Lying dealer?

[coffeeman]

Maybe we should add; " Rule #3. Let the customer win the small ones." Keep the income rolling in instead of sending the customer down the road. I might be "confused, misinformed, ignorant. unreasonable and out of line, but I'm spending the $$. So what we have here is company has to decide if I'm worth the trouble I am causing you. I want to collect on the warranty that's owed to me. It doesn't matter what is fair, it matters what I think is fair. Too many folks working in service business fail to realize the value of a customer and underestimate the cost of getting new business.

I say to company, "Go ahead and hassle me. Put the screws to the old, tired and lazy phraze. I'll take me $$ and spend them down the street."

Cheers.....Coffeeman
.
.

"Originally Posted by SkyPup
Successful Sales and Service Rule #1 - The customer is always right.

Successful Sales and Service Rule #2 - The customer is wrong....see Rule #1."

I'm glad that someone has the guts to put the screws to this old, tired, lazy phrase.

The customer is NOT always right. Many times they are confused, misinformed, ignorant, unreasonable, and completely out of line. Unfortunately, too many times this old line is misunderstood today to mean that good customer service means that the customer gets whatever they want.......regardless. But, hehe, many times the customer expects far too much and isn't worth the loss to be perfectly honest.

I work in a service industry where warranties and claims and cost/benefit is a daily staple and quite honestly it's often not worth the time, effort, and money to give someone what they believe is "fair"....which most often translates into "give me whatever I want for free or I'll cancel".......well, go ahead and cancel as doing what it takes to please you is a net loss to the company which you soon won't make up.

Sorry to "go off" on this, but this whole subject boils my blood. I am a reasonable individual who accepts risk and loss with any action or transaction. I do not require baby-ing or a silk gloves when conducting business. I expect nothing for free. But, too many today do in fact expect and demand these very things and assume zero responsibility on their own. And, hey, it's not just the modern generations who do this either, no. I find much the same with the older folks who feel "entitled" to things because of their age. Likewise, I run into younger who are fine customers and never complain. Go figure, eh?


Whew.......done now

 

[coffeeman]

DaryleD

I sure did mean that 100%. I never indicated dealer should do anything wrong. I just want dealer to be in my corner and go that extra mile. He's the go between between me and the manufacturer. No matter what the request the dealer should consider the request. Then tell me what can and can't be given and don't blow me off. Good dealers and manufacturers bend over backwards to help customers. If warranty up, the request might be to the dealer. If I'm out of line a smart dealer will consider my request. There is always a little give and take and he might give a little and take a little. Most times somewhere down the middle is the result. Obviously, if I always beat up on dealer, he may grow weary.

Cheers....Coffeeman
,
,

Coffeeman,
I'm sure that you didn't mean your quote "No matter what the request the dealer should help me" 100% literally did you? I agree with you that we need good service, and I think that we deserve good service. I also think that the dealer needs to eat too. I always try to get the best deal possible, and I can surely understand that the dealer has alot of overhead to pay for as well. I will get upset if two dealers, selling the same thing, are priced too far apart if they are within a reasonable distance of each other. Even then, property taxes are different, peoples income expectations when employing them are different, Electricity might be more due to a different company that is serviceing them etc. I wonder how many of us ( including myself ) look at the family pictures on their desk, walls etc. and think about how they have to provide for their families, all the while expecting them to consider our families well being by helping us with our wallet? I am just trying to say that there should be some give and take. That's one of the many things wrong with our expectations; that we have grown acustomed to.
Daryle.

 

[coffeeman]

Hey Joe

I'm not a Wall-Mart fan. Sams Club has especially hurt my business. But it's competition. We have to adjust. But, if Wall-Mart does it, it's probably good business. What is wrong with giving customer "zero hassle"? My company has just started thinking; "Hassle free service".

Cheers.....Coffeeman
.
.
.

 

[JoeinTX]

"Maybe we should add; " Rule #3. Let the customer win the small ones." Keep the income rolling in instead of sending the customer down the road. I might be "confused, misinformed, ignorant. unreasonable and out of line, but I'm spending the $$. So what we have here is company has to decide if I'm worth the trouble I am causing you. I want to collect on the warranty that's owed to me. It doesn't matter what is fair, it matters what I think is fair. Too many folks working in service business fail to realize the value of a customer and underestimate the cost of getting new business.

I say to company, "Go ahead and hassle me. Put the screws to the old, tired and lazy phraze. I'll take me $$ and spend them down the street."

