Customer Service- a lost art

[scottycards]

Three seperate customer service fiascos this weekend:

1. Went to the junkyard that has posted hours of 8-12 on Saturday. I got there at 9AM. No one there, two cars in the lot that had been waiting an hour. I left, and returned 90 mins later, the place is still not open. Guess they decided to take the day off and not let any of their customers know.

2. I am about done with 4 Wheel Parts. Went on Sat to the I-70 and Peoria location. I'm standing in front of the counter, but the 10 people behind the counter are too busy talking amongst themselves to help me. Once I finally get the attention of the girlfriend of one of the employees (don't know why she was behind the counter, other than to gab), she got someone to help me. The dude acted as if he was doing me a favor.

I asked about the Nth degree oil pan skid plate. First he couldn't find it in the 4WP catalog (he asked another employee if they had an Nth Degree catalog, so I told him "it's in your 4WP catalog), and said that they "might not stock it". He didn't know. He would not ask to find out. Said it would be an extra $10 to have it shipped in.

Totally rude, and complete lack of both knowledge and willingness to find out information for a customer.

3. Checker and Vato Zone- I went to get a diff gasket for my front D30. Checker guy looks it up and says "sorry, we don't stock that and you'll have to get it from the dealer- it's a dealer only part". He's such a numb-nut that I go across the street to Vato Zone.

Girl who is the MANAGER of Auto Zone looks up 99 Wrangler for front diff gasket. No listing- she says I have to go to the dealer. I say "they've been making that diff for about 40 years, and I know Fel-Pro makes a gasket for it. Do you have the Fel-Pro catalog?"

I have to show her how to look it up, we find it, and it's in stock. SHOCKER.:eek:

She then says "I hate using those old catalogs". Geez, when I worked at Checker Auto back in High School, I used to love to figure out how to get the part for a person. We ONLY used the "old catalogs". They worked a lot better than the computers, apparently.

What ever happened to people actually knowing about the products they sell, and having an interest in helping the customer out?:idea: :idea:

[ColoradoXJ]

you don't need ANY qualifications to have a job anymore. no product knowledge, no customer relations skills, no right to work in this country... it's sad. that sucks that you got jerked around so much. maybe budman has an answer... :D

[Steve]

If they'd have sold you something they wouldn't have been able to count out the change either. :rolleyes:

[springsman]

It's like they are modeling the governemt organizations...by putting the dumbest employees at the "information" desk.....

[FirecrackerKTM]

If those people knew enough to be decent counter people, they would be making way more money at a dealer. Checker et al only pay barely above minimum wage. I worked there in college. it was hell. I used the old catalogs, especially for bearings, bushings and seals, and half the time it was hell getting the right info out of the customer! "is it 2 or 4 wheel drive?" "What the hell difference does that make? Can't you get a man to work behind the parts counter?"
ugh.

That said, the guy at advance auto on wads was pretty helpful yesterday. of course we only were getting a gas cap, which they don't keep on their sales floor. so i guess we didn't confuse him too much. :D

[Barf Bag]

If they'd have sold you something they wouldn't have been able to count out the change either. :rolleyes:

sure they could... uno, dos, tres.....

[Gunter]

4wp wont hire me--i would NEVER let people stand around,i always say stuff like how are you doing?etc to let them know i am aware they are here and i will get them what they need.
vato zone--same deal.
checker,well i'd NEVER try there.
I think I'd KICK ASS at 4wp.
my worst day i am more attentive than most of their monkeys!i have seen the ugly there,i know what you mean too.

[BlazerZR2]

If those people knew enough to be decent counter people, they would be making way more money at a dealer.

Eh...... I wouldn't say way more. Plus you still have to deal with stupid people, ie. mechanics that think they are god, bosses, etc.

[FirecrackerKTM]

Eh...... I wouldn't say way more. Plus you still have to deal with stupid people, ie. mechanics that think they are god, bosses, etc.

well, significantly more.

as for the rest, well, that's universal ... better than some nitwit telling me i'm stupid because i'm a woman while he's telling another customer that brake fluid and ATF are interchangeable!

[JeepWheelin02]

2. I am about done with 4 Wheel Parts. Went on Sat to the I-70 and Peoria location. I'm standing in front of the counter, but the 10 people behind the counter are too busy talking amongst themselves to help me. Once I finally get the attention of the girlfriend of one of the employees (don't know why she was behind the counter, other than to gab), she got someone to help me. The dude acted as if he was doing me a favor.

