What am I missing? (Customer service question)

[doublebuzzing]

Hi, I recently emailed a well-known music shop that sells used mouthpieces online. I emailed them to inquire whether the particular G&W mouthpiece was the old/heavy style as it wasn't clear (no pictures).

I got this response: "Unfortunately, we do not provide additional photos or descriptions on used mouthpieces. However, if you purchase the mouthpiece please use the customer comments section; Only want the old style."

I sent another email to the effect that I would feel more comfortable ordering (i.e. paying) after I verify that it is in fact the old style you have. I have gotten no response to that email.

Does this strike anyone else as strange? Am I missing something here? To me this feels like a "You'll find out what it is after you get it" and that seems like a rather bad way to conduct business.

[doublebuzzing]

I would have to guess that the people who answer emails know nothing, and also (perhaps...??) may not be in the same physical location (or even the same hemisphere...??) as the actual mouthpiece.

If that were the case, I wouldn't find their answer strange; however, the person who answered was a brass sales person within the company. This store has a good reputation and I don't want to diminish it here by posting their name as this whole situation may be an anomaly.

[alfredr]

I think I would try talking to someone on the phone next. Good luck.

[Three Valves]

Does this strike anyone else as strange? Am I missing something here? To me this feels like a "You'll find out what it is after you get it" and that seems like a rather bad way to conduct business.

How much does the item cost?? 40.00??

What is the company's margin?? 20.00??

How much of their time is worth 20.00??

With this in mind, do you think that seems like a rather bad way to conduct business??

[doublebuzzing]

What you are missing is that the profit margin on a used mouthpiece is minuscule and, in today's world of entitlement, people will spin the wheels off others, including small businesses, kicking tires. It costs money to pay the internet department of a small music shop. That business has decided to the best way to accommodate the buyers of used mouthpieces and still stay in business is with a set of rules and procedures.

I also bet they have a no return policy on used mouthpieces. Maybe something like this:

USED MOUTHPIECE POLICY: All used mouthpiece sales are final and non-returnable. Every used mouthpiece is inspected and cleaned by our custom mouthpiece professional before being shipped. Used mouthpieces are available on-line only. No additional descriptions and No photos.

They gave you an option. Take it or leave it. It's that simple.

Really? They would rather follow that policy and potentially send people an unwanted mouthpiece rather than take the 20 seconds to look and see if it's the one they want?

Does this strike anyone else as strange? Am I missing something here? To me this feels like a "You'll find out what it is after you get it" and that seems like a rather bad way to conduct business.

How much does the item cost?? 40.00??

What is the company's margin?? 20.00??

How much of their time is worth 20.00??

With this in mind, do you think that seems like a rather bad way to conduct business??

It cost a little over $100. Incidentally, I now found one somewhere else so they lost a potential $100 because they didn't want to answer a question that would have literally required taking a two second look.

[pgym]

It cost a little over $100. Incidentally, I now found one somewhere else so they lost a potential $100 because they didn't want to answer a question that would have literally required taking a two second look.

Says someone who obviously has never worked in retail, much less run a business.

A) Unless they obtained the mpc for free (unlikely), they did not lose a potential $100, they lost a potential ($100 minus their cost to acquire it via purchase or trade-in minus their cost (including labor) to prep it for resale [cleaning, sterilization, enter into inventory, list on website, etc.]). That's assuming they acquired it via purchase or trade; if they're selling it on consignment, they only stood to lose the amount of their commission minus the

B) Two seconds to look at the mouthpiece, plus the time it took to walk from their desk to where the used mouthpieces are stored, plus the time I took to sort through the dozens (if not hundereds) of other used mouthpieces they have lying around to find it, plus 15-20 seconds to take a photo of it, plus the time it takes to get back to their desk, compose a reply, attach the photo, and hit send.

For someone who may or may not end up buying it. That's spending dollars to chase pennies.

Somehow, I doubt they'll lose much, if any, sleep over not getting your business.

[doublebuzzing]

It cost a little over $100. Incidentally, I now found one somewhere else so they lost a potential $100 because they didn't want to answer a question that would have literally required taking a two second look.

Says someone who obviously has never worked in retail, much less run a business.

A) Unless they obtained the mpc for free (unlikely), they did not lose a potential $100, they lost a potential ($100 minus their cost to acquire it via purchase or trade-in minus their cost (including labor) to prep it for resale [cleaning, sterilization, enter into inventory, list on website, etc.]). That's assuming they acquired it via purchase or trade; if they're selling it on consignment, they only stood to lose the amount of their commission minus the

B) Two seconds to look at the mouthpiece, plus the time it took to walk from their desk to where the used mouthpieces are stored, plus the time I took to sort through the dozens (if not hundereds) of other used mouthpieces they have lying around to find it, plus 15-20 seconds to take a photo of it, plus the time it takes to get back to their desk, compose a reply, attach the photo, and hit send.

For someone who may or may not end up buying it. That's spending dollars to chase pennies.

Somehow, I doubt they'll lose much, if any, sleep over not getting your business.

I didn't ask for a picture, I asked for him to look and see what mouthpiece I would be getting if I bought it. He wanted me to buy it and then find out (apparently) if it is what I wanted after I received it. Would it cost them less time and energy to (1) look at a mouthpiece and confirm which one it is (seems like an important thing) and report to me so I can then buy or not, or (2) have me buy it, go into the next room and see what one it is, and then, after finding out it is not the one he wanted, go through a refund process, or (3) send him what we have (whether it's what he wanted or not), have him receive the mouthpiece he doesn't want, have him send it back, and refund buyer.

[doublebuzzing]

He wanted me to buy it and then find out (apparently) if it is what I wanted after I received it.

