I was a plumber in a previous life and this reminds me of the service that was extended at the plumbing supply companies. I didn't mind back then because I got preferential treatment. But if you weren't known to the guys in the supply house they would treat customers terribly. Leave people standing there without even acknowledging them for 30 minutes or more. Charging a 30% markup and just being rude if they ever did get around to serving them. Then came Home Depot with low prices for all and customer service for all. Go into a local plumbing supply now and see a very different attitude. I'm just a homeowner to them now. I still have my plumbing license but I very rarely install any pipe or replace a water heater. I like the service I get walking into a supply house now. It's all supply and demand, you may have the supply to meet a demand but, so does the Inter-webs with free shipping and no attitudes. You have to make people want to come into your establishment if you aren't the only place to get the product you're trying to sell. Usually, things find and even keel. Local prices start to compete with the online guys because they would rather sell more product and keep their standing with their supplier. Lets say you sell one widget with $10 profit but you neighbor sells 10 widgets with a $1 profit. who is their supplier going to like more, the guy that sold one or the guy that sold ten?
---------- Original Message ---------- From: Stevan Plavsa via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> To: "cnc-list@cnc-list.com" <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> Cc: Stevan Plavsa <stevanpla...@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Stus-List Got a New 135% Head Sail Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2016 12:20:47 -0500 "I will admit that sometimes it does feel a little bit like I'm just a small fry and that I'm wasting their time. A little part of me gets it though, lookie loos and shoppers take time and don't make money. So, in a way the guy that has already opened his wallet has paid to be top priority." And I think this is the problem and why offshore companies are taking the business. You don't know who will open their wallet. The best approach is to show your good face to everyone that comes in the door. It's reasonable for a customer to shop around for sails. If they aren't prepared to entertain "looky loos" who are just trying to get the best value for their hard earned money, then the business goes elsewhere. It's simple customer service. There's a generational gap here too. I find the older, established businesses with sales people that have "been around a long time" are the worst to deal with on a customer service level. The best companies I've dealt with are the younger companies, with younger sales reps, that 'get it'. Lastly, I'm a pretty young guy myself, I've probably got several more sale purchases in my lifetime, guess who won't be getting the next call? That's right, the local guys that didn't give me the time of day the first time around. The smart sellers see a customer for life. The lazy ones see a young guy "with no money". See my challenges getting pricing on a chartplotter at a local store here. Fred sent me most of the info and pricing I needed in about a matter of hours. I initiated my discourse with the local brick and mortar place over two weeks ago!!! And I went in there for new life lines and a chartplotter with accessories. Maybe not the biggest purchase they'll see this year but likely MY biggest purchase this year. As a customer I'm fed up BECAUSE I WANT THE LOCAL SUPPORT. But the local support has to beef up the "support" part of the deal and act like they care about my business. SteveSuhana, C&C 32Toronto
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