Customer service

[S.]

Looking at it from both sides (retailers and consumers), and not only in relation to bikes - what do you consider to be good customer service (sales pitch, sale negotiations, and post-sale backup), what is not enough, and what is more than could be realistically asked of a retailer?

I'm not only asking for warranty stories here, but what good and bad experiences (no need to name names, but go ahead if you like) have you had with retailers and/or customers?

Discuss.

 

[Rik]

Good customer service, in my mind: Friendly, informative, not pushing for the sale, and HONEST.

Bad customer service: arrogant, untruthful and pushy.

 

[mr whippy]

if people are straight up with you thats good customer service. It's farkin annoying when someone says they can get that part to you in a week and then just stuff you around for a month or two. I don't mind waiting for 3 weeks or whatever but as long as they tell you.

 

[josh]

Looking at it from both sides (retailers and consumers), and not only in relation to bikes - what do you consider to be good customer service (sales pitch, sale negotiations, and post-sale backup), what is not enough, and what is more than could be realistically asked of a retailer?

I'm not only asking for warranty stories here, but what good and bad experiences (no need to name names, but go ahead if you like) have you had with retailers and/or customers?

Discuss.

Good customer service is going beyond what your required to do, or, going beyond what the customer expects from you. It is not the 'sales negotiation nor the sales pitch' (i know ur probably using these as an example socket).

Including the above comments, it is also: After sales support; pre-sales support (making sure your buying the most suitable product for you, not the most proftable for the company/shop/brothel/whatever); availabilty to the customer (after hours support, or during normal hours support...ie no waiting on hold); friendly service with a positive attitude; a sales team or company belief that delivering the best product and sales support (pre and post) is most ideal for themselves and the customer; being honest with the customer (they will see through you if your not).

I strongly believe, that any successful company has to be built on the most highest level of customer service. Excellent customer service produces happier customers, which prdouces better you know what.

Also, i firmly believe that keeping all employess of the company/shop/brothel/whatever HAPPY is paramount for success. You cannot pay highly enough for a motivated work team..and even better if that happy, motivated team comes at a lesser price than that is ideal for both sales and management.

sorry for babbling and lack of spelling cehckingh im a bit drunk But i do believe100% in these things

 

[josh]

And soemthign else which Adin has helped me to remember in my drunken state is this, word of mouth is the best and most harmful form of advertising there is. So a happy customer is the best and most priceless piece of marketing available

 

[jayboy882003]

people who give u stuff for free!

 

[josh]

people who give u stuff for free!

Exceptional Idea, why didn't I think of that. Must have taken you a while to come up with that intelligent answer!

 

[Mahoney_007]

Most bike shops I've been to have this part down pat, but other places(fastfood joints the local supermarkets) need to take this lesson........ BE POLITE and say HELLO very fucking simple.

 

[jayboy882003]

people who give u stuff for free!

Exceptional Idea, why didn't I think of that. Must have taken you a while to come up with that intelligent answer!

yeah i know, i'm good

 

[wombat]

Most bike shops I've been to have this part down pat, but other places(fastfood joints the local supermarkets) need to take this lesson........ BE POLITE and say HELLO very fucking simple.

Yep, you have to respect the customer. It's funny when I think about it though, my greetings vary depending on the person, from;
"Good morning sir/madam, how can I help you?"
to
"G'day mate howzitgoin."
It can be a little embarassing when you pick the wrong one.

Josh also makes a good point, if you've got a good happy shop environment it tends to rub off on everyone else. I'm lucky, the business I'm with is a family business (except for me, I'm the outsider) and they're great people, so usually we're all pretty happy (except for the regular occasions when I manage to jam my foot well and truly down my throat....).

I think customer service is very much a two way street. I mean I'm polite to all the customers that come into the shop, you have to be. But people that are rude or are simple time wasters will never experience the same level of service from staff as people who are friendly and understanding. I'm not saying that we go out of our way to be nasty to assholes, like I said you have to be nice to everyone, but at the same time I'm not going to go aover and above the call of duty to please someone who has been a pain from the word go.

