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This will be a bit ranty 'cause it's one of my peeves from working with the public.
OK. I just started a new job where we are a supplier for some of the big box stores. In essence, the big box stores are our "customers". Two of these stores are competitors with each other and both have a store near my home.
So, we have been doing business with Store A for a couple of years now but Store B is new for us as of this spring. We have been having trouble, naturally, getting things in order and following all of Corporate Store B's rules and instructions because it's all new to us at this point; however, none of the problems have been very big and we have resolved them at our cost. Store A has also been affected due to them being the same type store as Store B and it being the exact same product and all.
Now, every time we deal with Store A, their employees are always professional and polite no matter how upsetting the situation. Store B's employees on the other hand have been rude, jerky, pretentious, whatever. We have had tantrums worthy of the suckiest SC, vain threats, and all the issues I dealt with as a sales associate checking customers out at the register.
One example:
We had the ordering manager at one of the stores call requesting a specific item. She goes on and on about how she can't get a straight answer (standard translation, no one is telling her what she wants to hear) and the usual SC whining and doing anything but getting to the point. I finally get the pertinent info from her and go to the sales manager with her request. Now, this store was in the same state as our home office so when I asked our sales manager about getting this item for them he replies that they need to contact our home office for the item since they're in the same state and we're on the other side of the country. Besides, we're out of the item.
The discussion takes a few minutes so this employee has been on hold for a bit. I get back on the phone with the employee and the conversation goes like this:
Me: I'm sorry, you'll need to contact our home office for this item since they are closest to you. The shipping will be cheaper for you also. (I didn't mention that we were out at this point because I didn't think it mattered.)
Employee/customer: (snaps) I've already contacted them and they don't have it! I expect you to get it for me!
Me (wondering why she hadn't thought to mention this important fact before now as it could have save time during the discussion with the sales manager): Well, I'm sorry but we're out of this particular item.
Employee/customer: What does that mean!? What do you mean you're out!?
Me: ...ummm, it means we don't have any to sell you?
Employee/customer (in that self-satisfied tone we aalllll know): Well. I guess I'll just have to go to one of our other suppliers and see if they can get the item for me. What do you think of that?
Me (cheerfully): I think that's a great idea. Good luck!
Employee/customer: *sputters* and crashes the phone down.
Okay. I may have been naive in expecting another business to be more polite than your regular Joe Blow from off the street but do these employees/businesses not realize that I am still a customer of theirs? We are a wholesaler. My company does not, as a general rule, sell its product directly to the employees. So, when I want to buy the product my company produces I have to go to either Store A who have been polite and professional or Store B where they have been rude and demanding. Hmmm. decisions, decisions.
OK. I just started a new job where we are a supplier for some of the big box stores. In essence, the big box stores are our "customers". Two of these stores are competitors with each other and both have a store near my home.
So, we have been doing business with Store A for a couple of years now but Store B is new for us as of this spring. We have been having trouble, naturally, getting things in order and following all of Corporate Store B's rules and instructions because it's all new to us at this point; however, none of the problems have been very big and we have resolved them at our cost. Store A has also been affected due to them being the same type store as Store B and it being the exact same product and all.
Now, every time we deal with Store A, their employees are always professional and polite no matter how upsetting the situation. Store B's employees on the other hand have been rude, jerky, pretentious, whatever. We have had tantrums worthy of the suckiest SC, vain threats, and all the issues I dealt with as a sales associate checking customers out at the register.
One example:
We had the ordering manager at one of the stores call requesting a specific item. She goes on and on about how she can't get a straight answer (standard translation, no one is telling her what she wants to hear) and the usual SC whining and doing anything but getting to the point. I finally get the pertinent info from her and go to the sales manager with her request. Now, this store was in the same state as our home office so when I asked our sales manager about getting this item for them he replies that they need to contact our home office for the item since they're in the same state and we're on the other side of the country. Besides, we're out of the item.
The discussion takes a few minutes so this employee has been on hold for a bit. I get back on the phone with the employee and the conversation goes like this:
Me: I'm sorry, you'll need to contact our home office for this item since they are closest to you. The shipping will be cheaper for you also. (I didn't mention that we were out at this point because I didn't think it mattered.)
Employee/customer: (snaps) I've already contacted them and they don't have it! I expect you to get it for me!
Me (wondering why she hadn't thought to mention this important fact before now as it could have save time during the discussion with the sales manager): Well, I'm sorry but we're out of this particular item.
Employee/customer: What does that mean!? What do you mean you're out!?
Me: ...ummm, it means we don't have any to sell you?
Employee/customer (in that self-satisfied tone we aalllll know): Well. I guess I'll just have to go to one of our other suppliers and see if they can get the item for me. What do you think of that?
Me (cheerfully): I think that's a great idea. Good luck!
Employee/customer: *sputters* and crashes the phone down.
Okay. I may have been naive in expecting another business to be more polite than your regular Joe Blow from off the street but do these employees/businesses not realize that I am still a customer of theirs? We are a wholesaler. My company does not, as a general rule, sell its product directly to the employees. So, when I want to buy the product my company produces I have to go to either Store A who have been polite and professional or Store B where they have been rude and demanding. Hmmm. decisions, decisions.
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