Customer service

[Makeitstop]

So recently I was looking shopping around for an item I want, but I don't know much about the various brands and models. I found one that was just what I was looking for, and at 1/3 of the price of the nearest competitor. The reviews seemed to say it was great, but with an ample supply of (seemingly biased and snobby) nay-sayers. So I did a little more research and found that this company's products come with a free, lifetime, no questions asked guarantee, and will not only repair or replace any of their items (even if it was bought used, and it's destruction was entirely your fault) but will even return it (at their expense) with a note detailing their work, and a free accessory. At that point I was sold, and when the budget allows I'll be picking one up.


Anyway, this got me thinking about customer service. For the little things, I don't care all that much, just as long as I can get my bare essentials for the lowest price possible. So the grocery store has very little to worry about unless they go out of their way to piss me off. But for the bigger things, the ones that cost more money and may require some trust (such as anything ordered online) I find that good customer service can be the most important factor in determining whether I A) Risk buying something from them or B) Become a repeat customer.

What bugs me then, is that there seem to be many businesses out there who think that keeping the customers happy is a fairly low priority. They are happy to take your money and send you a product, but if you have a problem or need an answer, are nowhere to be found. Even some make a quality product can be a real pain to work with. And a warranty that doesn't cost extra, expire quickly, and contain countless loopholes is a rarity these days (he said as if he could remember a time when it wasn't).

We have many vendors on this site who are known for their great service and reliability. And there are non-sponsors who are great to work with (I've been singing the praises of Alphakilts for some time now). And at the same time, we here all to often about vendors who are unresponsive, sell inferior goods at inflated prices, and at times are just dishonest.

I don't know about anyone else here, but I can name a few businesses that will not be getting any orders from me after the stories I've heard. And even if I never order from Stillwater or Alphakilts again, I will continue to spread the word. Is it because they are superior to the competition in every way? Well, not having tried the equivalent products out there, I can't say one way or the other, but I do know that they care about their customers and will bend over backwards to make sure they are satisfied.

This is why I have always believed that the value of a satisfied customer far exceeds the cost of replacing a product or taking the time to respond to an email. A happy customer is often a repeat customer, and word of mouth is a powerful thing.

So I ask you, how important is customer service to you?

[brendillon]

I think I fall along the same lines as you do. I have some fairly expensive hobbies (i.e. triathlon and cycling) and when I find a company that I know is going to give me good customer service, I make a point of going there firs for whatever I need. The shop I bought my bike from last year happened to have the best price, but more importantly, I had bought products from them before and knew that if there was any problem whatsoever, they would bend over backwards to help me out. I may spend a little bit more there on the small stuff than I would at some places, but I take this as a matter of course for having a top-notch staff which provides quality customer service. Support good companies and they'll support you.
On the other end of the customer service pipeline, as a soon-to-be architect, the vast majority of business comes from repeat clients, particularly when you work in a niche like Medical Design. Getting the job done right the first time and giving the client a positive experience, both during the design/build processes but also when they actually use the building, will do far more for a firm than any amount of paid advertising ever will. When that client thinks about adding an addition or opening a new facility, the first thing they'll think of is how their current one meets their needs. If they're happy, you can bet you're going to be the first (and maybe only) firm they call.
To bring the conversation back to the more germane subject of kilts, that's why I ordered my first kilt from SWK, the reviews I read here were nothing short of phenomenal regarding quality of the products (considering, of course, price) and quality of customer service.

[The Wizard of BC]

Let my approach this from my side of the sales counter.

This is the age of information. Instant information. Forums like this, Facebook, e-mail, eBay and websites. You can order stuff from around the globe. You can also communicate with people in any country or area.


If you are a manufacturer, retailer, consumer or are just looking around and you see a negative report you will almost immediately go some where else. Gone are the days of one little kilt shop where the people there seem to know only what is on the shelf and have never heard of another item. Where if you are looking for something you have only the choices in front of you. Gone are the days where your local shop is the only source of information about what is out there, how good or bad it is and how does it compare to something else.

Want a Kilt? Well heck, there are at least 52 manufacturers and retailers mentioned on just this forum alone. Take your pick.

To those of us behind the counter, it means our customers are far better informed than they were just a couple of years ago. They know what they want. They also know about how much it should cost compared to somewhere else.

Has anyone ever noticed that all over my web site, on almost every e-mail I send, and quite often in my posts here there is the sentence -"If you have any questions remember I am only an e-mail or phone call away."

