When you work with a vendor do you think they should be able to contact you whenever they like?

[Maisie]

I approached Whiteflash a little while ago and asked them to quote me for my new wedding ring. I didn''t end up buying from them. I was given a better quote somewhere else. Since then I keep getting emails from the rep at WF, pretty sickly sweet emails asking me if there is anything they can help me with. One even said they were thrilled to have a new UK friend. I also get called ''sweetie and honey'' and they keep asking me to keep in touch. I know I asked them for a quote but does this mean they should keep contacting me? I feel rather uncomfortable with it. Someone even emailed me today asking me to send photos of the ring I had made by another vendor. It seems rather strange.

But then again I don''t know if this is normal vendor behaviour. Does any other vendor do this? Maybe I am just not used to the way things work in the US. I know here in the UK I might get the odd email or letter through the post but never messages like these.

Does contacting a vendor mean that you agree to them emailing you and asking for your business?

I notice in another thread in Hangout someone said that Whiteflash emailed them to offer to sell them a diamond, even though she didn''t ask them for one.

Could this be because the economy is so bad at the minute? Maybe they are trying to get customers for this reason.

Who knows. I just wondered if this is normal practise.

 

[Rhea]

No, it''s not normal. The only reason that a vendor should contact you unless you are currently working with them is if you are on their email list for the mass sale emails and other updates.

 

[Kaleigh]

Date: 4/25/2009 5:24:29 PM
Author: Addy
No, it''s not normal. The only reason that a vendor should contact you unless you are currently working with them is if you are on their email list for the mass sale emails and other updates.

Ditto. This has happened to me as well.

 

[xander8888]

I know you shouldn''t have to but have you asked them to take you off their mailing list and stop contacting you?

 

[strmrdr]

I keep in touch with most of the vendors I have done business with but I initiated the relationship and they never try and sell me something unless I request a quote or mention a project. (other than newsletters)
I would be really annoyed if they did.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 5:30:11 PM
Author: xander8888
I know you shouldn''t have to but have you asked them to take you off their mailing list and stop contacting you?

As far as I am aware I am not on a mailing list. I have never been told I am. I don''t get the sort of emails you would get on a mailing list. I just get them from a rep asking me if there is anything they can do for me.

 

[Kaleigh]

It''s crossing the line, IMHO. I keep in touch with some vendors, but it''s me who initiates the communication. Not vice versa.

 

[neatfreak]

So here''s my question. Did you TELL them that you went with another vendor for your ring? Because if not, to them they are probably just trying to complete a sale that you did initiate. I think it would be polite to tell them you chose someone else in that case.

But if you did tell them and they are still emailing you I do think it''s a bit odd. I get emails from my rep at WF occasionally-but they are always just asking how my babies are because I got my earrings right when they were born so we spoke of them a lot. And I think that is thoughtful. But it would annoy me if I kept getting emails trying to solicit business.

 

[Maisie]

As soon as I decided to go with Brian Gavin Diamonds I emailed Whiteflash and told them I had accepted a quote from another company. I didn't say who, but I did tell them.

ETA I found it very strange when I got an email today asking me to email them photos of my new ring. Is that normal practise too?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/25/2009 5:38:43 PM
Author: Maisie
ETA I found it very strange when I got an email today asking me to email them photos of my new ring. Is that normal practice too?

Depends on the context.
For example I have mentioned projects and they have asked for pictures because they were interested.
It all depends on the relationship.
But in general no it isn''t normal.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 5:53:13 PM
Author: strmrdr

Date: 4/25/2009 5:38:43 PM
Author: Maisie
ETA I found it very strange when I got an email today asking me to email them photos of my new ring. Is that normal practice too?

Depends on the context.
For example I have mentioned projects and they have asked for pictures because they were interested.
It all depends on the relationship.
But in general no it isn''t normal.

Thats the thing. There is no relationship. I had a relationship with Lesley when she was there. She was my rep. But this new person has only dealt with that one quote for me and I don''t ''know'' her at all.

I don''t know why they would want to see my photos. I just directed her to my thread on SMTR.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 4/25/2009 5:55:11 PM
Author: Maisie

Date: 4/25/2009 5:53:13 PM

Author: strmrdr

Date: 4/25/2009 5:38:43 PM

Author: Maisie

ETA I found it very strange when I got an email today asking me to email them photos of my new ring. Is that normal practice too?

Depends on the context.

For example I have mentioned projects and they have asked for pictures because they were interested.

It all depends on the relationship.

But in general no it isn''t normal.

Thats the thing. There is no relationship. I had a relationship with Lesley when she was there. She was my rep. But this new person has only dealt with that one quote for me and I don''t ''know'' her at all.


I don''t know why they would want to see my photos. I just directed her to my thread on SMTR.

Her way of trying to build a relationship maybe? dunno...
I don''t want to think there is evil intent behind it.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I always had periodic emails from my sales rep at WF. She would inform me of new products, etc. I think it is totally fine if you have initiated the original email contact with them. It is just a marketing technique. Just as with telephone solicitations, you have every right to ask that your name be taken off their email list and that you no longer wish to be contacted.