I asked about the Nth degree oil pan skid plate. First he couldn't find it in the 4WP catalog (he asked another employee if they had an Nth Degree catalog, so I told him "it's in your 4WP catalog), and said that they "might not stock it". He didn't know. He would not ask to find out. Said it would be an extra $10 to have it shipped in.

Totally rude, and complete lack of both knowledge and willingness to find out information for a customer.


I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I have seen on the board complaining about 4WP. I have never had a problem with anything or anybody at 4WP. Of course this is the Colorado Springs store I am referring to and I only ever deal with two people there. And even if an item was not in stock I never had to pay extra for shipping. Rubijeepgirl's new shocks and mirror relocation brackets were shipped from the Denver store to my house with no shipping fees. Sounds like maybe yall need to deal with different people.........

[ColoradoXJ]

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I have seen on the board complaining about 4WP. I have never had a problem with anything or anybody at 4WP. Of course this is the Colorado Springs store I am referring to and I only ever deal with two people there. And even if an item was not in stock I never had to pay extra for shipping. Rubijeepgirl's new shocks and mirror relocation brackets were shipped from the Denver store to my house with no shipping fees. Sounds like maybe yall need to deal with different people.........

i think that there is a large group of people at 4wp that are :rolleyes: , but just like you said, you gotta find someone to deal with that knows what you need and can get it, and actually respects you as a customer. i've been buying more stuff from milehigh jeep rebuilders recently...

[scottycards]

Customer service and counter sales is not a bad gig, and it ain't rocket science-
Greet the customer with a smile- "Hi, how are you today? Can I help you find something? The Nth Degree skid plate? Well, we don't have one in stock, but let me check the other store. They don't have one, let me check with my boss real quick to see if that's a part we stock. We don't stock it- tell you what, if you'd like to pay today, I'll get it on order, and save you the shipping (BOOM- $160 sale!). Better yet, for only $10, I can have it shipped straight to your house.

I'd have bought it on the spot.

Then you go for another sale- "I see you've been looking at our catalog. It's great, isn't it? Any other items on your wish list, Mr. Customer? Oh, you're looking at a SYE? Well, we've got that in stock- may as well get it now......

This is EASY stuff that any store manager can teach their employees to do.
Smile.
Act interested.
Know your product. If you don't know the answer, ask the manager for help.
Ask for the add on or additional sale.
Thank the customer for buying.

I could have been persuaded to buy an SYE and driveshaft, and probably more if the guy had even one hemisphere of his brain firing...............

[Jason]

I ONLY hit up checker or advanced if I KNOW it's on their shelves. If I need something behind the counter I usually hit up NAPA or Carquest first to figure out what I need exactly and get part #'s. then if they are to expensive I figure out exact part #'s and go to Advanced.

[Budman]

I ONLY hit up checker or advanced if I KNOW it's on their shelves. If I need something behind the counter I usually hit up NAPA or Carquest first to figure out what I need exactly and get part #'s. then if they are to expensive I figure out exact part #'s and go to Advanced.

I use the advanced in Fountain all the time. Phil is the MGR in there and all his people are good. I walked in the other day with a pulley that I had no idea what it came off of. I had a new one that worked like a champ in less than 5 minutes.

[ThePagan]

Customer service is not to be found much of anywhere these days. It's about how fast and how quick... which unfortunatly also comes from the customers.

[SUPERGILDO43]

4WP in springs has been teh suck for me as well. It some sort of ego trip those guys are on, then again theres a lot of 4wd shops like that...

[Swat]

The Dana 30 is the problem, no respect!..................................................................smile, kidding!

