Comments on: Hey Service Providers: I’m Givin’ You One Chance to do the Right Thing http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/ Entrepreneurial Leadership and Management . . . and Other Stuff Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:28:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: john bower http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96878 john bower Sun, 20 Dec 2009 00:40:32 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96878 snip I figure that flawless service is just about impossible, when one has a positive or overwhelmingly positive service call, that's what clinches the deal for me. Since time is money, I rarely do price comparison between vendors when the additional time can not possibly be justified. I like to refer to my go to suppliers/vendors as being like cruise missles, you fire them a PO and they're going to hit the target smack on. If there is a problem, they'll fix it. I can't think that I am unique in this regard. Being a vendor myself, I've found that the customers that focus solely on price are typically more difficult to deal with in the end, they require more hand holding, change they're mind and don't realize the incredible value they are getting. I did some a job for Sandia once, saw an opportunity to save them about $2,000 for an order of 10 pieces (a custom machined) with a redesign that we engineered. They spent more time and money with PhD's in a room debating if it would work then we spent building the first 10 prototypes (I guaranteed the results, if it didn't work I would eat the order, I was that condfident), worked like a champ. Two months later, I get another RFQ, I quote $1,200 for the job, then don't hear a thing okay, they probably changed their mind. Finally I called one of my contacts there after about 6 months, he was embarresed to tell my they (it wasn't his suggestion) picked another vendor who bid $1,000. NONE of the 10 units worked, now here is the part I really love, it makes it all worthwhile, they gave that vendor another chance in the form of another $1,000 PO, cause well they needed these parts, and of course, since they had already lost $1,000, they could afford us at $1,200. I think you can guess what happend, yep, the second lot of 10, NONE of them worked either! Oh the third order, never was placed, they had gone over budget on the project and shut it down. Value/Price: "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten." —Sir Henry Royce You really want the customers that understand VALUE. Top notch service is one very important component to this. Adding that extra value is small compared to the additional margin it will command and level/type of customer you will be dealing with (on average). This has consistently been my experience. john snip I figure that flawless service is just about impossible, when one has a positive or overwhelmingly positive service call, that’s what clinches the deal for me. Since time is money, I rarely do price comparison between vendors when the additional time can not possibly be justified. I like to refer to my go to suppliers/vendors as being like cruise missles, you fire them a PO and they’re going to hit the target smack on. If there is a problem, they’ll fix it. I can’t think that I am unique in this regard. Being a vendor myself, I’ve found that the customers that focus solely on price are typically more difficult to deal with in the end, they require more hand holding, change they’re mind and don’t realize the incredible value they are getting.

I did some a job for Sandia once, saw an opportunity to save them about $2,000 for an order of 10 pieces (a custom machined) with a redesign that we engineered. They spent more time and money with PhD’s in a room debating if it would work then we spent building the first 10 prototypes (I guaranteed the results, if it didn’t work I would eat the order, I was that condfident), worked like a champ. Two months later, I get another RFQ, I quote $1,200 for the job, then don’t hear a thing okay, they probably changed their mind. Finally I called one of my contacts there after about 6 months, he was embarresed to tell my they (it wasn’t his suggestion) picked another vendor who bid $1,000. NONE of the 10 units worked, now here is the part I really love, it makes it all worthwhile, they gave that vendor another chance in the form of another $1,000 PO, cause well they needed these parts, and of course, since they had already lost $1,000, they could afford us at $1,200. I think you can guess what happend, yep, the second lot of 10, NONE of them worked either! Oh the third order, never was placed, they had gone over budget on the project and shut it down. Value/Price: “The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten.” —Sir Henry Royce

You really want the customers that understand VALUE. Top notch service is one very important component to this. Adding that extra value is small compared to the additional margin it will command and level/type of customer you will be dealing with (on average). This has consistently been my experience.

john

]]> By: Will http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96861 Will Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:24:02 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96861 Anyone, even Google, who continually abuses their customers (especially when they're developers) is gonna pay eventually. It's a shame, of course, that people capitulate just because it's Google. Anyone, even Google, who continually abuses their customers (especially when they’re developers) is gonna pay eventually. It’s a shame, of course, that people capitulate just because it’s Google.

]]> By: Chris Myles http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96717 Chris Myles Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:55:54 +0000 http://www.2-speed.com/2009/12/hey-service-providers-im-givin-you-one-chance-to-do-the-right-thing/#comment-96717 haa.. I started writing a blog along these exact same lines today. The problem is my issues are mostly with Google and Facebook (products and APIs), not exactly something that can be easily replaced or ignored. I'm trying to build a product/service solution centered around their products but I know I can't guarantee the support I WANT to provide because I don't get any support. No timing, feedback, and most products don't even have issue trackers or change logs. Quality is horrible but 90% of their users just accept it. I remember those days when support mattered and wonder what happened. Hopefully the future will tend to reward products and services that treat customers with the respect they deserve! haa.. I started writing a blog along these exact same lines today. The problem is my issues are mostly with Google and Facebook (products and APIs), not exactly something that can be easily replaced or ignored. I’m trying to build a product/service solution centered around their products but I know I can’t guarantee the support I WANT to provide because I don’t get any support. No timing, feedback, and most products don’t even have issue trackers or change logs. Quality is horrible but 90% of their users just accept it. I remember those days when support mattered and wonder what happened. Hopefully the future will tend to reward products and services that treat customers with the respect they deserve!

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