 

[bgray]

I have purchased from them --a very very expensive purchase and I have never received anything --

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:10:17 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I always had periodic emails from my sales rep at WF. She would inform me of new products, etc. I think it is totally fine if you have initiated the original email contact with them. It is just a marketing technique. Just as with telephone solicitations, you have every right to ask that your name be taken off their email list and that you no longer wish to be contacted.

I wouldn''t mind so much if it was to mention new products. I feel a bit uncomfortable with it so I will have to email them and ask them to stop.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:11:56 PM
Author: bgray
I have purchased from them --a very very expensive purchase and I have never received anything --

I wonder if part of my ''attention'' is because I used to be a great advocate of Whiteflash. I guess I used to write a lot of positive things about them and haven''t recently. Or maybe I am reading too much into it.

 

[Rhea]

This doesn''t sound like the normal emails though. I''m on JA''s list and get emails about new products. I''ve also received a quote from JA in the past, decided to buy from someone else, told them, and after that the only email I ever received was a "let us know if we can help you with anything else."

I think Maisie is talking about emails beyond that, not mailing list emails, which are easy enough to take yourself off of. In my opinion, unless you have an established relationship with that vendor, that''s going too far. I''d be put off IF someone from JA now got in touch with me and asked for photos and was trying to establish a relationship with me. They haven''t, just to make things clear. Until I next contact them, my business with them is done beyond the mass emails for new products that I''ve asked to receive.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:16:44 PM
Author: Addy
This doesn''t sound like the normal emails though. I''m on JA''s list and get emails about new products. I''ve also received a quote from JA in the past, decided to buy from someone else, told them, and after that the only email I ever received was a ''let us know if we can help you with anything else.''

I think Maisie is talking about emails beyond that, not mailing list emails, which are easy enough to take yourself off of. In my opinion, unless you have an established relationship with that vendor, that''s going too far. I''d be put off IF someone from JA now got in touch with me and asked for photos and was trying to establish a relationship with me. They haven''t, just to make things clear. Until I next contact them, my business with them is done beyond the mass emails for new products that I''ve asked to receive.

I have bought a few things from Whiteflash BUT this was when Lesley and Brian were there. I didn''t hear anything from anyone until recently. I did tell them I was working with someone else and thats when the emailing started... AFTER I told them.

 

[Maisie]

I bought my last diamond ring from Wink Jones and Dr Indira Marchant. Wink very politely asked me if he could add me to his mailing list. I said yes. I have emailed him a couple more times since then and he answers my query and thats it. No chasing or trying to persuade me to buy something.

I think I have had one email per week on average from WF in the last month. I didn''t reply to the last one before today.

 

[Rhea]

Maisie, that''s what my relationship was like with Wink too. That''s what I expect. I did buy from another vendor and got a bit friendlier with him, but he never approached me first, just answered my questions and told me his own corny jokes when I started telling him mine. I do love bad jokes!

 

[Carbonlove]

Seems kinda strange, but I don''t know too much about shopping for rings. I just started my process and have emailed Mark and James Allen, neither of which got back to me. I was starting to think this is common practice. I emailed Since 1910 last night and got a reply this morning.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:21:22 PM
Author: Maisie
I bought my last diamond ring from Wink Jones and Dr Indira Marchant. Wink very politely asked me if he could add me to his mailing list. I said yes. I have emailed him a couple more times since then and he answers my query and thats it. No chasing or trying to persuade me to buy something.

I think I have had one email per week on average from WF in the last month. I didn''t reply to the last one before today.

So you never heard from your sales rep previously from the time you first purchased from them? I will say it is odd if your first emails happened now.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:38:54 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 4/25/2009 6:21:22 PM
Author: Maisie
I bought my last diamond ring from Wink Jones and Dr Indira Marchant. Wink very politely asked me if he could add me to his mailing list. I said yes. I have emailed him a couple more times since then and he answers my query and thats it. No chasing or trying to persuade me to buy something.

I think I have had one email per week on average from WF in the last month. I didn''t reply to the last one before today.

So you never heard from your sales rep previously from the time you first purchased from them? I will say it is odd if your first emails happened now.

I never heard from Whiteflash inbetween buying things apart from Debi Wexler once emailing me to say if there was anything they could do for me to get in touch, then she said she liked my new avatar. This was a little while ago. I never heard from Juli (who is the one emailing me) until I asked for a quote using the form on the WF website. Then the odd emails started after I told her I was working with someone else.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:16:44 PM
Author: Addy
This doesn''t sound like the normal emails though. I''m on JA''s list and get emails about new products. I''ve also received a quote from JA in the past, decided to buy from someone else, told them, and after that the only email I ever received was a ''let us know if we can help you with anything else.''

