Thank you! Required reading for all those involved with customers should be: "Fabled Service : Ordinary Acts, Extraordinary Outcomes" by Betsy Sanders. I actually gave a copy of this book to some IT staff I had.
A little story for ITPARADE: Some years back I owned a company based in Ca. that did Network Consulting, Distribution, and had some computer retail stores. I was visiting in one of the stores when I over heard an argument between the retail manager and a customer. I walked over and listened. It seems this fellow had purchased a computer system for his family and was having nothing but problems with it. He had brought it into the service center several times only to return home and end up with the same problems. The sales manager was standing his ground that the problem was the software this man and his family were installing. I stepped in and gave the man all his money back and offered to cover his time for the trips into the service center. I than told him that I stand behind our product and I too, from the sounds of the problems, believed it was some software. To prove this point I told him I wanted him to keep the computer. He walked away with his money and the computer. I than worked with the sales manager as I believe that there is no such thing as a bad employee only a bad manager (me being the bad manager). Some months later I was requested to join a meeting between our network sales group and a new client. Turns out the president of that firm was this very same gentleman. He said that I was right and it turned out all the problems with the computer were due to be some old Disney software that his kids were loading. Because of his experience with me he was awarding this several hundred thousand dollar contract to my company and wanted me to know. I thanked him, but explained that in this case I would not be so inclined to refund his money and let him keep the goods and services! :>) Listen up and learn ITPARADE Jon -----Original Message----- From: Michael Linehan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 1:02 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Word of Caution [7:23363] Jon, Right on. I was trying to post the same response you did but could not put it together. The amazing thing to me is that the older I get the more I see of companies who do not follow the blueprint you laid out and instead go the other way as this company at www.itparade.com has done. I was curious as to whether or not this was a trend in customer service?? Anyway, great post Jon. In my opinion it is in very poor taste for a company to hide behind technical problems to sheild themselves from common courtesy and fairness. I won't find myself joining the itparade anytime soon.. My .02 Mike Linehan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Krabbenschmidt" To: Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 2:26 PM Subject: RE: Word of Caution [7:23363] > It goes to show us that they are not interested in a long run strategy. If > they were they would be focused on customer satisfaction and relationship > building. It is common retail/marketing 101 knowledge that you make your > greatest return from your existing clients and that it cost more money to go > out and get new customers. Here it would have been advantageous to simply > issue a statement to Debbie explaining what they explained here AND said > "given our commitment to our customers we will honor our unintended > commitment". In this Debbie becomes a satisfied customer who will return in > the future and spend more money, and tell others here and else where about > her positive experience. So to save $400 or so the just lost a huge > potential amount. > > my .02 worth: no change necessary. > > Jon > > -----Original Message----- > From: Robert Padjen [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2001 11:39 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Word of Caution [7:23363] > > > It is unfortunate that this company will not stand > behind their errors - myriad stories exist about $1 > airline tickets to Paris and other elements. The email > says 80% of price - $600 - 80% is a $20 error if I > read this right. > > > --- "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" > wrote: > > I feel it necessary to respond to this issue at this > > point in time. I do > > not know Debbie, nor have I communicated with her in > > any way and I do not > > intend to do so regarding this issue. I try to > > never judge a company or > > person before hearing BOTH sides of the story. > > However, since you felt it > > necessary to weigh-in on Debbie's email. I will now > > act as judge on what > > appears to be the facts. > > > > I do not know what country either your company or > > Debbie are operating in, > > however I can only quote United States UCC (Uniform > > Commercial Code) which > > applies to ALL transactions in ALL states, whether > > by private parties or > > public