The buying from a "PERSON" preference.

[oldminer]

We have seen this preference expressed countless times on Pricescope and in many other places where people have a choice in how to purchase most anything for sale in a store or via the Internet. The choice of how and where to buy extends to buying from a catalog, a home shopping TV show, the Internet versus going to a store, or a mall.

Let's analyze the real differences. In a store or a mall you interact with sales people, if you can find one, or if you can't shake them off and relax a little. It is pretty much either a choice of being ignored or hounded. Of course there are wonderful exceptions to this where retailers have made special efforts to encourage relaxed shopping, but with sufficient help nearby just in case you really wants some help, information or conversation. Some people are frightened of the pressure applied to them to make a decision and just don't want to confront a commission hungry salesperson. It isn't a comfortable feeling although the customer is 100% in charge. It is a matter of keeping your cool and not becoming impulsive.

What do you get or lose in a non face-to-face shopping experience? You get total relaxation and freedom to browse, but you do give up squeezing the fruit or viewing the sparkle first hand. You are left with descriptions that are subject to being biased or inaccurate. Now, good merchants who sell via catalogs, home shopping TV and the Internet have liberal examination and return policies in place, for the most part. They cut prices as well as cut out some middleman profits. What you don't get in full, is the give and take, live, with another person much of the time. Sure, you can pick up the phone and speak with a real employee most of the time, but for many they'd say they are just as happy to do their buying on their own and without human contact.

Buying without human contact is somewhat cold, but it is not a contest of wits with a salesperson. It is a trade-off many seem very willing to make.

I sort of like buying in both worlds or modes. There are things that one can do, such as price shopping for a branded item, very well on the Internet or in a catalog. There are things like selecting a suit which I prefer to try on, feel the cloth, and have some helpful advice as to what coordinates with the suit in a shirt and tie...... I also like to support local business people in my region because when push comes to shove, we want local resources and local businesses to be there to service our needs. Remember, every Internet vendor is a local merchant somewhere, too.

But, what is the real difference when it comes to diamonds and jewelry? Truly, one can get very personal service on the Internet with nearly every vendor by just asking for it. Jewelry remains a very personal purchase and every successful seller knows how to give freely of their personal service. So, in the end, there should be little or no fear of buying in this new way. The consumer who wants personal contact probably needs to initiate it, but nearly all vendors are more than willing to speak with people and give them assistance. One does not pick a diamond and just say "wrap it up" in most cases. It takes a lot of learning, care and attention to the smallest details to do this job correctly. That's why we give personal service to each appraisal client eventhough we can transmit the total document package to them via email, there is just a lot more to offer with a human touch.

One nice thing about the Internet, is no problem finding a parking spot and no waiting in a long check out line. The rest can be handled, automatically if you wish, or with a lot of interaction if you prefer. The preference for buying from a person or a website really should be relagated to a non-issue so long as the consumer knows they are in control.

 

[honeynut]

Amen to that - I have gotten WAY better service online than I have ever gotten in person.

 

[windowshopper]

nice job Dave.....

 

[valeria101]

Aren''t intenet shoppers harder to handle ?

Remore communication always leaves the buyer with an instant opportunity to disengage: put down the phone, stop answering e-mails, block the sender... pretend it never happened and go to the next webpage.

This potential freedom makes the web very confortable. It''s much easier to say "no", take a breath and judge the fact, return merchandise and make your point in formal writing, than it is to chase salespeople off your way and try cat&mouse game with the seller.

Clothing is a bit trickier, granted, but once you know what the designer does that''s it. Shoes and suits received FedEx fit just as well as off the rack. It''s been a while since I did it otherwise

 

[Regular Guy]

I feel this difference is an important one, and am pretty split about it, one way and the other.

One way I've come to think about it...users on Pricescope respect the elements of: ICE...Intelligence (in their decisionmaking), Control (and the importance of not handing it over to a vendor), and Economy (seeking it in proportion to it's availability...i.e., being able to be a "sensible" shopper.).

But, sometimes, you need a SLICE...you need the Satisfaction of Local shopping.

Actually, these same criteria apply to appraisers, as well as with jewelers, in my book (edited to read & mean...sometimes it's worth sending your diamond a distance to an "away" appraiser, to get the info you want, despite what would seem the inherent advantages of going local).

With best wishes,

 

[codex57]

I''m lucky I guess. I found two retailers who allowed me to have no pressure browsing, while being onhand to answer any questions or use any instrument I wanted. That plus the fact that if I didn''t like the stones, getting new ones to see was a matter of seconds. Only took one day before I was holding multiple Ideal cut stones.

Internet is cool b/c you have a much bigger selection at your fingertips. But, I don''t have the jeweler tools to check it out in my home like I want. Plus, I get stressed with the shipping and junk (besides the fact that I don''t like to wait... hey, I''m the MTV/internet generation).

I guess it''s not a big deal if you''re in a giant metropolis like me (Los Angeles). If I lived in a smaller city region, I''d prolly have gone the internet route.

 

[lostdog]

Well, there's a person on the other end of the phone or the email, too.....

The biggest difference, implied in the "I for Intelligence" above, is, IMO, Information.

Even when visiting jewelers that did stock very well cut stones, getting more than the basics is often difficult. Some do provide idealscope viewing, but that's not typical, either. And aside from cut information, just developing more than a narrow concept of actual selling price in relation to a specific quality is nearly impossible in my B&M experiences. So often they try to set you up with a few average stones shown next to the quality stuff for extreme premiums.

Many of the places you might be persuaded to trust based on "gut instinct" and "I've been in the business x years" promises. If they weren't good at making customers feel comfortable with this expensive purchase, they wouldn't be in business very long. That's potentially an expensive way for the consumer to achieve a high comfort level though, but if you can do it on that basis rather than something objective, you're all set.

Others say "Trust but verify". Maybe it's a personality trait.

The hard thing to overcome over the internet is being unable to see the stones in person to compare, which requres a self-education process of some sort.

The hardest thing about B&M's in my experience is that is is well and truly difficult without the internet to find a B&M that really does sell top quality cuts. And even harder to find one that doesn't then take the opportunity to mark the ideal stones up massively. And I live in a big city with a diamond district, too.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Dave i think you and moi are more than a little alike.

My Myer Briggs personality type is nerd extrovert. We are a bit uncommon.
I can see two sides to this coin too.
One side of me understands the relator types who come into my store and are served well by lovely staff who just want to make you hug them to death because they are genuinely nice people. as a customer - if a store gives me this, then even if there is stuff I do not like - I can not escape. Take the cafe I eat breakfast in and have 2 or 3 meetings with staff at my expense each week. They are not great people - but they employ lovely staff and make great coffee, and they got in my favourite cereal just for me, and keep just fresh banana's to go with it.
The other side undestands the control freaks and more introverted types who like the anaonymity of the web. I never researched the high pressure water spray to wash the car - just went to the store and asked. But a major expense like the choice between evaporative air con and refrigerated - that got a web search.

 

[strmrdr]

Exellent Dave.

I dont think Id be comfortable buying a costly diamond accross the net if I didnt know the people behind the webpage at the same time I want enough information that I can just contact them and say ship it if I want too.

But no matter which buying mode you prefere there is a trustworthy vendor ready and willing to help you right here at pricescope.