Frank Fusco
Member
- Messages
- 12,791
- Location
- Mountain Home, Arkansas
Dave said, "The thing about people pumping for information and then going off to buy from amazon or someplace is a very real issue. I ran into that frequently. I would spend time with a shopper to help them decide on the right camera for their needs and sometimes they would go buy elsewhere. That was simply the risk you have to take. I made sure that my customers knew that if they bought a camera from me, they could come to me any time for help. They didn't get that treatment however if they sucked information and then bought elsewhere."
Dave, there are many marketing studies that show when customers are considering a big ticket purchase they will shop approximately five different stores before making a decision. That is part of doing their homework and just simply the decision making process. When I do that, I often call it 'comparing lies'. Sadly, not all sales people will tell the full truth, the customer must protect himself. There is little or no store loyalty. Customers, by and large, are loyal only to their pocketbooks.
Your last sentence bothers me. I have owned stores and always tried to treat all customers with the same diligence and courtesy.
In my gun shop, I encountered your experience a lot. As a small dealer, I just could not compete on price with the big stores for guns. But, if I treated the guy right, he was back later to purchase accessories and other services. Then later when he needed to do a trade, I was there.
And, I know a bit about the camera thing too. I earned my living for many years with a camera. I usually bought from the New York guys who advertised in the photo magazines. But my accessories came from the store I had passed on earlier because they couldn't match the price on the camera.
Good service pays dividends.
Dave, there are many marketing studies that show when customers are considering a big ticket purchase they will shop approximately five different stores before making a decision. That is part of doing their homework and just simply the decision making process. When I do that, I often call it 'comparing lies'. Sadly, not all sales people will tell the full truth, the customer must protect himself. There is little or no store loyalty. Customers, by and large, are loyal only to their pocketbooks.
Your last sentence bothers me. I have owned stores and always tried to treat all customers with the same diligence and courtesy.
In my gun shop, I encountered your experience a lot. As a small dealer, I just could not compete on price with the big stores for guns. But, if I treated the guy right, he was back later to purchase accessories and other services. Then later when he needed to do a trade, I was there.
And, I know a bit about the camera thing too. I earned my living for many years with a camera. I usually bought from the New York guys who advertised in the photo magazines. But my accessories came from the store I had passed on earlier because they couldn't match the price on the camera.
Good service pays dividends.