My phone rant

[StanleySpadowski]

My number two pet peeve (right after those inserts in magazines)

If you're in sales, don't answer the darn phone if a customer takes the time to come to your store, don't walk away instead of finishing with them....

I had five figures worth of furniture picked out but was asking a few questions about the couch when the salesperson walked away from me to answer a ringing phone....hope that person had a great order because they lost my business. I just walked away and drove to another store down the street.

 

[arglebargle]

A bird in the hand is worth 2 rings on the phone....?


I agree, it seems real dumb to me. Some businesses may have a policy to answer all phone calls, but if someone is obviously doing some serious business, I'd definitely focus on the immediate situation.

 

[Signals]

Time for a policy change.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Something similar happened to us not that long ago. We were shopping for new flooring for the dining room and kitchen. We were about to make a deal with a sales person and he got called away for something. I never found out what it was because we left.

 

[Hostile]

My number two pet peeve (right after those inserts in magazines)

If you're in sales, don't answer the darn phone if a customer takes the time to come to your store, don't walk away instead of finishing with them....

I had five figures worth of furniture picked out but was asking a few questions about the couch when the salesperson walked away from me to answer a ringing phone....hope that person had a great order because they lost my business. I just walked away and drove to another store down the street.

I have done this with vehicle deals twice.

Once the salesman "went to the sales manager with my offer." I happened to see him go into the break room to get coffee instead of taking the deal to the SM or coming back to me. He just wanted me to stew for a while. Deal off the table.

The second time my offer was totally ignored as were my questions, all they did was adjust their price by about 200 bucks and act like they were really reaching. I walked out. Minutes later the SM was calling me with a serious offer and it was a good one. Too late.

 

[notherbob]

Too few businesses know how to treat customers anymore, same with many if not most individual salespeople these days. Maybe they just don't know how to succeed.

Business goes where it is wanted and stays where it is appreciated.

 

[urface59]

I have done this with vehicle deals twice.

Once the salesman "went to the sales manager with my offer." I happened to see him go into the break room to get coffee instead of taking the deal to the SM or coming back to me. He just wanted me to stew for a while. Deal off the table.

The second time my offer was totally ignored as were my questions, all they did was adjust their price by about 200 bucks and act like they were really reaching. I walked out. Minutes later the SM was calling me with a serious offer and it was a good one. Too late.

I thought you had to go through this step to get a good deal on a car pretty much everytime. They seem to always do this.

 

[Hostile]

I thought you had to go through this step to get a good deal on a car pretty much everytime. They seem to always do this.

Have to? I don't know. That is their game.

But don't screw around on my time. They did. I walked. Someone else got the deal both times.

 

[Hoofbite]

I guess a lot of businesses think that an annoying ringing phone is worse than asking someone to have a little patience.

The guy knows how long it will take to put someone on hold.

He has no clue how many questions are about to be asked to him while that phone rings.

Lets see........15 seconds to answer a phone and put it on hold.

or

Indefinite ringing.

 

[Anjinsan]

My number two pet peeve (right after those inserts in magazines)

If you're in sales, don't answer the darn phone if a customer takes the time to come to your store, don't walk away instead of finishing with them....

I had five figures worth of furniture picked out but was asking a few questions about the couch when the salesperson walked away from me to answer a ringing phone....hope that person had a great order because they lost my business. I just walked away and drove to another store down the street.

Good for you. I hop you told the store manager before you walked out.

 

[jimmy40]

My number two pet peeve (right after those inserts in magazines)

If you're in sales, don't answer the darn phone if a customer takes the time to come to your store, don't walk away instead of finishing with them....

I had five figures worth of furniture picked out but was asking a few questions about the couch when the salesperson walked away from me to answer a ringing phone....hope that person had a great order because they lost my business. I just walked away and drove to another store down the street.

and if you called that business on the phone and they didn't answer?

 

[jimmy40]

I guess a lot of businesses think that an annoying ringing phone is worse than asking someone to have a little patience.

The guy knows how long it will take to put someone on hold.

He has no clue how many questions are about to be asked to him while that phone rings.

Lets see........15 seconds to answer a phone and put it on hold.

or

Indefinite ringing.

show me a retail store that doesn't answer the phone and I'll show you a closed retail store.

 

[Hostile]

and if you called that business on the phone and they didn't answer?

It's easy, have a receptionist instead of a phone mail system.

 

[WarC]

I thought you had to go through this step to get a good deal on a car pretty much everytime. They seem to always do this.

Yeah last time I bought a car I made one personal visit followed by about four or five days of haggling over email and telephone. I did the poor college student bit and got $4k knocked off the car.

 

[jimmy40]

It's easy, have a receptionist instead of a phone mail system.

and that phone operator is going to transfer the call to whatever dept. you want. if it was easy there wouldn't be a phone ringing.

 

[Teren_Kanan]

At my denny's we are absolutely required to answer the phone within 3 rings. Our cashier and hostesses have to answer it regardless of customers cashing out or needing to be sat. However, you are also required to put the caller on hold if you have a guest in front of you needing help. Just have to answer it.

 

[Vtwin]

Last new car I bought I did the deal by phone.

First dealer had the car I wanted listed on thier website. I called with the ID# and asked to talk to sales. Got the sales guy on the phone and asked him for his rock bottom number on the exact car I wanted. I had done my research and knew what I was willing to pay. Guy would not give me a number. "Needed" me to come in for some reason. Told me it depends on the trade in. Told him no trade involved. Then it depended on financing. Told him I already had that covered. I finally told the guy that if he wanted to do business with me he needed to give me a number. He would not do it.


Second dealer at first tried to get me to come in but quickly realized I wasn't playing games and he gave me a number. We went back and forth a bit via email and that evening the wife and I went in and bought the car.

 

[trickblue]

I have always been that way... do NOT leave me to answer a phone as I took the time to physically visit your store...

I found out last week that there are exceptions. We had found the perfect bedroom suit for our home when the sales person was paged to the phone. Kind of really aggravated us as we were looking at a large purchase. We left soon after but never really found anything else we liked as much so we went back to the store. They informed us the salesperson had to leave for a family emergency.

I went to look again last weekend and asked for our salesperson. I told her we had come back but missed her. She said she was sorry but that her mother had been ill and they had called the family together. She passed away the next day... Mother's Day.

I realize this is an exception to the rule, but things aren't always as they seem.

 

[tupperware]

It works both ways though. If you leave the phone ringing indefinitely theres no reason to not think if you needed to call in for a problem with your furniture that your call would be ignored too.

 

[jimmy40]

At my denny's we are absolutely required to answer the phone within 3 rings.

pretty much the rule at any retail store that's not housed in a closed down gas station.