Which vendors stay in touch with you after the sale is over...

[Regular Guy]

Especially this time of year...many of our vendors are offering specials. I''ve looked at a couple and am interested.

Some local vendors (Washington Diamond) and even Blue Nile...send me periodic e-mails to tell me to check into this or that.

Some of our Pricescope vendors may be somewhat constrained in their resources...or who knows what. Maybe there is wide variation as to practices.

Have you been contacted in one way or another, post purchase, about other things you might be interested in from the vendor you have done business with?

 

[codex57]

I bought at a B&M. One shop deal. Just got a x-mas postcard from them. It's been over a year now. They randomly send me stuff. I like em. Will give em good word of mouth if asked. Them and another store I didn't end up buying at. Well, just the owner of that other store. I didn't like the employees at that other store. But I loved everyone at the one I did buy at.

 

[Ellen]

I received a notice from WF about their Nov. sale, and from GOG about a special of an extended return time on xmas purchases.

 

[indecisive]

After we got the ring WF sent us a card and a Starbucks gift card

. I love them and I can''t wait till we have money again so I can buy more from them

 

[strmrdr]

I get Wink''s newsletter from time to time (Wink do them more often) and a couple Christmas specials from GOG.
One every month or 2 and a couple around the holidays is my max tolerance level for advertising emails.
I like the more restrained approach.

 

[Regular Guy]

Come to think of it, Quest Jewelers, who I paid $75 to reset/re-fabricate prongs for my diamond ring, has kept me on their list, and notified me of their move, specials, etc.

I think this is generally helpful, and could encourage vendors to make a standard practice of it. It must take work to maintain such lists, but future customers, it would seem, could well come from past ones.

Though Pricescope readers might tend to be self motivated...well...there''s actually many thousands of Pricescope readers now...most of whom who have come & gone. Likewise, after having done business with a Pricescope vendor, most will have come and gone. Seems like they could be back. Though it''s hard to say what would bring them back...seems like deciding to maintain communication with past customers could be seen as shooting fish in a barrel, relatively.

 

[anchor31]

Both FI and I got a Christmas card from the local jeweller we did business with for my e-ring. We''re happy with their work and are going back there for our wedding bands, so we thought it was nice.

 

[gailrmv]

I get good coupons from Blue Nile all the time! i.e. 10% off, or $100 off a diamond over a certain amount... coupons good enough to make me say "hmm" and start looking at their website! And I''ve never bought anything expensive from them either, just some silver items!

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 12/13/2006 6:03:44 PM
Author: Ellen
I received a notice from WF about their Nov. sale, and from GOG about a special of an extended return time on xmas purchases.

Ellen, or other past buyers from WF...

I guess WF has a lot going on. Did they ever let you know about their "Dreams of Africa" series?

Curious.

 

[kenny]

Just for the record I strongly prefer to not get anything form anyone I have done business with.
Ever.
Car dealers, insurance agents, anyone.
Nothing personal, but it is all junk mail.

 

[Cehrabehra]

BN has sent me a few things and they''re the only company I''ve actually bought from so far.

 

[Regular Guy]

Date: 12/14/2006 11:55:17 AM
Author: kenny
Just for the record I strongly prefer to not get anything form anyone I have done business with.
Ever.
Car dealers, insurance agents, anyone.
Nothing personal, but it is all junk mail.

To each his own. And of course, vendors will want to know, as it''s their policy.

But...let''s see if I get this...

You''ve done hours of research, for whichever your product...found uniquely them to choose among the vendors you would go with. But if they come up with something else...better not bother you with it.

I say...from the source of good things, frequently, come other good things.

Otherwise, you just have a random view. Things happen randomly. Better to just scout them out yourself.

As you like.

 

[kenny]

Are you saying you *like* advertising?

I am very advertising resistant.
The idea to buy something will come from me, not from someone selling something.
When I want to buy I will do my research.

I even change the radio channel during commercials too.
If I watched TV I'd be a commercial zapper.
Even NPR and public radio is getting annoying with so much "underwriting".

