RE: I've had it!

Paul Hierstein · Post by **Paul Hierstein** » Aug 7th, '02, 10:09

Yesterday I called my favorite marine store to place an order of about $1200. After listening to what seemed about 15 minutes of recording, I was finally presented the option of speaking to a salesman. So I punched the appropriate button and immediately got another recording which stated that there was no one to help me. It then asked me to leave my phone number so they could call me back. MR. RETAILER: Wake up! I'm doing YOU a favor by buying your merchandise! I'm not here for YOUR convenience! If you think I am, then I'm going to take my business elsewhere, where I DO get good service!
As a result, I hung up on the first vendor and dialed another. This time I get a salesman. As I'm placing my order, I have quite a few questions also. So I ask him about anchor rode and he hasn't a clue to what rode is. I find out he has been working there for three years and is of course there, "...to help me". Once again, I hang up and call Big Marine Vendor number three.
My first question is whether they offer free shipping on large orders. The response is, "I don't know. (long, long pause here) I'd have to ask the manager" ( another extremely long pause (and he's still on the line)). I hang up and call Big Marine Vendor number four.
This time a real person answers the phone phone in a pleasant and professional voice. Guess what. It's the actual store manager and he is most eager to help me with my purchases and questions. Everything is great! Super service!
To the retailers: I will not tolerate poor or non-service from you! I do not owe you anything! I'm doing YOU a favor by patronizing you! And until you realize these facts and start providing good service, I will not patrionize your business.
To the consumers: I encourage you to refuse to patronize retailers who conduct their businesses as mentioned. Thirty years ago you wouldn't be treated like this and there is no reason to accept such treatment today. If you've got the bucks, then you've got the power!

Paul H.
Abre Alas
CD30C
Galveston, Texas

paulhstn@aol.com

charlie palumbo · Post by **charlie palumbo** » Aug 7th, '02, 10:48

Paul,
Good for you! it is about time these marine retailers get a wake up
call.In a tough economy, where money is tight, you would think they would go the extra mile to retain a good customer base. My advice to all reading this board. Avoid these retailers that don't want to take the time to help the consumer. Also be patient. The sailing season is flying by. I would bet many marine retailers are going to find they had an off year in sales, and most likely, if you can wait, you will see lower prices on many items.
Great post.......Charlie cd36 N.Y.

jcp1347j@aol.com

Duncan Maio · Post by **Duncan Maio** » Aug 7th, '02, 14:55

Paul:

Who was the fourth (and helpful) vendor? No need to flame the others, but let us know who gave you good service.

Duncan Maio
s/v Remedy
CD27 #37
Bristol, RI

mail@mysticmarine.net

Richard Hill · Post by **Richard Hill** » Aug 7th, '02, 15:04

As a result, I hung up on the first vendor and dialed another. This time I get a salesman. As I'm placing my order, I have quite a few questions also. So I ask him about anchor rode and he hasn't a clue to what rode is. I find out he has been working there for three years and is of course there, "...to help me". Once again, I hang up and call Big Marine Vendor number three.

That's great, but numbers 1-3 probably aren't getting the message. Email them a copy of this post so that their managers and customer service folks are aware of the lost business. I completely agree with your post - seems most of the time when I go in a major marine retail store the people working there are simply cashiers, not marine specialists.

captrahill@comcast.net

Gary L. · Post by **Gary L.** » Aug 7th, '02, 15:18

Paul,

I imagine that most, if not all of us have experienced what you went through. That is why I diligently read this board, see what works and what doesn't, then go on-line to purchase the items. I believe that the larger marine equipment stores use the on-line method, because it works 24hrs/ 7 days per week/ 365 days per year, takes credit cards, and does not require personnel to man it. Business is losing the human touch.

Stick with the store that provides that.

Fair winds, calm seas.

Gary Lapine
Red Witch III
CD30C, #339
Somerset, MA

dory@attbi.com

Gill · Post by **Gill** » Aug 7th, '02, 17:54

This is not really surprising and it s a general attitude of most retailers. Somewhere along the line customer service became nothing more than a buzz word for managers lip service meetings. As stated by Duncan .....please give us the name of the store that knows the difference.

