True, but as I stated, they also have customer service, and I wouldn't shop there without it. They are genuinely nice folks who routinely make me happy to have shopped there.
Kurt On Tue, Apr 22, 2014 at 6:06 AM, Jonathan Link <jonathan.l...@gmail.com>wrote: > Product selection is not customer service, per se. Understanding one's > market, making a niche market is not a function of customer service, it's > good business. Customer service would be like loading your car, assisting > you down the aisles, picking your order on your behalf, and/or delivery to > your home. > > It may be that they survey their customers extensively to see what they > want to buy, but that's not customer service. > > > On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 11:48 PM, Kurt Buff <kurt.b...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> No, not all category leaders are good at customer service. As MBS has >> pointed out, those who have monopoly grants from the government often >> prosper without customer service. Those who offer retail Internet >> connectivity (often WISPs), have customer service as a differentiator - >> sometimes it's their only differentiator, because they're shut out by law >> from string cable/fiber, and can only occupy a small niche, usually well >> outside of a metropolitan market. >> >> As well, I'm fairly sure not all companies with good customer service are >> category leaders, though I think that's more often true in smaller markets >> - but if I were to run across such a company, I'd probably prefer to buy >> their stock, and would definitely give them my custom. >> >> However, in most free(ish) markets, category leaders are often, though >> not always, very good at customer service. It probably depends a lot on the >> market in question. >> >> Take groceries, for example. My wife and I don't shop at the large >> corporate chain stores that are local to me (Albertsons, QFC, Safeway, >> etc.). We shop at a smaller locally owned store, where they have very good >> service, and a really good selection - not just the basics, but nice stuff >> that it's hard to find at the large chains that focus on the lowest price >> at the cost of service and selection. Their prices where I shop are usually >> within a percent of the large stores. For me (and obviously a fair number >> of other people, as the store is doing well), customer service wins. >> >> Kurt >> >> >> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 3:20 PM, Andrew S. Baker <asbz...@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> So, only the category leaders (and those vying to be category leaders) >>> offer customer service? >>> >>> Are there any category leaders that *don't* offer customer service (or >>> anything approaching real customer service), while others in their category >>> do? >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> *ASB **http://XeeMe.com/AndrewBaker* <http://xeeme.com/AndrewBaker> >>> *Providing Virtual CIO Services (IT Operations & Information Security) >>> for the SMB market…* >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 10:07 AM, Kurt Buff <kurt.b...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>>> On Mon, Apr 21, 2014 at 5:56 AM, Steven M. Caesare < >>>> scaes...@caesare.com> wrote: >>>> >> Re: Companies' incentives: That's not universally true. I refer you >>>> to companies that have as at least some of their core operating principles >>>> the ideas of customer service - >>>> > >>>> > That's an ends to a means. That customer service exists to promote >>>> goodwill with regard to the customer buying products the sell, >>>> > >>>> > The litmus test for these: >>>> > >>>> > Cold the company conceivably exist by eliminating the "extra mile" >>>> customer service? Yes. Could they existin by eliminating product sales? No. >>>> >>>> Hrm. I don't think that's the right yardstick. I believe the question >>>> should be: Would these companies be category leaders if they didn't >>>> have such good customer service? And I believe the answer is no. >>>> >>>> Kurt >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >> >
