Price vs Service

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edicehouse

edicehouse

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Seems like a lot of discussion has been made about customer service at work. It got me thinking about at what point you would give up excellent service for a better price. And I mean realistic, if I could get a brand new Dodge Charger for $500, I wouldn't care if I had to type up the papers myself...

Let's say you get an order for 200 Cigar pens. We know a vender on here that offers them, and gives great service. Now for simple math (so I can keep up); let's say he charges $5.00 per kit with free shipping, and you have your order from him in 3-5 business days. You have another vender that charges $4.50 per kit with free shipping, but he is slower and it takes 7-10 business days to get your order, and if there is a problem it is real hard to get anyone on the phone. That $.25 ends up being about $100 bucks in the end.

I think you all see the direction I am going.
 
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If you want a great price on 200 kits, I would suggest calling the vendor. Some vendors are very well positioned for that type of order, others it would eat their entire inventory.

There is no "downside" to calling. I suspect there are fewer than ten of those orders from all the IAP in a year. If you get one, ENJOY it!!!
 
I'm of the old school on this one. I would stick with the guy who has been there for me day in and day out. Even if it cost me the extra $100. (Makes me think of the Andy Griffith show when Aunt Bea bought meat from a street vendor instead of the regular butcher. Turned out to be tough, etc.)
 
ed4copies said:
If you want a great price on 200 kits, I would suggest calling the vendor. Some vendors are very well positioned for that type of order, others it would eat their entire inventory.

There is no "downside" to calling. I suspect there are fewer than ten of those orders from all the IAP in a year. If you get one, ENJOY it!!!
Click to expand...

I was using 200 to got the numbers up. But say it is 10 kits. and $.50 difference still. That would be only $5 bucks overall. Take away the time limits of when you need to have the order done, ect. The factor I am trying to discuss is the customer service and cost. Not quality, just over all customer service (wether you use it or not).
 
Am I pro customer service, of course I am. I don't shop as much as some on here do but given the chance I remember who was nice to me, I also recommend them to other turners so it also helps out a small business.
 
I use vendors for the service they supply, if they are helpfull in finding what I need even if they don't get the sale, that will always bring me back to them first. Some times $0.25 or even a $1.00 more if I get treated right, and they supply extra service is fine. Just depend on how I'm treated, and no BS involved then it's all good. :biggrin:
 
"Cheap" has its' place, but not to get an order of 200. If I were to get the order, it would mean that I got MY:biggrin: price, and I would order the pens from the vendor who can get it to me fastest.:eek:
 
I was an industrial salesman for many, many years and when the customers wanted to haggle I would say, "You are the customer, you can have anything you want." Then, "I can provide the best quality, the best price and the best service. The bad news is you can only have 2 so which do you want?" Generally speaking price was what they would bend on; quality and service (including delivey on time) was more important.
WB
 
I work in sales. I have 39 accounts that buy from me every day. 95% of them buy from me because I know my products very well and am very personable. Out of those people, less than 5% care about price. They are more concerned about getting the right product the first time and also a timely delivery. 10 of my accounts have my personal phone number, just in case something goes hay wire when i'm gone. The market i'm in is very price competitive with quite a few of the same type vendors within a 2 mile radius.

When I purchase something customer service is #1 followed closely by quality.
 
Talk to the vendor first

If faced with the initial situation I'd call the vendors. You might get a promise of earlier shipping from the lower priced vendor and you might get a better price from the quick shipper.

On a small quantity I'd go where my 'gut' told me to....which would very likely be to whichever of the vendors I had been dealing with. If I'd never used either I'd toss a coin or make a small order to both and see what happened.
 
Wood Butcher said:
I was an industrial salesman for many, many years and when the customers wanted to haggle I would say, "You are the customer, you can have anything you want." Then, "I can provide the best quality, the best price and the best service. The bad news is you can only have 2 so which do you want?" Generally speaking price was what they would bend on; quality and service (including delivey on time) was more important.
WB
Click to expand...


This is always amusing.

I sell copiers in my real life. My company gives GREAT service, under two hour response and a guy that knows his stuff. So, when it is time for a new copier, we used to expect the "inside track". NOPE!

My competition PROMISES 2 hour service too. Once you become a customer you find out the promise was not true. But, 3 days isn't bad. Oh, and their service COSTS MORE.

Over the years I have learned that loyalty to a vendor is rare---broken promises are NOT rare.

That's life---
Ed
 
I will go with the business that treats me right every time, price be damned. I have been screwed on several occaisions and lost money because what I needed and was promised was NOT what was promised, and NOT on time. I learned my lessons.
 
ed4copies said:
Wood Butcher said:
I was an industrial salesman for many, many years and when the customers wanted to haggle I would say, "You are the customer, you can have anything you want." Then, "I can provide the best quality, the best price and the best service. The bad news is you can only have 2 so which do you want?" Generally speaking price was what they would bend on; quality and service (including delivey on time) was more important.
WB
Click to expand...


This is always amusing.

I sell copiers in my real life. My company gives GREAT service, under two hour response and a guy that knows his stuff. So, when it is time for a new copier, we used to expect the "inside track". NOPE!

My competition PROMISES 2 hour service too. Once you become a customer you find out the promise was not true. But, 3 days isn't bad. Oh, and their service COSTS MORE.

Over the years I have learned that loyalty to a vendor is rare---broken promises are NOT rare.

That's life---
Ed
Click to expand...
Remember the old TV ad -- promise them anything but give them Arpege--? There are certain things that I do have brand loyalty with - but very few. There are also a few vendors (stores) that I have loyalty to - but very few.

I bought 5 cars over a period of 4 years from a particular dealership and salesman. I always got a fair price without haggling. Then I went in the 5th year for a new vehicle and they were $4400 higher than the competition on an $18000 vehicle - I gave them a second chance and they got to where they were only $3900 higher. I said "Well I tried to give you my business but it's obvious that you don't want it"

Just as an aside - I've heard the old "best quality, lowest price, best service - you can have any 2". That's a cute little expression but it's a real quick way to get off the short list when I'm buying - I think you can have all three. Sometimes you have to look at it a little.
 
I own a truck repair company in Seattle and have been in business since 1987. We take care of 6 of the largest trucking companies in the US. We have grown the biz from 2 guys with 2 trucks to 5 full shops, 49 road service trucks and 68 employees. Do we perform any unique tasks? No, a truck is a truck is a truck. The difference? We follow 4 simple rules. 1) The customer is always right (even when they are wrong). 2) We never say no (never done it before but we'll give it a shot). 3) Give as much help to your employees as much as you can on and off the clock. 4) Make a buck at the end of the day. If you follow the first 3 rules, the 4th is inevitable. Bottom line is, customer relations/support goes farther than the short term cheap price.
 
I was in international shipping for my previous career... a lot of what we did, the customer could have done himself and saved a lot of our fees, but we had the contacts and procedures already in place, so maybe saving our fees was not cost effective...
there was a lot of negotiating in our services... shipping prices, packing prices, fees, etc... we weren't always the cheapest, sometimes we were, but one thing we could not scrimp on was service... we were effective a service company and without service, we were out of business.... I like service first, but also look for best pricing to go with that service.
 
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