A slight complaint...thoughts/feedback anyone?

I usually don't get discounts from my local store. However, whenever I ask for it and they can't give any, I usually get a very "polite explanation" from the store keepers.

With a planned 650 Dollars purchase, what happenned to you is really very "rude".

I work for a large UK retailer who went through a rough patc a few years ago, and one of the facts that came out of that painful process, is that:

'It costs 5 times more to get a new customer than to retain an existing customer.'

You might want to explain that to your friend.

Chris,
Don't feel too bad..........you really did do the right thing...........so many of the others who replied stated the same thing - they often ask for, and get, a discount on even a single bottle of paint because of one thing - loyalty. I don't think that's unreasonable at all. You've been very loyal to that particular shopkeeper over many years. Was he being loyal to you? Think hard before you answer
I'd much rather pay more in a shop that was well stocked and staffed by friendly, helpful people that care if you're alive or dead than go to a shop that was cheap and had poor service.
To ask for a discount isn't arrogant or wrong. How much have you spent in that shop over the last decade? If the proprietor can't figure that one out for himself and act accordingly regarding a discount (without seeing YOUR receipts) then he doesn't deserve your custom. It sounds harsh and mercenary, but that's the way real life is.
The demise of the long relationship is lamentable, but you can stand getting slapped in the face only so many times.
Cheers, mate .
Regards,
LeeTree

Eric, I agree with you totally!!! With myself having a retail/managerial back ground even before I started my business. I learned at a very young age that sales...even sales that were small involved people skills! Something lacking by very many today. I am fairly young and I have been blessed greatly to be where I am today.

When I was in sales I had customers that were loyal and would literally go where I went to conduct business. Why? Well I wondered that for a bit. Then I asked one customer and was told because I delivered such personal service and interacted with them. I was friendly and actually cared about the customer and not just what they were buying. I was taken aback, I thought this was just the way things were supposed to be...As I grew older though I realized though things are supposed to be one way they are often not. People of my age(most but not all) often lack a few things...Discipline,Respect(Especially for those older),COMMON SENSE, and a Strong work Ethic...and sadly the list does go on.

Totally off topic...but thats why I rarely associate myself with people my age. I know that if I cant stand them others cant as well. Thats why I only hire people who are older than myself under most circumstances. Lastly, thats why I was smart and married an older women! LOL
Thanks,
Chris

Hi again. Just wanted to touch on something Demono mentioned. It's sort of related to the subject...sorta not. It has to do with the social interactions of customers. As a person who works at a hobby shop I like to greet everyone who walks in with a "Hello!" or "Good morning!" Stuff like that. I'll be dead honest with you when I say that I feel sad when, after greeting a kid or teen like that, I barely even get a grunt back in my direction. I remember once when there was this kid, must have been about 14 or so, and he had zero interpersonal skills. A glacier would have exhibited more warmth. His dad was with him. The dad was the exact same way and then I was no longer surprised why the kid was the way he was. Just an interesting observation that day. The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. Sorry if this is off on a tangent.

Eric

i would have done the same
when i ask for a discount and they say no , i get my wallet out and let them see what they missing out on

Thanks for the link I will be checking it out...when I have some time freed up.
Chris

Chris, You are not over reacting. I have never asked for discounts or freebies but my hobbies shop of choice for the last 20 years used to throw these perks in once in a while. Did you catch the used to part. They have went big box and all the friendly helpful long time staff has been replaced by youngsters who don't know or care to learn, evidently, about scale modeling. I go in about once a year for nostalia sake, I guess. Customer service is everything for a store front hobby shop, because we can get anything we want cheaper of the net. By the way if you looking for an online hobby shop with a pleasant owner who likes to talk about the hobby on the sites forum, look here. http://www.scalehobby.com/forum/index.php The owners name is Steve and I hope to see you there.

