Hearthlist Digest #558 - Wednesday, January 31, 2001 RE: rug by "Jim Hartsen" <[email protected]> Re: rug by "steve hanson" <[email protected]> Natural Capitalism by "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]> RE: natural capitalism by "Craig Issod" <[email protected]> more on damage in a customer's home by <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: RE: rug From: "Jim Hartsen" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:28:34 -0500 Mike, Congratulations, you are right on the money. You not only made it right with the customer, you also bought an advertisement, word of mouth - the best kind money can buy. This type of situation is the time to show your shops real meaning of great service. It did more good and cost less than several newspaper ads. Good Luck, Jim Hartsen Williamson Hardware Inc.
(back) Subject: Re: rug From: "steve hanson" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 09:29:18 -0500 I would still charge her , You fixed what you broke . Unfortunately in this day and age everyone is looking for the freebies. You may just find by not charging you will have all kinds of problems with the "friends" Do you think she will be back next year , I wouldnt I would find someone else who new what they were doing in my "the customers eyes" . Would you take your car back to a shop if they forgot to put the oil back in but gave you a free oil change next time ?I dont think you would take the chance to have them forget again. As a service rep for 2 different industrys Ive seen alot more of these issues and on both sides then i like.Not all people are like that but if she is a good customer she would pay and then try to keep her by giving her a gift certificate for dinner for the troubles from the service tech . [email protected] wrote:
(back) Subject: Natural Capitalism From: "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 10:56:42 -0500 For a little insight into where we're going as the industrial revolution collapses around us, read 'Natural Capitalism' creating the next = industrial revolution by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins. The energy ceiling that John Gulland mentioned is only one little aspect = of a bigger picture. How about a wasteless system. Imagine a system where your customer never actually owns that new hearth product, the manufacturer does. And your job is installing it, maintaining it and eventually replacing it. The old unit is recycled into a new product. Products aren't manufactured until there a demand for it instead of manufacturing something and trying to create the demand. Carrier currently does this with some of its air conditioning systems, And most new production plants have adopted a Toyota style 'order in product out'. Trying to eliminate traditional stock piling and warehousing in = hopes of sales. Finding waste and saving money is a growth industry. Willieweep alias Grant Darrow Chimney Sweep www.northcountrystoves.com
(back) Subject: RE: natural capitalism From: "Craig Issod" <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 11:06:35 -0500 This is a great concept and is already being done in some parts of Europe. Not that the manufacturer "owns" the product, but that they are responsible for the unit from manufacturing through the service life and then on to recycling. It only makes sense. With the rise in population and pollution we must stop being a "one way" society. One problem is that Mr. Bush is not very educated when it comes to these technologies. He thinks that energy crisis is averted by providing even more energy and pollution. The words "conservation", "renewable", etc. have not yet come out of his mouth. Not that we are reliant on him for this path, but it would be nice to have government support (tax credits, etc) of such efforts - much in the same way as the stove change outs. Current policy allows for Mexican manufacturing without the same controls as in the states. Willie, not sure if this will happen in our lifetime, but as more of us are poisoned by our own wastes we'll eventually get around to it! Closer to home, it might be a win-win situation for hearth manufacturers to offer a $200 "end of life" rebate to cast and steel stove owners who trade their stove in for a more efficient model (of the same brand). The cost could be absorbed by both the retailer and manufacturer since the new customer (existing) was able to be gotten with almost zero marketing dollars. I'm sure the idea would need hashed out more. Soapstone stoves....we'd have to crush them up and make furnace cement out of them! :-) -- ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Issod HearthNet at http://www.hearth.com [email protected] Everything your Hearth Desires ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------
(back) Subject: more on damage in a customer's home From: <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 11:07:09 -0500 --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1231165266=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3D"us-ascii" ; format=3D"flowed" Thanks for the good responses about how to handle a burn mark made in a customer's rug during a gas fireplace maintenance. The particular example I used involved an area rug, so there was no great inconvenience to the customer and in fact, she bought a new one 2 days = later. She was reimbursed in full by my insurance co. and I questioned whether to charge her for the service performed or throw that in, too. This makes me wonder about other potential damage that can be caused, such as denting a hole in the wall while carrying a 350 lb stove, = scratching the floor, getting soot on a white rug (!), ripping wallpaper while = putting in a mantel...whew! Obviously, if these things happen, they put us in an awkward position with the customer, as in, "Sorry we broke your china vase, but you still owe us $400! Any further thoughts? Tony Palmer --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1231165266=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D Content-Type: text/html; charset=3D"us-ascii" <!doctype html public "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <html><head><style type=3D"text/css"><!-- blockquote, dl, ul, ol, li { margin-top: 0 ; margin-bottom: 0 } --></style><title>more on damage in a customer's home</title></head><body> <div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"-1">Thanks for the good responses about how to handle a burn mark made in a<br> customer's rug during a gas fireplace maintenance.<br> The particular example I used involved an area rug, so there was no great<br> inconvenience to the customer and in fact, she bought a new one 2 days later.<br> She was reimbursed in full by my insurance co. and I questioned whether to<br> charge her for the service performed or throw that in, too.<br> This makes me wonder about other potential damage that can be caused,<br> such as denting a hole in the wall while carrying a 350 lb stove, scratching<br> the floor, getting soot on a white rug (!), ripping wallpaper while putting<br> in a mantel...whew!<br> <br> Obviously, if these things happen, they put us in an awkward position with<br> the customer, as in, "Sorry we broke your china vase, but you still owe us<br> $400!<br> <br> Any further thoughts?</font></div> <div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"-1">Tony Palmer</font></div> </body> </html> --=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D_-1231165266=3D=3D_ma=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D= =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D--