Customer Service Expectations

[Mychael Sporrano]

I don't expect instant answers, Bubba- 24 hours will usually do, and in my opinion is a reasonable period of time to alot a business for answering questions pertaining to their products or services. Waiting days or weeks or not even bothering to answer emails is absolutely unacceptable and leads to a lot of guessing on the part of the customer. As I wrote earlier, that is annoying and it is usually not a good idea to annoy customers!

If a person is very busy [as some truly are for a variety of reasons], and has to decide between answering emails or manufacturing product, then an email sent to them should net the sender an auto-response explaining that a reply could take a few days. The auto-response could also include some other basic information such as a brief FAQ, waiting period, etc, as the individual situation dictates. As much as I may desire info, I consider myself a reasonable fellow and will patiently wait my turn so long as I know my turn is coming. With the way some folks answer their business email, one never knows if a reply will be forthcoming at all. Meanwhile, I am off to another purveyor...

To use myself as an example, I have a small internet based business that can leave me tied to a PC. Since it is obviously in my best interest to do so, I make every effort to answer emails ASAP. In some cases, however, that isn't possible. When I went on holiday last week I had my email account send an auto-response stating that queries might take me a little time to get to since I was relying on daily stops at a local library where I could borrow a PC with internet access. I added that I had brought product along with me and should be able to fill orders from the road.

I have to agree that Jerry at Stillwater Kilts offers zippy email response as well as exceptional customer service. Just as good is TFCK. SK, however, is a rare example of budget married with great CS.

Mychael

[bikercelt1]

Its my 60th birthday today

Happy Birthday Riverkilt! I hope the day brings many happy moments for you.

Jamie

[Mychael Sporrano]

Take a local kiltmaker here for instance, he nows works in a shop without internet access, so after a full day for making kilts, he has to go home and review and respond to any inquiries. If any of those inquiries require something at the shop (ie do you have any of this tartan in?) that reply may take another day.

Judge companies by the level of service, not by how quickly they get back to you. They may not be busy for a reason.

As a businessman, if an informative response has to be delayed while I needed to gather info, I would send a short email to that effect. When I had the information that the customer desired I would supply it in a subsequent email. Otherwise, I figure that I could stand the chance of either losing a customer or giving him the impression that I am not very organized. It is fine to defend folks who offer a top notch service, and I am not stating that a person who fails to answer email or return phone calls in a timely fashion is a bad or even a lazy person. What I AM saying is that everything that a business does reflects on that business and provides the customer with an impression. It is obviously to the advantage of a business to make that impression a good one. You have to admit that a good customer experience always involves good communication whether that business is located across the street or on another continent. It admittedly takes effort, but good communication is important enough that the effort has to be made.

Mychael

[Colin]

everything that a business does reflects on that business and provides the customer with an impression

I completely agree with you Mychael. I too am in business for myself, and try to address any emails as soon as possible. My only thing is that I would rather wait, than get a half- arsed answer than does not address my questions. I speak from experience here. I have dealt with companies that reply almost instantly, but fail to answer what I have asked. This usually becomes a email tag game that can often go on for a few days so that I can get my initial question asnwered. I would rather wait a day or 2 for an original reply that addresses any issues that I have brought up.

[Mychael Sporrano]

My only thing is that I would rather wait, than get a half- arsed answer than does not address my questions.

I don't mind the half-arsed answer so long as I know that the rest of the info is to follow on its own as the info becomes available! I always appreciate a succinct, "I'll have to get back to you on that," rather than to wonder if my question will be answered at all.

Regarding the topic of wondering what is going on, I once placed a large [>$1k] order via email with a fellow. The website mentioned that orders would be confirmed within 48 hours. I had had some trouble having questions answered in a timely fashion, and a few emails had not been answered at all. But, I really liked the product in question and since the business was well established threw caution to the wind and decided to reward the shoddy customer service that I had seen.

After I failed to hear confirmation of my order within that established 48 hours, I found another supplier. I had purposefully given partial credit card information in my initial order, to be completed upon confirmation of my order, so it was not a problem. The first fellow confirmed my order at the 72 hour mark, but I had already found another source that could satisfy my needs. Had I have had a history of good CS with the first fellow I would have been more patient.

Mychael

[RockyR]

Mychael is right on, I tend to be more forgiving once an order is placed, more so then I should be sometimes.
I have been frustrated with Amerikilt even though Michael Butler is a super guy. The response time is unaceptable, but I also realize he is pretty much a one man operation with his wife helping sometimes with email and phone calls it is very difficult to spend time making kilts in a timely manner and write emails. You all know how much time it takes Bear to get you a kilt and I am sure that if he spent less time here he would be a litle quicker but I would think you would all rather he keeps posting here at the rate he does.

My biggest compliant is the time I took to give precise mesaurements only to have them pretty much second guessed. I ordered a 35 waist, 21.5 long and got a 36 X 22 which actually measured 37 inches. Truth is he only deals in even sizes so if you want a 35 get a 34 it will probably be that big anyway. He fixed it except the length but I would want to do more communicating next time.

Having said all that, once I got him on the phone he gives me all the time I need. My next Kilt won't be an AK though but mainly because I want an 8 yard something..... in a more traditional dress kilt.

[Mychael Sporrano]

My biggest compliant is the time I took to give precise mesaurements only to have them pretty much second guessed. I ordered a 35 waist, 21.5 long and got a 36 X 22 which actually measured 37 inches. Truth is he only deals in even sizes so if you want a 35 get a 34 it will probably be that big anyway. He fixed it except the length but I would want to do more communicating next time.

Since you brought this up... Anyone considering a kilt would be doing themselves a TREMENDOUS service by having the garment custom made to their individual shape rather than to accept something with preset lengths and waists and no seat measurement being taken into account. Much of the charm of a kilt as it is viewed by others, as well as how it feels on oneself, is derived from a good fit, and to my eye much of that good fit is a result of the taper of the kilt. You might feel fine wearing a kilt that is a little longer or shorter than optimum given your ideal preference, and it really might look great. But I think that it is important to bring that seat measurement into play for that truly custom fitted look.

As one of our resident kiltmakers once wisely wrote me:

"The only reason I can see to get a kilt off the rack when you can get a custom made kilt for a similar price is that you get it quicker because it's pre-made."


Mychael

[Mike1]

The world's greatest mousetrap is going to rot on the shelf if the manufacturer does not sell it. Just tossing the latest and greatest out for sale is not providing customer service. And I do not care a whit about product quality, if I cannot be treated with common courtesy as a potential customer.

A business person that is too busy with production to talk with his/her customers is a business person that is fixin' to get REAL lonely. Once a customer develops a poor perception of your business, you have likely lost that customer forever.

I've been involved in sales for over 30 years and am constantly amazed at how many shoddily-run businesses manage to get by in today's market. Where I come from, you ask for the opportunity to make a sale and then you bust your hump to please the customer with your product and your service. We even say "Thank You" to our customers. Unique concept, huh? Go ahead, call me a dinosaur...

Peace,
Mike

[MDR-V300]

Dear Mike:

You are a dinosaur.

Sincerely,
Me.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

A business person that is too busy with production to talk with his/her customers is a business person that is fixin' to get REAL lonely. Once a customer develops a poor perception of your business, you have likely lost that customer forever.

Add to that thought that there are also those who answer quickly with a LOAD OF CR_P because they really don't know what in the h_ll they're talking about!!! 8)

Talk about developing a poor perception of you business!!!

Ego and stupidity can kill the BEST of products!