[Rando]

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I have seen on the board complaining about 4WP. I have never had a problem with anything or anybody at 4WP. Of course this is the Colorado Springs store I am referring to and I only ever deal with two people there. And even if an item was not in stock I never had to pay extra for shipping. Rubijeepgirl's new shocks and mirror relocation brackets were shipped from the Denver store to my house with no shipping fees. Sounds like maybe yall need to deal with different people.........

here's a little story about the springs 4WP, it happened a couple years ago so the same people probably aren't even there anymore. but i pulled up and parked, headed toward the door. i was about ten feet away when i saw an employee that was standing near the counter look at me then literally run toward the door and lock it all the time looking right at me. then turns walks away and never looks back :laughing:

i looked at my clock when i got back in my truck and it was like ten till closing :rolleyes:

the only reason i remembered this was because yesterday i went by the NAPA on 8th st to pick up seals for my 205. right when i pulled up the guy was literally turning off the neon open sign. i had the door about half open and was closing it to leave when he waved at me through the window to wait and then told me to come on in. it was five AFTER 3:00 pm closing on a Sunday.

didn't mean for this to be an anti 4WP rant but it just contrasted so nicely with my experience at NAPA yesterday :D

[scottycards]

I wasn't going to add this in, but I went over to the store on Federal, and got there at 5:05. They literally locked the door as I got out of my car to walk in.

It was past 5, so I didn't hold anything against them. I was late.

[JeepWheelin02]

4WP here in the Springs has let me in early and late before to get stuff. But only when my contact is there.

[JeepWheelin02]

Everyone has there own experiences with everything. But it seems to me that you can help a little with how your experience goes sometimes. A little effort on your part can sometimes help things to go a lot smoother for future endeavors with a business, or the people that work for that business.

[The Man With The Plan]

As a 4wp employee (flame suit on!), if you call ahead and tell us you'll be a few minutes late, we'll usually hang around if we can, but sometimes we need to get going (we do have lives outside of work). Saturday was rough because it was a sale day, so we were very busy. But, generally, we do what we can to accomodate you. I get paid by commission, so it is in my best interest to let you in! ;) Today we were still working until about 6:30 because so many people got there right at closing time.

As for the Peoria store, well, I'm not going to defend them, or attack them. They are my biggest competitor, my store's biggest liability (at times), but also co-workers. [Forrest Gump voice]and that's all I've got to say about that [/Forest Gump voice].

Sometimes it is very helpful to have the part number handy. If you get it out of the 4wd Hardware book, the 4wp catalog, or the vendor, just give your salesman the part number. It'll save your time. There are so many items available to us now, it is impossible to know everything we carry. Especially since the merger with 4wd Hardware...who also owns Performance Products. 4WDH, and PP's catalogs/internet are filled with literally thousands of parts we could never get before. I get people asking me all the time for stuff I didn't know we carry. As much as I would like to be a walking encyclopedia of part numbers, it's just impossible. It's ok to not know we carry a certain part. It's NOT ok to waste a customer's time b/c the salesman is too lazy to put in the effort. Just because it's not a big-ticket full-sized, late model truck getting a lift kit w/ dubs doesn't mean you don't get good service.

I'll be straight with you, as a Jeep owner myself (1-tons, 42's, detroits, etc), often times the hard-core off-road crowd is the toughest to please. The reality of it is, our bread and butter are the the full-sized trucks with dubs. If all we sold were parts for real off-road rigs, we wouldn't make any money. Look at all the small 4x4 and fab shops that can't stay afloat. It's an unfortunate reality. But, when I get the chance to help out a true off-roader, I do my best to make sure they are happy, and they keep coming back.

I apologize to everyone who has received poor service at one of our stores. Not to defend the people responsible, but to defend those of us who really do care. Got a gripe? Speak up! I might be able to help. Otherwise, vote for your favorite parts supplier with your dollar.

Keep in mind, retail can be a very hostile environment, and you never know if the person on the other side of the counter just had to deal with a major PITA customer who can never be satisfied no matter what you do. We are only human. Also keep in mind that 4wp does not pay very well for the stress level that must be endured. Those who have been coming to the stores throughout the years have probably noticed the high rate of turn-over we see. Again, an unfortunate reality. In order to keep prices low, costs have to stay low. Generally speaking, it is possible to attain reasonable performance from younger, less informed employees. An experienced, well-qualified employee will realize the stress level and pay is not worth the effort, and move on. In the past 3 years since I've been working there, I've seen some great people have to leave the job because they simply could not earn a decent living there. Excellent salesmen, great knowledge, but not enough income. It's the price you have to pay to work in the industry. Had I stayed in engineering, or the type of sales I used to do, I'd be making more than double what I make now. The stress level would be comparable, and I'd have weekends off. Why do I stay? Some days I'm not sure.