Chris:
I've talked in here before about the good relationship I had with a hobby shop owner in the last city I lived in. I never asked for a discount, but some consideration was always forthcoming because I was a regular or because it was my kids doing the buying.
While I have good relations with the hobby shops I patronize in my new city I have never been offered a discount and never asked either. I think because the one I use most is a large chain and so the staff does not have any latitude in these things. Also I am not one to buy hobby supplies in quantity.
I think you were certainly entitled to some consideration and were right to say so and take your business elsewhere. Maybe he learned a lesson and his other regulars will now see a benefit, who knows?
In my line of work it is routine for suppliers to give a discount when buying a minimum order. It is also not out of line to ask for a discount when buying in quantity.
Bruce

Hey Chris,
When were down your way next Nov. will you take us there so we all can stand outside and wisper, point, and laugh. LOL

Hey Chris,
Like all the others, I think you had every right to be upset. Maybe the manager thought because of your personal friendship that you were joking, but where business is involved, he should have made sure before thinking of it as a joke. At the very least, the phrase "Are you serious?" should have come from him to find out if you were joking. Then when he found out you weren't, ANY kind of explanation or even a simple "Im sorry, but I cant do that" would have been better then getting laughed at. But he forgot the most basic rule of sales. You have to keep the customer happy in order to get their money. Most people dont like to be laughed at. He made a poor choice and now you get the chance to meet new people and make new friends at all the wonderful new places you will find to shop

There's a sign hanging above my workbench where I work. It says simply,

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.

We give discounts to alot of our customers, especially regulars. There are certain shops in my area where I have no qualms about asking for a bit off, and there are some that I don't even have to ask as everything is sold to me at cost. Are they great shops? Not really. But I will go back there everytime I get the chance. Short term, they aren't making as much money off of me as they would Joe Baggadonuts off the street. However, they have a customer for life, and word travels fast. It takes years to build a solid customer base, but only one bad experience from a single customer to bring it all down. As the saying goes, bad news travels faster than good news.

You're not in the wrong at all, Chris. In your shoes, I would have done the same. As you already know, a store has to be sensitive to the needs or desires of the customer, and must be flexible enough to work with them. That's one of the main reasons that everything is going to on-line: no customer interaction. In a cyber business, there's no storefront, no walk-in customers, and nothing is done face-to-face. There are no people skills required to open a store like that. Today, I've seen a steady decline in the social interaction skills of kids, as well as adults. That's why ebay and stores like that are so popular, and why it's driving the local hobby shops out of business, if, like your example, they aren't doing it to themselves.

Sorry so long.

demono69

This is a really unfortunate situation for everyone involved. As a customer and former retail manager I can see the problem from both sides. The behavior of the manager in your LHS is inexcusable, and the store deserves to lose your business.

I hadn't heard the saying that LeeTree wrote about the U.S. being the customer service capital of the world. I agree that this is how it *should* be but it is rarely the case. I'm afraid, in my experience, the quality of customer service depends greatly on the quality of employee training, which is often dismally bad. Besides, U.S. employees have been developing a pattern of behavior for at least the last few years that can be summed up in this way: "Why should I expend extra effort to make every customer happy if I'm only earning minimum wage?"

Sad...

thoughts on customer service at my LHS. He gives a discount to the local modeling club members (which I am not a part of). But I have never asked for a discount, and the last time I was in there for a good buy ($150) he gave me the same discount just because I have been fairly regular and have bought quite a bit there in the last 6 months since I've been shopping there. That is customer service!

Now some other observations about this hobby shop: ok here in north-central SK we have (as far as I know) 3 hobby shops. one in Saskatoon (pop. 200,000) one in Prince Albert (pop. 45,000) and one in Birch Hills (pop. 1500). I live in Kinistino which is about 45 minutes away from Prince albert and Birch Hills is in the middle of the 2.(saskatoon is 100 miles the other way) this is a very low pop. area (rural farmland) and I never could understand how the area could support 2 HS, until I talked to Murray Kish from Saskatoon. He said the one in Saskatoon mainly deals in r/c and has poor customer service for other hobbies, so all the modelers from Saskatoon go to Birch Hills and P.A. because they have superior customer service. for instance: every time I ask if he has a certain model and he says no, he instantly follows it up with "can I order it for you?" and he usually says it might be a few weeks because there has to be a good amount of orders for the companies from other modelers to make it pay but it always comes in almost instantly. that shows you how much demand that guy has for ordering.

