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GravityGirl

Para Gear: Great Customer Service

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You ordered something (online?), received it and it was correct and correctly billed.

Where is the customer service there? You're describing order processing, accounts receivables and shipping. With no personal contact.

Since when did a person or company doing their job as it ought to be done constitute "great"? :S

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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You ordered something (online?), received it and it was correct and correctly billed.

Where is the customer service there? You're describing order processing, accounts receivables and shipping. With no personal contact.

Since when did a person or company doing their job as it ought to be done constitute "great"? :S



Since when does a company that corrected their mistake in a timely manner at no cost to you get classified as having "poor customer service" ?

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You ordered something (online?), received it and it was correct and correctly billed.

Where is the customer service there? You're describing order processing, accounts receivables and shipping. With no personal contact.

Since when did a person or company doing their job as it ought to be done constitute "great"? :S



When did it become poor customer service when a company apologizes for there mistake. Oh yeah, they didn't apologize 20 times. :D

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likestojump:

You assume there is no cost to me but I don't know why. Did you read the other OP? Why are you hijacking this thread instead of using the other thread? Do you have an actual answer for my question?

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timmyfitz:

Please see above, omitting sentence #1. You'll find a direct reply to the concept of your comment in the other thread.


"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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Dear Nova, if you drop the act, you will realize that it's YOU and not me who started the thread hijack.

anyways,
to answer your question "Since when did a person or company doing their job as it ought to be done constitute "great"?"

Since the time when *most* people consider a hassle-free transaction to be the expected level.

Now that I answered yours, answer mine.

Nova, what do YOU consider "great customer service" ?

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oh one more thing dearest Nova.

I don't assume there was no cost to you for the transaction. But I am yet to hear people bitch violently about having to go back to the store to return something - it's commonly expected that if you want to get your money back, the store manager is not going to come to your house and pickup the item - going to the UPS store or other shipping point is the equivalent when you are dealing with mail order.

Of course what the hell do I know, it's not like I don't have a lifetime of mail order and customer service behind me.

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You ordered something (online?), received it and it was correct and correctly billed.

Where is the customer service there? You're describing order processing, accounts receivables and shipping. With no personal contact.



Excerpt from Wikipedia definition:
"Customer service may be provided by a person (e.g., sales and service representative), or by automated means called self-service."

for your review: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_service

Jason

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But I am yet to hear people bitch violently about having to go back to the store to return something



Dearest likestojump:

You haven't heard me bitch violently or otherwise. I did give an honest and unemotional accounting of an experience with P-G.

Since you haven't seemed to follow the other thread, let me give a quick recap.

I am in NY. P-G is in IL. I ordered with door-to-door delivery. I want convenience and I paid for it. Similarly, I want the same convenience with any subsequent tx.

But that's not what the other OP was about.

What do I consider great customer service?

Not service that is as it should be, nor the same with a smile. I consider great customer service getting all that plus whatever else, if and when necessary, that the customer is not burdened by the tx.

Just the other day my pharmacist gave me the wrong Rx. When I opened the bag and learned of the mistake, I called them and it seemed that before I could offer to bring the other person's Rx back they had someone on the way to my house to exchange the bottles.

That is an example of what I consider to be excellent customer service.
"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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You kind of evaded my true question. If you could please answer the questions that I re-phrase for you :

What would you consider good/great customer service considering that your order was shipped/delivered on-time and in the condition and quantity as ordered. .

In other words : you ordered 7 widgets on Monday for residential delivery by Wednesday 5PM and you got the said 7 widgets on Wednesday before 5PM, all packed well and with proper invoice and in the condition as described. What do you consider such transaction ? Do you think it could have been handled better, and if so, how ?

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Pash:

You haven't heard me bitch violently or otherwise. I did give an honest and unemotional accounting of an experience with P-G.

Since you haven't seemed to follow the other thread, let me give a quick recap.

I am in NY. P-G is in IL. I ordered with door-to-door delivery. I want convenience and I paid for it. Similarly, I want the same convenience with any subsequent tx.

But that's not what the other OP was about.


Dearest likestojump:

What do I consider great customer service?

Not service that is as it should be, nor the same with a smile. I consider great customer service getting all that plus whatever else, if and when necessary, that the customer is not burdened by the tx.

Just the other day my pharmacist gave me the wrong Rx. When I opened the bag and learned of the mistake, I called them and it seemed that before I could offer to bring the other person's Rx back they had someone on the way to my house to exchange the bottles.

