Supplier question

[jmforge]

Is it just me, or does the typical ML'er supplier's aversion to things modern extend to e-mail too? I have sent 3 or 4 inquiry e-mails to suppliers and not heard back fro a one of them. :cursing:

 

[Zonie]

You may have a point there Joe.

I think that many of us have sent messages to various suppliers and either never received an answer or it was a long time coming.

On the other hand, most if not all of these places are small businesses where the owner is doing hands on work to meet the commitments that have been made to folks who either came in to the place in person or called them on the phone.
That doesn't leave much time to sit down and answer a bunch of E-Mails after work.

It's not like they have a large staff that just sits around looking at computer screens all day like they do at the major corporations.

My suggestion is if you really want them to get your message give them a call, the old fashioned way. They can't ignore a ringing phone. :grin:

 

[Rogue River]

Whats the purpose of the E-mail or web site if they don't intend to answer your inquiries? :grin:

 

[Zonie]

Advertising?
It is an easy way to let the general public see their wares and their prices.

I'm not condoning their actions but several that I've talked with would much rather talk to you on the phone rather than sit in front of a computer answering a bunch of questions.
In fact, several I've called will talk for a long time if you don't remind them that your paying for a long distance call and asking them to get to the point.

I have the feeling that many of them don't type very well and those who don't find that answering questions via E-Mail is a large pain in the butt.

The larger suppliers I've done business with who do take orders thru their computer do respond rapidly to their orders very nicely. Take Track of the Wolf and Dixie for example.

 

[cowpoke1955]

Have to agree with Zonie. A lot of these suppliers are a very small operation, family or one man. During the week they work their day job. On the weekends they travel the gun shows selling their goods. Most web sites do include a phone number. When you do get a hold of them, they are normally real nice folks to deal with. Just keep trying. Remember, they are trying to make a living in these hard times, while providing a service to us :thumbsup:

 

Remember, they are trying to make a living in these hard times, while providing a service to us :thumbsup:

Well, if the first impression of their "service" is to not return your communication, then they aren't trying very hard to make that living. If someone doesn't return my email or call, I go elsewhere.

If they have a dislike of email, they won't do well in the electronic age. If they think they can use a web site as "advertising", then not follow up on inquiries, they're really naive.

 

[mykeal]

You are certainly free to take your business wherever you wish based on your own personal criteria for what good business practices are.

Some of us actually prefer working and doing business with a voice from a human who actually works with the products rather than a typed message written by an intermediary who knows more about software than the differences between swaged and cast bullets. Given the choice between a pair of hands that is paid to just touch a keyboard and those that regularly pick up a poor boy because they want to, well, it's not a hard decision to make.

You make your decision your way and allow the rest of us to make our decision our way. And maybe you'd care to acknowledge that there is a place for the 'other side' without looking down your nose.

 

[Coot]

Have to agree with Zonie. A lot of these suppliers are a very small operation, family or one man. During the week they work their day job. On the weekends they travel the gun shows selling their goods. Most web sites do include a phone number. When you do get a hold of them, they are normally real nice folks to deal with. Just keep trying. Remember, they are trying to make a living in these hard times, while providing a service to us :thumbsup:

Absolutely correct. A number of high end vendors are very small operations that must make choices about how to spend their time. When at an event, phones and email are out. When at home, its is more important to fill existing orders and deal with customers who are there in person than to respond to general inquiries. It would often take 3-4 or 5 tries to get the lady who used to make clothes for me (she passed away last year) but that was part of the price for a great job from a real individual craftsperson.

 

[Tinker2]

If they have a dislike of email, they won't do well in the electronic age. If they think they can use a web site as "advertising", then not follow up on inquiries, they're really naive.

Carl

I had “a web site as "advertising"“ No e-mail just a phone number.
Worked well for me. A lot of my customers are not experts in what
I do, so sometimes it would take 5 to 10 or more e-mails to do what
one phone call can or will do.


