Archive for the ‘customer service’ Category

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How We Treat Our Best Customers

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

spokesguyI rarely go to the grocery store during the week, but I was out of the office this morning and stopped by to pick up something for lunch.

I grabbed a couple of items and jumped in the express line.  To my right, each of the next three lanes had at least two young mothers with one or more children in tow.  My items cost less than six dollars, but their overflowing carts suggested that they would spend a hundred dollars or more by the time they left the store.

What sort of thinking would lead the store management to allow me to jump in a quick serve line, but force these loyal high dollar customers to line up one behind the other and wait to be served while they attempted to keep their kids entertained?

Seems backwards to me.

Why not have a “moms only” line, one where the store would provide a little extra service while assuring that these valued customers were able to get in and out with as little complication as possible?

Parents purchasing for the family will be back to the store over and over again, yet grocery stores continue to serve the lowest dollar customers with the highest level of service while they buy items that they may not purchase again for weeks.

Just something to think about.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. Share your insights on customer service with our readers.

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Think Twitter Doesn’t Matter? Dell Knows Better!

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

spokesguyDell’s recent failure to deliver Christmas computers before the big day has proven the power of Twitter in a big way.  Tweets about products and delivery times have caught the attention of no less than the New York Times.

Every desk in our office holds a Dell computer, but recent Twitter posts will certainly make me reconsider their computers the next time we need a new one.

The Times reports that thousands have posted to Twitter about their Dell experience and the conversation has even migrated to Dell’s own blog.  Complaints of delivery times delayed by as much as two months have forced Dell to go on the defensive, but they seem unable to counter the volume of complaints that continue to flow to Twitter.

Fair or not, the ability of a customer to post to Twitter about a consumer experience and immediately join a community of like minded buyers means its a new day for big players like Dell.

Do you have an insight into using Twitter or other social networks to take on a Goliath?  Share it with us.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Join our social networking community by subscribing to our newsletter.

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When Is A Holiday Not A Holiday

Tuesday, December 29th, 2009

ted_headLately, it seems that the day before a holiday has become a de-facto holiday.  That’s not  exactly the way I would recommend digging out of the worst recession in 75 years.

Our UPS pickup driver just dropped by to let us know that UPS had decided to make no deliveries on Dec. 31 and that he had been ordered to take the day off.  We have been shipping UPS this fall for the first time in several years, and, all  in all, it has been a good experience.

Discovering that they would not be serving their customers (namely, us) on a day when we will be open and serving our customers (you) really caught us off guard.

It is difficult to see how a company whose third quarter 2009 revenues were down almost $2 billion can really afford to take off a holiday that no one else takes off.  When your average daily package volume, your operating profit and your earnings per share are all down significantly from 2008 levels, the logic of this decision escapes me and will probably escape the logic of the stock market as well.

We spend much of our time making sure that we partner with businesses who have our customers’ best interests in mind.  UPS’s unwillingness to deliver to our customers, many of whom will be involved in producing New Year’s Eve events, on what should be a regular work day makes our job a lot more difficult.

I’m glad we kept our FedEx account open.  We’ll be happy to ship your order for  Dec. 31 delivery even if UPS isn’t.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries,  Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Meeting customer needs will always be job 1!

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Hey AT&T. What Part of “Unlimited” Don’t You Understand?

Friday, December 11th, 2009

spokesguy One of the best parts of my day is the time I spend reading the New York Times.  It seems to be one of the few daily papers that is holding its own, at least when it comes to generating lots of useful content.

I’m not sure how they are doing financially, but their bottom line has to be helped by the constant barrage of gaudy (orange!) full page ads that AT&T is running.  Seems like there have two or three in the front section every day since the beginning of the month.

I ignore the ads (not easy to do) but my eyes were drawn to this article in the business section about none other than AT&T.

It seems that they are asking their customers who subscribe to unlimited data plans to limit their bandwidth usage or face the possibility of being forced to a “pay as you use” plan.  Apparently, AT&T is unable to handle the data requirements that are being generated by IPhone users, even though they are the only service provider that works with the Apple smart phone.

Instead of expanding capacity and providing the service that they promised, mighty AT&T intends to “educate” their customers about their data consumption in hopes that they will  “cut back”.

Hey AT&T!  Instead of spending huge sums of money on luring new customers with full page ads, how about building some new towers.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands. If you’re frustrated with AT&T, share your story. 

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‘Tis The Season To Be ……….. Scammed!

Thursday, December 10th, 2009

spokesguy Even though our national economic woes continue to depress holiday retail sales, online sales are expected to grow 8% this year.  That’s great news if you, like we, count on internet sales to sustain and grow your business.

Still, there is a big bump in the road before online sales can really take off.  That problem is consumer concerns about security.

We get orders every day from customers who find us on the web, but then insist on calling us to place the order because they are uncomfortable with using their credit card at our web sites.

We’re happy to hear from them, of course, but  they never seem to realize that placing an order at a secure web site is much safer than giving your credit card info to a stranger over the phone.

We host and manage our own e-commerce web sites and can always assure you that you want be presented by any pop ups or phishing scams that originate from our server.

Unfortunately, if you don’t know what to look for, it is difficult to know when you are at a web site where you can make a secure purchase.

When you move from the catalog portion of one of the goodbuyguys web sites to begin an actual checkout, you will see that the “http:” part of the web address at the top of the page, changes to “https:”   That “s” means “secure“.  The “s” is an indicator that the details of your purchase will be encrypted before they are submitted over the web.

You’ll also see a tiny image of a padlock at the end of the address line.  Click on that padlock image if you want to know the details regarding who is certifying that the site is secure.

Here are some more tips to insure the security of your online purchase.

-Never provide your credit number in an email or instant message

-Use long, complicated passwords that use numbers, letters, upper case and lower case

-Purchase only from sites that have an “s” in the address line or show the padlock image

-If you have security concerns but still want to consider making a purchase, look for a phone number

-Check your credit card bill carefully every month.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands.  Your security is our top concern.

Our (and your) security is certified by Usertrust.  You can read more about it here.

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Droid No IPhone Killer. Prefers To Kill One App At A Time

Monday, December 7th, 2009

ted_head.jpg Lots has been written about whether the new Motorola/Verizon Droid cell phone will be an IPhone killer.  I’ve used both and think I can see the future.

No question, the IPhone is easier to use and has an elegant feel in your hand.  When it comes to building user-friendly computer and telcom hardware, Apple has no peer.

I you are willing to take the time to peel back a couple of layers of the onion, you find something quite different.

While the IPhone may offer more apps, the Droid uses an open source operating system that allows a developer to create an application and sell it on their own without Apple’s approval, since the sale doesn’t have to go through an ITunes transaction.  No more censoring gatekeeper that expects to be paid for every app sale!  There are already more than 10,000 apps for the Droid.

The turn-by-turn GPS navigation on the Droid is far superior to IPhone navigation.  Spoken word instructions mean there is no need to look at tiny maps on the screen while driving.  No subscription service required.

Perhaps best of all, the Droid works with the Verizon wireless network.  No more dealing with AT&T No Customer Service Department.

The future-A handheld device as intuitive and elegant as the IPhone, running the next generation of the Google Android operating system and able to access the Verizon network.  Put it on your 2010 Christmas list.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape,Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords andOnStage Stand mic stands.   Share your ideas about cell phone development with our readers.

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A Seasonal Reminder From Google Alerts

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

ted_head.jpg I use the Google Alerts notification system in order to track information about our customers, products and vendors.  It’s a great time saver and turns up a lot of unexpected information.

One of my alerts is set to the search phrase “extension cord“.  Unfortunately, all too often this time of year these alerts also include the word “fire“.

Somehow, it seems that Christmas decorating and overloaded extension cords regularly make headline news.  While it’s easy to understand how this can happen, it’s also easy to prevent.

All electrical devices (including lights and powered decorations) are required to be tagged with information relating to how much power they consume.  This information is usually listed along with the term “watts”.  When you plug multiple lights or electrical decorations into an extension cord, it is necessary to add the total number of watts (also known as “current draw”) to determine what size of extension cord is called for.

If this simple arithmetic is a little daunting, there is an easier way to figure out if there is a problem.

Plug everything in, turn all the decorations on, and hold the extension cord in your hand for three or four minutes.  If the cord becomes warm to the touch, then it is overloaded.  Remove one or more of the items plugged into it and try again.

If you can’t reduce the current draw, then you need to increase the size (known as the “gauge” of the cable).  This can be a little confusing, as the smaller the gauge number, the higher the current carrying capacity of the extension cord.  That is, a 14 gauge cord has a lower current carrying capacity than a 12 gauge cord.

Finally, even if you don’t have an overloaded extension cord, running it under a rug or behind a wall can still create a fire hazard if air can’t circulate and remove any heat build up.  It should be left out in the open.

Take a minute to plan before you begin holiday decorating.  I don’t want to be reading about you in Google Alerts.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  We’ve got lots of products that make holiday decorating easier.

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Can You Hear Me Now?

Friday, November 13th, 2009

good-idea-jeff_small_bigger.jpg When I called AT&T this morning to inquire why my IPhone wasn’t working, I didn’t really expect it would become a big deal.