Hi Cris,

I think your local store could do with a course in customer care! After all the business you've put their way it would'nt have hurt them to show a token of appreciation-but to laugh? They do not deserve your custom sir.
Wheather you shop there again, only you will decide. But I think giving them a piece of you mind would be quite appropriate if you return there.

Later,

Darren.

Good for you Chris. I think you did what the rest of us only wish we could have done when we've been in that situation.

Eric

Thanks guys. I really needed to feel like I want "flying off the handle" on this one. I dont get mad or upset all that easily but for some reason even though I kept my composure in his shop in my mind I had blown a gasket and was steaming. Heres the latest...I called him up this morning and asked him when he was going to lunch...I dropped by and we decided to go to grab something to eat. Lunch wasnt all that bad and since weve been friends it was nice to just talk about other things than "the hobby". It was a lil awkward for him I could tell...I did however ask him if he knew how much money I spent in his shop...he had no clue. Well I opened a big manilla envelope I had stuffed in my laptop case and pulled out a couple of stacks of reciepts and a calculator....I told him to add it up, or look at this index card...Which had every years total on it for the last 12! His eyes got huge and I could tell he had no clue which IMHO isnt good because I want to know whos spending the most with my company. As far as the amount....I'll just put it this way I could have 2 03 Donzi 38ZF's sitting at the marina instead of 1...Not that I need 2.
I told him I didnt think he knew, and told him how much I would be spending with him in the future which is $0 and paid my bill which included his lunch(least I could do...Kinda a Im still mad but were still friends deal) and left. I then went to Hobbytown and took a look at thier acrylic line...and asked about a discount if I made a large purchase...he said sure anything over $200 I'll be more than happy to give you a 15% discount.
I returned home with some new goodies and 3 messages on my machine. I apologized for dropping the bomb in his lap and then walking out and told him were still friends personally and I wont smear his name all over town like others might do but I wont recommend him either. And if your the only one that has a must have kit...I'll do without it or scour the net to find it but I wont
spend another dime in your shop. I then told him if he valued our personal friendship it was best if he just let this go...so we can move on.
I dont feel good about my decision or how I handled it(Kinda made me feel like some dang HS kid) but I think in the long run I did the right thing. I looked out for me!
Thanks,
Chris

Where as no one is 'entitled to' a discount, it is just common courtesy to extend one to repeat customers. Doing it for your customer, before they have to ask, is most important if you care about your business. Before I moved to a capitol city, my LHS would give me at least 10% off on everything, even ONE small bottle of paint! I didn't even realize he was doing it at first. His is not even a big shop, just the best local in a fairly good size college town. His is the kind of shop that carries everything for just about every hobby. It's hard for him to compete with the mail order and online houses, but that simple gesture alone is what helps keep him in business. Since I have moved I haven't been to his shop in years, but I know that if I walked in there today, all would be the same.
I want to thank you for reminding me of him, and I owe him a call of thanks. I know he will appreciate it. He's just that kind of guy.
Perhaps you should anonymously send this site URL to your LHS. See if he laughs then.
It's all about fairness (and good Karma).
Best wishes, Stinger

Chris,

I am totally with you 100% on how you feel. I work at a hobby shop and I've seen instances where discounts have been given as a way of saying "thank you" for your patronage. The person could have easily gone to another shop or to the internet to get something perhaps 10% cheaper. In my fantasy land where I own my own hobby shop (siiiigh) I would like to think that I would give out discounts whenever feasible.

But now here's something I'm dying to know....Did the guy ever give you the apology that you rightfully deserve? What has been the aftermath? Have you or your wife gone back into his shop since then? Between you and me and the rest of the forum, I tend to hold grudges and if it were me I would never set foot in the store again. The day the store owner/manager becomes so flippant towards my role as a customer then that is the day I stop lining their pockets.

Best wishes,

Eric

Hopefully some managers of the larger hobby shops out there are listening. Service matters. I go to a small hobby shop that specalizes in nothing but plastic. Less than 2 miles away is a huge hobby shop with R/C, Trains, Balsa, Plastic and much more. But all the guys in the big shop only care about R/C, the offer no help/expertise with the plastic and could care less if I buy or not. To me it is worth the extra buck or two to go to a friendly shop, full of only modelers. The owner of the shop doesn't give discounts but it is understandable, he is selling to a niche market, but I'm sure he wouldn't laugh at me if I asked for one, especially if I was dropping $650 in his store.

