The customer experience.....

[Blown Motor]

Not even a year yet....

We are attempting to be the leading soft goods and gear provider in the industry. We carry and stock over 50 brands right now...

www.BLOWNMOTOR.com

I got the business license in March of 2012. We did the sled giveaway and promo stuff all summer to promote what we were doing. September 7th was our first actual day selling product at HayDays. We attended and sold at 10 snow shows across the country both US and Canada. The website launched Third week in November for Beta testing, and then officially opened the retail store and website on Black Friday.

So nope you haven't missed much haha! We are trying to make the biggest customer service impact that we can. It is very important for us to provide the best service and experience we can. Before, during, after a sale or just communication. Our FACEBOOK is updated daily with product shots, BLOWN MOTOR riders, and videos pertaining to us in some way. We also have a decent following on INSTAGRAM and TWITTER. So trying to complete the customer service circle with providing great content on the sport, trying out and riding in the gear we are selling, and then processing orders and questions to the fullest of our abilities. This means staying late, working more, and sleeping less. But in the end, it will be worth it for sure.

Your guy's support has been huge both on here, DooTalk, OSM, BCR, and other sites along with our social media. Feel free to always send us emails or PM's with questions or concerns. Thanks for followin us!!

 

[Blk88GT]

Thanks for the incredibly complete answer

 

[bholmlate]

Customer service is a hard one to define because it means so many different things to different people and depends on if your in the store, on the phone, or online.

I think there is one common thread to all of them and that would be communication and respect for the customer. I dont mean the old say" the customer is always right either" Although in my case that is always true HeHe.

If you are up front and honest with poeple BEFORE the sale even in the event that you don't make the sale and then stand behind the products AFTER the sale when you do make the sale, you can't loose. Here it what i am talking about.

1. Answer question I might have up front and take interest in what I am looking for by asking question back to me even if you dont make the sale. I often will return at another time just becasue of the information you handed out.
2. Make suggestions on items that might work better in certain applications that I might not be aware of. This tells me that you are taking interest in me as a customer and tells me that you have knowledge about what it is you are selling. There are ways of doing this that don't come off sounding like a big sales pitch. This one goes with #1 above
3. Be honest about availibility and common shipping times of items even if it means that you might loose a sale or two if something is needed right away. Most of us realize that stuff happens and sometimes you are getting the same run around by your own distributors. However if you tell us that we will get our order in however many days and time after time we get our orders in said days, it will pay dividends way into the future
4. Stand behind the products you sell and make an honest effort to solve issues that arise. If I see a company willing to work with me on issues that I am having it tells me that you respect my choice of buying your product. Regardless of how good your products are there will always be issues.
5. Here is a tough one. Have reasonably priced items. We all know that you are in business to make money. Most also realizes that sometimes your hands are tied with MAP but I normally will pay a little more for an item if I know I will get service after the sale. If there is service linked to the higher priced item most would be willing to make the purchase. However it seems like this is not that case anymore and people are paying higher and higher prices and geting nothing after the sale. I think this is the reason why cheaper seems to win out more often.

With online purchanses i like web sites that are easy to navigate without a lot of hoops to jump through to find what I am looking for. Having links to associated items that are commonely purchased together saves me time on hunting thigns down on my own

Even if you do everything perfect, you will still get people that dont think they got a fair deal and will bad mouth your company over and over again. However by treating your customers with repsect you will often find you have way more out there recommanding your company to their friends.

 

[4funxs]

Treat all customers the same, yesterday I sent my boy into a local shop to buy a couple y-pipe gaskets and bolts and washers. I understand the pricing on the gaskets, but 2.99 each for 8 washers and 3.99 each for 8 1/4" bolts. OUCH! He didn't know any better and they saw him coming. They will never see our business again. My kids also told my wife of a Christmas gift idea she wanted to surprise me with and they treated her like crap because she didn't know exactly what she was looking for. I have tried to always support Weller's Rec here in Utah with my business, I have bought four sleds through them. The little stuff is more conveniant accross the Wasatch front, but after yesterday I will making the 2 hour drive more often to Weller's for the little stuff. They know what it takes to keep customers, because without customer service why else would people go more than an hour away from any metro area to buy stuff. Like others have said if it's not available or delayed call. My snow season is a total of 15 weekends. If a sled goes down I will pay extra for shipping or whatever to try and get it back on the snow. All I want is someone who is going to treat everyone like they want to be treated, or especially how they would like their family treated. I am busy and sometimes it is conveniant to have someone else run the sled errands, I just hope that they and I are treated fairly. I am sorry to say that most of my purchases are over the counter, I do appreciate internedt sales, but I try and support the guy that will be there behind the counter or sales floor when I need something.