File this in the "FWIW" column. I've become one of the most easy-going, and understanding customers when I enter a retail environment. Until you've had all manner of human beings crap in your cheerios, it can be hard to understand what goes into being on the other side of the counter.

As for being charged freight for parts (this is a really big peave of mine), you'd be amazed at what our UPS bill is for one month of operation. I try to be more than fair with shipping charges. Usually, I'll cover more than half of what it will cost us to get parts in, relying on the profit to cover the rest. I just recently ordered some bead-lock rings for my HMMWV wheels from an internet site. The shipping charges were almost 35% of my total!! Did I get charged for it? YOU BET I DID! Did I complain? Heck no! The part I wanted wasn't made locally, so it had to be shipped, therefore, I paid shipping. My general policy on ordering parts for my customers is, if it is in the state, no shipping. If it is in my main dist. center, no freight, unless they want it shipped to their house. If it is a small item that costs less than $15 to ship, no freight. But, if you want a set of 37" Nitto Mud Grapplers, and I only have them in stock in my Florida warehouse, you better be prepared for paying the freight. I just recently lost a sale on those tires b/c the cust. was pi$$ed that I had to charge freight on them. He looked at me stunned as I was telling him it would cost about $100 to get them shipped here. Sometimes I wonder if people think a magic fairy is just going to fly over the store and $#!+ out a set of tires for their rig. A) we don't make squat on tires. B) tires are heavy. C) the total ticket was in excess of $1500, even w/o the freight...he was paying less than 10% in shipping charges. D) THEY ARE COMING FROM HALF WAY ACROSS THE F'N COUNTRY, WHICH WILL PROBABLY COST ME $175!

Ok, rant off.

Anywho, be kind, and understanding, and you'll find you get treated likewise.

[JeepWheelin02]

I like the post but I doubt it will do any good. That was one of the reasons that I only deal with certain people at the 4WP down here, cause I knew the sales reps were on commission and one of them helped me so I always made sure he got my commission. Well that guy is not a sales rep anymore, got promoted, he is still the only one I deal with.

[starbreaker666]

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people I have seen on the board complaining about 4WP. I have never had a problem with anything or anybody at 4WP. Of course this is the Colorado Springs store I am referring to and I only ever deal with two people there. And even if an item was not in stock I never had to pay extra for shipping. Rubijeepgirl's new shocks and mirror relocation brackets were shipped from the Denver store to my house with no shipping fees. Sounds like maybe yall need to deal with different people.........


I had issues at that Springs store.. Have never been to another 4wp since.

[Yucca-Man]

Checker et al only pay barely above minimum wage. I worked there in college. it was hell. I used the old catalogs, especially for bearings, bushings and seals, and half the time it was hell getting the right info out of the customer! "is it 2 or 4 wheel drive?" "What the hell difference does that make? Can't you get a man to work behind the parts counter?"I worked at the Camp Pendleton Auto Hobby Shop for awhile before I got off active duty. We were the parts store attached to the maintenance bays, so weekends were always hopping as Jarheads from all over the base came in to do their brakes, change oil, etc.

I loved pulling obsolescent info out of the big ol' paper catalogs...but you had to have a customer with at least half a clue. I also had plenty of folks come in who couldn't tell me the first thing about their vehicle (including year, make or model) - yet they were planning to do brakes!?!? Usually those folks got their parts, but we'd also warn the guys in the other half to keep an eye on them. Often, they would end up having to do hte repair for the vehicle owners after they were dorked up beyond drivability.

[rch]

I've discoverd that you just need to know who to talk to when you go to places. I've bought two large items most recent thing being tires from Jon(the man with the plan). He makes sure I have what I need and will probably do buisness with him again the next time I need something.

[Warrlord]

The Springs 4WP has been good to me when I've dealt with Scotty.............so he's the only one I'll deal with anymore. A couple of the other guys behind the counter have acted as if I was bothering them by going in & wanting to spend my money there.

Scotty's always pleasant whether I'm buying a $10.00 part or $1100.00 worth of tires. I've gone in the store a couple times when he was off so I came back the next day when he was working. Too bad ALL the guys behind the counter don't have the SERVICE aspect that he does.

[Big Dave]

Jon, spoken like a true retail salesperson!!!

