Don't you hate...

[TassieKiwi]

I wonder why I am still waiting for a reply to a pricing request for LV smoother plane that I sent over two weeks ago.

I have given up and will go directly to LV. You try and do the right thing, but .........

Cheers

Just order it and add it to the clamp order.

[Fat Pat]

Regarding the gripe about Melbourne weather being a week old....I wouldn't have thought that was a problem?

[simon c]

Regarding the gripe about Melbourne weather being a week old....I wouldn't have thought that was a problem?

You're right normally - it just happened to be the week we had the huge storms, so it was odd to see brilliant sunshine predicted!

[Iain]

Just love Melbourne weather, if I didn't I would move.
Nice to have some respite after a couple of days of heat, and can travel to two capital cities in a day not to mention our great snowfields.
Don't forget too, more wineries than you can poke a stick at, and within an hours drive of anywhere.
Wouldn't move for quids
32 today and showers tonight, no lawns to water............................again

[Redback]

Well, I'd originally e-mailed carba-tec (perth) on the 15th Feb asking if they could quote me a cash price for a 8" jointer, thicknesser, Drill press, dust extraction and some associated bits and pieces. I'd kinda hoped they might have given me something better than their internet price, given that the 8 inch jointer is on special according to the latest edition of "Autralian Woodsmith". Also since I was offering cash I thought a bit more could be knocked off.

Anyways, about 30 hours after the original query, I get an e-mail asking if someone had responded to my query. I wrote back saying no...

50 hours after the original request I finally get back a total figure. (no individual breakdown). Anyway, I checked the quote against the internet listed price and it looked to be exactly a internet quote, which I could have done myself.

I wrote back querying this and pointing out the sale price on the Jointer.

9 days later I still haven't got a reply. I guess its a case of that's our price, take it or leave it. This was on about $3000 worth of gear. I guess that seems like small change or their margins are too slim on the items Im looking at....

Anyways, since Timbecon site is down I will be in their on Saturday seeing what they can do.

[R. McCarthy]

I'd nominate Lee Valley as one of the better companies I've dealt with in a long time. While I've only contacted them twice, I got immediate answers and more importantly, the answers were complete and needed no further follow up etc.,

Oh yes - very professional people - pity they could'nt open a branch in Australia.......

[bitingmidge]

I have today written my 6th email to a company in the USA enquiring about a product.

Tomorrow I start two a day, and after than I post the lot here!

Cheers,

P

[R. McCarthy]

I have today written my 6th email to a company in the USA enquiring about a product.

Tomorrow I start two a day, and after than I post the lot here!

Cheers,

P

Mate, I'm with you all the way - stick it right up 'em (hope it's not LeeValley) - cannot abide organisations like that !!

[ubeaut]

:eek: Look out ubeaut's got the rant mode switched on......

Don't be too surprised if you don't ever get a response from some businesses, a lot of them have no idea that they even have email facilities and Leda would probably be one as they have lost the only person who had a clue
.
We, and I guess many other businesses, have trouble keeping track of emails. We often receive as many as 600 or more emails a day, much of it spam and most of it dumped upon receipt, however I then at some stage, have to wade through all the junk to see if any genuine emails have been taken out by the spam filter, this alone can take up to 15-20 minutes a day. If we happen to be away for a few days doing demo's or WWW shows etc we can end up with several thousand pieces of crud to wade through upon return (best or worst so far was around five and a half thousand).

There are many, many reasons why it can take a long time to get an answer to an enquiry. I realise it is frustrating, but bear in mind that the bulk of web sites are still completely unmanned and some may only be checked weekly or even monthly, some never at all. Only really big businesses that rely heavily on mail and internet orders to survive will give you an almost immediate response. Lee Valley is a prime example of this, they provide excellent service because they are basically one of the biggest hardware mail order businesses in the world.

I know of a couple of sites that have been take off the web because of the extra burden placed on the businesses that owned them. Often requiring a couple of extra staff and many, many extra hours a week for little increase in sales and usually a drop in productivity. I often have up to 20 or more emails in a day from people all expecting a detailed answer as to why the brush they purchased leaves lines in their polish, or where to buy a lathe and what sort is the best and why dose Fred Nurk use a such and such instead of a so and so. Even a simple answer like "Put this question on the bulletin board" takes time to type and in some instances will generate another half dozen time wasting emails because they can't figure out how to enter the BB, or which link to use to post or why their pictures won't work and often times will email me thinking I am the BB. All these replies take time and easily generate ill will if not replied to.

It seems that almost everyone who sends an email to a business is convinced that there will be someone sitting at a computer at the other end itching to send an instant reply back to them. In reality email for many businesses is an unproductive waste of time. If ever they bring in speak mail or them there telephonie gizmos it will simplify things dramatically.

Yes a business should answer their emails in as timely a fashion as possible, but not all will. Some will be still labouring under the burden of this weeks lot late into next week. It is now just after midnight and I am halfway through Mondays lot and most of the urgent or important ones from the last 2 days. By 2 am I might be able to get to the idiot ones from Monday and Tuesday and if I take the day off tomorrow I might just be able to catch up with the rest of todays and tomorrows

Try walking in the other mans shoes for a few miles before you heap criticism on him. It really isn't easy unless you are willing to throw a lot of money and staff at it. I have often considered shutting down my email completely. If I could find a way of charging $1 for every email I answered in the last 6 years I reckon I would almost have enough money to retire on.


OK rant mode off. Think I'll go to bed instead of answering more b..... emails.


Cheers - Neil

[Geoff Allen]

Have to agree with Neil 100% on this one.

I have been following this thread and would agree that some companies give lousy email service but I find they are often not too sharp at any form of service.

I have found that people often believe that because email is instant that it somehow makes it so much easier and simpler to respond. Well often it doesn't! We get requests for quotes where somebody emails you a file from some cheap CAD package or even send jpeg file and say how many for 1, 5, 10 100, 1000 of these. Often the request is short of detail but before you can convert/confirm anything they ring and say but I sent it through last night where is the quote. The reality is that the poor bugger trying to respond is still trying to work out what they want.

Things are much the same when people ask for stuff with missing part numbers or inadequate descriptions. I usually try to get people to pickup the phone first if unsure about something because most companies still employ people and often they know what they are talking about or can sort out any misunderstanding much quicker than via print. Look at some of the dummy spits on this bulletin board and you see how people can read all sorts of prejudices into whatever others write.


I love you all
Geoff

[HappyHammer]

LeeValley and Hare & Forbes don't seem to have a problem replying promptly.

Geoff, Crawling to Neil will get you everywhere.

HH.

[craigb]

LeeValley and Hare & Forbes don't seem to have a problem replying promptly.

Did you read Neil's post?

[HappyHammer]

I have to admit I got half way through, went cross eyed and skipped to Geoff's post but at the end of the day I'm just passing on my experience, next time I'll be more verbose and include full context for the more anal members of the forum

BTW, following Geoffs lead crawling to Neil will get you everywhere too

HH.

[Wongo]

How amazing. I made some changes to my bulk order this afternoon. 5 minutes later I received an email from Heather-Ann saying it has been done.

What was Heather doing over there at 9.52pm? :eek:

[Termite]

OK, so do I risk upsetting him up there by sending an email asking if Cedar Traditional Wax is back in stock yet or just hope he happens to read this post. :confused: