The SpecSavers website (www.specsavers.co.za) shows how it should be done. Also has a 24hrs FB page. And yes, this is a bit of advertizing for my wife's business.
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: How do you normally pay for purchases in stores?
What is wrong with SA businesses?
- Thread starter Zoomzoom
- Start date
crackersa
Honorary Master
Agree
Me too, or if they don't have a landline.
Oh don't get me wrong, I'm all about service and my clients know it. What I won't stand for is when clients abuse that service to such an extend where I'm not bending backwards anymore but falling over. You most probably believe in that whole customer is always right bs?and in one post you show exactly what is wrong with customer service in SA, I'd rather take my business elsewhere
and you say the consumer is arrogant, the irony
Not true. You'll do me a huge favour by moving the **** along.
It's very easy to only see things from one perspective
Last edited:
Zoomzoom - youre like the customer from hell who expects somebody to enter into long conversations by email instead of picking up the phone. One, two maybe three emails on a query is fine. At this point I'm asking the potential customer to phone us or we'll phone him but he wants emails .... maybe he's only at his computer after hours?
I work for an importer supplying shops and online stores. The landed cost and therfore the selling price is different every time stock arrives from overseas. This means our price list to the retailer can change weekly. Its easy to keep them updated but stock holding changes daily ..... did you see that, you are not the only person buying. The online stores that buy from us check stock and current price for every item they get an enquiry on BEFORE quoting. They're on the phone 5 or 6 times a day. It goes like this - end user enquiry, online store confirms price and stock with wholesaler then quote end user, end user orders and pays, store orders and wholesaler dispatches same day.
It's an option to include courier costs in the price. End user wouldn't see the separate carriage fee and would think it was being delivered free
We usually reply to emails within an hour or two but must admit our website is diabolical. It looks OK, has plenty of detail, beautiful pictures but it's out of date. PS Zoomzoom that's because although we do employ a person said person is incapable of updating the website with all the technical details people want and deserve to see.
/come at me baby let's see what you've got
I work for an importer supplying shops and online stores. The landed cost and therfore the selling price is different every time stock arrives from overseas. This means our price list to the retailer can change weekly. Its easy to keep them updated but stock holding changes daily ..... did you see that, you are not the only person buying. The online stores that buy from us check stock and current price for every item they get an enquiry on BEFORE quoting. They're on the phone 5 or 6 times a day. It goes like this - end user enquiry, online store confirms price and stock with wholesaler then quote end user, end user orders and pays, store orders and wholesaler dispatches same day.
It's an option to include courier costs in the price. End user wouldn't see the separate carriage fee and would think it was being delivered free
We usually reply to emails within an hour or two but must admit our website is diabolical. It looks OK, has plenty of detail, beautiful pictures but it's out of date. PS Zoomzoom that's because although we do employ a person said person is incapable of updating the website with all the technical details people want and deserve to see.
/come at me baby let's see what you've got
Last edited:
OMB
Mountain Man
Oh don't get me wrong, I'm all about service and my clients know it. What I won't stand for is when clients abuse that service to such an extend where I'm not bending backwards anymore but falling over. You most probably believe in that whole customer is always right bs?
Not true. You'll do me a huge favour by moving the **** along.
It's very easy to only see things from one perspective
No I don't believe the customer is always right, however the customer is still the customer and they pay the bills, very poor customer experience gets relayed by that customer to at least 10 other people without you ever knowing it, what's the opportunity cost of losing 10 potential customers you never even knew you could have had?
Same story on my side. We import, buy locally and manufacture. Never a true cost per product because of different pricing so we work on "average cost". Luckily our huge margins grant us the luxury of not changing selling prices unnecessarily as it would be upsetting and inconvenient to most of my clients. They would struggle immensely to do their own costings for their customers.
Last edited:
True. The margins our side are carefully monitored so prices are in line with comparable products. Not that we'd screw the customers over anyway but R1000 difference in a product that sells for R8000 is a lot.
Quality comes at a price.