My store closes at 7pm during the week, we lock the doors at 7pm. If someone pulls up at 7:01 it's entirely a judgment call at that point. If I have somewhere I need to be, they're not getting in, the store is closed. If I have nothing to do and am in a good mood, they're getting in and I'll take care of them. We have had people keep us HOURS after closing and walk out without buying anything. They knew full well that we were closed but apparently felt that us retails peons must not have a life outside of our job. Like Jon said, if you call ahead and let us know you're running late, and we're able to stick around, we're going to stick around.

Closing up before closing time is BS most of the time, but in some instances is okay. Most of our stores only have one person in them at any given time. Let's say I have a family emergency, my job can suck it I'm closing the store, BUT I'm putting a note in the window explaining why we're closed, when we're going to re-open, and the locations of my other stores.

[Leon Phelps]

TheManWithThe Plan is right on the money. I no longer work in parts because of exacally what he said. Was literally told by my manager that he cant pay me what I asked, and if I told you the dollar amount I asked for, many of you would shit yourselfs because of how low it was.... I'd rather beat the shit out my body as a line tech then ever sling parts again....

Unfortunatly the automotive industry (particularly parts) is filled with lies, illusions of grandeur to keep the FNG's in, and a lot of pissed off veteran countermen/wimmen wandering around because of false promises, lie after lie being told, and terrible, entrenched management.... Slinging parts is the LAST profession I'd suggest to anyone, terribly shitty pay, long hours, and constantly being shit on by your peers and customers.

There is a reason it's becoming harder to get good customer service, its called the consumer dosent want to pay for it.

[scottycards]

It's SALES. Sales is getting crapped on by customers every day. People will expect you to know everything, have the lowest price, and endure them being a jerk to you. All this with a smile and a thank you.

I've only been doing sales for 20 years, so there is still a lot for me to learn, but anyone who says retail sales is any worse than corporate sales just hasn't been there and done that. We travel on weekends, stay in crappy cities (try downtown Pittsburgh in the winter) with lousy hotels, eat our meals alone, work 15 hour per day trade shows- then take the customer we can't stand to dinner, and have customers who go back and forth between vendors to save one cent.

I had a customer yesterday who said he was going to cancel a truckload of steel (about $25,000) so that he could save .02 per foot with another vendor. Did I piss and moan? No, I found a way to keep the sale, and keep the customer happy. I think the guy is a slimeball, because he ordered this truckload 2 months ago and I guaranteed him a price. You can be sure he would have complained if I called him and said the price went up since he ordered.

Successful salespeople suck it up, work hard, and ALWAYS greet the customer with a smile. They never forget RULE #1: The customer is always right. They never forget RULE #2: If the customer is wrong, see RULE #1.

On the other hand, there is no one easier to sell than a salesperson. I LOVE to be sold on something. I frequently buy the "sweetest" item in a given product category (read: most expensive) because I'm a fool for worthless features and bling.

I'm sorry, but if you can't take the heat of sales, go into marketing- it's sales without quotas, customers, and pressure.

[Big Dave]

Where did we say we couldn't take the heat of sales? I love sales, but when my shift is over, it's just that, over, don't expect me to stick around for 2 hours after the store is closed.

[scottycards]

If a customer calls me at 5PM to spend money with me, I'm happy to take their cash. If they call on the weekend, I'll take their money then, as well.

Funny thing- they see me as a salesperson who will go the extra mile to help them out, and I've had a pretty decent track record as a result.

See Rule #1.

[Big Dave]

If a customer calls me at 5PM to spend money with me, I'm happy to take their cash. If they call on the weekend, I'll take their money then, as well.

Funny thing- they see me as a salesperson who will go the extra mile to help them out, and I've had a pretty decent track record as a result.

See Rule #1.

That's the difference between outside sales and retail sales. In outside sales you are expected, and compensated accordingly, to do the things that you have mentioned. I'm not, so I don't always do them. In some instances I will, but not all the time.

[Steve]

As for being charged freight for parts (this is a really big peave of mine), you'd be amazed at what our UPS bill is for one month of operation.

I can imagine, but why do the typical parts and tire stores (NAPA, Autozone, Checker, Discount Tire, Big O, et al) not charge shipping for something they don't have in stock? In my experience dealers don't typically charge shipping for stuff they don't have in stock either. Why is 4WP different in this regard?

