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98.23.18.15
In Reply to: RE: VPI Traveler Finally Up and Running posted by badteacher on August 17, 2014 at 16:50:42
If I were running a business, I would ship a brand new turntable if the turntable failed out-of-the-box or within the first 30-days. I think it's appalling that you have to send in a brand new defective turntable for repair and then wait five weeks. It should have been replaced with a new one.Many companies will ship a new item immediately when they are notified of a defect within the first 30-days. I have a friend who just bought an Oppo BDP-105D that proved defective within the first 30-days. Oppo shipped a brand new unit immediately when he called to notify them. They told him to pack the defective unit and it would be picked up at his house. That's the way to run a business, in my opinion.
Best regards,
John Elison
Edits: 08/18/14Follow Ups:
Really John, you don't think it is the dealers responsibility to replace the table if it has a problem. If my Explorer breaks in the first 36 months it goes to my dealer and they fix it no charge. Only in this backwards business does a dealer think the manufacturer is the fixer of first resort. Call us, tell us you have a problem, we can replace it if you do not have stock (G-d forbid they should have stock) and the problem is solved. Don't tell the customer to call us and have to deal with a manufacturer, we try hard but we are very, very busy and the dealer is front line of this business. If we dump the dealers and fix it all ourselves we could sell Travelers for Music Hall prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That by the way is the reason we are so backed up with e-mails, phone calls, and social media, most of the dealers do not take care of the problems that may occur as they occur. John, we have over 250,000 customers, all with computers, land line phones, and smart phones who call all day long. If the dealers could handle the new stuff we could easily handle the older customers upgrading, buying on E-bay, or just looking to talk.
We do not mind doing this but feel the dealer has to do something besides supply a box! Oh, and now all the dealers will jump in and explain how wonderful they are, after 35 years making this stuff and 20 more as a customer you can tell your story walking.
I should write a book about this business. BTW, John it is great to be retired, I can say whatever is on my mind.
HW
You sound like such a darling. I bet you chose those dealers. Was it to have a ready excuse for your own company's issues?
Never known you to be a wallflower, retired or not. :-)
-Wendell
That's the problem with companies like Music Direct. They call themselves dealers but are really distributors. Dealers are locations with a physical showroom, who take time to demonstrate the equipment and work through any questions or problems. They promote and support the products they represent. Distributors are warehouses that ship; boxes in, boxes out. Unfortunately, they don't even do a good job of that as HW alluded to, they don't provide adequate stock to keep up with the demand.
Dealers typically make 35-40 points in order to compensate them for their time and effort in promoting the products and the amount of floor space (and warehouse space) they have to devote to the product.
Distributors typically make 10-15 points as they don't have the same costs involved as dealers. They are volume based with minimum effort.
However, Music Direct and others demand 40%, the same margins as dealers even though they barely qualify as a distributor.
My advice to VPI: Support your dealers and lose the distributors, they are only hurting your business.
Your statement may be generally true, or was before local dealers became a footnote to the Internet, but Music Direct has exceptional customer service. They have stock and apparently, the financial muscle to treat a customer right.
My Traveler was a Demo at a substantial discount and when the motor failed on Day Two, they immediately provided a prepaid return label and shipped a fresh replacement unit.
Years ago, I bought my VPI 16.5 from Music Direct. It arrived DOA. Music Direct promptly shipped me a RMA and shipping label and I had a complete replacement within a week. Fantastic service.
You can run your business any way you want. I'm just saying how I would run mine based on other businesses that I've had experience with. I just bought an Oppo BDP-105D and it is the most phenomenal audio component I've ever owned. Furthermore it costs less than your Traveler turntable and I was simply explaining how Oppo responds to their customers who experience failures within the first 30-days.Yes, it's great to be retired! I enjoy being able to speak my mind, too.
Best regards,
John Elison
Edits: 08/17/14 08/18/14
"If I were running a business, I would ship a brand new turntable if the turntable failed out-of-the box or within the first 30-days. I think it's appalling that you have to send in a brand new defective turntable in for repair and then wait five weeks. It should have been replaced with a new one.
Many companies will ship a new item immediately when they are notified of a defect within the first 30-days. I have a friend who just bought an Oppo BDP-105D that proved defective within the first 30-days. Oppo shipped a brand new unit immediately when he called to notify them. They told him to pack the defective unit and it would be picked up at his house. That's the way to run a business, in my opinion.
Best regards,
John Elison "
+100
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