Ok maybe that is a little dramatic. But we have cleared out all the stores and we are still 5 elongated seats short! In addition, we sold 4 more seats today. I was able to carve up those so I'm only behind the 5 elongated. Not to worry, we are heading to Grand Rapids on Thursday and hopefully will find some there. This lack of seats problem is really getting to us. So much so that we were forced to do something we rarely do and dislike even more....Socialize! That is right! We, I mean I, with the my wife's total disapproval, flagged down one of the store managers and talked to her about our plight. If nothing else, they could carry more for the next three months. (FWI We spend over $10,000 in seats a year, depending on how sales go. That might be a little low) If you were a store, wouldn't you like a chunk of that Pie? Cheryl and I did a small, simple calculation on how much money we bring into the struggling Michigan economy and we concluded that Michigan benefit's more from us being here in our business, than in the taxes it charges us. Also we bring in more money than we ourselves get to hang on to. Can you say "redistribution of wealth?" I don't mean to rant, just that the cost of seats and shipping through local business take roughly 2/3 of our gross. add fees and other costs ( electricity, tools, poly, paint, sandpaper, Internet, etc.) Again, all local costs. Now all we have to do is get some money for US! lol. We need profit to grow and expand. Well, this is sounding like my economics class. and Probably was stimulated by yet another bad customer. They purchased a seat three months ago and found out it is the wrong size. They want to exchange it out for the elongated ( remember, there are none at the current time) and want US to pay for them to ship the standard seat back to us. I should remind you that we offered free shipping to begin with. Now this person wants shipping back and back again! What business model is she forming her assumption on? Are we missing something? To the best of my knowledge, If you have any problem with something, and the company offers refunds and exchanges, you have to pay to ship it back to the company, then they refund or exchange it. I 'm not talking damage or wrong messed up orders ( we take care of that right away) I'm talking the customer messed up and wants us to pay for it. ( THREE months later) 2 months over our policy. Hmm.. such is the price for doing buisness. Perhaps we shoiudl be charging more....
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Seat Crisis!
So there simply are no more seats within 50 miles of us.
Ok maybe that is a little dramatic. But we have cleared out all the stores and we are still 5 elongated seats short! In addition, we sold 4 more seats today. I was able to carve up those so I'm only behind the 5 elongated. Not to worry, we are heading to Grand Rapids on Thursday and hopefully will find some there. This lack of seats problem is really getting to us. So much so that we were forced to do something we rarely do and dislike even more....Socialize! That is right! We, I mean I, with the my wife's total disapproval, flagged down one of the store managers and talked to her about our plight. If nothing else, they could carry more for the next three months. (FWI We spend over $10,000 in seats a year, depending on how sales go. That might be a little low) If you were a store, wouldn't you like a chunk of that Pie? Cheryl and I did a small, simple calculation on how much money we bring into the struggling Michigan economy and we concluded that Michigan benefit's more from us being here in our business, than in the taxes it charges us. Also we bring in more money than we ourselves get to hang on to. Can you say "redistribution of wealth?" I don't mean to rant, just that the cost of seats and shipping through local business take roughly 2/3 of our gross. add fees and other costs ( electricity, tools, poly, paint, sandpaper, Internet, etc.) Again, all local costs. Now all we have to do is get some money for US! lol. We need profit to grow and expand. Well, this is sounding like my economics class. and Probably was stimulated by yet another bad customer. They purchased a seat three months ago and found out it is the wrong size. They want to exchange it out for the elongated ( remember, there are none at the current time) and want US to pay for them to ship the standard seat back to us. I should remind you that we offered free shipping to begin with. Now this person wants shipping back and back again! What business model is she forming her assumption on? Are we missing something? To the best of my knowledge, If you have any problem with something, and the company offers refunds and exchanges, you have to pay to ship it back to the company, then they refund or exchange it. I 'm not talking damage or wrong messed up orders ( we take care of that right away) I'm talking the customer messed up and wants us to pay for it. ( THREE months later) 2 months over our policy. Hmm.. such is the price for doing buisness. Perhaps we shoiudl be charging more....