It's too bad that 4WP management can't seem to understand that there's a lot of discontent with their service out there. You can justify and defend it all you want, but with service from a retail outlet, perception is reality. Good management understands that; crappy management doesn't. :shrug:

[scottycards]

This may not make sense, but the only place compensation comes before effort is in the dictionary. Staying late, going the extra mile, etc., leads to customers who write letters to the company saying what a great experience they've had, which leads to promotions, which leads to greater compensation.

If I could give a salesperson one piece of advice, it would be to always do the things that are a "pain in the ass", because other (average) salespeople won't do those things, and it's what will make you stand out and succeed where others do not.

FWIW........

[Big Dave]

During business hours, going the extra mile is not an option, it always happens. Outside of business hours, it is entirely my choice, that's all I'm saying. A customer has every right to say something good about me going the extra mile outside of business hours, but no right at all to say anything bad about me NOT going the extra mile outside of business hours.

[planefixer]

My take on the 4WP store here in the Springs is that if you dont drive a CJ or Wrangler then you just aren't worthy of their time- they seem like a bunch of arrogant jerks.I'll only go to them out of desperation/last resort.

Checker & Autozone: If they cant find it on their computers then they're completely useless.They have no working knowledge of auto parts applications.

Napa- no complaints.

[Leon Phelps]

This may not make sense, but the only place compensation comes before effort is in the dictionary. Staying late, going the extra mile, etc., leads to customers who write letters to the company saying what a great experience they've had, which leads to promotions, which leads to greater compensation.

If I could give a salesperson one piece of advice, it would be to always do the things that are a "pain in the ass", because other (average) salespeople won't do those things, and it's what will make you stand out and succeed where others do not.

FWIW........

And thats the difference between your and my situations... Going the extra mile time and time again, meant shit to management, no promotions, no good job's, no anything coming out of it, which is why I got out of the business. I didnt expect a damn thing for going above and beyond, but when I'm childed by management for going above and beyond.... Basically I was told dont expect shit for it, but keep trying.

I used to work in purchasing and sales for a large bearing manufacture, and our largest contract was The Dept of the Army.... I was compensated regularly for going above and beyond and working my ass off, staying in dumps scross the country and spending 12+ hour days doing tradeshows. The 3 weeks away from home..... The pay reflected that, and I was ok with it. But my Last gig, was a utter shit dump.

[scottycards]

I agree- I can send customer calls to voicemail after 5PM. I don't expect them to say anything negative about me. But when I do answer, I know they will say something positive, and most likely tell a friend.

It's worth it, every time, to go the extra mile when you're in sales. If they don't buy from you the first time they make you stay late, you can count on them buying from you at some point. They will "owe you one", and that feeling of obligation will be there in the back of their head.

Kill them with kindness and extra effort. At some point, they will buy from you.

[scottycards]

And thats the difference between your and my situations... Going the extra mile time and time again, meant shit to management, no promotions, no good job's, no anything coming out of it, which is why I got out of the business. I didnt expect a damn thing for going above and beyond, but when I'm childed by management for going above and beyond.... Basically I was told dont expect shit for it, but keep trying.

I used to work in purchasing and sales for a large bearing manufacture, and our largest contract was The Dept of the Army.... I was compensated regularly for going above and beyond and working my ass off, staying in dumps scross the country and spending 12+ hour days doing tradeshows. The 3 weeks away from home..... The pay reflected that, and I was ok with it. But my Last gig, was a utter shit dump.

And that's the beauty of being a skilled salesperson- companies come and go, but a good salesperson can ALWAYS find work. Glad to see you moved on.

[Xtremjeepn-Cole Ford]

Customer service is not to be found much of anywhere these days. It's about how fast and how quick... which unfortunatly also comes from the customers.


There is a great point here!!

Customer service is lacking and I too get VERY frustrated at it sometimes.

We as the customers are also to blame though. We demand so much, so fast that sometimes the poor guy behind the counter can't keep up. I'm not talking about the 1 time experience but the poor guy may have been beaten down all day long before you get there and just does not have any patience left either.

I have started to try as the customer to be extra nice to people instead of being frustrated up front and I have found the customer service turns around. Even if I have to ask the extra questions like "could it be listed in a seperate catalog for gaskets only?".

If your working on your own rig you should know more than the guy at the counter anyway in most cases.

