Customer service - have we lost our way?

MorrellMan · July 26, 2005 1:23AM

I couldn't stop thinking about a recent thread. In it, the poster had received an abrupt question from a customer regarding his merchandise. What struck me the most was the preponderance of advice to just ignore the guy.

If a customer has a question in your store or service or wherever, do you ignore him? I'm not weighing in on one side or the other (although I do have an opinion), nor am I indicting anyone. Is customer service on eBay redefined to the point of obsolesence?

wufdude · July 26, 2005 1:55AM

I agree with you. Even if you are totally miffed by a question a buyer or potential buyer asks, the question deserves a response. Sure there are alot of goofballs on the web but a simple answer may lead to future business, at least that's how I always look at it.

Axtell · July 26, 2005 2:10AM

As annoying as dumb people can be (and there are a lot of dumb people out there), not sending a response at all would be the worst way to handle it.

A simple 'the price of shipping and handling was in the auction' would have sufficed.

baseballfanatic · July 26, 2005 2:22AM

I treat every customer or potential customer exactly how I would want to be treated. The question you dont answer on a 3.00 card will lead the same person to shy away from bidding on a 250.00 card the next time around. Some people just dont look at it that way anymore...........

WinPitcher · July 26, 2005 2:25AM

Mark i agree with you. I always answer any potential buyers question. Yet at the same time, in the case you are referring to (I think) some could feel that no reply was better then a reply.

not to say that was right either.

SD

pandrews · July 26, 2005 2:30AM

<< I couldn't stop thinking about a recent thread. In it, the poster had received an abrupt question from a customer regarding his merchandise. What struck me the most was the preponderance of advice to just ignore the guy.

If a customer has a question in your store or service or wherever, do you ignore him? I'm not weighing in on one side or the other (although I do have an opinion), nor am I indicting anyone. Is customer service on eBay redefined to the point of obsolesence? >>

it was me that first said i wouldnt respond to him.. and i wouldnt.. the guy asked asinine questions..

and as a business owner, i'll tell somebody real quick to get the hell off my property and dont come back..

if i were gonna respond to the email in question, it wouldve been something like "no - and ive added you to my blocked bidder list so hopefully i wont have to deal with you again"..

pandrews · July 26, 2005 2:33AM

<< I treat every customer or potential customer exactly how I would want to be treated. The question you dont answer on a 3.00 card will lead the same person to shy away from bidding on a 250.00 card the next time around. Some people just dont look at it that way anymore........... >>

i too, treat people the way i want to be treated.. but if i write somebody and ask why it took them 4 days to get my card to me, and why they charged a certain shipping price, i fully expect to be cussed out and called a dumbass..

Boopotts · July 26, 2005 2:49AM

"i too, treat people the way i want to be treated.. but if i write somebody and ask why it took them 4 days to get my card to me, and why they charged a certain shipping price, i fully expect to be cussed out and called a dumbass."

I'll echo this sentiment. If I act like a moron in a store, I expect to be treated like a moron.

zef204 · July 26, 2005 2:55AM

<< "i too, treat people the way i want to be treated.. but if i write somebody and ask why it took them 4 days to get my card to me, and why they charged a certain shipping price, i fully expect to be cussed out and called a dumbass."

I'll echo this sentiment. If I act like a moron in a store, I expect to be treated like a moron. >>

"Hey bartender! How much for a beer?"

"$3.50."

"I'll take one.

Check please. Why do you charge $3.50 for a beer?"

Moronic.

baseballfanatic · July 26, 2005 2:57AM

While I agree some questions are absolutely ridiculous, it just comes with the territory and is part of the job. It does get monotanous and sometimes you have to just grit your teeth at the ignorance or nerve of some people, but I will never ignore a potential customer...

pandrews · July 26, 2005 2:58AM

<< but I will never ignore a potential customer... >>

i wont ignore a potential customer.. but when that customer becomes an ASS, i no longer want to deal with it.. they can go find somewhere else to do business..

RipublicaninMass · July 26, 2005 3:32AM

<< 

<< but I will never ignore a potential customer... >>

i wont ignore a potential customer.. but when that customer becomes an ASS, i no longer want to deal with it.. they can go find somewhere else to do business.. >>

Agreed Perry, but I will ALWAYS take their money. This is something in the real estate/mortage business you have to learn. Some people will never come back and buy from you again. They cut their nose to spite their face. I always EXPRESS how upset I am, but then say "when you need help cause idiot screwed this up, call me". I have told people I was finished with their loan, not interested, seemed like they wanted it more when I said that too. but, Again I will ALWAYS take their money...no refunds on houses...

Mac53 · July 26, 2005 5:22AM

The problem I have is that the questions asked in the previous thread were not really questions, but complaints which took the form of questions. "Why did it take you four days to mail the card" or whatever is not really a friendly inquiry into what was happening in the seller's life for those four days, but rather a complaint about the fact that it took four days to mail it. Complaining about four days to mail a card is unreasonable, in my mind, and unworthy of a response. The same goes for "why did you charge $3.50 shipping when the stamp cost $.60?" I assume that the listing included a statement of the shipping cost, so this, too, is an unreasonable complaint unworthy of a response. Some people just don't have enough conflict in their lives, so they seek it wherever they can. What else could possibly justify the wear and tear on a keyboard to complain about 4 days shipping and $2.90 to package the card and send it? Personally, I'm too darn old and tired to play that game.