I do well in the electronic age.
Thanks
Tinker2

 

[paulvallandigham]

I have to agree with Zonie, and McKeal. Most dealers these days never learned to type. Its a huge jump for them to even own a computer, and have a website. To expect them to be able to answer Emails is more than a STRETCH. If you were born after 1980s, chances are that you grew up using computers and learned to type on the keyboard. I often wonder how these wiz kids today would do if they had to type on a manual typewriter- the ones that don't have electric cords attached to them. That is what I learned to type on, and its a lot harder to learn to type well when you have to work that hard.

I notice that lots of younger people today have a lot of problems with spelling and punctuation. We were drilled daily on these skills in Grammar schools in the 1950s, but this apparently was not the case in all schools, even back then.

I have a good friend who reads voraciously. But, he can't spell or punctuate to save his life, and he can't type. He gets my emails, and sends me cartoons, but he rarely ever types a message. He used the Hunt and Peck method, and it takes him forever to type one sentence. Younger "students" are more likely to have his failings these days, than be competent writers. Without Spell Check, and Grammar check, most could not write a complete sentence.

A lot of the Suppliers in the BP trade are small " mom and pop" shops. They often make money by attending local rendezvous, and take their whole shop, in essence, with them when they leave home. That is the primary reason you don't get an answer to your email. If you don't get a response from your Email, simply call them.

My phone plan has me paying the same amount for both local and long distance phone calls each month, no matter how long the calls last. If you are working off a cell phone, however, some plans are not so nice. You can find better plans, and save money. The only major supplier that I know about that does not have a website, is Deer Creek. They operate by phone only. And, you often get a busy signal when you call. Patience IS a virtue.

If you are like Carl, and get your blood pressure up over the least annoyance, see your heart doctor religiously, for medication and check-ups, and take your business elsewhere. Bad mouthing a business for NOT returning your E-mails, is just silly, and self-abuse! Life is way too short to waste time doing that, IMHO.

I have a good friend who has his own website, and is a one man show, literally. And, he is always inventing something new, or setting out to set another, new, record in the Guiness Book of World Records- NO LIE! He NEVER returns E-mails, although he has an Email address.

Most of the time, he never picks up his phone, either. The few times He has when I have called, it was a shock to me. He does call me back, when he's in town, and he will have checked his answering machine for messages, and will note that he knew I have called.

But, "typing" is not on his list of skills. I cut him a break, because he is a wonderful man to know, is always doing something all the rest of us only dream of doing, and is always making plans to do even more! I once described an energic, witty lawyer I was introduced to when I was in law school, as " Like meeting and sitting next to a dormant "VOLCANO". You can feel the shakes and rumbles, but you never know when its going to let loose! I have to say that the same description applies to my friend, A.J. A lot of the small entrepreneurs are much more like him, than me. So, be a bit more patient with these " little volcanos". :shocked2: :surrender: :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[LaBonte]

Some points not included here:
1) Email is only about 85% effective to begin with due to various technical reasons
2) One of the main reasons is due to SPAM: "lazy" or just plain inundated IT/ISP techs, auto SPAM engines, SPAM reports, etc. who/which blacklist sites that even just appear as SPAM and thus either email requests are never received or the answers are never received.
example: commercial website addresses are often forged or spoofed by spammers to appear to becoming from them even when not, but they get blacklisted anyway.
In my business I ask folks inquiring to:
A) Include their phone number so that if I do not hear back from them with a reasonable time after sending a reply then I can call them to make sure they got my reply
B) Two if they have not received a reply in a reasonable amount of time please call to make sure I even got their inquiry
C) Realize that my business is a small one man operation - although my better half helps with bookkeeping, doing some beading, etc. she cannot answer questions, typical of many small craft operations. Due to being small I cannot immediately reply as can most large businesses who have a dedicated customer service, so please be patient.
D) For many crafts people, summer in particular is time to be on the road at events and most just do not have the capability to respond while gone from the "shop".
E) Finally whenever I reply whether you choose to become a customer or not please respond so I know yea or nay - it costs me precious time away from the shop to run the business side of things (typically 30-50% of the time in a small business) so it is nice to know my efforts have at least not been a waste of time........it is typical for a small business to have at least 1/3 or their time "wasted" by looky lous - folks who will never buy, but just want to "know"......
FWIW - after getting seriously injured in 1982 I spent most of the next 15 years sitting on my butt as a small business admin/computer geek, so have some insights other may not have.......