 

[tdblakes]

Customer Service

Here’s how I see it…
<O</O
(btw the fact that YOU, the retailer, are asking US, the customer, about what WE want the experience to be like shows me that you seem to care about us and want to build your business in a positive manner)<O</O
<O</O
There are 2 kinds of items I shop for when I’m buying snowmobile stuff. <O</O
1. Sleds<O</O
- Personable- The salesman needs to know and be able to talk about the product they’re selling. So naturally I like to buy sleds from someone that knows snowmobiling.<O</O
- Respectful – The salesman needs to recognize that I want what I want. They shouldn’t try to talk me out of my purchase because it’s not what THEY would do. On the flip side, the salesman should know the options of what’s available so they can suggest a “better” package to get what I want in the most cost effective manner. So it’s kind of a double edge sword…<O</O
- Overall I like to get the feeling that I’m getting an honest and high quality deal from people that can see things from my perspective. I will always try to deal with my local dealer on vehicles because they are going to be the one to support me if I have serious issues down the road.<O</O
<O</O
2. Apparel/Accessories<O</O
- This I mostly do online because my local dealer doesn’t carry the brands that I like… this is where BlownMotor comes in for me…<O</O
- Obviously I like to see the lowest price but at bare minimum it needs to be competitive with other retailers.<O</O
- I look for an easy to navigate website that has detailed descriptions of the product.<O</O
- I look for product reviews (like revzilla has youtube videos of product reviews which I like)<O</O
- I look for customer reviews of the retailer and product on the actual website I’m looking to purchase from.<O</O
- I look for communication options with that retailer, whether it is a phone number or email address and I expect timely replies. <O</O
- I look for an up-to-date “in stock” or “out of stock” reference to the product.<O</O
- Along the lines of communication, if I find a better deal elsewhere, I look to see if the retailer is willing to work with me. I understand that some prices are not negotiable because they are set from their vendors but shipping costs and time always are in my opinion. If you’re trying to make a customer happy, I notice the “above and beyond” mentality of retailers.<O</O
<O</O
Above all, if you make me (the customer) feel like I’m getting the Best Bang for my Buck, you’ll get my business every time… this includes initial product costs, shipping, warranties, returns, product update notices, recalls, after purchase care and maintenance… etc. <O</O
<O</O
Sorry for the long post, hopefully some of it is useful. <O</O

 

[Blown Motor]

Treat all customers the same, yesterday I sent my boy into a local shop to buy a couple y-pipe gaskets and bolts and washers. I understand the pricing on the gaskets, but 2.99 each for 8 washers and 3.99 each for 8 1/4" bolts. OUCH! He didn't know any better and they saw him coming. They will never see our business again. My kids also told my wife of a Christmas gift idea she wanted to surprise me with and they treated her like crap because she didn't know exactly what she was looking for. I have tried to always support Weller's Rec here in Utah with my business, I have bought four sleds through them. The little stuff is more conveniant accross the Wasatch front, but after yesterday I will making the 2 hour drive more often to Weller's for the little stuff. They know what it takes to keep customers, because without customer service why else would people go more than an hour away from any metro area to buy stuff. Like others have said if it's not available or delayed call. My snow season is a total of 15 weekends. If a sled goes down I will pay extra for shipping or whatever to try and get it back on the snow. All I want is someone who is going to treat everyone like they want to be treated, or especially how they would like their family treated. I am busy and sometimes it is conveniant to have someone else run the sled errands, I just hope that they and I are treated fairly. I am sorry to say that most of my purchases are over the counter, I do appreciate internedt sales, but I try and support the guy that will be there behind the counter or sales floor when I need something.

