Hearthlist Digest #414 - Tuesday, February 22, 2000
 
Re: Customer Service
  by "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]>
Question from England
  by "Craig Issod" <[email protected]>
 

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Subject: Re: Customer Service
From: "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 15:26:41 -0500
 
Its not a new age at all !!!
 
'junk.com' is simply the 'no service'  end of our industry consolidating
like everything else around us.
 
  Customer service on the ground level has always been what maintains
strength and integrity of a manufacturers products. For 23 years I've
watched alot of great hearth products get a bum rap simply because of what
happens after the salesman sells it. Nothing!
 
I'm a retailer today because of my service, which always comes before =
sales.
If your service department this time of year doesn't look like the May Tag
service guy sitting around waiting for a call you have a serious problem.
How do you afford and maintain a May Tag service guy? Thats the secret!!!
 
95% of my calls this time of year are from the 'junk.com'   consumers =
asking
me  if I work on products other than what I sell. One of my frustrations =
is
the 'junk.com' manufacturer that won't sell me parts so I can fix their
product! Instead they refer me to the retailer that originally sold the
product but doesn't service it! By the time the manufacturer, the retailer
and then I mark up that convection blower it cost the 'junk.com' consumer
$330 plus the time to not only diagnose the problem but return and fix it!
 
Surviving as a retailer  until these companies put themselves out of
business is another age old frustration. The failure rate for retail shops
and installing contractors is well over 90% after ten years. This leaves =
an
awful lot of product hanging out there with no support other than the
manufacturers service departments which , as far as I know, don't even own
service trucks. Their only tools are telephones and UPS.
 
 
Willieweep
alias Grant Darrow Chimney Sweep
www.northcountrystoves.com
 
 

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Subject: Question from England
From: "Craig Issod" <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2000 16:03:20 -0500
 
Got this question today...anyone have a good answer?
 
Dear Experts,
My younger sister is much intrigued with why a mantlepiece is so 
called and it would be very handy if you were to explain this to me. 
Please mail me back.
Fran from Marsden