I think Maisie is talking about emails beyond that, not mailing list emails, which are easy enough to take yourself off of. In my opinion, unless you have an established relationship with that vendor, that''s going too far. I''d be put off IF someone from JA now got in touch with me and asked for photos and was trying to establish a relationship with me. They haven''t, just to make things clear. Until I next contact them, my business with them is done beyond the mass emails for new products that I''ve asked to receive.

I equate this to the relationship one might have with a sales associate at Wal-mart versus a designer dress shop. The designer shop will probably know clientele by their names and give them much more personalized service. I always felt WF tried to do that. I''d never expect a Blue Nile or James Allen to do that. Totally different business model.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:42:34 PM
Author: Maisie

Date: 4/25/2009 6:38:54 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 4/25/2009 6:21:22 PM
Author: Maisie
I bought my last diamond ring from Wink Jones and Dr Indira Marchant. Wink very politely asked me if he could add me to his mailing list. I said yes. I have emailed him a couple more times since then and he answers my query and thats it. No chasing or trying to persuade me to buy something.

I think I have had one email per week on average from WF in the last month. I didn''t reply to the last one before today.

So you never heard from your sales rep previously from the time you first purchased from them? I will say it is odd if your first emails happened now.

I never heard from Whiteflash inbetween buying things apart from Debi Wexler once emailing me to say if there was anything they could do for me to get in touch, then she said she liked my new avatar. This was a little while ago. I never heard from Juli (who is the one emailing me) until I asked for a quote using the form on the WF website. Then the odd emails started after I told her I was working with someone else.

I see. I''m afraid I don''t know some of the new sales associates. The one I dealt with most is no longer there. But I received periodic emails from her ever since my first contact there. I never bought anything but my studs there, but I did get a couple of custom quotes over time. Sounds like different sales associates were more conscientious that others with keeping in touch with clients.

 

[Maisie]

But why all the emailing after I say I don''t want to work with them on this project? I just don''t get it. Oh well.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:47:34 PM
Author: Maisie
But why all the emailing after I say I don''t want to work with them on this project? I just don''t get it. Oh well.

My assumption is they hope you''ll do business with them another time. But as you said, you should just ask to be taken off the email list totally. I actually haven''t had any emails since my rep left, but it was common practice to hear from her before then.

 

[hearts-arrows_girl]

Date: 4/25/2009 6:47:34 PM
Author: Maisie
But why all the emailing after I say I don''t want to work with them on this project? I just don''t get it. Oh well.

I had a similar experience with a Saleslady who was trying to push me into letting them make a ring for me. I was browsing and asked them about a particular eternity band that they didn''t carry and the lady kept hounding me to let them make me one. I didn''t want to get into a special order since those are sometimes non-refundable. She begged me to let her get a quote for me, so I figured what the heck and gave her my phone number. I ended up getting a "Tiffany & Co" band on ebay for much less than this lady quoted me. So I called her and let her know. She said she would like to see my new purchase. Maybe that is standard practice for a not chosen pushy vendor. I had never met this lady before, and she was soooo pushy! Since she was not my friend and would have no vested interest in my purchase that was not from her, I felt like she either didn''t believe I already got a ring, or that she wanted to see my ring so she could tell me I would have done better with her and try again to get me to buy from her. When I said the ring I got was platinum, she said "eeew! Platinum scratches so easy! She mentioned she had been doing this for 30 years. I have to say, she was good at getting people to hear her out. She probably gets many sales by not taking no for an answer. I am a pretty savvy shopper, but even I was no match for her hard sales tactics, and had a sudden almost relationship with her. She kept offering to do anything to get the sale (except get me the exact ring for the best price). Times are hard and people are going the extra extra mile these days!

 

[Gypsy]

Hi Maisie, I think that if you feel this way you should email your salesperson at WF and tell them you wish to have your personal contact information removed from their lists and that you do not wish them to contact you further.

 

[KtIceRN]

Maisie,

I have to say that I am very disappointed in your approach to things lately. I know you were a big WF supporter in the past and since Brian and Lesley have left you have not felt the same about the company as a whole. I get that and I respect your view. BUT I must say that I do feel as if you are taking EVERY opportunity to trash WF that you can find and that does not make PS an enjoyable place.

I absolutely LOVE Brian and Lesley, they are very special to me, but I am soooooooooo confident in their product that I do not feel that there is a need to put down their competitor every chance available. Their work and their customer service speaks for its own and I do not believe that they need ANY help at all to get business. They are amazing people with an amazing product. There is also plenty of business to go around and I think that BGD will get more than their fair share if they continue to do business in the way that they have been. WF has been a staple here for a long time and they will continue to be for longer. A little bit of healthy competition between VENDORS is great for US as consumers. It makes ALL companies strive to work harder for US!!!

I suggest you contact WF and let them know that you no longer desire to do business with them and let that be that. You are free to buy from whom ever you feel comfortable buying from. If WF is not it tell tham and I am pretty sure that they will not bother you with any more emails.

I hope I am wrong in noticing this trend about your posts but this thread really pushed me over the edge and I needed to speak my mind……now I am off to play with ALL of my beautiful diamonds!!!!