After 10 minutes on hold, the customer service rep I finally spoke with informed me that my service had been suspended because my payment was past due.  After a quick check with our bookkeeper, I was able to inform her that the payment had been made almost two weeks ago and that it must have been misapplied.

My expectation was that a company that had worked so hard to get me to become a customer would simply allow me to pay online, adjust the misapplied payment and get the phone working again.

Boy, was I wrong!

She proceeded to tell me that she had no record of a payment and that the service would remain suspended until the payment was received.  Moreover, she informed me that  I would be charged a $36.00 reconnect fee and it might take several days to reactivate the phone after payment was received.   Finally, she went out of her way to lecture me on the point that I should make my payment at least 10 days before the due date to give them time to apply it properly.

It was clear that she didn’t believe me when I said I intended to terminate my contract.

It’s now five hours later.  The AT&T contract is terminated.  I have a new account with Verizon (at a considerable savings) and a brand new Google Android phone.  It took Verizon all of 15 minutes to port my number and activate the phone.  (AT&T had taken two days!)

I had gone to the Verizon store just to see what my options might be for new phone service, but was met with such a high level of customer service by a knowledgeable sales person that I left with the new Google smart phone and new phones for everyone else on  my account as well.  It was the first time I had ever left a cell phone store not feeling like I had been beaten with a rock.

Tomorrow I’ll return the AT&T Microcell that I had to buy to get cell coverage at my home, even though the AT&T service maps show that my location should have been covered.

As to the $175.00 AT&T termination fee, I’ll gladly pay it and make a matching charitable contribution as well.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  I enjoy sharing observations about customer service with my readers.  Want to know more?  Please subscribe to my newsletter.

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When A Mailbox Full of Spam Is Worth The Irritation

Friday, October 30th, 2009

ted_head.jpg I’ve been doing business on the internet for almost 15 years and have my email address on hundreds of web pages.  Needless to say, I get a lot of pointless email.

Still, the thousands upon thousands of spam messages I have to wade through (even after applying spam filters) are just one of the costs of doing business.  I know that there are other ways to have people get in touch with you, but I don’t regret having my email address so widely available.  Nothing works as well for one-on-one communication.

The idea that the inconvenience of dealing with spam would force me to give up the most direct way for someone interested in our products to get in touch is just too high a price to pay.  It just doesn’t make sense to create barriers that stand in the way of a real dialogue with anyone who takes time to look at our web offerings.

We do use contact forms and our toll free phone and fax numbers are prominently displayed on all our web sites.

In case your interested, the address is jeff@harrisonbros.com.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Permacel gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  I enjoy sharing good business ideas with our readers and customers. 

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How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? Join the Stagehands Union

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

good-idea-jeff_small_bigger.jpg I spent a number of years working as a union stagehand, rising to the position of vice-president of my local and enjoying a steady income while seeing lots of great shows.  I gave this sort of work up several years ago, but an article in yesterday’s New York Times is making me rethink my decision.

The times reports that Dennis O’Connell, the props manager at Carnegie Hall, earned $530004.00 in pay and benefits last year.  That’s right.  Over a half million dollars income working as a stagehand.

These figures come from the Carnegie Hall’s 2007-2008 tax return and it shows that  several other stagehands had compensation packages that exceeded $400,000.00.

The times went to some length to point out that stagehand pay many times far exceeded the amount earned by well known performers actually appearing on the stage.

The top executive at Carnegie Hall, Clive Gillinson, actually defended the pay, saying that stagehands “have huge and varied jobs to carry out”.

Now, I’ve been to Carnegie Hall (my wife & son performed with The Duke Chapel Choir there) and I’ve seen these stagehands at work.  Moving risers, setting up the conductors podium and controlling the lighting may require some special abilities, but probably not on par with a skilled surgeon.  I’m not sure that they even require any specific education.

I remember in detail the “huge and varied jobs” I did as a stagehand-everything from unloading a truck to climbing a lighting truss-and how happy I was to earn $15.00 an hour.  I seemed like a fair wage at the time, and some of the work I did was so interesting that I probably would have done it for free.

Sure, there is some wear and tear on the body, but I’m guessing that the earnings of a Carnegie stagehand, including double and triple overtime, compensation for unsed vacation, and various union-mandated payouts, go a long way towards easing the pain.

The next time you pay $100 for a ticket and go to a concert, pay careful attention to the stagehands you see.  They may be the highest paid performers in the building.

Want to know more?  Here’s a link to the Times article.

GoodBuyGuys.com is your online source for Shurtape gaffers tape, Duracell Procell batteries, MagLite flashlights, Nashua duct tape, Bay State wire ties, Hosa and Entertainment One extension cords and OnStage Stand mic stands.  Check back here often for my random observations about show business.

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