businesses. > > > > Only Three things must exists for a legal contract > > to exist: > > > > 1 - An Offer > > Debbie's submission of her $100 bid to your system. > > > > 2 - Acceptance > > Your email back to Debbie stating that her offer had > > been accepted > > > > 3 - Consideration > > When Debbie provided her credit card number to the > > Pay system, it is > > legally the same as placing cash in the hand of one > > of your company's > > employees. > > > > Based on the evidence above, you both continue to > > have a legally binding > > contract and in addition, you both have written > > evidence of that contract > > (in other words, not a verbal contract) which makes > > the case very strong. > > > > I am not a lawyer and this is based on my personal > > understanding of the > > law. > > > > If both parties operate in the United States, your > > company not only made a > > very poor decision by not fulfilling your obligation > > to Debbie, you have > > also broken US commercial tort law. > > > > John Squeo > > > > > > > > > > > > "Robert > > Davie" > > > > cc: > > Sent by: Subject: > > Re: Word of Caution > > [7:23363] > > > > nobody@groupst > > > > udy.com > > > > > > > > > > 10/18/01 > > 10:43 > > > > AM > > Please > > respond > > to > > "Robert > > > > Davie" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I would like to respond to a message (below) that > > went out over a > > GroupStudy > > mailing list regarding our company. > > > > When our system is functioning properly (99%) we > > have two mechanisms that > > work that were not working when Debbie placed her > > order: > > 1.. A guard against low-ball offers for items that > > have sale prices. > > This > > guard prevents offers of less than 80% of the sale > > price. (Debbie's offer > > was $100 for a $600 item.) > > 2.. Order Acceptance. This was malfunctioning and > > accepting orders that > > were being declined. > > After explaining this to Debbie, who appears to be a > > very knowledgeable and > > market savvy person, we felt that the system > > malfunction would garner her > > understanding. > > > > She threatened to send out an email to the > > GroupStudy mailing list if we > > did > > not fulfill the order, and we indicated that we > > would respond to her email > > message. > > > > Having been in sales all my life and career and with > > happy customers > > ranging > > from AT&T to Sun Microsystems, I feel this is a very > > unfortunate > > occurrence. > > > > Robert Davie > > EVP > > Ph: 919-388-9993 x3102 > > Fax: 919-388-9992 > > ITParade.com, Inc. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of > > Debbie Westall > > Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2001 9:08 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: OT: A Word of Caution about Vendor > > [7:23244] > > > > Greetings, > > > > I wanted to give everyone a heads-up on the list > > about > > a vendor I recently dealt with over the Internet. > > > > The web site is www.itparade.com. > > > > They are a site that acts as a "middleman" for > > sellers > > of equipment. > > > > Last week I put an offer on a router (2501). I admit > > the offer was very low, but I had never used this > > site > > so I figured "why not". A couple of hours later I > > received an email from them saying that my offer was > > accepted by the seller and I was to log on to > > another > > site to make payment arrangements. I logged into > > PitNeyPay.com to add my credit card info as > > requested. > > The next day I received a phone call from a person > > at > > itparade, saying they have pulled my offer, that the > > seller actually rejected my offer but itparade's web > > site was "broken" so the email went out incorrectly. > > The person at itparade, also mentioned that the > > seller > > would be more than happy to sell me that piece of > > equipment for 600.00 rather than my offer. Which > > would > > have been more than double my initial offer. > > Needless > > to say, I rejected that. > > > > I spoke to the Executive VP and the CEO of the > > company > > to no avail. They will not stand behind the email > > that > > came to me that my offer was accepted. > > > > Just wanted to give everyone a heads-up to STAY AWAY > > from this site. If it sounds to good to be true, it > > probably is...... > > > > Has anyone used them before or heard of them. > > > > Thanks > > > > Debbie > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > === message truncated === > > > ===== > Robert Padjen > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Make a great connection at Yahoo! Personals. > http://personals.yahoo.com Message Posted at: http://www.groupstudy.com/form/read.php?f=7&i=23443&t=23363 -------------------------------------------------- FAQ, list archives, and subscription info: http://www.groupstudy.com/list/cisco.html Report misconduct and Nondisclosure violations to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
