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  • Showrooming...

    [rant]Hi guys,

    This seems to be a phenomenon which is sadly is becoming more common in Australia.

    In the last months, there have been multiple occasions where a prospective purchaser (be they member or not) finds his/her way to us. Substantial time on is spent on the phone in a full on consult comparing pros and cons to assist the client to make the right decision. Frequently there are long follow up calls.

    Potential client then calls to say s/he's decided to purchase elsewhere for whatever reason- so the deal's off- but could we just assist with these other questions which the chosen supplier can't answer?

    I see a day where we take card details and then charge for advice at our professional consulting rates. Should a purchase be made, the consultancy fee is refunded in full.

    I would be really sad if this ultimately has to happen, but surely fair's fair?

    I guess that sometimes we might empathise by swapping chairs... [/rant]

    Must be time for a nice red.....

    Chris
    Last edited by TC; 18 September 2013, 06:25 PM. Reason: typo

  • #2
    People forget the value of expertise and service. It's short-sighted. Certainly there are items that I will purchase for the cheapest price possible (I don't need advice and I don't need ongoing service), but for lots of items I need help. I'm happy to pay, because I'm likely, in the future, to need help again. If the person with expertise couldn't survive from a business perspective they won't be there to help in the future.

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    • #3
      Sounds good to me, a fee or some sort is fair, really can't do it for free except it is really a small thing . They can google the solution if they don't want to pay.

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      • #4
        The very reason I haven't given you a call yet Chris. I'm ready to purchase now but would love to see the machines in the flesh before talking turkey. I must say your Alex offer has made me google many pictures to see if it changes my mind on the aesthetics.

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        • #5
          What people often mean (in my experience at least, obviously it's not as viable with coffee machines) is "I used your overheads then bought it from someone with none so I didn't have to pay for those overheads". Those people are scum.

          Originally posted by Talk_Coffee View Post
          [rant]Potential client then calls to say s/he's decided to purchase elsewhere for whatever reason- so the deal's off- but could we just assist with these other questions which the chosen supplier can't answer?I see a day where we take card details and then charge for advice at our professional consulting rates. Should a purchase be made, the consultancy fee is refunded in full.
          Honestly I'm wondering if that's what it's going to come to in the end. I don't think people will be happy about it but when they run out of people doing free advice/testing they won't have a choice and unfortunately it not y'alls fault, as you say it's shortsighted consumers.

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          • #6
            Hmmmm……. that's poor form, alright.

            A nice bottle of red would at least show some appreciation of your expertise and valuable time.

            Whoever it was should cough up.

            Maybe rig up a taxi meter on the phone………. "flag fall in 3…….2……..1" :-D

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            • #7
              The very reason that a number of ski gear retailers charge a fitting fee on ski boots (fully refundable on purchase). Too many customers who had little or no intention of making an in store purchase happy to use that store to reduce the risk of their online buys.

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              • #8
                Time to get a 1900 number?

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                • #9
                  Hi Chris,

                  I am not a business person (lowly it professional), but I say do it. I may take you up on your service even (I'm in perth so not likely going to pop into your shop anytime soon).

                  I completely understand a quality business cannot afford to lose time to these non-customers, and potentially this is how retail can educate shoppers about the value of expertise. Which they get for free by shopping with a quality business.

                  I like to research lots before making such a 'want' purchase, helps delay the expense :-). One of these days i will upgrade from the Silvia.

                  Always a newer and better machine coming, that's my problem :-)

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                  • #10
                    Happening in the cycling industry, especially where shoes or road bikes are involved. A service/fitting fee is charged and taken of the purchase price if you follow through with the sale.

                    To many people coming in taking up an hour of your staffs time, then it's thank you and of they go with their perfect size information to purchase from the big online retailers like wiggle etc.

                    Think we will see a growing trend towards $ for information in many retail sectors.

                    Chester

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                    • #11
                      Personally I classify myself as an informed purchaser. That being someone that takes full advantage of all information at my disposal.

                      Generally speaking one can find items cheaper online or by shopping around.

                      However I do take expertise into the equation.

                      What I'm saying is that if I'm interested in a product, and I find a showroom/shop that assists and provides the information I need honestly I am more than happy to pay the premium.

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                      • #12
                        I often ask around if I am not expert in the thing I want, but a Myers guy taught me a good lesson a long time back. I was looking for a fridge and went into Myers to see what was available and what it would cost me. He was a decent bloke and answered cheerfully so when he asked me if I was in the market NOW, I told him I had come to Myers to get a benchmark and I'd probably buy somewhere else. He asked what it would take for me to buy there and I ended up getting exactly what I wanted for about $100 off the ticket, which was about a 25% reduction.

