Is Customer Service a Thing of the Past?

[crusader]

I have been managing the warranty dept of a top 50 US, RV dealership for 16 yrs. BOY, I got stories.
People expect alot. And for the money, rightfully so.
Our new RVs go fro 22k-150k.
The warranty from about all manufacturers is 1 frigging year and three yr structural. Now, structural is open for debate it seems. It's basically the I beam frame and stud work.
Thats my biggest headache.
I constantly here, it should've been built like this or that. After warranty runs out.

Also 90 days for adjustment. A big pia for us. We have people from all over the country (even Alaska) come to us in Nebraska to buy from us.

I comp thousands of dollars each year that the manufacturers won't cover due to the warranty not covering this or that.

Our owners, for all their faults, do put customers first.i can count on one hand of people who have been banned from service.

Now, to be honest. All industry, atheist in the motor vehicle, has what is called "hold back". That is money that is allocated to an account of each sale percentage for stuff like this. A smart sale has this. And, it can save a repeat customer.

Also, if you buy a new rv. Buy the service contract. It WILL help you eventually.

 

[anotherbob]

worst part is they could have made it right in a way that would have made you another regular customer. Hell in their shoes if I wanted to only think about myself I would have offered to comp an equal amount on your next order if that would make you happy. And then clean up on all the other things you end up buying along with your free pouch.

 

[crusader]

I didn't notice last night in my post that auto correct replaced automotive with atheist.

Sorry about that. I didn't proof read.

 

[HRPufnstuf]

Short answer: yes.

 

[David D. Davidson]

I've always heard that the true roots of the saying "the customer is always right" is "the customer is always right in matters of taste" - If some mouthblind guy wants his steak well done and smothered in ketchup, or to wrap his car in day-glo pink wrap, then their dollar spends just as well as anyone elses. But too many entitled folks turn that into carte blanche to be the worst kind of person.

worst part is they could have made it right in a way that would have made you another regular customer. Hell in their shoes if I wanted to only think about myself I would have offered to comp an equal amount on your next order if that would make you happy. And then clean up on all the other things you end up buying along with your free pouch.

100%. It's a wide spectrum between no questions asked refunds and telling customers to go pound sand. I don't run a business anymore (it's a hellish maze of taxes and regulations here in Canada), but when I did, I tended to opt for the store credit approach where applicable. Very few people took it poorly, and it helped sift out people acting in bad faith. Not everyone jives with it, but it at least demonstrates you're willing to come to some degree of compromise, instead of stonewalling.

That being said, (not that I'm accusing birdog of this), I took great pleasure in denying refunds to those blessedly few people who were just determined to be the most appalling people possible. Never has there been a greater joy than someone demanding to speak with my boss, only to be told that I'm the business owner . Thankfully, I could count those people on one hand, with a few fingers to spare!

 

[andrew]

Personally I'd contact Scandinavian tobacco company, tell them you'll mail them the pouch, and they'll more than likely send you a few tubs. Some people intentionally heat tobacco to do a sort of false aging process

 

[Auxsender]

How much could that pouch of SWR possibly cost him to replace?
Surely way less than the cost of a pissed off customer.

The customer is definitely NOT always right but in this case I feel he is. Even if he’s not, spend the $5 and send him more SWR.

 

[birdog]

thanks all for your well thought and honest feedback....I respect others, and I like to be treated respectfully....
I know there are others that "take advantage, for their own benefit", and do not "engage fairly"....
I could never do that..

When we were kids, I played with the neighbors, mostly baseball...across the street from our homes was a Westinghouse transformer factory. It had a 4 feet, knee wall of brick, then solid windows....We would stand across the street, throwing a golf ball, at the base ...allow it to hit the sidewalk, ricochet off the kneewall, and come back to us ...catch, repeat, catch, repeat....I was 8 years old.
I was playing and the angle was not correct....bounced off the sidewalk, further from the knee wall, went too high and smashed a window...I ran home 1/4 mile, and immediately went up and "hid" in the bathtub...Mom came up and said "what's going on?" to which I replied, "I think I killed someone with a golf ball!", imagining that the ball went through the window and made a fatal blow to a worker's head.

How this all relates to what we are discussing, I'm not sure, but it speaks to my concern for others (not that I feared I would be in trouble for my actions, but for the well being of the victim)

I believe strongly in the "Golden Rule", that steers me, in how to treat others in life,
Also, "Win-Win", in business dealings....

Are these ideals outdated?

 

[anotherbob]

How much could that pouch of SWR possibly cost him to replace?
Surely way less than the cost of a pissed off customer.

The customer is definitely NOT always right but in this case I feel he is. Even if he’s not, spend the $5 and send him more SWR.

yeah it's one of those times where the right thing also benefits the person making it right.

 

[mso489]

We're trying to get AT&T to take an interest in repairing our landline phone. So far, no luck. We have cell phones, for back-up, but most people know only the landline number. But the bills keep coming.

 

[birdog]

my uncle is 95, and uses AT&T landlines...with cradle type phones..., we are here in PA caregiving....he has received a new set as he is going blind and the display works better for him.
...he doesn't need the others . I'll check with him and he probably would be willing to give them to you...is your problem with the phones or something in the line?...if it's the phones, you should be able to just hook em up...I can send...let me know

 

[birdog]

Mystery solved, on my original issue of receiving a bad pouch of SWR....I have learned that the pouch was 7 or 8 years old...(not that the problem was from overheating in transit)....

I sent if off , just out of curiosity to a well known blender, who called me back and said " your pouch logo is oriented in the opposite direction (lettering and pics), than that which is currently used, from which he knew the pouch was 7 or 8 years old at least. Because it is a burley that has sat that long, it went bad, giving off that horrible ammonia (which I described as vinegar) essence."

Too bad, if it was a Virginia or Vaper, probably would have been better from the aging!!!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

it went bad, giving off that horrible ammonia (which I described as vinegar) essence."

Went bad? I have grown for enough years now and aged enough blends that I have no idea what this means. Ammonia is associated with tobacco that was not properly cured completely.
But, hey... if this solves this for you, so be it.

Edit, most people seek aged tobaccos on purpose. I even have a few jars of SWR in their pouches set back that I grab a pouch out of occasionally. The SWR has been set back almost ten years now.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

 

[MattRVA]

Probably fluctuations in temperature and humidity while storing spoiled whatever additives were in the tobacco. It’s not exactly natural. I could be way off though.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

This reminds me of when J. Blackburn bought out an old Tinderbox close to me. He didn't smoke, but he wanted to sell cigars and his Civil War memorabilia. He was like in his late 70's, never smoked a pipe. I was astounded that he no longer had tins, and I asked where they went. He told me that they had all gone past their expiration dates on the tins, so he had to throw them out. I about choked, ha ha.

 

[Sigmund]

There are 3 bad things about France.

1 The worst drivers since Spain and Greece.

2, Zero customer service. Shoppers are SUPPOSED to feel lucky to be served by vendors

3 When it comes to dealing with the government or various offical boddies...it is Rule 2 Squared. Good luck geting anything done.

....everything else is pretty cool.

 

[birdog]

Yes it was explained that air, humidity and not totally sealed came into play

 

[birdog]

Aging in a sealed container in a controlled environment is one thing...I suspect this must have been different

 

[BriarBrook]

Put the defective SWR in a jar labeled "Cringle Flake 2021" and sell it on facebook...