Bottom line suggestion - if you do not hear back in a timely fashion, follow up with a phone call when possible - most crafts people are not obnoxious sales types - and yes I know many do not offer a phone number - a major no no for a business of any size - get a machine so whenever you are unable to answer you at least get a message - and for customers please realize you are not the only one and we can not be at your beck and call 24/7 and that there are others who are just as important as you are - so if you get the machine please leave a message, or send a snail mail and include your phone number - it may take longer but it is 98% effective........

 

[jmforge]

Chuck, you have taken full advantage of prettymuch all of the modern promotional technologies what with the forums, web, DVD's etc. This discussion and my other thread about retail stores has got me to thinking that the uscraftsmen had better get on the stick with this technology stuff of we won't have anyplace left to ply our trade. If the trend is for folks to buy and sell on the web because the retail locations are dying out or not carrying what we want, then we had better be ready to services those folks if we want to stick around for very long.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I spose, BUT, when PA passed new hunting regulations to permit flintlock pistols over 50 cal for deer after Christmas, I e-mailed Lyman and suggested that they may want to offer the plains pistol in flint. Never so much as a form e-mail in response.

When I had a problem with some reloading components that were .002 over size, I wrote to the manufacturer and very nicely indicated that the bullets were not as indicated on the package. No response.

Heck if I call a dozen masonry contractors and leave messages asking to set up appointments for estimates, I am lucky if three actually call back.

 

[LaBonte]

Joe for me (an many other small businessman) the cost of a "brick and mortar" outlet is cost prohibitive in many ways and even traveling to shows/events, which was essential at one time, has become costly so yes the Web has been a god send, especially for unrepentant misanthropes like me :hmm: .......
100% of my business is now done via the web/phone and my overhead is a much smaller percentage than it was when traveling - I do at times miss some of the camaraderie, but then again I get to spend more time in the shop doing what I like to do best and get paid for it :thumbsup: ...............

 

[MikeC]

Remember, they are trying to make a living in these hard times, while providing a service to us :thumbsup:

Well, if the first impression of their "service" is to not return your communication, then they aren't trying very hard to make that living. If someone doesn't return my email or call, I go elsewhere.

If they have a dislike of email, they won't do well in the electronic age. If they think they can use a web site as "advertising", then not follow up on inquiries, they're really naive.

I tend to agree. It is simple enough in the websites "contact" information to leave out an email addy and simply put in a note to call with inquires and only have a phone number. If a website has an email address in the "contact" page I expect a reply within one or two business days.

 

[FishDFly]

I believe that Zonie, mykeal and PaulV summed things up about as well as can be done.

If you look at most M/L vendors/shopowners, they are over 50 and the last thing they really want to do is practice their typing skills, if they have learned them.

T/C will not respond to e-mail and they state so.

Imagine some small shop owner and he gets 100 e-mails a day asking some question and a lot of times he is not going to get a sale from the question.

RDE

 

[MikeC]

T/C will not respond to e-mail and they state so.

Imagine some small shop owner and he gets 100 e-mails a day asking some question and a lot of times he is not going to get a sale from the question.

RDE

What T/C does by stating that I can respect. To the second...Precisely why they should leave out an email addy and only have a telephone number with hours to call. I have seen sites where the owner stated times a call will be answered. That I can respect also.

 

[brpc]

50 Cal.
Posts: 1458

Age: 62
Loc: National City, MI
Registered on 01/10/07

07/02/09 12:34 PM - Post#734053
In response to Carl Davis

You make your decision your way and allow the rest of us to make our decision our way. And maybe you'd care to acknowledge that there is a place for the 'other side' without looking down your nose.

Mykeal: Well said. Jim

 

[MSW]

i agree with Paul- there's always the phone. really, i dislike the e- mail dance almost as much as i do these silly little algorithms "... if you want this, press two, but if you want that, press three, but if you want a straight answer to your question, take a flying leap..."

call 'em and ask 'em, then you'll know.

 

If you receive a phone message, you need to reply to it.

If you receive an email, you need to reply to it.

That's common courtesy (and good business), no matter how many excuses you guys try to make for poor service.