                        Later I found I could've got it online for $10 more plus delivery.

                        Recently I bought the missus a tablet - went into the local JB Hifi and had a look at the one we were thinking of. I had a couple of questions so called a staff over. When he found out we were looking at buying from Kogan he asked for what price and sold us the tablet at $1 under Kogan. His quote? "We like to beat Kogan"

                        So I have no problem asking questions in the showroom, but almost always I will give the person in front of me a chance at the sale - they know their margins and will often at least try to match the cut-price types - for me it is the trying that counts. I'd rather pay my local guy if I can... in other words if it isn't going to cost me a lot more. The guy with the shop is more likely to be there if I have issues and his money is more likely to go back into my community.

                        Mind you if it is going to cost me double... I'm not well enough off to justify that.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Journeyman View Post
                          I often ask around if I am not expert in the thing I want, but a Myers guy taught me a good lesson a long time back. I was looking for a fridge and went into Myers to see what was available and what it would cost me. He was a decent bloke and answered cheerfully so when he asked me if I was in the market NOW, I told him I had come to Myers to get a benchmark and I'd probably buy somewhere else. He asked what it would take for me to buy there and I ended up getting exactly what I wanted for about $100 off the ticket, which was about a 25% reduction.

                          Later I found I could've got it online for $10 more plus delivery.

                          Recently I bought the missus a tablet - went into the local JB Hifi and had a look at the one we were thinking of. I had a couple of questions so called a staff over. When he found out we were looking at buying from Kogan he asked for what price and sold us the tablet at $1 under Kogan. His quote? "We like to beat Kogan"

                          So I have no problem asking questions in the showroom, but almost always I will give the person in front of me a chance at the sale - they know their margins and will often at least try to match the cut-price types - for me it is the trying that counts. I'd rather pay my local guy if I can... in other words if it isn't going to cost me a lot more. The guy with the shop is more likely to be there if I have issues and his money is more likely to go back into my community.

                          Mind you if it is going to cost me double... I'm not well enough off to justify that.

                          This plan serves very well in establishments like the big electronics stores.

                          However the OP is from a specialist coffee store, and while I am sure that they can/do reduce prices for customers there is merit it the fact that most of the machines they carry are not "widely" available.

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                          • #14
                            Originally posted by ggoosen View Post
                            This plan serves very well in establishments like the big electronics stores.

                            However the OP is from a specialist coffee store, and while I am sure that they can/do reduce prices for customers there is merit it the fact that most of the machines they carry are not "widely" available.
                            Indeed, if someone came to me asking to match a Kogan price I'd suggest they buy from Kogan, and just pay me for support and service after the fact. :P

                            The problem certainly isn't unique to coffee equipment sales, as we see it in both fashion and technology here. Tech is particularly difficult due to restrictive trade practices employed by the various distributors in Australia (exclusive rights of sale, deliberately restricting supply, offering "cost" prices well above MSRP).

                            When it comes down to it though, you can usually pick the tyre-kickers early: push the service/support angle as opposed to actually selling a specific product or making any specific recommendations. If they walk away then they weren't really interested in buying from you anyway. :P

                            It is, however, annoying to know that your knowledge isn't valued enough to remunerate.

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                            • #15
                              You're right ggoosen for smaller providers, but in a specialty store I'd be MORE likely to buy from the guy in front of me. Specialty shops have a corner on the market in one or another sense. If they didn't, they wouldn't be 'specialty' and I'd have a larger range to choose from. As I said above, it is the trying that counts with me. If the specialty guy at least tries to keep the business I will buy, even if he can't match Kogan - he has expenses that Kogan just doesn't and I can always walk back in and ask or bitch to a human.

                              To me it's about giving them a chance to get the business. As a computer support person I don't mind giving basic info to help, even if I don't get the job. But I'd want the opportunity to put in for it rather than have my brains picked because the guy they are going to get is incompetent but cheap.

                              I'm as much about bargains as the next guy but to me there is a cost to buying cheap no matter what. The cost is often service, but almost always community. It varies per item but I'd guess I'm prepared to pay somewhere between 10% and 20% more for items just to support my community. And if it is local producer versus Corporation, probably considerably more than that - not a fan of Corps.

                              Mind you, it goes both ways. Once upon a time in Lakes Entrance, the locals got normal prices all year round. But then the shop owners started charging locals the tourist prices and would leave the prices high even once the tourists left. It was cheaper by a LOT to drive to Bairnsdale and do a big shop than to wander down the street and buy local.

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