I like to do business face to face there is only one local shop for my area of the world. As far as the online vendors they have been great to deal with. I feel if you sell a product you should know that product inside and out and you should be happy to answer all questions no matter how dumb you think the q's are.

 

[MickeyRat]

Personally, I think the vendors get a bad rap most of the time. If you're reasonable, they usually will bend over backwards to help you out. They usually have their policies clearly stated and that's all they have to do. Many times they will choose to do a little more but, they won't if you approach them with an attitude.

 

[LeDean]

Customer Service from the beginning of a transaction until the end of a transaction is vital. Repeat customers are priceless.

 

[MickeyRat]

Customer Service from the beginning of a transaction until the end of a transaction is vital. Repeat customers are priceless.

I agree but, if you know enough to buy an LR carto and it says returns for DOA only and it usually does, you don't have a right to return it if it dies in two days. A lot of vendors will still take it but, you don't have a real gripe if they don't.

 

[ChinMullet]

I am guessing that for many vendors this is their first business. Many are sole proprietors or mom and pops, with no paid help. Many new customers are overwhelmed by the variety of devices and juices. Beyond simple e-cig battery/carto products, things get complicated by connection types, voltages, tanks/atties, discussions of thermal events, etc. It's an interesting combination. There's a definite learning curve on both sides.

Combine that with the fact that most businesses fail, anyway. Only a small percentage survive to five years, etc.

In my opinion - and I say this without malice - many people have no business being in business. Some of the people I love most in my life have asked me to invest in their wild business schemes. Rarely do they come to me with so much as a business plan, or even a napkin with some basic math on it.

Even more rarely do they mention their potential customers.

Never has one even mentioned customer service. I know, because I have been waiting for that one. When it happens, I will listen to the rest of their pitch with greater interest. I think I will be waiting a long, long time.

Edit: I need to be fair here and say that I have received excellent customer service from many of our vendors. Smokeless Image, L J's e-Smokes, the Vapor Room, and Pink Spot all quickly come to mind.

 

[1stGenRex]

I had EXCELLENT customer service experience from RTD the other day. I ordered the wrong cartos, and asked for a refund. He asked if I wanted a partial, or full refund. I asked for another battery added to my order, and just some random stuff that he could pick to make up the price difference of less than $7. I received my order with a TON of drip tips thrown in (well over the $7 worth).

I'd buy a of more stuff from him if I needed any more of what he was selling, but sadly, it's slim picking in terms of what he has on his site.

I feel that CS is VERY important, because we (surprisingly) have TONS of vendors to choose from, with similar pricing, give or take a few bucks. I'd much rather support a vendor with great CS, and with slightly higher prices, than save a couple bucks and support someone who shouldn't even be in business.

 

[oldsoldier]

People really have the wrong idea about what constitutes CS (both Suppliers and Customers).

IMO Customer service is not about tossing in a 3ml sample or the wrong strength e-liquid in a flavor you certainly would not have ordered, or drawing a smiley face on the invoice with a cheery "personal" note.

Good CS is fixing the inevitable screw-ups in a manner that satisfies the customers and ensures they will order again. Good CS is keeping in contact with your customer throughout the ordering process so that they are not left in the dark. If you want to toss in a freebie, that is lovely, but either make it a generic freebie useful to all customers ( for a new customer) or actually take the time to look at the customers order history and pick something they might actually like based on their history with you. if you throw in a 3ml sample of some eliquid that is the wrong strength mixture and flavor family it doesn't impress me at all, it shows that you are either trying to dump some product, or really don't care to go the extra mile to know your customer.