On the 10th April I sent an email to a bait company, asking for some advice on their products, as advertised on the internet. I'd seen a Youtube offering, of guys successfully using their bait at Crete Lakes and felt that it might provide an edge when I start on the RMC, in early May. With Mainline launching "The Link" and already having Cell and Essential Cell well established in the market place, whilst Nash Baits have Key Cray as their top seller, most modern carp anglers are spoilt for choice and look no further for their bait supply. My email was purely to explore the potential of getting an alternative in order to be confident that my baits would only be used by me, thus not likely to be copied, accidently, by other carp anglers on the venue.
A week later and I've had no response. Either the business has no desire to assist my quest or has possibly gone bust? Either way, I'd made my approach because they were Kent based and I thought they were worth supporting - established in 2011 so it states on the website. I wasn't begging for freebies, just a bit of information about a flavour combination - wanting to know if it was winter biased? I won't name them, but it shouldn't be too difficult (if you so desire?) to find out who they are if you follow the clues. I am now exploring other possibilities - fed up with waiting. We have a saying at Fuji - "You only get one chance to make a first impression" - this company has done nothing to instill confidence in their products by this shoddy display of customer care. Which is a shame, I would have enjoyed promoting their company development, via my blogging.
Back to everyday life, work is a brilliant way of keeping me focussed, allowing the reality of what's important kick in; thus an email reply isn't anywhere close to the top of the list! Friday will see me off on another adventure, the year list, no doubt, considerably enhanced because of a result of these travels. Loads to look forward to. shame it's the "piss poor" customer service, of a Kent bait supplier, that proved the catalyst for this post. Bev experienced a similar response from the staff at Wickes, Broadstairs, and we took our money (£6K) elsewhere as a result. Crazy, when you think that it's customer service that makes any businesses a success.
Who am I?
- Dylan Wrathall
- An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!
Dyl, running a business myself I see where you're coming from. There has been occasions I've been too busy, engrossed, tired and generally chased about to follow up what appeared to be an offhand request. I try to make sure all phone calls are returned, but it's all too easy to get buried under an avalanche.
ReplyDeleteI had one like that last year. They stopped me in the street and asked if I had a spare moment... I didn't - for two weeks. By the time I had room in the diary, I discovered they had got someone else. My mistake was not getting back to them about it, that's all.
On the other hand, all they had to do was phone me up and I would have given them a priority slot. I could have been in an accident for all they knew. They didn't care enough to bother, so it cuts both ways.
So in some ways Dyl, the email reply might not be at the top of the suppliers list either.
It's nice to get an immediate response to inquiries or even one at all. However, with any business, there's an area between having not enough business and too much to deal with. With modern working practices paring personnel down to the bare minimum due to the inherent cost of employing people, it's quite likely that all but the most direct request will warrant a response.
Fair comment Ric - nice to see the other side of the coin. I wonder what would have happened if I'd placed an order instead of asking for some information, would I still be awaiting delivery? Never know because it will now never happen! - Dyl
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