Past calls and customers

[gneebore]

For some reason lately I have been running into some old customers. I mean people I have not seen or heard from for over twenty years.Ran into one that I would have preferred to avoid. This was not that long ago, but when we had just started selling a new model color laser printer. A wee bit expensive. But all laser color printers were relatively expensive when priced against the ink jet machines. Well we quoted one customer a price for what we sold and they rather rudely replied "We checked prices and can get an HP color printer for less than a fourth of the price you want." Boss told them go right ahead, but the cost for the ink is going to be way over what you would spend on toner. The ink cartridges printed fifty to maybe one hundred pages. The toners were rated at 3000 pages. So do the math and see which one will cost less over the course of a years worth of printing. Yes they were calling back and wondering if we could get a refilled ink cheaper for them in two weeks. Told them sorry but we can not sell aftermarket supplies to a customer we knew had a new and still under warranty machine. The then current crop of aftermarket HP inks back then had a slightly higher chance of leaking and causing problems. They hit the roof and called us all sorts of names and even cancelled the service agreement on their copier. Never went back. the boss forbid delivering supplies or working on anything for them again.

Oh yes she was rather nasty and rude when she recognized me. I told her to go take a flying f**k and walked away.

[qbert69]

Re: Past calls and customers

For some reason lately I have been running into some old customers. I mean people I have not seen or heard from for over twenty years.Ran into one that I would have preferred to avoid. This was not that long ago, but when we had just started selling a new model color laser printer. A wee bit expensive. But all laser color printers were relatively expensive when priced against the ink jet machines. Well we quoted one customer a price for what we sold and they rather rudely replied "We checked prices and can get an HP color printer for less than a fourth of the price you want." Boss told them go right ahead, but the cost for the ink is going to be way over what you would spend on toner. The ink cartridges printed fifty to maybe one hundred pages. The toners were rated at 3000 pages. So do the math and see which one will cost less over the course of a years worth of printing. Yes they were calling back and wondering if we could get a refilled ink cheaper for them in two weeks. Told them sorry but we can not sell aftermarket supplies to a customer we knew had a new and still under warranty machine. The then current crop of aftermarket HP inks back then had a slightly higher chance of leaking and causing problems. They hit the roof and called us all sorts of names and even cancelled the service agreement on their copier. Never went back. the boss forbid delivering supplies or working on anything for them again.

Oh yes she was rather nasty and rude when she recognized me. I told her to go take a flying f**k and walked away.

ANY use of 3rd party non-oem supplies should automatically make the service contract null and void!!! PERIOD!

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

[gneebore]

Re: Past calls and customers

ANY use of 3rd party non-oem supplies should automatically make the service contract null and void!!! PERIOD!

Sent from my SM-N950U1 using Tapatalk

Sorry for the bit of confusion but we did not provide service contracts on the inkjet machines at all. We did have a desktop b/w copier we sold them earlier under contract. And their contract on the copier included toner so we supplied them with toner. One of the things we never started was selling the inkjet machines. The big box stores could sell them for almost less than we could buy them from the manufacturer. Same problem with the ink cartridges too, cost us almost as much as they could buy the OEM or even aftermarket if we wanted to try to sell them. We could have sold the HP printers if we wanted too . There were wholesale outfits similar to Carolina Wholesale or Electronic Business Machines, we could get them from for resale.

Oh yes we were also a warranty repair center for three lines of portable electronic typewriters and the Canon PC copier line. We could not compete with the office supply stores on price because they actually sold the typewriters and Canon PC copiers for a the same or less than we could buy them for resale. The big stores bought in train car load numbers of machines. We could maybe buy three at a time. Volume did have a discount.

[allan]

Re: Past calls and customers

Have learned over the years if someone demands a slap in the face, dish it out.
Would be the kind of customer to waist your time on contract anyway.

[kingarthur]

Re: Past calls and customers

It's amazing how some customers are your "best friend" while they're customers....and totally ignore you when they no longer are....

[copyrooks]

Re: Past calls and customers

I feel some blame can be put on our Managers, Salesman, other coworkers for "spoiling" customers. I'm sure we all know the type of customer who expects everything for free, yet their line of business charges an arm and a leg for services/products yet. From my experience once you "feed" these customers it only gets worse. Then when the time comes for an upgrade they go for the lowest price option and still drag their feet to sign up for the new product or just say what we offer is "too expensive". Usually those customers end up with a competitor who gets the same treatment from their newly acquired customer and then rinse and repeat with another said company down the line. Those same customers of course don't remember names or faces. Good luck to whoever gets these types of customers.

[gneebore]

Re: Past calls and customers

I feel some blame can be put on our Managers, Salesman, other coworkers for "spoiling" customers. I'm sure we all know the type of customer who expects everything for free, yet their line of business charges an arm and a leg for services/products yet. From my experience once you "feed" these customers it only gets worse. Then when the time comes for an upgrade they go for the lowest price option and still drag their feet to sign up for the new product or just say what we offer is "too expensive". Usually those customers end up with a competitor who gets the same treatment from their newly acquired customer and then rinse and repeat with another said company down the line. Those same customers of course don't remember names or faces. Good luck to whoever gets these types of customers.

Oh yes had quite a few when we were mainly typewriter repair and sales. Had a customers that would go to the big box stores to buy their office equipment and then wonder why we would not cover their aftermarket onsite warranty. Our only response was a polite "When you show us a signed contract or sales receipt from our company we will honor onsite warranty otherwise you have to call the 800 number listed in you paperwork" There were quite a few that could not understand that simple concept and came up with the "I'll never do business with you again" That was fine with me since once the aftermarket warranty expired we were the only dealer listed as an authorized repair center for a few the lines of typewriters.