Comments on When I Was a Kid: What Would You Do...?

Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, sometimes it...

2011-12-14T16:52:52.346Z

Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy, sometimes it's not always what the customer wants to hear but it will get you much further in the long run... if you read my reply you will see that's exactly what we did. Thanks for your thoughts Sabina xx

I would call the customer and explain the situatio...

2011-12-14T12:32:07.220Z

I would call the customer and explain the situation to him so that he can make the decision himself. Chances are if Hugo plays with it as little boys do, it will have more scuffs on it very soon anyway but I don't like to give presents which aren't 'perfect' so he may feel the same.

I always feel that honesty is the best policy!!

Yes, I read your response. Spot on! You kept your ...

2011-12-14T08:08:47.523Z

Yes, I read your response. Spot on! You kept your customer, and he is happy. Chances are he'll come back AND he'll recommend. Result! :-)

Hi Justin, thanks for taking time to reply, in thi...

2011-12-14T07:55:22.788Z

Hi Justin, thanks for taking time to reply, in this case sadly the manufacturer had no interest in helping us so we were on our own. I sometimes think they forget that I am a customer too :)

Thanks Anthea, did you go on and read how I respon...

2011-12-14T07:53:43.523Z

Thanks Anthea, did you go on and read how I responded? In this case going elsewhere wont have helped as the whole batch was damaged but I chose to pre-warn him of that which stacked the odds back towards me retaining the sale but also showed us as the good guys :)

Thanks Sue, interesting the perception of the cust...

2011-12-14T07:51:10.716Z

Thanks Sue, interesting the perception of the customer that he thought most companies would just ship it damaged :-O xx

That's what I would of done Paul! :)

2011-12-14T07:30:45.136Z

That's what I would of done Paul! :)

I'd be honest and tell the customer about the ...

2011-12-14T07:23:53.208Z

I'd be honest and tell the customer about the marks and give them the option of whether they still want to go ahead and purchase. I guess a lot of customers won't mind a tiny blemish and it's best to tell them.

We have experienced similar problems with parts ar...

2011-12-13T19:50:23.084Z

We have experienced similar problems with parts arriving damaged or even incorrect causing delays and irate customers. No 1: Always let the customer know what is going on. If they know there is going to be a delay and are happy to wait then all well and good, if not they can always cancel the order and go elsewhere. If the damage is superficial or cosmetic then we would offer a small discount (although margins on motorcycle spares are minimal in the first place) if it keeps the customer happy then they are more likely to come back.
Honesty is always the best policy, even if it does mean you lose a little financially.

I would ask the manufacturer if I could supply the...

2011-12-13T15:58:33.970Z

I would ask the manufacturer if I could supply the flawed car to the customer including the stickers so that the christmas surprise still happens and replace it as soon as the new car becomes available.
I would run this by my customer and ensure he is happy, if it was only slight blemishes I'm sure he wouldnt mind, he could even swap them without the little boy knowing.

Thanks Sarah, it's great to get your feedback....

2011-12-13T11:29:07.171Z

Thanks Sarah, it's great to get your feedback. It is tricky to get the balance right, we can't always just throw money at a problem and most of our sales are for presents so there is added pressure :) xx

love your email and what a great repsonce hope the...

2011-12-13T11:11:45.194Z

love your email and what a great repsonce hope the little boy enjoys his car and has a wonderful Christmas :D x

we run a computer sales and repair business and us...

2011-12-13T11:07:14.568Z

we run a computer sales and repair business and used to have a small shop in a local village... it was always important to us we were honest with customers and sold good computers, Its hard when you run a business you don't want come back so I would deffinately mention to the customer, maybe try to fix the marks? depending what they were I would be very mindful of the need for a present for Christmas too and not want to dissapoint... off now to read what you did :) x

Not bad Ali, honesty is the key here and at least ...

2011-12-13T10:44:36.458Z

Not bad Ali, honesty is the key here and at least giving the customer a choice or in this case we gave him three choices. Head on over to the weblink on the blog to see how I managed it and a little insight into my thinking :) xx

Thanks for the reply Clare, I just try and treat a...

2011-12-13T10:41:30.315Z

Thanks for the reply Clare, I just try and treat a customer as I would want to be treated - there is no big secret formula to good Customer Service :) xx

Ooops didn't read properly and went straight o...

2011-12-13T10:34:55.934Z

Ooops didn't read properly and went straight on to read the follow up post! What a fresh approach, I think anyone else would have ignored the marks and pretended they weren't there, hoping that by the time they were noticed the car would have been used enough to think the child had made them.
I KNEW you would have done the honest thing x

Ooo toughy, I think I would let the customer know ...

2011-12-13T09:41:19.745Z

Ooo toughy, I think I would let the customer know that there is a problem. I'd explain what's wrong with the car and let them make the decision, if the marks are not too bad then they might be happier to have the car that they ordered with a few marks on it than nothing at all for Christmas. If it was a one off and not the whole batch I would probably have tried to source another from a competitor, even if I lost money on the sale. Obviously the remaining stock comes off sale and heads back to the supplier. How'd I do?!