A not so responsive vendor

Thanks for the info Kevin. Information like you supplied is just one more reason why I enjoy RCW.

JD

Hi Kevin, I consider a suggestion that a vendor is not satisfactory as important as one that praises a vendor. IMHO, your post is not a vent. More like a model for Job-like customer patience in the face of a vendor's nil response. You must have really wanted that drill guide since you showed more patience than most of us would have been able to sustain. :)

Now lets let the company or its supporters explain, otherwise we are all warned. Thanks for alerting us.

Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter

To both JD and Arch,

It is probably an aspect of human nature to focus > Hi Kevin, I consider a suggestion that a vendor is not satisfactory as

This one's been all over a bunch of turning forums, and most of those responding agree it's a strange idea of customer service they have.

In message , Arch writes

An important point to note if you are one to wait for an item to be received, and that is to check the invoice/shipping dates, and note the date of receipt. As a big gap between the two could affect the period of your warranty.

I was told many years ago by the Managing Director of a company I worked for. 'It is easier to keep ten existing customers happy than find one new customer.'

There are three aspects to a purchase of importance to a customer Price, Quality, and Service - its surprising how many companies forget Service

I teach the same thing in my commercial recreation classes. But a key point to keeping customers coming back is to keep them happy. Poor customer service and customer relations leads to quick turnover. Companies that keep customers informed about their orders (even if those orders are backordered) are more apt to retain customers than one that assumes the customer will not be dissatisfied with a product that arrived later than expected. As Kevin stated earlier, in today's market, the products are almost equal in value and quality (I'm not saying this to start an argument, we all like what we like). The difference then is the customer service that is offered by the companies we choose to buy from.

And many times a customer will pay a slightly higher price if they know the company they are buying from and the quality of service they will be getting. In the internet age, we often times can no longer physically carry the product back to the distributor and voice our opinion and discontent. The internet has allowed companies to sell world wide, thus creating a larger potential customer base, of which they figure few will ever voice their discontent, and if they do "so what" there are more where they came from. Sadly, sometimes it costs money (and time) for one to learn of the good and bad companies that exist. Luckily, this discussion board has individuals I've learned to trust over the years and whose opinion I trust.

Again, thanks for sharing,

JD

JD

In message , JD writes

What you say is so very true, so many "so called" companies (many appearing one Ebay and now Amazon). I say it this way as in some cases, they are not really companies, but individuals selling from a room in their home, and in some cases not operating as a business, and paying the appropriate taxes etc.

One thing the bigger companies should always remember if they take the 'so what' attitude, and that is there is "Always" someone out there who can do them damage, either through the legal system using the Internet itself.

The easiest way of doing it through the Internet is put a factual account of the transaction on a prominent Website, and put a question at the bottom asking would you buy from this person/company. If I were to do this on my own Website almost 4000 people would see it a day across the globe. If what they say that we are six steps away from knowing someone. I bet at least one of these would know someone who knew someone who bought there before, but it may affect them buying there again.

When I recently needed a replacement chains I looked around and decided I would pay the extra 10% to get it from a local store ( who I new provided great service), in case there were problems, and for easy access to spares. Suffice to say, the first had an issue and so did its replacement, after waiting a couple of weeks for clarification if the issue was actually a problem, I returned the chains for a full refund. The retailer was ever so helpful, and as I pointed out it was a lovely electric chains, my only concern was that when you removed your finger from the trigger sometimes it would stop immediately, but others it would run on for up to 8 ( each under no load) To me this inconsistency was a safety issue where lives could be lost

I talked briefly with the new owner of Steebar -- they had a booth at SWAT last October. He indicated that he was actively interested in buying other companies to expand. Maybe reality has set in?

In any event, there are rules in a vendor's agreement with his credit card processor about when he can charge your card. When he charges it and then either doesn't ship the product or there is an unreasonable delay, he is likely to be in violation of that agreement. If there are enough charge backs, he will lose his ability to process credit cards. And, without credit cards, there ain't no business today.

Send him an email canceling the order and call your credit card processor to charge the amount back. It won't take very many of these transactions to get him shut down. We really do have the last word.

Bill

John wrote:

Kevin wrote in news:1f923d7c-600e-4939-8164- snipped-for-privacy@i7g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

Your experience with Steebar mirrors mine. They would not answer emails nor messages left on their answering machine. I no longer do business with them or recommend them to anybody.

Hank

Hank, I do recall your response to my original posting of a certain displeasure with the vendor. I have learned.

I sent an email to them yesterday (an exercise in futility? ) both to the orders address and to the sales address. The latter was under the belief that steebar is more concerned in generating new sales than in service. The email canceled the order I placed on 31 Jan. The call to my cc company could not have been more different. The person was pleasant, courteous, and helpful.

When I read in the future of folks asking for recommendations on this group I will toss in my 2 cents regarding steebar. I really don't like to engage in badmouthing a company but place steering someone away from a pothole on the internet superhighway ranks a bit higher than badmouthing.