In some kind of mitigation, and as a supplier + reseller of IT kit (shock horror, there's a surprise).

I would feel a little disapointed if a customer came straight to an it based version of this bbs to air their views perhaps without talking to me first. (I don't know if this was the case here, im just giving an example.)

However, i would probably have given my customer a call to let them know whats happening and to keep them in the picture.

I know from when i've had problems with firms in the past i start by talking to them direct, then if unsatisfied with the response from them i take it to bbs's, newspapers, directors, watchdog etc, etc.
I find places much more receptive when its used as a bargaining tool to get the situation rectified, rather than doing it first then hoping for a reaction, as that has shown me it does nothing but aggrevate the company and make things worse.

just my opinion and i don't know, nor wish to know the details surrounding this example, just stating what i've found in the past.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by ca:
<B>
Why should he not air it here? Anyone heard of free speech? Has hixys uttered any untruths?

I am amazed at the way people jump on the defensive.
[/quote]

I guess the reason people jump on the defensive is that they are aware of how easily a company's reputation can be damaged by posts on public BBS like this. A disgruntled customer with internet access can cause serious problems for someone's business, and in a lot of cases (such as this it seems) the complaint is minor and unwarranted.

Simon

 

Mike, the way you 'DaveT-S' character interacts with all the other muppets as if he knows them - its fantastic - Masterful almost

 

On the subject of gauges and Scoobymania,

How much is it for the 3 gauges kit?

I want the 3 gauge pod and
the Phantom electric gauges with
Boost/Oil pressure/Oil temp (is that a
suitable combination?), what else
do i need to fit everything to the car?

I was at Donny on the 18th and saw Andy's?
P1 with the gauge set and he was talking
about drilling sump plugs and taking off
braided hoses from the oil pressure switch?
Is this all included in the kit Mike??

I am fairly mechanically minded but getting
sump plugs drilled and welded seems fraught
with difficulties and time off the road for
the scooby!

If Mike can come up with a good price for
a package then i would be prepared to put my
order in for it now.

Cheers

Chris C.

 

[ <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by chrisp:
[B]CA - read the thread again as I think you have taken Mikes post out of context. There were quiet a few post before Mikes post about demand money back after 28 days and legal rights and stuff. I read Mikes post to mean that no money had changed hands so he wasnt hanging onto customers money and simple that.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Aha! I see what you mean. Because nothing had been debited, there was nothing to refund. I see. I took it to mean that because no money had been debited, what the hell was all the fuss about!!

Apologies to Mike and anyone else.

C

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Dave T-S:
<B>
OOOH!!- is that a compliment???


PS - ca - I was only pulling your leg.... [/quote]

And I got the wrong end of the stick.

C

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>However, i would probably have given my customer a call to let them know whats happening and to keep them in the picture.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Me, too. Doing this keeps the customer up to date and much more likely to accept a delay than simply thinking and waiting and thinking and waiting......

C

 

As a new person to this BBS I would like to say that the mere fact that a supplier and a customer can interface in such a manner is great in itself. This surely can only improve situations like this. The supplier will remember this as will the complainant next time a situation like this arises then both parties will think twice.
Lots of comments have been aired, those for the supplier and those for the customer. The thing that I think has been overlooked is that this BBS is for information, views and comments whether that be a criticism founded on good ground or not. If this had been a more serious issue then most people would only be glad that someone has said something. In this case the supplier has been able to explain his situation and people can make up their own minds. I personally do not know the supplier nor the customer and after what I have read I would think most would agree that this would not deter me in any way from purchasing goods from this supplier as most of us have heard in everyday life the horror stories of that purchase that went wrong I have bought enough new cars to verify that.
The fact remains the customer is always right and we still live in a land of free speech.

Terry

 

Deleted duplication

[This message has been edited by SuperGlue (edited 27 February 2001).]

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by SimonM:
<B> I guess the reason people jump on the defensive is that they are aware of how easily a company's reputation can be damaged by posts on public BBS like this. A disgruntled customer with internet access can cause serious problems for someone's business, and in a lot of cases (such as this it seems) the complaint is minor and unwarranted.

Simon

[/quote]

Mmmm. I'm not so sure that the complaint is unwarranted. If the customer thinks there is a problem, then either there *is* a problem, or the customer perceives there to be a problem. Net result is one unhappy customer.

Isn't it much better/easier/cheaper for companies to retain their existing customers, than to be losing customers and then have to be constantly finding new ones?

Isn't there an old saying that a customer wil tell 10 people of a good experience, but 100 people of a bad experience.

Companies should learn to embrace customer complaints with vigour. Then and only then will they be able to offer the kind of service that customers want.

C

 

I ordered a box of Millers octane booster form them and it was on my desk 18 hours later, and I live in Dublin!! I found them to be very efficient and when I e-mailed an order I was contacted within minutes of my enquiry. OK there may be some supply problems but they don't do this on purpose.

Alan


[This message has been edited by Scruff (edited 26 February 2001).]

 

Great thread, agree with your points CA.

I don't like to see the reputation of any retail/profession go down the pan. As a company director, I know what its like to loose and gain cred.