This thought occured to me;
'Daddy' comes in at the end of the day to check the receipts...
'Well son, how was business?'
'Oh, the usual, 'cept some guy asked for a discount on paint'
'How much paint/'
Er, about $650 worth'
Guess what 'daddy' said...
Pete

Chris, you definitely did not over react on that. I would have been pissed too. I have been frequenting a shop in my area for the last 6 or 7 years after I found it and within a year and many purchases I was getting a discount on every purchase I made there. It doesn't matter if it's 1 bottle of paint, I get a discount. I'm like you, I spend thousands a year in there and they know it, but they also like having my business and are smart enough to know I can get it off the internet if I want. Maybe they'll come around and for that big a purchase it should be a very hefty discount. If not, I'd just get what you have to there and shop somewhere else where your business is appreciated. I even had Internet Hobbies give me a sale price when I forgot to put the code an an online item I purchased once. I called to tell them afterward and the guy said "I saw that and gave you the sale price since you've done some business with us before". Talk about customer service from a company that deals with a lot more customers than your local shop!!! Good luck on dealing with your shop or finding a better one.

Eric

a 650 purchase deserves a dicount. Even for a 70$ buy i do get even a 10% discount, with receipt included....quite often ventors tend to forget the receipt ie 18% sales tax, leaving room from price improvement. not legal but good for your pocket in the short run. in the long run the state will claim it from you.....lol

The word I was searching for was 'rapport'. This guy has dented the rapport you both used to have, sounds like it will take some time for him to panel beat it back into shape, Good Luck!
Pete

Well in his defense...I got an email from him. He stated he tried calling once he closed up but just got a busy signal which is about right because Ive been online most of the night. Im still ticked a lil...but I emailed him back and told him I was very upset(in his email he thought I was joking when I asked for the discount, because I have never asked before). I told him Id love to stop back by so he could apologize but I would have to really consider any future purchases my wife or I make. Either personal or for our GS troop.
If he apologizes and is sincere then I'll continue to be a customer...between all who will or have read this I wont however go in there and get things like I used to even with his apology.
Chris

Chris,
You weren't going off the deep end - I'd have walked out too if I'd been about to lay down over $650 and got laughed at when I asked for a few bucks off......especially considering the amount of repeat you've given the retailer.
Even if it was only $10-20, I'd at least felt fine about asking for the discount.
I'm told that the USA is the customer service capital of the retail world, but what you experienced was "less than satisfactory" in my opinion.
In business, it's easy to gain a new customer. Keeping them is another matter.
Cheers
LeeTree

Due to the volume you were to puchase and the fact you knew the guy, he should have cut you a little break. Treating repeat customers is a must in the business world to continue to earn their business. He was about to make a huge sale, knocking a few bucks wouldn't have hurt him a bit. Now you have learned what I have learned, if you can get a better price do so. I still buy many things at my LHS, but ironically models isn't one of them unless it happens to be on sale.

"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."-R.E.Lee

Thanks glad to know "I wasnt going off the deep end!"....Technically hes the manager he's actually the son of the owner and runs the place fully...So he did have the authority. I'll get over it with time but your right Ive already been web/price surfing...just feel kinda like a hypocrite because I always preach and agree on the support your LHS...
Thanks,
Chris

Chris, some tales are short, some are long, this one is just the right length as it says all that you want it to say. I'm with you, if the guy was only a manager, the least he could have done was to ring the owner & check. I think you'll go back, but maybe you'll also see what you can get on line. At least once a month we get someone on here saying 'another hobby shop is closing down' now we can see why. shopping, especially for something as specialised as this, is a two way experience. You work up a relationship over time with the staff, comment on things together, and then this. if a barman in your local said, 'Gee, your wife's ugly' you'd probably find another local. There's only one hobby shop you can use probably, but it will never be the same as it was.
Pete