Just a few more pennies worth. (The danger in these discussions is that you
get 'branded' for an opinion that you didn't really mean to express.) Just
as a statement of position, I believe good customer service is important and
business people should work at providing it. And you should make your
purchases at the place that provides what you think is the best combination
of service and price and whatever else is important to you.
I agree with the message below. My previous postings were not meant about
GSPP particularly. I don't advocate buying from anyone for any reason except
because you want to. You can decide if lowest price is most important, or
personal service, or (if lucky) both at the same time, or for whatever
reason you want to buy where you buy. The system is self-correcting. As
enough people get fed up with your lousy service, business drops off, you
fire a few clerks (presumably the rude ones) and then the 'good guy'
proprietor is back to giving good service. OK, that is poking fun, but in
the end the outfits that offer what people want do get rewarded.
One of the themes of my previous postings was to moderate the thought that
the owner of GSPP and similar outfits is only in it for the money and could
care less about the customers. You can't always judge the motivation by
looking at the results.
My experience in running a small business and trying to grow it has been
that you don't have very many easy choices open to you. There is a growth
pattern that seems to apply to business start ups (the kind of businesses
started by guys in the garage, not the movie kind done by wheeler-dealers).
The guy has an idea and unbounded enthusiasm. He puts a little money
(probably all he has) and great effort into getting his business started. No
customer satisfaction detail is too small or unimportant. {These are the one
man shops you all enjoy dealing with so much.} Then as it gets too big to
handle he has to get help. If lucky, a family member who shares the dream
and is as willing to give max effort pitches in to help. This just puts off
the time when it gets too big to handle. To find someone who understands the
business, and the customer's needs and is willing to work 12-14 hours a day
AND weekends is almost impossible. That kind of person wants to start his
own business and not to work for you. So you have to give him half the
business to get him to join you, or pay him $50k to work for you (and you
don't have anywhere like that kind of money available - you are getting
subsistence wages or less yourself.)
So you decide to hire a kid and train him. There just aren't many who want
to start at the bottom and work their way up while learning the business.
They are raised on images of rock stars and sports figures who make fabulous
money and can't be bothered for less. You aren't happy with the kid's
performance and you try to teach him, but his mind isn't on the job. You'd
like to dump him and try someone else, but he is getting the job done kind
of half-way and the added load on you to start someone else from scratch is
something you just can't face, so you keep him and hope it will get better.
This goes on and on, repeated over and over as the business grows. You want
to do right, but it is too big to handle. Fire all those rude clerks and get
new ones - how do you survive the changeover? Raise prices so you can hire
some better grade people - tough to do when internet comparison shopping
shows your prices to be higher. Get some investment money? You already hit
up all your friends to invest, and for venture capital, you have to get rid
of your wife and kids working for you, etc. Shut down the business? You
really can't. You have your house mortgaged to finance the business and you
have an obligation to make a living for your family. You have some
inventory, and a lot of bills. If you stop selling, the cash flow
merry-go-round stops, the bill collectors jump on you, and you go under.
That inventory is not easy to sell, brings about 15 cents on the dollar
after selling expenses, and you are working just as hard to close the place
down as you were to keep it open. Realistically you can only get out of a
small business by closing it, or by selling it to someone. Both are easy to
do if you are successful (and in that case you want to keep it) and selling
is impossible if you are a 'break-even' operation and closing can be worse
than continuing on. So you keep putting in as much effort as you can muster
and hope for a turn-around. Thus goes the American free-enterprise dream.
I suspect the above scenario is much more plausible than the popular one
that the owner has made too much money to care and is off lying on the beach
while some snot runs the business.
Guess I go off the deep end on this subject because it is so close to the
way I spend each day. People who haven't been in business don't really
understand all the forces at play. It is easy to say how you'd do it if it
were your business, but I'll only give that credence if you've already been
there.
But to keep from being battered or misunderstood - Buy from the guys you
like to deal with. Enjoy it while it lasts. Just realize how precious that
personal attention you are getting is and treasure it. It comes directly out
of that guy's hide.
Somebody tell me to be quiet!
Gwyn Reedy
Brandon, Florida
mailto:mgr@mgrcorp.com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John & Vicki Garton [mailto:wishful@syix.com]
> Sent: Thursday, February 25, 1999 9:49 PM
> To: Gwyn Reedy
> Cc: oletrucks
> Subject: Re: [oletrucks] More Swappin' Lies About Suppliers
>
>
> To add my two cents to this discussion. I find there are many vendors
> out there that are bending over backwards for my business. Whatever
> problems GSPP or any other vendor has is not my concern. If they can not
> provide me with good quality parts at a reasonable amount of time, I
> will go else where. It is the free enterprise system and it works best
> in the good old USA. I have never dealt with GSPP. I have gone to a few
> of there truck shows which I enjoyed. I did e-mail them with a technical
> question which they replied to promptly and also offered me a free
> catalog. Just my opinion.
>
> John Garton
> 55 2nd 3100
>
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