IE...we build products and we get 100s of quoted per week. Well, some requests are so outlandish and some are so picky and not worth our time to respond. But some will call and be mad that we didn't acknowledge thier quote request. Sorry, I don't have time for people like this, too many MORE IMPORTANT BIG SPENDING CUSTOMERS to worry about. So, what do you do?
2007-09-05 06:29:10 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
hot chocolate...I completely disagree. There are some customers that are so hard to deal with, it really ISNT WORTH MY TIME as a business owner. And I have been in business almost 25 years.
2007-09-05 07:11:34 · update #1
If you are going to offer email quotes, then you need to respond, even if it is "Sorry, but we cannot do something to those specifications.
Otherwise, tell them to submit all quote requests in writing.
I decide what big purchases to buy, based upon how a company treats my small purchases.
Why should I trust you with a big purchase, if your small stuff gets a poor response?
One thing you can do, is have an online form, where they detail the specifications for you, and make is so that many outlandish things cannot be entered.
We also expect you, if it is outlandish, to correct us, and say things like this, "Look, if you do it this way instead, we can build it cheaper, stronger and better... What do you think?", that is how you get a big order from me.
2007-09-05 08:27:44 · answer #1 · answered by Feeling Mutual 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your business can afford it, hire a part time worker that can come in and reply to the emails once per day for a couple of hours. After a few weeks training, that person should be able to handle the questions no matter how insignificant, track down answers, quotes, and bring major concerns to the people that should know about them. This will free up your time to do what you really want to do, run the business. While customer responses feel like they are sucking up valuable time, just make sure they aren't sucking up YOUR valuable time!
2007-09-05 14:08:16 · answer #2 · answered by i_8_the_canary 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Can you do up several standardized quote packages, pricing them at a level that you WOULD be ok with doing if they wanted to go ahead on it? A comment on the bottom of the form sheet can state that special order quotes that don't fit with the non-standard lines will carry a surcharge for being outside the norm.
If anyone wants to follow through after seeing a general package quote, they can contact you via another email (you get several email accounts with a business, you can title one to cover the requests). I think that would weed out the ones who aren't all that interested, who lack the finances, and who were just being casually interested. Most people likely want to know a general ballpark figure before hand anyway.
2007-09-05 20:11:15 · answer #3 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A customer is a customer and a small customer today might be the big one tomorrow. Always answer serious mails and if you are not able to do it right away, reply with a message stating that in some form. That way the customer feels taken seriously and you can take some more time to check things out.
2007-09-05 13:38:13 · answer #4 · answered by gekkedodo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, a business should be expected to answer each email regardless of how outlandish you think the request is. A large part of your success will be based on customer service. If you want customer/potential customers to return, hopefully with a bigger order, treat all your customers as if they were million dollar spenders.
2007-09-05 13:54:55 · answer #5 · answered by hotchocolate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