Date:         Sat, 23 Aug 2003 22:41:19 -0600
Reply-To:     Bret Berger <bret@STONEFLYTECH.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bret Berger <bret@STONEFLYTECH.COM>
Subject:      Re: Thin skinned list vendors and market transparency
In-Reply-To:  <20030824041421.702771B981@sodor.stoneflytech.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> In my opinion BusDepot has a lot of work to do before they approach the
> level of service I get from the big on-line vendors I deal with.

[David replies]

Definately.  He'll have to at least double his shipping time, stop
answering the phone, and start backordering stuff without telling me
before he can match the service I've gotten from big online vendors. ;)

[Karl also writes]

You forgot the parts about not having any knowledge of the item or being
able/willing to go out on a limb to answer any technical questions like
"does this widget fit my van, which has a modified doodad?"  I know from
experience that Ron will.

Oh, yeah.  Ron will have to get a whole lot ruder and less personable.

--------------

Touché!  Kudos to the list vendors for offering personalized service.  When
I wrote the comment above I was referring to my experiences with Amazon,
buy.com, et al:  point and click and a well packed box magically shows up at
my office two days later.  Bought close to $30k last year in computer and
networking gear with only a handful of problems.  I normally don't need hand
holding, I just want to deal with a well-oiled operation that gets the job
done right.  I hope the list vendors will view criticism on the list as an
opportunity to improve, not as a personal insult.