PLAN B analog blog

When I was in school, I worked in a dept store that was known for having a generous return policy. Once when I saw someone return a toaster that had a competitor's stamp on the box, I asked the store manager why he allows someone to return an item clearly bought elsewhere.

He said the average customer spends over $50K at the store over their lifetime. If the customer says he bought it here, he's not going to argue that. In other words he's not going to risk losing $50K over a stupid $25 toaster!

No need for an Adam Henry policy since the customer was always right. 


--- In PLAN_B_analog_blog@yahoogroups.com, Monroe Eskew <monroe.eskew@...> wrote:
>
> The consumer culture we've inherited and become apart of is a strange
> beast.  Over the years, large businesses have competed with each other in
> part by trying to outdo the other guy in terms of customer satisfaction and
> service.  The result is a population that has come to expect as normal that
> someone will hold their hand and make them a sandwich when purchasing a
> high-tech device.  Furthermore, there is usually little incentive to
> understand how something works; we just expect it to be user-friendly and
> work perfectly.
> 
> Lately I have seen several small businesses suffer because they had a
> unrealistic view of modern consumer culture.  With a small boutique firm
> having a select clientele, the proprietor may be able to either bully or
> sweet-talk his/her customers into "being cool."  But if you're a large scale
> business like Apple or Honda, you don't have that option.   Consumer culture
> is a reality to be dealt with, not changed, and all one can do is find the
> equilibrium point of supply and demand given the parameter of consumer
> expectations.  The effect is of course a continuing escalation of consumer
> expectations.
> 
> And small businesses are forced to work with this reality as well.  One
> cannot move the demand curve very much by persuasion.  You have a little
> more leeway, but the hard reality of market forces limits you.
> 
> On Fri, Apr 10, 2009 at 11:08 PM, Christopher Jacob Recording Device <
> I.AM.USING.THE.INTERNETS@...> wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > I don't feel good about being on this e-mail list any longer. Peter you are
> > free to screen this if that's what you want to do. I'm not a "hater" or
> > anything of the sort. I love what you've been trying to do for the modular
> > community with your products but there's too much drama some from you some
> > from customers or would-be customers. It's with a lump in my throat that I'm
> > going to request to be taken off this list serve. After Bananalogue
> > disappeared your company seemed to me to be the best thing going as far as
> > unconventional musical devices go but I don't feel good about being on this
> > list any longer because I no longer feel good about the possibility of
> > giving you any more of my money. I'm expecting an ASR from you guys and I
> > look forward to using it a great deal but well, I guess I've stated my
> > feelings already. I wish you the best of luck geting your company back up
> > and filling all those back orders.
> >
> > it's been real even when the real has been "not nice"
> >
> > I'm sorry,
> > Chris (aka ex_dead_teenager)
> >
> > --
> > "War will end when people refuse to fight"
> > --Anonymous
> >  
> >
>