Gill
Fernandina Beach Fl

publishing@skipnstones.com

Paul Hierstein · Post by **Paul Hierstein** » Aug 7th, '02, 18:54

Dear Friends,
Thanks for the encouragement and allowing me to vent on this issue. I finally called BoatUS in Houston and talked to the manager whose name was Craig. Again he was very helpful, courteous and knowlegable. One tiny nit pick though. They didn't have a toll free number.
Hey retailers, a toll free number doesn't cost, it pays in increased business! Get wise and stop penny pinching.
As to answering machines. If you're doing that much business, then you need a live person answering the phone even more. Have you ever thought of how much business you are losing from customers who just hang up??? I'm sure that if you're one of The Big Marine Stores you'll generate more than enough new business to pay for the additional staff.
And in the meantime, don't expect me to sit and listen to a long winded "greeting" that has to tell me all about your latest specials, hours of operation, how great your company is along with 17 options I may punch before I can ask a real person a simple question.
And once again, Mr. Retailer, I will not give you my phone number so that you can call me back at YOUR convenience. And I strongly encourage all readers on this site to do the same. Perhaps if enough people started complaining about this nonsense, it would stop. And the next time I post maybe I will name the guilty parties. Let the boycott begin!

Paul H.

paulhstn@aol.com

Shelby · Post by **Shelby** » Aug 7th, '02, 21:21

Like others on this board, I am curious as to the "three big marine stores that gave such bad service"

ssboat@juno.com

SRM · Post by **SRM** » Aug 7th, '02, 22:08

Bravo!

Good for you. As a store manager of one of the many West Marine stores in the US, I applaud your standards for customer service. The only way this or any industry can improve is for the "boss" to hold us all to higher standards. (the "boss" is of course the consumer)

Don't let up - keep being tough on all of us.
Sean
PS - Assuming that those other store managers might care, the feedback I receive from customers, including upset ones, DOES make a difference in how I manage and train my staff.

LES · Post by **LES** » Aug 7th, '02, 23:33

As a career naval officer of over 21 year with combat experience afloat, followed eight years in marine licensing and another 15 years in high paced high speed marine simulators I recently retired at the age of 62. How many of you have as much marine experience as I do????
This last spring I was asked to go to work with as a P/T associate at the local store of the #1 Marine retailer. AND LET ME TELL YOU I DON'T ALL. SURE THERE THERE ARE BAD EGGS IN ANY AREA (SOME OF THEM SHOW UP ON THIS BOARD REGULALLY). But every day I work I watch hard working young people, who some times have no afloat experience do their very best to help and assist courteously, mainers ranging from 13 to 85 years on age. Customers,who may in fact know more about an item than the associate that being of service to them. But don't rub in the face of some one who make about $8.00 an hour, trying to make ends meet and may be a single parent.

Staffing is another thing, people have to stock shelves, run cash regristers, cut line or hose; clean windows, floors and toliets, rebox the half dozen GPS receivers, that a customer want to "inspect" and then walked away with not even a thank you and purchased not a things during his lunch hour romimg, and oh! answer the telephone with a customer unprepare to talk about what they want" YOU KNOW,I WANT ONE OF THOSE DOUBLE ENDED RED AND BROWN FLAT THINGS THAT MY BUDDY LAST WEEK SAID YOU HAD ON SALE. CATALOG PAGE? WHICH FLYER ??, WELL YOU SHOULD KNOW." This company has a well designed catalog, a good electronic restocking and special ordering systems, and above a all good on going associate training program.

Whether you know it or not you have a rude and condesending attitude towards a group of hard working young people, yes men and WOMEN, who want to assist you. I bet you treat a grocery bagger better and more politely than an associate at one of the"unnamed stores".

GET OFF YOUR WIDE FANTAILS AND COME FOLLOW ONE OF US AROUND FOR 8 HOURS AND LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT CUSTOMER RELATIONS

BEEN THERE / DONE THAT

YOU ALL REALLY TURNED MY STOMACH mr. hierstein WITH THIS ONE TONIGHT!!!!

jlbloom@earthlink.net

M. R. Bober · Post by **M. R. Bober** » Aug 8th, '02, 07:08

If you accept the fact that all boat owners are somewhat crazy--I do--then realize that satisfying us is no easy proposition. I have had both good (excellent) service and support & terrible service and support in the same store (at different times). I suspect that we all have had similiar episodes.