Why do you think I started to ask customers if they have Skype? Instant, free communication with video. A customer can actually watch their kilt being made.

If there is any manufacturer or retailer out there that has not caught on to the idea that everything they make, everything they sell will be reviewed, seen and talked about all over the world they better wise up right now. or soon they will be out of business.

Those same places also need to understand that an e-mail from a customer is not an inconvenient intrusion into their work day but the way communication is done today. I spend at least an hour each morning reading, going over and answering correspondence. I don't even turn on my sewing machine until that is done. It is my belief that if I do not respond to my customers communications I won't need to ever turn it on again.

Yes, it's an intrusion. Yes it is sometimes unpleasant and irritating reading all the stuff that is so simple and easy to write when you are sitting in front of a monitor in your robe with a coffee at your side. I get e-mails from people who write just because they don't have anything better to do. OK. Fine. But that is how business is done today. Deal with it.

A customer today expects instant communication from the people he spends money with. Leave it till tomorrow and you'll have a second one waiting when you come in, in the morning.

OK enough rant. Back to your regularly scheduled youtube.

[Nighthawk]

Man, you know what? I just made a post about the very same thing in the Celtic Croft forum. They have recently gone way above the call of duty to take care of me. I am most appreciative of what they did for me, and will be a customer for life.

[Lyrd]

Speaking of Stillwater...i ordered a heavy weight wool in the black shadow tartan last night. Unfortunately Jerry's site had it listed as in stock for the 40" and in fact it was not in stock. Well stuff happens as they say. This morning i not only had an email letting me know it was not in stock but he had already refunded my card. ( to bad my bank sucks a** and it wont actually hit my card again for 3 days). He also called me, although i was out mowing the lawn and missed the call.
Jerry's response was quick, he admitted the fault was theirs and he sent me a code for a full discount on shipping so when my bank puts the money back i can order another tartan. Now i could just go buy another kilt someplace else and say " their loss, they should have updated the site". Will i? Not on your life. I will wait patiently ( ohh the jones!) until the money is back and exactly one second after that happens i will be on the Stillwater site ordering another kilt. Precisely because the customer service is first rate. In the online world of buying and selling, customer service is EVERYTHING. With hundreds of vendors to choose from, doing business with a company that dosnt value my business is insane. I am frequently amazed at some of the threads here about people waiting weeks for items that should have shipped sooner, and getting no response from the company. The first time my call or email wasnt returned i would be calling my bank and charging that purchase back. It's bad enough that some companies dont seem to want to return communications regarding sales. Fine, if you dont want my business i will go else where. But if a company already has my money and ignores me..thats when i get irate. And for any kilt makers/resellers on this forum...take some notes from Jerry and the other companies that advertise and post here..you can even get away with products that are a little bit on the cheap side (not that our advertisers stuff is) as long as you have good customer service. Combine that with a GREAT product and you get a business that will receive order after order after order.

[michaelbeeman]

As a consumer, I purchase the best quality I can afford. Because I am going for quality, I expect a certain level of customer service.
As someone learning a trade, bootmaking, I will attempt to deliver the highest possible level of customer service. Steve is right. I plan on taking that to heart.

[Mr. MacDougall]

For years, I'd been stopping at a particular booth at the ren faire, looking at doublets. They had a very nice, but kinda spendy one, that I'd been promising myself I'd get after graduation.

This year, I stopped in with my mother, and the guy in the booth was rude to her. And I'm sorry, but being rude to my mother means I will never do business with you.

Moral of the story: Be nice to old ladies. They have money... and large sons.

[Donnie]

I am willing to pay a little more if I know the craftsman and get good service. The only way I will deal with someone who does not have good customer service, is if I can't get the product anywhere else. Even then I may just do without. Nothing bothers me more than someone acting like they don't care if they get my business or not!

[ardchoille]

I rank quality quite high on my list of priorities and I'm willing to let customer service slide on rare occasions. Another thing to think about is the fact that many people who have had a bad experience with a vendor will exaggerate the story, so I usually investigate stories of bad customer service (how many others had the same experience? etc) before making a purchase.

[Finn]

**I am employed by a mainstream discount clothing retailer, not by any kilt/accessory company.**
As a retail professional, customer service is my first priority. My associates get trained & coached on it. Our store receives many compliments and comparisons. I have been in retail for almost twelve years and that aspect of the business has been a constant.
As a customer, I leave businesses that have bad services policies and practices. Gods forbid a cashier is on a cell phone! I compliment employees and companies.
If the product is bad, but the service is good I will try to find something redeemable about the line.