I phoned both companies beforehand and they both advised me to email the list to them, and both companies got exactly the same email. It was pretty straight forward. I needed a few H pencils, and then the entire range of B pencils, right up to the 9B. I even went as far as telling them that I would buy a box of each 8 and 9B if it was not going to be a good idea to order only one pencil at a time. Other than that, I was looking for kneadable (putty) erasers, and a sketchbook.
One of these stationers have an "agreement" with most of the schools around these parts to supply the stationary and books the kids would need at the beginning of each year, and the other does not, but I have worked with them in the past and knew that they are a good company.
Right, to get to the meat of the story. Let's call them company A and company B. (Not going to name 'n shame, because they would know who they are if they were reading this). Company A sent me my quote about 10 minutes after sending them the first email. Company B waited until after 2 and then I only got a blank email with a PDF attached. By that time I had already corresponded with company A a few times about stock availability etc.
So, after two, when I got the email from Company B, I called them and asked to speak to the representative. I greeted him politely, asked him about the other B pencil ranges I was looking for. I was only quoted for a 2B, 4B and a 6B, where I initially asked for the whole range. I was told that these pencils are not available and he offered no reason, and also didn't tell me why I was only quoted for one brand of pencil. In the end his surly attitude made me cut the call short. Company A, however bent over backwards for me, ensuring that I would be able to get my pencils by the weekend, (and my erasers). Which is good for me because I have sketches I need to work on for exhibitions later in the year.
In the end, because of their service, Company B not only lost out on the money from the pencils (which would have been considerable), they have also lost out on the small fortune I pay for my daughters books and stationary I get from them every year.
I've always been a stick in the mud about customer service. It's been drummed into me since I started working in Retail. A customer doesn't care whether or not you're having a bad day, they don't know what you do during the day, or what happened to you before they call. They want a good price and the knowledge that the company they're potentially buying from is going to be a friendly bunch that would help them with anything they might need. Company A anticipated everything I may have needed, simply because I told them I was looking for sketching supplies. I was offered a tin of pencils that I would not have bought had I not needed them. They were friendly, efficient, and offered to call me to remind me that my pencils would be ready and waiting for me tomorrow.
Which company would you support if that happened to you?