[Big Dave]

I agree- I can send customer calls to voicemail after 5PM. I don't expect them to say anything negative about me. But when I do answer, I know they will say something positive, and most likely tell a friend.

It's worth it, every time, to go the extra mile when you're in sales. If they don't buy from you the first time they make you stay late, you can count on them buying from you at some point. They will "owe you one", and that feeling of obligation will be there in the back of their head.

Kill them with kindness and extra effort. At some point, they will buy from you.

I've heard the "we'll be back" thing entirely too many times to ever believe it again. Will I give my all when a customer is in the store? Absolutely. If they walk out the door though, they're gone as far as I'm concerned. I don't count on anyone coming back.

And for me work is something to pay the bills. When I'm at work, it's my priority, but work is NOT my life. There are way too many other important things in life to worry about work outside of business hours.

[JeepWheelin02]

The Springs 4WP has been good to me when I've dealt with Scotty.............so he's the only one I'll deal with anymore. A couple of the other guys behind the counter have acted as if I was bothering them by going in & wanting to spend my money there.

Scotty's always pleasant whether I'm buying a $10.00 part or $1100.00 worth of tires. I've gone in the store a couple times when he was off so I came back the next day when he was working. Too bad ALL the guys behind the counter don't have the SERVICE aspect that he does.

Thats the only person I deal with to. He isnt a sales rep anymore though. So no more commission for him. But great guy, and like you said, it doesnt matter if Im spending $2 or $2000. He is the only one with the service aspect in that store. Til you get to their mechanics. Patrick is a great guy in that area. Deal with him as well.

[FirecrackerKTM]

I've become one of the most easy-going, and understanding customers when I enter a retail environment. Until you've had all manner of human beings crap in your cheerios, it can be hard to understand what goes into being on the other side of the counter.

Great quote! especially THIS part ^^^.

I can imagine, but why do the typical parts and tire stores (NAPA, Autozone, Checker, Discount Tire, Big O, et al) not charge shipping for something they don't have in stock? In my experience dealers don't typically charge shipping for stuff they don't have in stock either. Why is 4WP different in this regard?

It's too bad that 4WP management can't seem to understand that there's a lot of discontent with their service out there. You can justify and defend it all you want, but with service from a retail outlet, perception is reality. Good management understands that; crappy management doesn't. :shrug:
At all the big chain auto stores like Checker, we had depot stores and warehouse centers all over the countr. So it was OUR trucks shipping from OUR warehouses. That's why we didn't have to charge for shipipng. If 4WP is paying for UPS to ship their stuff all over, that's a huge expense. I did all the shipping for a motorcycle parts manufacturer in Seattle and man, just sending out say 15-30 packages per day was RIDICULOUSLY expensive.

This may not make sense, but the only place compensation comes before effort is in the dictionary. Staying late, going the extra mile, etc., leads to customers who write letters to the company saying what a great experience they've had, which leads to promotions, which leads to greater compensation.

If I could give a salesperson one piece of advice, it would be to always do the things that are a "pain in the ass", because other (average) salespeople won't do those things, and it's what will make you stand out and succeed where others do not.

FWIW........

Well I'm no longer a salesperson ... but during my time at Checker, going the extra mile just means you get shit on. I had one boss that insisted I NEVER ask "what is there to do?" and another one who wrote me up for taking on projects like counting, cleaning, organizing and stocking on my own. With those two you just couldn't win. That was the least of the drama that went on there. Besides, we weren't commissioned or anything. The most you might get is to earn your MANAGER a trip if your store's sales were high enough. umm, no thanks.

[The Man With The Plan]

Ditto on the shipping part. I have a DC here in town. If I get it on one of my trucks for my Denver DC, no freight charge. Even from our main California DC, which we use a contract shipping company (costs us $$), I won't charge freight. If it has to come UPS, especially large items, if you want it quick, you'll have to pay. The mark-up on tires especially is not enough to cover the shipping charges. I fail to see how some people don't 'get' that.

[scottycards]

Jon- are you at the Federal Store? You seem to know your game, and I'll ask for you by name when I need something, if that's OK.

[The Man With The Plan]

Absolutely! Yes, I'm in the Federal store. We'll help you with whatever you need.