You did hit on a key point I made......"IF" you are worth keeping and not all customers are by any means. And, you are displaying the very mentality I spoke of......what you as the customer thinks is "fair" may be very different than what is rational. I am a fair and reasonable fellow who more often than not errs in the customer's favor, but, I also on daily basis make decisions as to who is worth losing money on and who is not. It clears up your perspective right quick.
And, what you believe to be a "hassle" may very well be a legitimate reason for the seller to refuse your request.......again, all a matter of perspective and attitude.

"But, if Wall-Mart does it, it's probably good business. What is wrong with giving customer "zero hassle"? My company has just started thinking; "Hassle free service".

Hassle-free service is a wonderful idea.......if and when it's a practical practice. Wal-Mart has a unique position in which it is so large and deals with such volumes that the losses can be absorbed in the aim to never have a bad word mentioned about you among the buying public. And, it works for them. Again, "hassle" is word defined by perspective and one person's hassle may be another's satisfactory customer service experience.

 

[Bird]

I truly believe that Wal-Mart has hurt our society is in their easy and relaxed return policy

Wal-Mart is certainly not the only one with a "satisfaction guaranteed" policy at all. We bought a new carpet cleaning machine at Sears nearly 3 years ago and they had a half dozen "used" ones sitting there at bargain prices (unfortunately, not the model we wanted). The salesman said with their satisfaction guaranteed policy, people bought them, cleaned their carpets, and returned them for a refund. And how about Country Home Products (DR trimmer/mower and many other things) and recent TV commercials for the Mantis tillers? Of course many other places offer "satisfaction guaranteed"; the product doesn't have to be defective to be returned for a full refund.

 

[RobJ]

I agree, and that's one reason I've always preferred trading in vehicles to buy another one instead of selling the old one outright. I'd tell a potential buyer of any known problems, but even new vehicles sometimes break down, and I hate selling a used vehicle to anyone because, even if there was nothing wrong with it, but it has a problem anytime in the near future, the buyer is going to think you hid something or were less than honest.

Both the seller AND buyer know what they are doing when they buy used. The buyer must do some DD and check things out. Never bought a used car, used house, etc? You can disclose everything about a used tractor and in the next 5 hours it could have a major failure. Nobodys fault really.

Trading is a lot easier than selling outtright, but you usually leave some moeny on the table. And the guy who buys your tractor still could be a buddy. Remember the dealer or new seller is going to represent it as a great deal!!

 

[Iowachild]

Let's take this issue one step further. (And this could easily include ANYONE, dealer or private sale) What about the "sin of omission". That's where you have something for sale, and it has a problem. How ethical (read UNethical) is it to conveniently forget to mention this major flaw to a potential buyer? When is it alright to do so? Is it EVER OK? Does that ol' saying "buyer beware" apply?

Is honesty what we expect from others, but not from ourselves?

I bought a tractor with intentionally hidden damage that would most likely held the bidding to 1/5 of what I paid. Would I try to sell it without telling the propective purchaser of the damage? NO! Just the way I was rasied and besides, I enjoy sleeping at night.

 

[sandman2234]

How about Lying Customer?
I see the return rooms of several large chain stores and have had numerous conversations about the returns. Springtime painting, some people buy a pressure washer, returned in a week, then a paint sprayer, returned in a week, and have their paint mixed and then return that also. I had to ask about returning the paint, but it seems they used to be able to buy it as already mixed, priced reduced, the next day... Send a friend in to pick up the bucket and you got what you wanted...
Lowes for one has started remixing the colors of returned paint as standard procedure to prevent this from happening before placing it back on the sales floor.

People wonder why I don't like to paint, with all the trips to the store to return the equipment. With the price of gas, how do you save any money??
David from jax

 

[coffeeman]

"But, if Wall-Mart does it, it's probably good business. What is wrong with giving customer "zero hassle"? My company has just started thinking; "Hassle free service".

Hassle-free service is a wonderful idea.......if and when it's a practical practice. Wal-Mart has a unique position in which it is so large and deals with such volumes that the losses can be absorbed in the aim to never have a bad word mentioned about you among the buying public. And, it works for them. Again, "hassle" is word defined by perspective and one person's hassle may be another's satisfactory customer service experience.

Hey Joe

I think Wall Mart is in a better position than being able to absorbe the losses. So many companies fall over themselves to do business with Wall Mart that I would believe they absorbe the cost of returns and it doesn't cost Wall Mart a cent. I have heard that most suppliers don't charge W M for their goods untill item is scanned for selling at reister. Good point though, W M probably pays for sold items at end of day or week when sold. However, anyone could open a store if they didn't have to invest in stocking the store. But, you have to be big to get that offer. The big get bigger.

Anyway you look at it, I will never feel sorry for W M when someone returns something.

Cheers.....Coffeeman