That is an example of what I consider to be excellent customer service.



With all of your multi-tasking, you got your replies in reverse order. You've confused likestojump and pash. (you can call me by my real name, Jason, however).

I know this is only a small error on your part, but I feel inconvenienced by it. I had to copy and paste and point you to your own mistake. All that took time. My time.

I am only hopeful that the distraction doesn't cause you to make similar mistakes in your actual work while you are "multi-tasking." For I acknowledge that it is your opinion that your clients get their money's worth, but, well... how did you say it? You said, "Opinions and assholes."

Quit making an opinion of yourself.

Jason

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Just the other day my pharmacist gave me the wrong Rx. When I opened the bag and learned of the mistake, I called them and it seemed that before I could offer to bring the other person's Rx back they had someone on the way to my house to exchange the bottles.

That is an example of what I consider to be excellent customer service.



If you had my narcotics or my Gramma's heart meds, I'd be at your door before you could call me too.
And, believe me, it wouldn't have anything to do with good customer service....
Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

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Thanks for the laugh, Jason. And I'm sorry for crediting another's words to you. Thanks for collating the thoughts with their respective recipient. ;) I've gone back and removed you from that post.

The Comparative Advantage I remarked on in the other thread can be simply stated as: If a person doesn't feel what they are getting is worth what they are paying, they won't pay it.

So it's not my word or anything to do with me other than providing a product and/or service for a cost. That I have loyal, repeat clients as well as good referral business, I'm not threatened by the LCA.

I just don't understand why you're so concerned about my business and how I spend my time.

likestojump:

I don't really understand what you want to know. Your question was answered in the other OP.

Your question isn't about customer service - it's about order processing, accounts receivable and shipping. Who has a problem with getting what they pay for and expect?? I just don't understand what you're looking for.

If you're asking why I consider my recent experience with P-G to be "poor", rather than "normal" or "good", it's because it wasn't "normal" or "good".

It's not about getting the things I ordered - that was never an issue. It's about the customer relations related to the small problem associated with that tx. It's about putting the burden on the customer, which is IMO ass-backward.

Nova

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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If you had my narcotics or my Gramma's heart meds, I'd be at your door before you could call me too.
And, believe me, it wouldn't have anything to do with good customer service....



Maybe, April - but it's a pharmacy. They have the ability to fill another bottle with that Rx and find the missing bottle as soon as they can.

Their response was 100% guided by good customer relations policy.

It wasn't a critical med. For me, it was flu med, for her - well, HIPPA won't let me reveal it!! ;)

Nova
"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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Forget about ParaGear. for the purposes of the statement(s) below PG does not exist.

What would you consider good/great customer service considering that your order from company X was shipped/delivered on-time and in the condition and quantity as ordered. You never needed to call them after the initial order placement.

In other words : you ordered 7 widgets on Monday for residential delivery by Wednesday 5PM and you got the said 7 widgets on Wednesday before 5PM, all packed well and with proper invoice and in the condition as described. What do you consider such transaction ? Do you think it could have been handled better, and if so, how ?

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If you think para-gear's customer service is so bad, the answer is easy, buy from someone else who has better customer service. That way both you and Para Gear will be happier.

Not sure why you have backed yourself into this corner, but don't think you will find many people who read your posts and have any second thoughts about buying from Para Gear, indeed they are actually good endorsements for Para Gear.
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits." -- Albert Einstein

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Since we're not considering P-G, I will relate to this accoding to my usual business needs and interactions. I do this all the time.

I would consider your scenario "normal" and I would consider using that company in future. Were there no other contending candidates for widget supplies, I would contact them first.

If there were contending candidates, who also provided normal tx, I would go with lowest cost provider.

I would use this provider regardless of insignificant cost difference if their service was "good" or "great".

In the above scenario, I think you are asking what would it take to elevate that to the level of "good", or "great".

Well, normal is good, in that it is not bad. But "good" customer service would be to receive those widgets along with a coupon for 10% off my next order of widgets in excess of x$. Sometimes the offer is for free shipping.

"Great" would be the same as "good", but a rep would call to inquire about the shipment, ask about my current and future widget needs, and make sure I know he is available to me in future for service.

But we're supposed to be talking about P-G customer service so I don't know why you want to know my philosophy on corporate customer relations.

Nova
"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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Please see the other OP - you're stating the bleedin' obvious.

I don't need and am not soliciting advice on how to evaluate customer service and where to take my business.