No. What they said was place an official order to show you are not just kicking tires and wasting time and they would verify when your order was processed.

I got this response: "Unfortunately, we do not provide additional photos or descriptions on used mouthpieces. However, if you purchase the mouthpiece please use the customer comments section; Only want the old style."

It's wasting time to find out information that should have been in the original ad? Namely, what particular version of the mouthpiece they are selling.

[Donn]

It seems to me that there are a range of business models that can be found in the category "well-known music shop that sells used mouthpieces online." Anything from the Woodwind & Brasswind subsidiary of whatever dysfunctional corporate monstrosity it is at the moment, to guys who hang out here and fix instruments.

If we're talking about someone following policy orders that came down from Guitar Center headquarters, for example, then you know it's going to be kind of stupid, but at least apparently economical. I also expect there are employees there who don't give a rat's patootie about orders from Guitar Center headquarters and do a good job by their own lights (my own experience in person at the local GC store has really been very good, by the way.) But the point is that the survival of these institutions seems to be somewhat independent of performance issues like customer service. Like the classic reason for climbing a mountain, we seem to buy from them "because they're there."

As you go down the scale to smaller outfits, I guess that doesn't immediately change - if you can't seriously expect to get the proprietor on the phone, it's going to be some someone following instructions that may be even less well thought out. But at some point I'm pretty sure that a small business that provides genuine customer service, via phone and otherwise, will have a strong competitive advantage there. That means someone who actually can at least pretend that he looks forward to talking to tuba players, that he shares their interest in things like what kind of mouthpiece that actually is, etc. As opposed to "is there something I can do for you within 30 seconds max?"

But that said, I'm not making up "customer is always right" picket signs in case we find out who this was. Entitled customers are annoying pests. If you can make your way in the world of musical instrument retail, feel free to do it however you like.

[doublebuzzing]

I am prepared to let this issue rest. I have found what I wanted and I am sure they would have been more helpful on the phone.

[doublebuzzing]

No. If I didn't find it from someone else maybe I would have.

[Donn]

...so I STILL have to CALL them to make sure they can read and comprehend English, and haven't merely learned how (in 12 grades of public schooling) to type "OK" when someone sends them groupings of letters with spaces in between them.

On the average, how often do they turn out to represent the former category, vs. the latter?

[Heavy_Metal]

It's wasting time to find out information that should have been in the original ad? Namely, what particular version of the mouthpiece they are selling.

db is right. They should have answered his question the first time. Instead, they have proven:

1. that they didn't know what they were selling when they advertised the MP for sale;

2- that they're too lazy to check on something when asked to;

3- that they really don't care about making a sale, and

4- that they really don't care if db ever buys from them again. And he probably won't;

5- that you can't fix stupid.

I've actually had people do things like this while talking to them on the phone, as happened once when I called a certain instrument dealer (NOT Baltimore Brass). My response is to get the supervisor on the line. That usually solves the problem.

Trying to explain this away with Hahvahd MBA mumbo-jumbo is pretty lame to say the least. If one of my employees ever did that, I'd fire that person immediately. Every customer is a potential repeat customer, and any employee who gets in the way of this is wasting the company's money. There are too many people looking for work to hold onto a bad employee.

[emcallaway]

Coming a bit late to the game here, I would bet that they clean and package all of their used mouthpieces for shipping when the shop has a quiet day so that they can be sent out almost immediately when someone places an order. In the case of an order placed on a busy day/week, this can really expedite shipping, which often translates into happier customers.

Evan "storing a mouthpiece in a bubble wrap envelope is probably a good way to ensure that it doesn't go from a $100 mouthpiece to a $20 mouthpiece by accident" Callaway

[tbn.al]

This is not simply a music industry problem. I was in Dillard's last night looking for a replacement for my worn out walking shoes. I finally found what I wanted on a shelf but had to look over and around a sales clerk who was restocking. The shoes turned out to be the wrong size and I asked him if he had the right size in stock to which he mumbled an unintelligible response. By placing myself between him and his restocking project I finally got a face to face admission that what was on the shelf was all he knew of. At which point he resumed his restocking without offering to check in the back or another store. I'm really not used to this at this store. The store manager is a client of mine and I know he will be glad to hear about my experience. Yes, the customer is always right as long as he has money in his pocket.

[Donn]

Yes, the customer is always right as long as he has money in his pocket.

I believe he stands a better chance of being right, if he has some extra money in that pocket that he's willing to spend at a place that suits him better.

[Three Valves]

Me me, rightness and righteousness are synonymous!!

[The Big Ben]

It cost a little over $100. Incidentally, I now found one somewhere else so they lost a potential $100 because they didn't want to answer a question that would have literally required taking a two second look.

Says someone who obviously has never worked in retail, much less run a business.<cut>
For someone who may or may not end up buying it. That's spending dollars to chase pennies.

Somehow, I doubt they'll lose much, if any, sleep over not getting your business.

It's called "prospecting". Every time something is put up for sale, you can expect to get questions from people who are not going to buy. Sometimes tire-kickers, sometimes the product is unsuitable for the customer. That is just how retail business works. Yes, I have worked retail. You can't expect to sell something if you tell a customer "We can't tell you exactly what you are buying until you buy it." OK. You can't tell me. I can't buy it. I'll go somewhere else. Not a good way to run any business.

With modern digital technology, a seller can answer simple questions before they are asked by offering photos and descriptions. A simple photo set up (camera on stand, two lights to light object, plain background) is cheap if the business is trying to sell things online. Take pictures of what you are offering all at the same time is a very efficient way to do things. Putting all of the items online with prices right from the beginning is how things get moved. Even easier if the business has some sort of shopping cart purchase and payment system. Yes, it takes effort but do you want to move stuff?