Wurzel

iTrader: (1)

Message removed by Wurzel



[This message has been edited by Wurzel (edited 03 April 2001).]

MartinM

Might I (respectfully) suggest that if you are in a hurry about something you shouldn't use e-mail.

Normal e-mail isn't guranteed to arrive at all, you can't assume that the recipient will always be there to receive it or that they haven't got some sort of technical problem that means they can't access their e-mail for several days - not an unknown occurence.

If in doubt, give 'em a shout - by POTS (plain old telephone system)


[This message has been edited by MartinM (edited 02 April 2001).]

The Zohan

Same i'm afraid to report - sent three e-mails - no replies - this was four + months ago!
Oh i called as well, no-one got back to me - that sucks!

went elsewhere

Customer service is the name of the game - first contact is the most important, not difficult to keep a check on incoming e-mail.

My company manages it quite well.

Paul

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 02 April 2001).]

SimonH

A bit harsh fella? Did you try contacting them in any other ways? If it was that urgent why didn't you 'phone as well or at least send another email or two? Email is all very well but if it's for something that important then pick up the phone!

I've only ever bought one thing off ScoobySport (replacement bulbs) and it took them ages to sort it out. HOWEVER, by ringing up and actually speaking the guys there I found out what the snag was and that it was being sorted.
They seem like a friendly, competant bunch of folks who, as a consequence, will shortly be getting the thick end of £400 of mine for a SS Backbox

firefox

Its rare for me to comment on Companies and their customer service...

But from my recent experiences of SS, they are superb.

I emailed an order to them on a Friday, for some brakes pads. The pads arrived Monday morning, prompt and excellent service.

I think its just how things turn out.


J.

GCollier

I don't think taking custom elsewhere is a harsh decision to take at all. If a company does not read and follow up on its email enquires, then it shouldn't be quoting an email address in the first place. Okay, so email is not guaranteed, but in practise, how many emails "go missing"?

When looking for a new car a few months ago, several high profile prestige dealerships lost the opportunity to sell me a car, because despite their expensive glitzy websites and sales@blah.com email addresses, they just didn't bother replying to their email enquires.

So, I'm with Wurzel on this one, and having a winge here is a good idea, because the companies that neglect their email business may read this and do something about it.

Gary.

NAF

I sent them an email a coupla days ago...
Still waiting for a response...
Seems like the norm to me with a lot of companys thesedays

Niall

Mungo

I don't believe it! I'm going to agree with Gary
What is the point in advertising an email address if you don't answer enquiries by email? You might as well give a phone number and not pick it up when it rings.
Having said that, I received a prompt and full answer to an email query I sent Scoobysport.

Subie Gal

hey Pete??? you out there??

i'll come and be ya admin/secretary/email answer gal if you need one!!!!

no.. i am SO NOT JOKING! hehehehe

sorry to hear of these issues... Scoobysport has a pretty good reputation in the states...

j.

Rikki23

I'm completely with Wurzel on this one.

Fact: E-mail is a form of communication that will be around for a long time.

Fact: A high percentage of emails do succesfully reach their intended recipient.

If companies aren't going to use this communication medium effectively, why bother to put a link on their site.

I emailed Power Engineering with a technical query asking for advice and if they had something which would cure my problem. I did finally get a reply, something to the tune of...we have a product to cure this for you which costs £276. Didn't say what it was, what it does or any technical advice. I then replied to that message asking for further details and I haven't received a reply. That was over a month ago. I have since gone to PowerStation for advice and if I like the work and service they provide, I shall continue to use them. So not only did Power Engineering lose out on this particular sale but any business I would have had with them in the future, I will now take elsewhere.

If companies don't want to use email for technical enquiries, that's fine, but put a message on the site by the link to say so. If companies know that they can't usually reply for a while, that's fine too but put a courtesy message on the site and say so or better still take the link out so that customers have to phone up. Don't just put a link on the site and not use it properly. At the end of the day, these guys are providing a service and are doing themselves no favours.

Rant over

RonaldoH

We have had to look into e-mail forwarding to some of Ericssons new phone kit coming out soon because of the importance of email for some people.

I have never bought anything from Pete but he has always replied to my emails. I suspect that there has been a problem with their systems. Nothing more.

Rgds
Ronnie

Davvers

I must say that I always find these posts about company x or y being good or bad at best uninformed and at worst almost slander. This BBS is a public environment and what you say is able to be viewed by everyone - this is all that is good and that is bad about the WWW. On one occasion where you didn't receive a reply within your self imposed time limit you are willing to write off Scoobysport on this board. I'm sure like all companies there are times when they are pushed perhaps a simple phone call may have sorted the matter out for you. The point is on your single experience you are willing to shout and winge to a large potential customer base - well bully for you, I'm sure you must have been seriously inconvenienced.
I have dealt with scoobysport on a number of occasions, they have performed work on my car to a high standard, courteously and quickly. They were able to fit me in within 12 hours notice on a busy Saturday for a downpipe when I was having a new ECU, and the same for new front brakes.
I have received far better service from them than any Subaru Main Dealer, what ever JDPower say.

RichS

I make no apologies for going against the grain of opinion here.

I deal with a number of major automotive component manufacturers (look at my website if you want names.)

Many of them are surprisingly good at customer service, some are SHOCKINGLY bad.

<B>ALL</B> of them **** it up at one time or another.

There are ways and means of dealing with this sort of problem.

Airing the dirty laundry on a public bulletin board, <I>particularly</I> one which represents a fair chunk of a company's customer base, is IMHO unneccesary.


Rich

GCollier

LOL @ Mungo

Davvers - nobody is saying Scoobysport products are bad. Some people are merely pointing out that their customer service is not 100% in a certain area. Far from slandering the company, couldn't a thread like this be a bit of a prod to sort out their email comms, so that they don't lose customers like Wurzel in future.