Here’s how I see it…
<O</O
(btw the fact that YOU, the retailer, are asking US, the customer, about what WE want the experience to be like shows me that you seem to care about us and want to build your business in a positive manner)<O</O
<O</O
There are 2 kinds of items I shop for when I’m buying snowmobile stuff. <O</O
1. Sleds<O</O
- Personable- The salesman needs to know and be able to talk about the product they’re selling. So naturally I like to buy sleds from someone that knows snowmobiling.<O</O
- Respectful – The salesman needs to recognize that I want what I want. They shouldn’t try to talk me out of my purchase because it’s not what THEY would do. On the flip side, the salesman should know the options of what’s available so they can suggest a “better” package to get what I want in the most cost effective manner. So it’s kind of a double edge sword…<O</O
- Overall I like to get the feeling that I’m getting an honest and high quality deal from people that can see things from my perspective. I will always try to deal with my local dealer on vehicles because they are going to be the one to support me if I have serious issues down the road.<O</O
<O</O
2. Apparel/Accessories<O</O
- This I mostly do online because my local dealer doesn’t carry the brands that I like… this is where BlownMotor comes in for me…<O</O
- Obviously I like to see the lowest price but at bare minimum it needs to be competitive with other retailers.<O</O
- I look for an easy to navigate website that has detailed descriptions of the product.<O</O
- I look for product reviews (like revzilla has youtube videos of product reviews which I like)<O</O
- I look for customer reviews of the retailer and product on the actual website I’m looking to purchase from.<O</O
- I look for communication options with that retailer, whether it is a phone number or email address and I expect timely replies. <O</O
- I look for an up-to-date “in stock” or “out of stock” reference to the product.<O</O
- Along the lines of communication, if I find a better deal elsewhere, I look to see if the retailer is willing to work with me. I understand that some prices are not negotiable because they are set from their vendors but shipping costs and time always are in my opinion. If you’re trying to make a customer happy, I notice the “above and beyond” mentality of retailers.<O</O
<O</O
Above all, if you make me (the customer) feel like I’m getting the Best Bang for my Buck, you’ll get my business every time… this includes initial product costs, shipping, warranties, returns, product update notices, recalls, after purchase care and maintenance… etc. <O</O
<O</O
Sorry for the long post, hopefully some of it is useful. <O</O

Customer service is a hard one to define because it means so many different things to different people and depends on if your in the store, on the phone, or online.

I think there is one common thread to all of them and that would be communication and respect for the customer. I dont mean the old say" the customer is always right either" Although in my case that is always true HeHe.

If you are up front and honest with poeple BEFORE the sale even in the event that you don't make the sale and then stand behind the products AFTER the sale when you do make the sale, you can't loose. Here it what i am talking about.

1. Answer question I might have up front and take interest in what I am looking for by asking question back to me even if you dont make the sale. I often will return at another time just becasue of the information you handed out.
2. Make suggestions on items that might work better in certain applications that I might not be aware of. This tells me that you are taking interest in me as a customer and tells me that you have knowledge about what it is you are selling. There are ways of doing this that don't come off sounding like a big sales pitch. This one goes with #1 above
3. Be honest about availibility and common shipping times of items even if it means that you might loose a sale or two if something is needed right away. Most of us realize that stuff happens and sometimes you are getting the same run around by your own distributors. However if you tell us that we will get our order in however many days and time after time we get our orders in said days, it will pay dividends way into the future
4. Stand behind the products you sell and make an honest effort to solve issues that arise. If I see a company willing to work with me on issues that I am having it tells me that you respect my choice of buying your product. Regardless of how good your products are there will always be issues.
5. Here is a tough one. Have reasonably priced items. We all know that you are in business to make money. Most also realizes that sometimes your hands are tied with MAP but I normally will pay a little more for an item if I know I will get service after the sale. If there is service linked to the higher priced item most would be willing to make the purchase. However it seems like this is not that case anymore and people are paying higher and higher prices and geting nothing after the sale. I think this is the reason why cheaper seems to win out more often.

With online purchanses i like web sites that are easy to navigate without a lot of hoops to jump through to find what I am looking for. Having links to associated items that are commonely purchased together saves me time on hunting thigns down on my own

Even if you do everything perfect, you will still get people that dont think they got a fair deal and will bad mouth your company over and over again. However by treating your customers with repsect you will often find you have way more out there recommanding your company to their friends.

Those are great responses. We have taken some things from all of these items for sure. Seems like the general consensus would be that if treated fairly, honestly, and correctly that most are willing to come back time and time again even if not the drop dead cheapest, to have a great experience. This is what I was hoping to hear. I know there will always be the people who want to be the bottom dollar and will always be people who purchase because of a name not a reputation. But to know that most seem to have the same feelings that they deserve the best we can provide is comforting. We definitely want to continue to grow towards that company.

The only thing I still see as a direct issue to our industry and company is the exact in stock our of stock quanitity levels. Probabaly will never happen, and I guess this is where the ole saying "youll never make everybody happy" comes into play. there just isnt a good enough system to track this information yet. Even the big guys that we buy from WPS, Tucker Rockey, Parts Unlmtd sometimes say they have product for me and they dont, guess that is just the retail game.

