odd customer..........

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

Ok, I need some opinions. this just seemed rather weird to me.

A customer (a doctor, he claimed) calls shopping for a cover and wanting some info. He asks how ours compare to a few others. He got to one particular brand, and the saleswoman here said she wasn't familiar with that brand and couldn't make a comparaison. He pushed for an answer. She, continued to be truthful and held her ground of not knowing anything about them. Finally she turned the call over to me. I had to tell him the same thing. I just haven't seen one of "theirs" in about 5 years and couldn't give him a comparaison (they also don't publish the specs of their cover, that I'm aware of). He was rather irate and asked if I thought it was the customers responsibility to gather information and make the comparison. He then asked for the name of the girl he was speaking with and said he'd be sure to mention her in sharing his experience.

WTF?

[Spatech_tuo]

Ok, I need some opinions. this just seemed rather weird to me.

WTF?

There are about 300,000,000 people in the U.S. alone not to mention Canada and any other countries where people regularly call you from. Not all of them are sane.

[anne]

I find it odd that he would want your saleswoman's name, since he ended up speaking with you, owner of the company, right? Does this "other brand" have a particular reputation in the spa world? Sounds like either a nutty person, or someone from the "other company" feeling you out.

[Dr. Spa™ Ret.]

I found the whole thing odd.... But then, being on the internet every Tom, dick and kook can find us. Having an 800 number doesn't help either  

It just got me wondering. As a business owner (yes, I'm one of 2 owners here), is it my responsibility, obligation, or even wise business practices, to know EVERY OTHER brand of cover out there? For the most part, I know most of the other major brands and can do a rather nice comparison. This one though, they list very little technical info on their site. I don't know. The whole conversation was kind of "creepy".

[geekd]

He was rather irate and asked if I thought it was the customers responsibility to gather information and make the comparison.

Yes it IS the customer's responsibility.  The customer is the one who's spending the money.  I wouldn't trust what a salesman for one brand said about another brand, anyway.  Vested interest, and all that.

Is a salesman really going to say "Oh no, that other brand is much better, you should go buy from them" ?

I research any purchase over a few hundred dollars, and pay close attention to what actual customers have to say.  Thank god for the internet.


-geekd

[Reese]

... As a business owner (yes, I'm one of 2 owners here), is it my responsibility, obligation, or even wise business practices, to know EVERY OTHER brand of cover out there?...

In the constant search for ways to improve your product and manage your market positon, it certainly makes sense to pay attention to major competitors, and to keep an eye out for any others who may have a feature, manufacturing approach or marketing idea that would help you -- but it seems you already do that.  As far as offering potential customers a comparison, that certainly is a nice convenience, but to be honest -- as a shopper, I'd only use it to identify other brands to evaluate for myself.  No matter how trustworthy you seem, if the comparison was important to my decision, I'd do it myself.

  I think the caller should have been appreciative that you and your salesperson took the time to give him an overview of the market.  To answer his last question: yes, I do think it is the customer's responsibility to gather information and evaluate it.  The only vendor that has an incentive to provide an analysis that is fair and comprehensive it the one who makes the best product, and as we know from the recurring discussions here, "Best" is a subjective determination based on an individual's needs and preferences.  8-)

[Chad]

The whole conversation was kind of "creepy".

I concur.

[Vinny]

Doc,

First of all this is the way some docs are ... arrogant. The fact that if he was a doctor and mentioned it proves it.

Second, I don't think that as a business owner that you have to know all of your competition. As a matter of fact knowing about any of your competition is pretty good. I would imagine that your business of spa covers is pretty hard to compare to begin with.

Lastly, next time you get a call from someone like that maybe you can ask if he/she would like to speak to her boss. Put them on hold for about a minute or so and then pick up the phone again ... it should piss them off!

Although I don't own a business I truely believe that there are times to tell a customer to take a hike.  If I ever own a business, I just may do that if they get to me.

[Chad]

Doc,

First of all this is the way some docs are ... arrogant. The fact that if he was a doctor and mentioned it proves it.

Ut oh Doc, you better change your username.

[Vinny]

Ut oh Doc, you better change your username.

There's a joke about doctors ... What's the difference between a doctor and God?  The doc thinks he's God and God knows he's not a doctor! I work in a hospital and some docs are really prima donnas. Then there are docs that are really great doctors and good people.

So far Dr Spa has been pretty good.

[anne]

There's a joke about doctors ... What's the difference between a doctor and God?  The doc thinks he's God and God knows he's not a doctor! I work in a hospital and some docs are really prima donnas. Then there are docs that are really great doctors and good people.

So far Dr Spa has been pretty good.

Surgeons are the worst!!!!   Talk about ego.......

[D.P. Roberts]

I get customers everyday telling me how to run my business. The problem is that I'm thousands of miles and a bazillion levels of corporate heirarchy from anyone who could possibly make a difference. People are always telling me what to sell, how much I should be charging, how many employees I should have in the store, etc. I just want to say "Yes, and your tax dollars should be well spent, and Windows Vista shouldn't have any bugs, and all your airline flights should be on time. I'll get right on those things, sir."

[Wisoki]

My take on the conversation...He (the "doctor") was in fact the owner of brand x spa cover manufacturer, and became offended at the notion that you didn't know about his product, or didn't care enough to consider them competition, thus no need to research his product, hence the indignation.

[Tman122]

Personaly Doc and if I could afford it as a company, I would buy a cover from anyone you consider compitition and check them out to make your covers better. R&D per-say. Then sell the competing covers at a discount. And use the fact that you do that as a sales tool.

[wmccall]

He was rather irate and asked if I thought it was the customers responsibility to gather information and make the comparison.

I wouldn't have been able to hold back a big.  [size=22]DUHHHH![/size]