Please see the other OP.

Therein I explained that P-G is the only supplier I know of for many tools and materiel. I also stated that I've used them many times before without difficulty.

But that's not a measure of good CS - it's a measure of adequacy.

I also explained that I will buy from P-G when necessary but when an option is present, I will buy elsewhere.

Nova
"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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Thank you for your answer.

I wanted to know YOUR opinion because I was mesmerized with the thread that you started. As I mentioned, my background is Mail Order/Customer Service, and I have spent many years buying and selling things that way.

My conclusion ? You are part of the entitlement generation, the spoiled consumer who still thinks that "customer is always right".

If you contracted the company for product X and it delivered the said product X within the promised (not EXPECTED - but PROMISED) timeframe - that is all they are required to do. Coupons, discounts, phone calls - they sure as hell feel nice, but are an EXTRA, and in my opinion it's silly to expect such things. To look at it in black and white - the company has vested interest in keeping you as a long term customer, thus the "Extras" it may shower you with.

At the end, of course we will defer to the "opinions and assholes" statement. The above was my opinion...

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Therein I explained that P-G is the only supplier I know of for many tools and materiel. I also stated that I've used them many times before without difficulty.

But that's not a measure of good CS - it's a measure of adequacy.



Nor is your experience a measure of their "adequacy" or a lack thereof. It's a one-off experience.
Apparently it isn't the experience that everyone else has had.
*Maybe* everyone involved (including you) wasn't at their best that day. One experience cannot possibly define the overall quality the reseller offers, can it?

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One experience cannot possibly define the overall quality the reseller offers, can it?



***

Obviously from the rest of the replies no...and considering the time PG has been 'the' supplier, I'd submit that overall they do a great job.

In the big picture, small market with relatively few select products...It's a pleasant surprise dealing with them, considering experiences I've had in comparable situations with other companies serving similar markets.


Side note;
In the sport only about 10 years at the time, I ran into Lowell Bachman at a meet one time.
He recognized my somewhat uncommon last name and introduced himself.

He recalled a relatively recent change in my shipping address from Illinois to California and ask how I liked the move a better climate. B|

Never met the guy before, but that told me a lot about him and hence his business.

I've NEVER gotten anything but remarkably helpful service from ParaGear for over 30 years...certainly price-wise they are not always a bargain, but considering the customer service "I" receive, I seldom bother with an unknown (to me) entity.











~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

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Maybe, Douglas, you've been in touch with another mod?? ;)

I don't expect everyone to have had a lackluster experience, but I know there are some who have. I've heard from them. I don't blame them for not posting in the forum. It gets hot in here!

But I don't define P-G based on this one experience - I define their customer service on this. My experience has taught me that a corporate, or global, presence is established for CS within a company. I've never had to deal with P-G before, directly, so I as I said in the other OP, compared to other companies that I have dealt with directly, I was unimpressed with P-G.

I'll use them when I have to, but as I said, it is my experience that CS attitudes are global within a company. It is my experience that it reflects the overall "personality" of a company.

Perhaps when I'm over this hill I've been working my way up this week I'll feel differently about using P-G. But I won't feel differently about the poor service I got the other day.

likestojump:

I don't know what your issue is. I never said I expected anything. I don't feel entitled.

What I have said is that I am willing to pay for what I want and I expect to get what I pay for. Nothing more or less.

But in my last post to you, as you know, I was speaking from a business perspective. It takes promos, premiums and positive personal contact to elevate "adequate" or "normal" customer service to "good" or "great". It remains a dog-eat-dog world, moreso now than ever.

So a company that is vested in keeping a client doesn't treat that customer poorly or make that customer have to shoulder the work to fix their mistake.

That sort of customer appreciation and show of valuation goes a long way in the business cirlcles I navigate. Maybe you are not understanding what I consider to be a difference between business and personal tx? Regardless, except when, as in this case, the market is uncompetitive, it is also important in personal CS tx. In a market where there is no competition, one gets what one does.

And one then posts in the G&R forum.

Anyway, your conclusion is wrong. I don't know what the "entitlement generation" is, but I know I'm not part of it. I'm a Viet Nam era child and I know the value and ethic of work, so I guess that makes me part of the "works to earn and make his own way generation".

But I'm not trying to educate you and I'm sure as hell not looking for validation from you. Right now, I'm simply wondering what is the bee in your bonnet?

"Even in a world where perfection is unattainable, there's still a difference between excellence and mediocrity." Gary73

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