Ok maybe that is a little dramatic. But we have cleared out all the stores and we are still 5 elongated seats short! In addition, we sold 4 more seats today. I was able to carve up those so I'm only behind the 5 elongated. Not to worry, we are heading to Grand Rapids on Thursday and hopefully will find some there. This lack of seats problem is really getting to us. So much so that we were forced to do something we rarely do and dislike even more....Socialize! That is right! We, I mean I, with the my wife's total disapproval, flagged down one of the store managers and talked to her about our plight. If nothing else, they could carry more for the next three months. (FWI We spend over $10,000 in seats a year, depending on how sales go. That might be a little low) If you were a store, wouldn't you like a chunk of that Pie? Cheryl and I did a small, simple calculation on how much money we bring into the struggling Michigan economy and we concluded that Michigan benefit's more from us being here in our business, than in the taxes it charges us. Also we bring in more money than we ourselves get to hang on to. Can you say "redistribution of wealth?" I don't mean to rant, just that the cost of seats and shipping through local business take roughly 2/3 of our gross. add fees and other costs ( electricity, tools, poly, paint, sandpaper, Internet, etc.) Again, all local costs. Now all we have to do is get some money for US! lol. We need profit to grow and expand. Well, this is sounding like my economics class. and Probably was stimulated by yet another bad customer. They purchased a seat three months ago and found out it is the wrong size. They want to exchange it out for the elongated ( remember, there are none at the current time) and want US to pay for them to ship the standard seat back to us. I should remind you that we offered free shipping to begin with. Now this person wants shipping back and back again! What business model is she forming her assumption on? Are we missing something? To the best of my knowledge, If you have any problem with something, and the company offers refunds and exchanges, you have to pay to ship it back to the company, then they refund or exchange it. I 'm not talking damage or wrong messed up orders ( we take care of that right away) I'm talking the customer messed up and wants us to pay for it. ( THREE months later) 2 months over our policy. Hmm.. such is the price for doing buisness. Perhaps we shoiudl be charging more....
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
LinkWithin
3 comments:
Ethan,
I would certainly offer the Plywood Seats because of being Cheaper to buy and make and more money and profit in it for you, Then I would rewrite your policy's to better suit your needs.
I wouldn't offer Free Shipping UNLESS you purchase 2+ Seats, or offer discounted Shipping on 2+ Seats.
And I would not offer Any Exchanges. I would simply say, We do not offer Refunds nor exchanges, Please read Description before Purchasing my Product to make sure we have what you like and what you are looking for in Stock.
It would be Beneficial to you and your clients. This is the policy that I have for mine.
Handi
true, But you astill have to sell them and be compettive. If you charge too much of offer no incentive, then you sell fewer and end up with less money in your pocket. I know that we sell less when we charge what we should, but there is this magic marginal line where we sell more and maximize profit when we sell them for less. but in doing so, peopkle have to understand that we can not offer all the "bonuses" that come with a higher price. It's frustrating, because when we finally set on a price, people still want more for even less. "if I buy 4 can I get a discount on shipping" even when we offer free shipping to begin with! We could give them a break on shipping , but we would have to ask more for the seat to begin with.. We can't give seats away or worse, pay people to take them!
Ethan,
That's completely understandable and I know what you mean and where you are coming from.
You have more money coming in then I do, so you are able to offer a few bonus or free shipping, where as me, my Shipping is basically a Flat 3 bucks, but I told the buyer to look at my Shipping Policy to give me their zip to provide best possible shipping rates.
I sent 4 out last month, and the Shipping was almost 5 bucks, and i only sell most of my Ornaments for 2.50 which is pretty cheap, some I sell for a dollar more and some I sell for just a little more then that, but I can't offer free shipping lol, if I do, then I will be out, expecially on the 2.50 Ornaments.
Anyway, you basically have to do what's best for your Business, I can see Charging a little less for them, gaining profit slower because of more Sales, but then I can also see the other side of charging a little more to maximize your profits with fewer customers, both ways work out in the end, no matter how high the price, if someone likes it, someone is going to buy it.
You may have been in business longer then I have also lol, but I've seen alot also!
Handi
Post a Comment