PM Gear needs new customer service reps...

**bad_roo** · 03-29-2005, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by crashnburn'd

I'd like to chime in and let everyone know who I think was at fault and also call people who've posted before names. Since I'm a pretend buisness and industrial management specialist with no real knowledge of the situation, I'm going to tell everyone involved how to avoid this situation in the future and what I would have done to correct it at the time.

**FNG** · 03-29-2005, 04:23 PM

[anectdote]

[opinion]

[mildly funny picture]

repeat.

**Jax** · 03-29-2005, 06:06 PM

Originally Posted by Stu Gotz

Ummmm.....will there be Bros. in 178 next year?

Hmmm...perfect for us chicks. They could call it the Bra...

**Dexter Rutecki** · 03-29-2005, 06:08 PM

I wish I could remember Roo's initial description of Rerun when he didn't know who he was. Something about his rakish appearance.

**altagirl** · 03-29-2005, 06:20 PM

Originally Posted by Jax

Hmmm...perfect for us chicks. They could call it the Bra...

I belive I voted against calling it the Bra a while back, but at this point I don't care what you call it or what it looks like. Just make a 175-178ish version. PLEASE.

**splat** · 03-29-2005, 06:36 PM

Originally Posted by altagirl

I belive I voted against calling it the Bra a while back, but at this point I don't care what you call it or what it looks like. Just make a 175-178ish version. PLEASE.

It's coming ladies. I just got off the phone with our new investors. They're totally stoked and committed to building a new production facility that will engineer and construct the downsized Bros. We're thinking two notches down, like a 180 and a 173, or around there. We're tied into some professional engineering and manufacturing talent now and I expect this to go off without the hitches we've experienced with our current manufacturers.

**altachic** · 03-29-2005, 06:36 PM

178 would be perfect

**phUnk** · 03-29-2005, 06:50 PM

The new Ho Model is going to be sweet.

**splat** · 03-29-2005, 06:53 PM

Could you put that in your avatar, phUnkie?

**Mr. Altagirl** · 03-29-2005, 07:35 PM

Originally Posted by splat

It's coming ladies. I just got off the phone with our new investors. They're totally stoked and committed to building a new production facility that will engineer and construct the downsized Bros. We're thinking two notches down, like a 180 and a 173, or around there. We're tied into some professional engineering and manufacturing talent now and I expect this to go off without the hitches we've experienced with our current manufacturers.

Sweet, then I can quit worrying about AG taking my skis when I'm not looking.

**bigtrubs** · 03-29-2005, 07:53 PM

178.333333333333333 would be perfecter.

so, sticking with ho model? I'd rock it.

**summit** · 03-29-2005, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by DJSapp

This whole issue with Truth and Splat sounds like the next step of growing pains for the company, out of the forgiving maggot world and into the unforgiving irrational demands in the world of public sales.

Clearly, it's irrational to expect to recieve your skis before a customer who ordered the skis 4 months after you.

It is not as though this issue wasn't brewing. Truth was inquiring about his skis 5 months ago, and after that others were given their skis even though they ordered their skis 1 month after Truth first started complaining!

Why didn't he get the skis in January when they were being shipped to people who ordered after him?

Does Truth have the right to be pissed off?

The TRUTH is that it doesn't really matter.

In the ski world of side deals, you hook those up who hook you up and vice versa. You screw the people who fuck with you. The real business world is not the rep hookup system where you punish someone who is badmouthing you. You try to make things right so that they don't continue to attack your reputation which is vital for a small startup and most fragile during the first year. Kissing ass is part of CS. More importantly, doing what is right... (for the business). This will usualyl save you money.

A few vocal pissed off customers with the power of the internet in a small customer base can heavily damage the reputation and growth of a startup company that cannot afford a fancy PR firm.

From the point of view of someone who:
1. Probably won't buy Bro models for the simple reason that I have more skis than I know what to do with.
2. Has customer service experience with several businesses including one I had myself.
3. Has met Pat
4. Has not met Truth
...
I think that the Truth incident will cost PMGear far more money than expediting his skis over people who ordered *after* him would have cost them (cost... $0?). But what can they do now?

This isn't to say Truth was noble in his action of informing the public... wait that is a good thing... I do not buy into the "praise in public, criticism in private" school of thought. I think that is horseshit and I find the people who are jumping on Truth for speaking about his bad experience are not fully thinking the situation through. We complain about other companies all the time. PMGear gets special dispensation because they are maggots. OK... how long? And to what extent? Forever? Some of these people would be calling Truth an asshole if he had waited until now to complain for the first time. 8 months!

Truth was a jerk about it? He is a squeeky wheel... a looud one. Now where the heck was the grease? In February maybe? The grease was available.

And I have been a jerk too:

I posted a message from Nordica CS to this board because the ridiculous level was outstanding. It's good public information. Nordica's attitude causes me to continue to badmouth their products and their parent company's (Technica Group) products at the ski shop I work at.

I complained publicly about Ortovox TS. Ortovox made things right! Good for Ortovox! I continue to reccomend their products as a SAR type person. A buddy of mine is going to buy an Ortovox M2 on my reccomendation.

What can we take away from this? A rule of customer service: Pissed off customers alienate more customers losing you money in the longrun. If you make things right, the customer will probably be impressed enough that they will become extremely loyal and recruit customers on their own! The cost of fixing the problem usually pays for itself. It's a form of marketing.

If I order a PC from Dell with a large discount coupon and someone pays full price tomorrow, my computer will be built and shipped first. That is the way things are supposed to work unless otherwise agreed upon BEFOREHAND.

Originally Posted by powder11

not enough ski time makes people angry

Isn't that the Truth.

I know all about that. It sucks you have to work, but it's what you got yourself into. I am speaking about myself as well. You know you shouldn't vent on others but you can't help it sometimes. I've done it. However, that doesn't make it right.

**Uma** · 03-29-2005, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by crashnburn'd

I'd like to chime in and let everyone know who I think was at fault and also call people who've posted before names. Since I'm a pretend buisness and industrial management specialist with no real knowledge of the situation, I'm going to tell everyone involved how to avoid this situation in the future and what I would have done to correct it at the time.

Very well said.

**DJSapp** · 03-30-2005, 09:25 AM

Summit, allow me to clearify: I don't believe truth is being unreasonable or irrational. Truth is just done hanging out in the world of ski deals, and wants his gear. The world of CS that pmg is stepping into can (and often is) unreasonable and irrational.

Crashnburn'd has a good point. I'm done.

**Viva** · 03-30-2005, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by DJSapp

Crashnburn'd has a good point.

Which one?

**rippin** · 03-30-2005, 10:05 AM

I had dealings with PM Gear and Pat couldn't have been more accomodating and professional on the phone. In fact I've ordered five other items from him without fail. I'll order again from PM Gear and hope to deal with Pat as the customer relations guy in the future.