The milion dollar question now is how to take what we accidentally sold that cannot be gotten and still keep the customer happy. Do you make other suggestions for similar products, sell the next better product at the same price as what the customer bought, etc...??

 

[tdblakes]

The milion dollar question now is how to take what we accidentally sold that cannot be gotten and still keep the customer happy. Do you make other suggestions for similar products, sell the next better product at the same price as what the customer bought, etc...??

If you sold me a pair of bibs that you didn't have in stock and there was no upcoming shipments, then I'd expect you to call or email and say something like:
"I'm sorry but it seems that X-bibs are out of stock and we don't know when we'll get another shipment in. We appreciate your business and would like to get you into an equivelant bib of your choice. We'll do our best to work with you on pricing and delivery to keep you as a customer. If not, we can refund your purchase. Again, sorry for the inconvienence. Please let me know what you'd like to do. Give me a call at X or email to X.
Thank you,
- Your Name"

I think that is an honest, respectful, straight forward way to find a solution that keeps your customer happy and shows you want to keep their business and understand that they tried to spend hundreds of their hard earned dollars in your store. You could offer them an upgrade to a more expensive bib of the same brand for no price increase or an equivalent bib of another brand, or a lower tier bib for a discount or with something extra tossed in for free.

 

[zalez]

1. Customer service - Be easy to get a hold of. If answering a phone call, please state your first name. It is more personable and I personally like being on that level. If I have a problem with something, don't try to push off the blame. Just tell me how it will be fixed. And last but certainly most important, if you tell me that you are going to do something, follow through.

2. Speed of service - When ordering, if I place an order on Monday, I would hope to have it by Friday or sooner. If I am trying to call, don't keep me on hold forever (customer service area also).

3. Pricing - Try to be as competitive as possible. Research and price accordingly. If I were to call and say XYZ store has the product I want for cheaper, offer up a discount even if you can't match.

4. Knowledge and willing to share it - This could fall back on customer service but if I call and have questions about a product or service, share what you know. If you don't know, offer to do some research. Just don't make me feel like you are brushing me off.

 

[Blown Motor]

If you sold me a pair of bibs that you didn't have in stock and there was no upcoming shipments, then I'd expect you to call or email and say something like:
"I'm sorry but it seems that X-bibs are out of stock and we don't know when we'll get another shipment in. We appreciate your business and would like to get you into an equivelant bib of your choice. We'll do our best to work with you on pricing and delivery to keep you as a customer. If not, we can refund your purchase. Again, sorry for the inconvienence. Please let me know what you'd like to do. Give me a call at X or email to X.
Thank you,
- Your Name"

I think that is an honest, respectful, straight forward way to find a solution that keeps your customer happy and shows you want to keep their business and understand that they tried to spend hundreds of their hard earned dollars in your store. You could offer them an upgrade to a more expensive bib of the same brand for no price increase or an equivalent bib of another brand, or a lower tier bib for a discount or with something extra tossed in for free.

Thanks for that reply, that was what I was hoping to see from the consumer. I know you can't please everybody, but pleasing a majority is what we are trying to do. And as we, and the rest of the industry gets better wit h inventory management this will be less and less an issue.

1. Customer service - Be easy to get a hold of. If answering a phone call, please state your first name. It is more personable and I personally like being on that level. If I have a problem with something, don't try to push off the blame. Just tell me how it will be fixed. And last but certainly most important, if you tell me that you are going to do something, follow through.

2. Speed of service - When ordering, if I place an order on Monday, I would hope to have it by Friday or sooner. If I am trying to call, don't keep me on hold forever (customer service area also).

3. Pricing - Try to be as competitive as possible. Research and price accordingly. If I were to call and say XYZ store has the product I want for cheaper, offer up a discount even if you can't match.

4. Knowledge and willing to share it - This could fall back on customer service but if I call and have questions about a product or service, share what you know. If you don't know, offer to do some research. Just don't make me feel like you are brushing me off.

Good to hear things on how to answer the phone, I will reiterate this with my staff today. On point three we offer price matching, but it is nice to hear that some people would be okay with just being close to the lowest price if the service is good. Point 4, is one of the main reasons I decided to partake and start in this industry. I was tired of being either lied to about the product just to try and get the sale, or being pushed away like you are saying. If we dont know we will do our best to get you the right answer or tell you who can get it for you!

We have a little promotional contest on FACEBOOK today, jump on over there to win some free swag! Goggles, movies and stickers!!