Zoomzoom
Executive Member
Zoomzoom - youre like the customer from hell who expects somebody to enter into long conversations by email instead of picking up the phone. One, two maybe three emails on a query is fine. At this point I'm asking the potential customer to phone us or we'll phone him but he wants emails .... maybe he's only at his computer after hours?
I work for an importer supplying shops and online stores. The landed cost and therfore the selling price is different every time stock arrives from overseas. This means our price list to the retailer can change weekly. Its easy to keep them updated but stock holding changes daily ..... did you see that, you are not the only person buying. The online stores that buy from us check stock and current price for every item they get an enquiry on BEFORE quoting. They're on the phone 5 or 6 times a day. It goes like this - end user enquiry, online store confirms price and stock with wholesaler then quote end user, end user orders and pays, store orders and wholesaler dispatches same day.
It's an option to include courier costs in the price. End user wouldn't see the separate carriage fee and would think it was being delivered free
We usually reply to emails within an hour or two but must admit our website is diabolical. It looks OK, has plenty of detail, beautiful pictures but it's out of date. PS Zoomzoom that's because although we do employ a person said person is incapable of updating the website with all the technical details people want and deserve to see.
/come at me baby let's see what you've got
A phone call is wasted money for both of us. I don't know all the questions I need to ask. So I start with what I do know, which on first enquiry is often very little. Then I learn more and I think hmm ok I wonder if ... and the reply to that SOMETIMES leads to more research and possibly follow up questions. If you aren't prepared to do that, it indicates the following to me ...
1. You aren't really interested in selling me anything
2. you aren't interested in helping me get the right product for my needs - in which case I really don't want to buy from you
3. if you aren't interested in helping BEFORE I spend money on your product you sure as **** aren't going be any help after you have my money.
There isn't always a whole long chain - but with investigating something as complex as solar / alternative energy it has been a process.
Zoomzoom
Executive Member
Exactly. But it is more than that - good customer service gains LOYAL customers who rave about you.
I buy quite a lot online from TakeALot and I can highly recommend them. They are super-fast, delivery is extra-ordinarily efficient and if something does go a bit wrong, as it does in life, their support staff are amazing. They are, however, very sadly the exception.
I was not referring to poor customer service in my post though. It's when going the extra 10miles are looked down upon for not being 20. That revs me up. Nevertheless you are completely right on that point. The opposite remains true as well; when very good service is rendered at least 10 other potential customers will hear about it.
People are free to buy whatever they choose. If it's crap at least you'll get service over and over again. Every time it breaks.
The alternative is to begin with an email, if things look promising waste your money on a phone call. Personal contact is always better.
Adenoid Hynkel
Executive Member
99% of your list above can easily be bought online with accurate updated pricing. What sites are you browsing on?
Online pricing for kitchen cupboards? Haha. How do you even do that? Same with a solar geyser. They can give you an estimate but it will most likely be more, due to the location of your geyser, the roof you have etc...
Do you own a house? Have you ever renovated a house, or a part thereof?
I have to agree. My clients are widespread across the world. Saffers being the most demanding whilst paying peanuts compared to the rest. They also complain a lot louder.
Have you shopped in Europe? US? I find sales staff actually to be a lot more friendly in SA
Last edited:
F
Former member 61586
Guest
What a crock of drivel
F
Former member 61586
Guest
No. Personal contact leaves no proof of what said or promised. An email is something in writing that you can fall back on if there is a disagreement.
A recorded phone call too.
Zoomzoom
Executive Member
Probably why they don't respond in writing. No proof they said anything.
F
Former member 61586
Guest
How many small to medium businesses record all phone calls?
very few, almost none I'd say
ScottulusMaximus
Honorary Master
If a business doesn't respond to emails or web forms they must gtfo.... It's 2016, not 1996, get with the times.
I don't have time to sit on a phone chatting and I'm sure the seller doesn't either. Respond when you are able and I will do the same, within the same day should be the target for a "normal" business, within an hour for predominantly online business.
The record of conversations is also very very useful if a dispute arises.
I don't have time to sit on a phone chatting and I'm sure the seller doesn't either. Respond when you are able and I will do the same, within the same day should be the target for a "normal" business, within an hour for predominantly online business.
The record of conversations is also very very useful if a dispute arises.