WOODWEB's Business Forum - Message

Do you Need Website help?

Wood Doctor's Rx, LLC - Gene Wengert

Related Information:
Products:
Business
Knowledge Base:
Estimating,
Accounting
and Profitability
Legal
Marketing
______________

Today's
Sponsors:

Charles G.G. Schmidt Co.

Clear Lake Lumber

Clear Vue Cyclones

2020 Manufacturing Solutions

Accu-Router, Inc.

AceCo Precision Wood Tooling

ACS - Atlanta Cabinet Shop, Inc

Air Handling Systems

Alan McIlvain Company

Algoma Lumber Co.

American Fabric Filter Co.

American Institute of Building Design

American National Woodworking Knife

Antique Beams and Boards

Antique Building Materials

Anver Corporation

Apollo Sprayers Inc.

B.H. Davis Company

Barn Door Lumber

BC Wood Specialties Group

CabinetCRUNCHER Cutlist & 3D Cabinet Design Software

Cabinetmakers Association

Cabinetshop Maestro

CAMaster CNC Routers

Carter Products

Home » Forums » Business » Message

WOODWEB - The Information Resource for the Woodworking Industry

Thermwood Corporation

You are not logged in. Consider these WOODWEB Member advantages:

A personal "member history" that displays your posts at WOODWEB

Your forms at WOODWEB will be filled in automatically

Create your personal "My Favorites" page

Numerous automatic notification options

Learn more about WOODWEB Member benefits ...

Post Response | Notify Me Of New Messages | A Note About Viruses | Read Forum & Exchange Guidelines | View Most Recent Response

Review Knowledge Base articles related to WOODWEB's Business and Management Forum

Is service just as important as product?
-- 0 --

10/22

I have recently opened up a local distributor for my products. I gave them a pretty good price. They do the selling/delivering.

Before, I was doing everything and business for that particular area(home decor) has flatlined. Not increasing, not decreasing. Just there.

We met and hashed out details. Turns out they do similar things that I do. Offer delivery, no minimums, fast service, no extra charges, etc.

For the record, both of us offer “free” delivery. (I fully realize delivery is not free)

I guess my question is this, “is what we DO, just as important as what we MAKE?

Could it possibly be more important?

My brother owns a moving business. Theoretically anyone can move. But he makes a killing just moving crap. Just cause he’s willing.

10/22 #2: Is service just as important as pro ...

Leo G

Member

You get them in the door with your product and marketing. You keep them with your service. You can charge a higher price if you give great service because they feel taken care of.

10/22 #3: Is service just as important as pro ...

Absolutely

10/23 #4: Is service just as important as pro ...

Part of my "sales pitch" is to let my clients know that as they drove to our showroom they more than likely passed 5-10 cabinet shops that could provide them with a really nice product. We feel we offer a very nice product also, and we strive to differentiate ourselves from the others with our customer service. I never talk bad about any other business, not the other custom shops in our area, and not even the big box stores. Focus on your strengths, and promote them.

10/23 #5: Is service just as important as pro ...

AdamB, I would assume that everyone of those 5-10 cabinet shops they passed will give them the exact same sales pitch. I even had a roofing company with 30 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau tell me their customer service is most important! No one expects a business to not stress their customer service today. It takes a complete package of quality product, satisfied customers, professional marketing, and someone that can convey honesty that will win the job.

10/23 #6: Is service just as important as pro ...

Rich,
I agree with your statement above. I do however think that most clients are smarter than we would like to give them credit for. That is why I never bad mouth any other company. If you need to spend time telling people why you are "better" by belittling others, I think most people would see through that. I am certainly not perfect, and have made many mistakes over my career, the way those mistakes get handled says a lot about a company.

10/23 #7: Is service just as important as pro ...

Member Photo

Member Contact Info

Forum Posts

Project Gallery

Categories

Member

Service Price or Quality, pick any two.

This old and corny statement does have some truth to it. You can't do all three, but you should concentration the two you can do.

10/25 #8: Is service just as important as pro ...

need to get to the point of doing what you say you are going to do plain and simple

Customer service is king, however the quality and price need to have a happy medium

If you look @ some of Alan F posts with bidding, he adds a little detail of the price to get it done in a rush with OT and materials logistics impact. However, he does a good job of breaking those out where they are easily seen

as Paul Downs wrote in his book, a salesman for a Toyota Hybrid lost a sale because he refused to show Paul the features of the car, where as the other salesman did, and Paul was not so much price driven @ that point, contentious of price, but definitely made the impact of taking the time to go over features

In the rush of this business climate, showing up, communication and product all play an important part

I sit on a lot of Corian and laminate inventory, have the labor and capacity, but a rush is a rush and fast track is fast track, so I charge for it

Everything has a value, but it does boil down to basics, and customer service is king

10/27 #9: Is service just as important as pro ...