If you're after an example of what I believe is good customer service then this is mine: A month or so ago I sold a couple of bikes a cheapish mtb and a bmx to a couple for their kids; anyways, time came around for their free service and a new BB for the mtb, dodgy cartridge, but the family was going on holiday the next day, and needed the bikes for then, but didn't have a vehicle to get the bikes into us. So I drove out (20mins each way) picked up the bikes took them back to the shop, did the repairs and then dropped them off on my way home, a bit of a hike but nothing too drastic.
It's not the sort of thing we do all the time, but I thought it was the only decent thing to do. We were left with some very happy customers which made a recommendation to some friends who came in and bought 3 bikes the next week.
There's something nice about knowing that the customer's happy too.

(I apologise for the incoherence post, I'm really not over last night....)

 

[Cúl-Báire]

Bad Customer Service: You odder something, "it'll be here next week"; Seven weeks latter your told "it" is out of stock, "but we can get this", this talks another 3weeks before your told "this" is also out of stock, so "we'll order that for you"..."That" takes 2weeks to arive and when it does, it is not even the one you wanted (on the 3rd try), and you still had to pay $160 even though "that" is only $100 (no refund or anything); then add shipping...Like WTF!

The place I am talking bout isnt a bike shop (so Dont stress), and they always fuck you around, it took my brother's bag 7weeks to come in, when one of my mates ordered the exact same bag at a different store, and got it in 4days!

Good Service: Quick, friendly, helpfull, willing to go out of their way to make a sale... E.g the Mechanic at my local bikestore, the other day i went in for some tubes, lube etc... and he asked how I went putting my new fork spirng in, that I ordered weeks ago; I also asked a question that he wasnt too sure on, 30minutes latter I got an email with the answer...That to me is good sevice, someone who actualy cares!

 

[Ride_Guy]

I work in a bike shop for any of the people in victoria its goldcross cycles, big bike store giant company story, anyway when i approach a customer and ther after a bike i tyr to give them a bike which is best for ther needs in most cases the customer already kjnows what he/she wants but in alot of cases they have no clue.

It can also be just the small things to that help out a customer like a kwik buzz over the gears of a fairly new bike, or letting some 1 who has never been in the store use the tools tey need to change a tube etc....

Its these small things that can keep some 1 coming back to the store, not becuase u help them out but becuase they actually like the ppl who work there.

 

[oz-freerider]

jeeez no one will go there if u work there then rhys :lol:
/me hides


nah i like a shop who isnt pushie with their sales and try's to help me get the right thing for the job and tells the TRUTH about ordering times and all the little things add up too like i hate it when shop's says they are going to call but never do like today i got my bike serviced all is sweet i get out on the road and the brakes dont work???? so i have a fiddle still no good so i take it back they have a look end up replacing all the cables for free but still nothin so if the pads contaminated(spelling!!) they are going to replace them

 

[nhd]

customer service to me is the staff being really helpfull and have the right attitude. also saving you from $200 traffic offences does help!

 

[RaID]

good customer service = understand that you wanna be back on your bike asap and not wait 2 months for a shock rebuild

 

[schwing]

My favourite subject ( sort of)
1.
Adequetly staffed ( hard to know I know , why do poeple all arrive at once)
2.
Staff that know when there is and isnt time ofr a social chat with regular customers or staff
3.
As quick as possible attention to each customer ( not letting a customer wait unnecessarily because they are a loyal customer and like looking a bike porn , and might spend more money than they were going to.)
4.
The little things count (if quote is higher than advised for a repair , call the customer and advise/ discuss)
5. Fair labour charges.
PS I am pretty to very happy with my LBS

 

[toodles]

It shows a shop is actually trying to help you when they let you know if another shop has got a particular item on the shelf when you really need it. My shop is forever helping me with stuff to keep my toy running even going to the point of taking a part off a display bike so I could ride while they waited for the part I ordered in to arrive (they kept the new part). I won't shop elsewhere unless there's a distribution issue or a farkin huge price difference (unlikely with the discount I scam).

 

[bighitter]

The worst retail experience i have ever had - was when i was working as a mechanic at a certain unnamed bike shop - Placed a Specialized Bighit DH on layby - on the saturday afternoon - went on sick leave and was off till thursday the next week -came back and was going to look at my new ride - and it was gone - i thought it was somewhere else like the warehouse, so i asked about it and no one knew where it was - and after about 3 hours of phoning around and quizzing everyone and anyone they somehow thought of actually looking on the computert registers and it came up as my layby being cancelled and someone had come in and picked it up and it was gone.

They then informed me that it was the last one in my size (M) and so i got nothing - went nut's and quit my job there