Gary.

RichS

Does the level or amount of alleged poor service warrant the level of damage that this sort of thread can do?

It strikes me that it's a bit out of balance...

Dave T-S

So what about my thread regarding Graham Goode where he has had three months to sort out my bulb issues....more than enough time and I warned him twice what I was going to do!!!

Dave T-S

PS - Scoobysport fine with me...

RichS

Clearly in your thread Dave, you gave the company you were dealing with more than adequate opportunity to resolve the problems prior to splashing the whole story on a public bulletin board.

Fair enough.

I only suggest that in many cases, these complaint threads need some balance.

It's unfair for the "punishment" (ie a very public complaint on front of your principle customer base) to greatly out-weigh the "crime".

Rich

ex-webby

OK..

This is very tricky.

This is the power of the internet. It enables companies such as scoobysport to be promoted, but by enjoying that benefit you have to be big and ugly enough to cope with the down sides. It means publicity, whether it be good or bad, but it means lots of it.

I personally put up a "Thank you scoobysport" post a few days ago so I am in NO WAY biased here.

If ScoobySport have not replied to emails, it is a bad show IMHO. But there may be a reason for it in this instance? I personally feel a telephone call would be far better than posting "Seriously unimpressed with Scoobysport!!"... "Seriously"??? are you sure? Seems a little bit OTT to me. Give them a bell!

On the other hand. There is nothing more irritating than not being called back.

Davvers
Don't worry too much about how these posts are supposed to damage people. The truth always comes out in the end.

Without the bad, we would not have the good.

best regards

webmaster

robski

Pete Croney,

have you seen subie gals post!?

you must take her offer up, you would never keep John F away!

I may manage a trip or two as well

take her up on her offer NOW!!

robski

Stevie

This is my opinion, but if I need to know something from, lets say, a solicitor, I would not leave a message and assume the solicitor has received it.

If it is that important to me, I will make the effort and SPEAK to the person concerned. I know we live in a computer age but I am only happy that something is going to be done when I have been told it is going to be done BY the person who is going to be doing it!! Phew.

You would not leave it to chance if your life depended on it, would you?

Leaving an e message and subsequently posting on here without phoning those concerned is not really on.

BTW, I agree with Dave TS totally. That appears to be completely out of order.

PLUTO

I have always found GGR, ok For example sent them an email at 9.30am and had a reply with 30 minutes.The goods are now on the way and as per normal will be with me before 12.00am.
Once again outstanding service from those boys they will always get my vote.
Cheers Pluto

letdown

In my year or so of reading this BBS there has been a number of threads regarding Scoobysports dud handling of email enquires! IMHO they obviously a)have a dud ISP b) not that bothered. Lucky for me I find the 10 minute drive alot easier!! he he!!!

Dave T-S

As an observation I would mention that my company email was down for four days last week - hardware failure then software failure - despite a big IT dept and some all nighters took four days to get it back to life..........

ChrisB

If you are using e-mail instead of 'phoning a company, then I would ensure you have delivery and read confirmation enabled on your e-mail client.

If you ring a person, you know if they aren't in, are engaged or if you spoke to them.

If you don't have delivery and read reports enabled on e-mail, how do you know it got there or it that was actually read?

Chris.

Diesel

Zero e-mail replies from 4 companies in last 2 weeks, despite many re-sends e.g :

Quote for Scooby seat harnesses.

'Price promise' refund request John Lewis

Shipping cost for freight to LA.

Fed Ex delivery times query.

Have almost given up on e-mail for anything other than orders. Phone calls are always more effective with any busy and popular company that doesn't have a huge IT resource, or bosses that go on hols! Trouble is it pisses you off, and you might indeed go elsewhere... You gotta work the IT not just have it!

SS have actually always been brilliant with me, although I have never used e-mail with them. On site service went further than other garages - I would have been sent home to return another day to have the job finished elsewhere. SS went the extra mile to avoid me hassle... I forgive any Inbox messines therefore! John Lewis though has a big winge on the way for ignoring me!

D

Andrew O'Hara

I've never had a problem with ScoobySport, but I do tend to phone rather than email, btw these guys are busy in the workshop and I'd say that's a bit different than sitting in front of a screen all day. The phone is easier and you get an instant response.

subverbal

USE YOUR TELEPHONE !!

My company receives tecnical query emails every now and then - who on earth wants to take 10 minutes to write a reply that can be said in 30 seconds. We normally reply to these kind of emails by quoting our phone number and suggesting that the customer is far better off talking to a specific member of staff. Perhaps SS should adopt a similar approach.

I actually did email SS with a query on their downpipe a while back with no reply - so I used the telephone and found the chap on the other end very helpful.

Neil.

ca

If you want a response from a company that is ignoring you, try this:

Write to the MD including a self address envelope. Have the letter delivered by registered post.

If no response, write a polite reminder.
If still no response, write to the MD to say that you will commence legal proceedings against him/her personally for the non-return of the stamped addressed envelope.

I've not used this but am reliably informed that this is an excellent method to get the MD's attention, and hopefully, your problem resolved.

C

Dave P

Strongly disagree that e-mail improves efficiency.

E-mail in a large organisation is the dirth of mankind. I once witnessed two of my staff, sitting approximately 15 feet away from each other send 9 e-mails over a 3 day period to resolve a problem that would have taken them 5 minutes to resolve verbally. In fact they did, because when I was finally cc'd in I told them to get off their ***** and talk to each other.

Secondly I have never met or spoken to Pete Croney or used Scoobysport (yet), however his reputation proceeds him and his team, and it's a good reputation.

Wurzell, good to see you delete your post, good man.

Dave