Edited for misspelling.

julen23 · July 26, 2005 5:32AM

Yes we have lost our way and e-bay may need some fine tuning.

Micro scale and macro scale, it all sucks for us. For instance, TIP stands for "To Insure Promptness", but the vast majority of waiters and waitresses suck at their job and I seldom leave a 20% gratuity anymore. In our world common sense should outweigh stupidity, but that also seldom happens. Good business is good service and that means repeat business.

However, the good service means we usually will defer to: a few places to eat that we really like the service/food, a few dealers that we have had great buying/trading/selling experiences with, and a few message boards where we can rant, rave and talk about social commentary.

I am really excited for Nationals, I am bringing my camera since I can't afford to buy much.

Julen

Boopotts · July 26, 2005 5:57AM

"Some people just don't have enough conflict in their lives, so they seek it wherever they can."

This is true, although I think there's more to it than this. Even on these boards you see grown men acting like a bunch of ninnies over some minor transgression committed by a buyer/seller that they got involved with. Like driving, there is something about the Ebay experience that makes people nervous and irrational. I don't know exactly what that is yet, but I keep mulling it over.

Carew29 · July 26, 2005 7:04AM

" 1 out of every 2 people are stupid, if the guy next to you isn't......" George Carlin

" Never tell a joke that ain't funny more than once!!".

calleocho · July 26, 2005 7:10AM

3.50!

and then i noticed that wasn't a girl scout, but rather it was the loch ness monster!

MorrellMan · July 26, 2005 7:25AM

<< The problem I have is that the questions asked in the previous thread were not really questions, but complaints which took the form of questions. "Why did it take you four days to mail the card" or whatever is not really a friendly inquiry into what was happening in the seller's life for those four days, but rather a complaint about the fact that it took four days to mail it. Complaining about four days to mail a card is unreasonable, in my mind, and unworthy of a response. The same goes for "why did you charge $3.50 shipping when the stamp cost $.60?" I assume that the listing included a statement of the shipping cost, so this, too, is an unreasonable complaint unworthy of a response. Some people just don't have enough conflict in their lives, so they seek it wherever they can. What else could possibly justify the wear and tear on a keyboard to complain about 4 days shipping and $2.90 to package the card and send it? Personally, I'm too darn old and tired to play that game.

Edited for misspelling. >>

Mac - I'm not going to single you out, it's just that you have worded this concept very succinctly. Let's say a customer comes up to a clerk and says "I just bought this 3 days ago. Why is the box torn?" Stupid question? Yes. Do you turn your back on the customer and walk away? Probably not. What I'm saying is that this aspect of customer service, as it relates to eBay, is almost always negotiated via e-mail. Therefore, we don't have the messenger in front of us so that we can look in his eyes and see if he's truly angry, insane or retarded. And since it's email, we can walk away without fearing the customer will throw the box at us. We're all reduced to a keyboard and I don't think these kinds of negotiations further humanity or serve mankind. So I ask again, are we losing our way?

I know I have questioned the total of a bill many times because I made a math error in my head as I was doing a quick add while the clerk was working the cash register. So in effect, I'm asking the clerk why my $120 purchase is $120. Pretty stupid question, but if the clerk ignored me or said "Are you an idiot?" he'd probably be pulling 120 ones out of his ass. Would we treat these seemingly idiotic emailers the same way if they were standing in front of us?

WinPitcher · July 26, 2005 7:34AM

lol pandrews might lol

pandrews · July 26, 2005 7:55AM

<< lol pandrews might lol >>

heh..

yeah but i like to think i can tell the difference when somebody legitimately has a question about something, or when they're just wanting to be antagonistic.. i think in the particular case in question, it was obvious to me that the guy was just wanting to gripe..

Mac53 · July 26, 2005 8:07AM

MM, I agree that if the customer has a legitimate complaint, it should be addressed politely no matter how trivial or silly it is. In fact, I think that everyone should struggle to be more polite in everything they do. I just don't see how having a card mailed 4 days after it is bought is a legitimate complaint. It's just griping about something that is so petty as to be absurd, and so, I conclude, the buyer just wants to complain about life. I have found it's best not to engage that kind of person, either face to face or by telephone or by email.

Stone193 · July 26, 2005 10:00AM

Mark
Interesting post - altho everyone would like to come up with something interesting and perhaps even
urbane - I think the answer is quite evident.

Only a maniac would jump down someones throat in their own place of business - sometimes, I would like to kick their ass tho!

Your timing is good - I got my ass kicked today - remained calm and tried to do the right thing - but between the impolite - "excuse me while I take this cell call" - the unattentive - the "can't you do anything about this, I CAN go down the street for this" - to just plain difficult - I had one of those days.

BUT - I wouldn't have a business very long if I didn't bend a little or a lot! But I never break - then the gloves come off!

On a parallel - people have spoken to each other here like they NEVER would face to face - a similar issue.

And last - when I get friendly, "personalized" emails from an ebay seller - they immediately get book marked!

thanx for posting
mike

Customer service - have we lost our way?

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