That being said and keeping in mind some of the earlier threads regarding civility on this board, I am surprised at your ad hominem attack on a fellow message poster. We're all shipmates on this webpage.

Mitchell Bober
RESPITE
CD330
Annapolis, MD

Paul Hierstein · Post by **Paul Hierstein** » Aug 8th, '02, 08:57

Les,
I won't tell you about all MY military experience, education, accomplishments, travels, etc. because they are irrelevant to the issue. Instead I'll tell you about my experience as a retail clerk/ salesman.
Among many other things, I was expected to be neat and clean at all times. I had to be at work every day and on time. I had to do most all the things you do. And most importantly, I had to treat each customer with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. It was well understood that if I failed, even once, in any of the requirements, my FANTAIL would be scuttlebutted. No excuses, no exceptions. No whining about all the crap the customer might give you. No whining about the poor pay. No whining when I had to clean the toilets or mop up puke.
I chose to work there for what I was paid and it was understood that I would always give 100% to my customers and employer. I had the option of quitting at any time and my employer had the option of firing me at any time.
Now just what is it that is so unfair about the deal???

paulhstn@aol.com

georgia · Post by **georgia** » Aug 8th, '02, 13:13

Wow! from my landlocked venue, I'm impressed that you have FOUR marine suppliers.

Serge Zimberoff · Post by **Serge Zimberoff** » Aug 8th, '02, 17:01

Les,
You might be more clairvoyant than I am, but it looks to me as if absolutely no one flamed any store by name. It seems as if all posts here were highly responsible notes.
Just my 2 cents.
Serge
Ty 1700, 'Cloning Around'

serge@srtrop.com

fred p. · Post by **fred p.** » Aug 8th, '02, 19:24

great! you've worked retail too! fantastic. I've worked retail too, and yes, it is always low paying, often degrading, and generally unrewarding. Follow you around for 8 hours? Bah! I was already there! - and not as a retiree, with a pension, but as someone trying to make ends meet. Well, I don't work retail anymore. But I do still shop. And many of the problems the original poster mentioned, like the voice-mail "punch number seven to hear about our latest promotion on used loran recievers" runaround have nothing to do with the hourly workers. The criticism is of the business tactics adopted by much of corporate america - and not just in marine sales. "Customer service" is to my generation what "military intelligence" was to a previous one. I'm sick and tired of poor service too!

The only way to catch corporate america's ear on this is give our business to those companies that really do serve the customers. Money talks,hey, sooner or later, the bigwigs will listen.

And as far as those poor overworked, underpaid front-line retail workers are concerned, its not to much to expect that they know the rudiments of the (expensive) gear they sell. I don't expect some $8/hr worker to explain the fine points between $1000 chartplotters, but I would expect them to know what an anchor rode is. Or if they offer free shipping. Sure, they may not necessarily have a lot of experience afloat - when I worked at a hardware store, I hadn't a lot of experience building houses - but I knew what a hammer was. Only a foolish skipper expects to get perfect, unbiased, accurate advice from a marine store salesman. And I don't expect them to know everything - I've never had a problem w/ a salesman who doesn't know some detail I'm interested in, so long as he/she is friendly, smiles, and gets the information in a timely fashion, or at least admits the gap in his/her knowledge.

And yes, there are customers that are jerks. But guess what! Nobody holds a gun to your head and says "work here!" If you don't like waiting on jerks, get out of retail. That's what I did!

And as someone who's been on both sides of the counter (AND phone) I can honestly say that the idea that many large companies have of their customers is just asinine. They treat us as sheep there for the fleecing, and with all their cost cutting and penny pinching, seem to forget that it is our dollars that give them the pennies to pinch. We need to stand together and deny the offenders our business until they catch on.

ps, next time you post, you might want to proof-read. you got some messed up sentences. And, if I'm not mistaken, a split infinitive.

regards, fred P.

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