I think it is only fair to hear of anyone's experiences when things go wrong. It is a good opportunity for the retailers to show how they settle such issues on a public scale. Come out the hero, if you will.

Why is it we can wax lyrical about various companies (which I do when its due) yet when we have bad experiences we are urged to keep our mouths shut?

Mike's integrity is not in question here, we all have met Mike and know what kind of person he is (the b4stard ), but business is business and I am sure we all want to hear the good, bad and the ugly.

Cem

 

I ordered some clear side repeater lenses from Scoobymania not last week but the week before. I was told that they would be with me by that weekend. When they hadn't arrived after a few days I rang back to be told (by Gavin ?) that they had arrived in stock and had been sent out to me.

Again, when they didn't arrive I rang and was told that they would be here on Monday but they didn't turn up.

I know it's not a big deal but I thought I'd add my experience to the thread. I'm in no hurry so will wait for the bits, it's just a tad frustrating when you are told something will happen and it doesn't. I'd rather be told that it would be a 2 week wait.

Saying that, I'll use Scoobymania again as I'd much prefer to go to companies that support our BB than Halfords etc.

 

Cem mate, I reckon we may have a new suspect for the Honda bonnet incident.......

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Mick:
<B>Mike, the way you 'DaveT-S' character interacts with all the other muppets as if he knows them - its fantastic - Masterful almost [/quote]


Hey - it WAS a compliment!!!!

 

Come on chaps, the guy is new to the BBS and had every right to express his opinion !
Now that he has found a whole lot of other Scooby owners who have used Mike's company without problem, and been contacted by Mike himself on this thread, that surely has eased his anxiety.

If it was a company that wasn't so reputable and well known wouldn't you all be agreeing with him ?

 

Cem is spot on. Why are we encouraged not to air our views on a supplier if things go wrong?

When a franchised dealer is slated, I don't see so many people jumping to their defence.

I think the main problem is being told one thing, yet it doesn't happen.

If the products are going to take, say 6 weeks to turn up, it's best to say so. Not say, "Yep, they'll be here next week", and it doesn't happen.

That's what pi55es people off.

Also, "I'll check and phone back" - and never do.

It doesn't take a great deal to give good service nowadays, and if the same old excuses are used all the time, they start to wear thin.

 

CraigH, CA and most of the others are all pretty much correct, we do get problems, we work on suppliers estimations and get into the habit of telling people the way it normally happens.

Then if problems are experienced further up the chain, it gets us in the sticky stuff!

I am as keen as the rest that we provide what we can when we say we can. We constantly review stock levels and ordering procedures. (and complaints).

Some people will have been "underserviced" by us, these are the ones that we focus on in an attempt to prevent them happening again, unfortunately some things are out of our control.


To keep the topic on thread, I think it was ca that intimated that if causing a fuss like this on the BBS gets him a result, it was the right thing for him to do.
In this case I disagree..... Hixys had been spoken to on Thursday and told of the delay, at which point he was quite reasonable.

This fuss has absolutely not speeded anything up, or got him a better/faster result. Thanks to all for the kind words and more than that your understanding (apart from Blowdog the b4stard ).

Mike.

 

LOL

 

err, dunno what happened there.....

[This message has been edited by ca (edited 27 February 2001).]

 

just for the record, after one call to scoobymania I had 2 cases of millers (octane boost not lager) on my doorstop 24hrs later.

 

Mike,

What were you doing evening of Saturday last?

Do you own a dog?
Did you eat curry the night before?

Cem

 

Cem

Have you been analysing it or something?

 

Oh well, you know what they say..."any publicity is good publicity".

Stef.

 

Mike,

U have mail

Pete

 

In defence of Scoobymania:
'If you like our service, tell your friends; if you don't then tell us.'
This is the old motto of the corner-shop and still holds good today.

Hixsy chose to air his frustration on this BB. He must have known the impact his posting would have and the potential damage to a small business.

We (all 4,000+ of us)NEED businesses like Scoobymania to support our enthusiasm for cars, our thirst form performance and our dreams of being pro drivers.

Hixsy should have picked up the phone, given Scoobymania hell and haggled for some form of discount for incovenience and disappointment.
Shame on you Hixsy.
Scoobymania - you need to get better organised!

BD

 

ca. The customer was spoken to the Thursday before and made aware of the situation. I agree with Cem there's no point in allowing thios to go any further, I'm going to ask a moderator to close it.

If anybody wants to query anything further with me, I will gladly look at any mails that are sent to me direct (on this or any other matter) to

 

Thanks BD. We couldn't organise our suppliers to send us something they haven't got..... that was the problem.

[This message has been edited by Mike Tuckwood (edited 28 February 2001).]

 

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Mike Tuckwood:
<B>Thanks BD. We couldn't organise our suppliers to send us something they haven't got..... that was the problem.

[This message has been edited by Mike Tuckwood (edited 28 February 2001).][/quote]

No. But you could have kept the customer better informed, couldn't you?

C

 

I think that this thread has gone on for too long now and has recieved unfair coverage, which I don't believe is doing Mike any good at all.

All points seem to have been made, if anyone has any further issues, perhaps they should mail Mike directly?

Cem