[18to80DDC]

I'm usually pretty understanding when it comes to salesmen, but the one thing that pisses me off to no end, is when I call ahead, and they say "Yah, we have that." then I drive across town, and get the deer in the headlights look. "No, we don't carry that it will be two weeks plus shipping costs". I think I'm going to start to ask for compensation for my mileage and time at my normal hourly rate.

There is one place localy that I will never deal with again because of their total lack of knowledge and plain shady business practices. I don't even know how CRP can get away with putting 4x4 in their name. They know less about putting a lift kit on a wrangler than my wife does.

For some unfortunate reason I thought it would be a good idea to buy my 3.5" superflex lift from them rather than straight from RE. I guess I was thinking it would be an advantage to deal with someone locally rather than across the internet.

Well, after 3 MONTHS my lift kit finally showed up. I drove across town to pick it up.... There's no shocks in here. The salesman I was working with was and had been apologetic about my dilema. He says "Here I'll give you these Rancho 9k's we already have here instead. Sorry about the wait."

I figure that's cool, so I head to my buddys house a few days later to use his lift, and help for the install. We get half way through the install and figure out they are the wrong shocks. So, I have to borrow my friends car and drive from severance back to greeley.

I get there and find out my salesman doesn't work there any more. When I ask if I can trade the shocks for the right size he says I'll have to pay the difference. Apearantly the ranchos are almost twice what the doeshtechs that I originaly ordered were. He didn't care that it took them 3 MONTHS to get my lift kit in, and that the last guy had given me the ranchos because of THEIR mistake in ordering. So I give up and give him the ranchos and ask for my money back on the DT's.... He says "I can't give you the money back but you can have store credit". :rant: :flipoff:

So I go to Ft. Collins 4x4 (in my friends car, while my jeep is tying up his lift) and talk to someone who actually has a clue and get the right shocks, and finally get my lift done 14 hours after I started. Unfortunately now I have to drive from Evans to Ft. Collins if I want to deal with a brick and mortar store.
/rant off

[Jake_Blues]

Absolutely! Yes, I'm in the Federal store. We'll help you with whatever you need.

I'm gonna come down there tonight to get some coil spacers, I'll test their customer service :D I'll ask them if they have a heavy duty canooter valve for off-road use!

-E

[scottycards]

I'm gonna come down there tonight to get some coil spacers, I'll test their customer service :D I'll ask them if they have a heavy duty canooter valve for off-road use!

-E

Don't forget blinker fluid while you're there. It's an item that needs regular flushing each spring.

[Jake_Blues]

Well, Jon helped me out, and got me my spacers. There was a "Monkeys at the Zoo" moment when they all tried to figure out where the parts actually WERE, but after much grunting and poo flinging, the parts were found and all went well.

And as for customer service, I think Jon's co-worker Kirk wanted to "service" me! I hear he wheels on the OTHER trail, if you know what I mean :D

-E

[The Man With The Plan]

Kirk is a riot! I love working with that guy. We have a pretty cool crew right now. Zach has a nice XJ, Dustin has a sweet MJ on full-widths, Tom is building a '78 Dodge on Rockwells. We gotta get Kirk a rig though. Anyone selling a 'Yota?

[scottycards]

A reply from 4WP-

This is cool. I'm impressed. Hey, there's not a lot a manager can do about a "less than enthuiastic" employee in any given instance, but it is good to see that they are reading their customer emails, and take the time to respond. I deleted the guy's name, because I wouldn't want my full name posted on the net for all to see.

Here is the email I just received:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott,

My name is <name deleted> and I am the assistant manager here at 4 Wheel Parts and I wanted to address the customer service issue you experienced at our store. I would first like to thank you for coming in and thinking of us for your purchase. However, it looks as though we have some work to do. March 10th was very busy for us as it was our first major sale day of the year, but this does not excuse the manner in which my salesman interacted with you. I do apologize and wanted to respond to your email to let you know that your response didn?t get brushed under the mat. If you have any further purchases for your Jeep in the future, I hope you will give us a second chance and feel free to contact me personally so I can assist you with your needs, and work you the best price I can. Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.



<name deleted for privacy>
Assistant Manager
4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers
12655 E 42nd Ave Unit 1
Denver, CO 80239
Ph 303-341-5337
Fax 303-341-6212

[Budman]

Sounds like someone at least knows the basics of CS.