Overall at least with custom work you need to develop a clear understanding of exactly the scope and expectations of the client and us, up front. It really is about communication , it is key to a positive outcome.Anybody can sell cabinets but selling ouselves builds the trust and confidence we instill and demonstrate from current and past projects to our potential next boss. Once they have the trust they become at ease . Personally I won't work for someone who is mistrusting to the point they are reluctant to give a deposit.Being honest will get you further and keeping control of your jobs and staying in touch. Communicate.

12/29 #10: Is service just as important as pro ...

Steve

Member Photo

Forum Posts

Categories

Member

Website: http://www.commercialforestproducts.com/the-ghost-...

I used to have a very clinical black & white approach to sales. If our product was clearly better or could save money, it was hard for me to understand why we didn't get the sale.

I now appreciate there is an emotional component that's often a lot more powerful than the money or our service level.

Does the customer feel good about pulling the trigger with you?

When people see an empty restaurant, they assume they shouldn't go in there. It's an emotional decision that has very little to do with pricing or food.

One company's parking lot is filled with luxury cars, the other with 30 year old pickup trucks. The snobby customer will feel better with the Mercedes company. To the value buyer, the Mercedes cars are a red flag.

It's a few years old but Why We Buy is a good read on this topic.

Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping

0 --

Post a Response to this thread

notify me of responses to this topic

www.tradesoftinc.com

Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Other Resources | Site Map

Buy and Sell Exchanges

Job Opportunities and Services Exchange
Employment opportunities and services within the woodworking industry

Lumber Exchange
A worldwide buy/sell exchange for lumber and wood products

Machinery Exchange
A worldwide buyer and seller exchange for woodworking machinery and equipment.

Classified Ad Exchange
Classified advertising for the woodworking industry (for advertisements that do not include machinery, lumber products and employment listings)

Forums

Adhesives Forum
Discussing topics related to adhesives within the woodworking industry

Architectural Woodworking Forum
Discussing quality standards and production of architectural wood products

Business and Management Forum
A forum for the discussion of business topics: from sales and marketing to dealing with difficult customers.

Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum
Discussing all aspects of installation issues encountered by cabinet and millwork installers.

Cabinetmaking Forum
Discussing 32mm and face frame cabinet construction including fabrication, casegoods design, and installation.

CAD Forum
Shedding light on the all-too-often shadowy world of CAD.

CNC Forum
Discussing CNC (computer numerically controlled) woodworking equipment, software, and automated product manufacturing.

Dust Collection, Safety and Plant Operation Forum
Discussing topics related to maintaining a safe and productive working environment.

Professional Finishing Forum
Finishing issues for the production environment

Forestry Forum
The science and art of forest cultivation and timber management, planting, surveying, tree diseases, silviculture and timber harvesting

Professional Furniture Making Forum
Helping professional furniture makers improve quality, save time, and increase profits

Laminating and Solid Surfacing Forum
Issues related to laminating and solid surface materials and processes

Commercial Kiln Drying Forum
Discussions covering issues faced be commercial drying operations that process at least 750,000 bd. ft. of lumber per year

Sawing and Drying Forum
Discussing topics related to primary processing and drying of lumber

Solid Wood Machining Forum
Discussing topics related to the machining of solid wood

Value Added Wood Products Forum
Learn how to improve your output, find new markets, and boost sales of your lumber products

Veneer Forum
Discussing topics related to veneer processing, manufacturing, and fabrication

WOODnetWORK
An electronic discussion group for woodworkers throughout the world

Galleries

Project Gallery
Where professional woodworkers can post examples of their work

Sawmill Gallery
Professional primary processing companies display and describe their sawmill facilities

Shop Gallery
Professional woodworkers display and describe their shop facilities, products and equipment

Shopbuilt Equipment Gallery
Professional woodworker's jigs, rigs, and shopbuilt equipment

Other Resources

Industry News
Late-breaking news from all sectors of the wood industry

Video Library
Index of industrial woodworking related digital videos on the web

Auctions, Sales and Special Offers
Advertisers offering woodworkers discounted prices on good and services, and announcements of upcoming auctions

FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.

Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.

A valid email return address must be included with each message.

Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.

Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.

"Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.

Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.

Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.

Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.

Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.

Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.

Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.

Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
(return to top).

Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

Libel: Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

Improper Decorum: Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

Advertising: The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)

Forum Posting Form Guidelines
Your Name	The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
Your Website	Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
E-Mail Address	Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
Subject	Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines	Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
Thread Related File Uploads	Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .FLV .MP4 (Image Upload Tips) If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)

Refer a Friend || Read This Important Information || Site Map || Privacy Policy || Site User Agreement

Letters, questions or comments? E-Mail us and let us know what you think. Be sure to review our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Contact us to discuss advertising or to report problems with this site.

To report a problem, send an e-mail to our Webmaster

Copyright © 1996-2020 - WOODWEB ® Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without permission of the Editor.
Review WOODWEB's Copyright Policy.

The editors, writers, and staff at WOODWEB try to promote safe practices. What is safe for one woodworker under certain conditions may not be safe for others in different circumstances. Readers should undertake the use of materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk.

WOODWEB, Inc.
335 Bedell Road
Montrose, PA 18801

Contact WOODWEB