People vary.
Like you say, to each his own.

 

[Ellen]

Date: 12/14/2006 11:33:49 AM
Author: Regular Guy

Date: 12/13/2006 6:03:44 PM
Author: Ellen
I received a notice from WF about their Nov. sale, and from GOG about a special of an extended return time on xmas purchases.

Ellen, or other past buyers from WF...

I guess WF has a lot going on. Did they ever let you know about their ''Dreams of Africa'' series?

Curious.

No, they didn''t send me anything on that.

And I don''t mind at all to receive specials by email, it''s just a click away if I''m not interested.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 12/14/2006 12:11:35 PM
Author: kenny
Are you saying you *like* advertising?

I am very advertising resistant.
The idea to buy something will come from me, not from someone selling something.
When I want to buy I will do my research.

I even change the radio channel during commercials too.
If I watched TV I''d be a commercial zapper.
Even NPR and public radio is getting annoying with so much ''underwriting''.

People vary.
Like you say, to each his own.

I understand where your coming from 100% I do a lot of the same things.
My tolerance is a little higher but not much.
Iv trained myself so I never even notice adds on webpages and flash is disabled unless I turn it on.
If I see a real annoying add that does manage to attract my attention ill blacklist the server.

 

[belle]

Date: 12/14/2006 12:11:35 PM
Author: kenny
Are you saying you *like* advertising?

I am very advertising resistant.
The idea to buy something will come from me, not from someone selling something.
When I want to buy I will do my research.

I even change the radio channel during commercials too.
If I watched TV I''d be a commercial zapper.
Even NPR and public radio is getting annoying with so much ''underwriting''.

People vary.
Like you say, to each his own.

i am 100% with kenny on this.
just because i buy something from you does not mean i want you to keep pestering (yes, that''s how i feel it is!) me about this months sale or what is new and improved. if i want something, i will research and buy.
i totally understand the need for advertising and agree that it can be beneficial but there is a fine balance and if that balance tips towards ''less is more'' i find it a little easier to stomach.

 

[Regular Guy]

So, I am having a strange recollection of a Start Trek movie, where there is some serious sounding dialogue about the few, vs the many.

Consider that a majority of long time Pricescope readers may be seekers, vs. ones that need to be sought after. I don''t know that the folks responding here are representative. Then again, this thread hasn''t garnered much action, so I could also just be all wet.

I still say that, having found a vendor that provides quality goods, in general, it could be good for a connection to be maintained. Probably, however, there is a great deal of marketing research on this more broad topic already, making the question of what is or is not a best practice in this regard the more correct authority. I wonder if anyone knows about this. Frankly, Pricescope readers and writers...or at least the more frequent ones...may not be the most representative crew.

 

[kenny]

Advertising works, otherwise nobody would do it.

I used to know a guy who did direct marketing.
I forget the actual numbers but lets say if he mailed 100,000 pieces and got 500 resposes he made money.

But that means he annoyed 95,500 people.

 

[belle]

Date: 12/14/2006 5:34:55 PM
Author: Regular Guy

Frankly, Pricescope readers and writers...or at least the more frequent ones...may not be the most representative crew.

i think this is very true. most of us are here because we are diligent ''researchers''. we like to seek the information for ourselves, not to be told what to seek.

 

[rockbie]

Date: 12/14/2006 11:55:17 AM
Author: kenny
Just for the record I strongly prefer to not get anything form anyone I have done business with.
Ever.
Car dealers, insurance agents, anyone.
Nothing personal, but it is all junk mail.

Agree with Kenny

 

[aljdewey]

This variety of opinions is precisely why I prefer to see vendors ask if it''s ok to let you know about other things before assuming it.

I''m less irritated by those that do it infrequently, and absolutely pissed off by those who do it incessantly.

Two years ago, I bought something from an online store called Mountain Gear. It was hiking gear for my friend''s fiance. Those people email me now at LEAST once a week, as well as sending their stupid catalogs to my mailbox with regularity. I''ve grown to despise this company because it''s relentless.

 

[scarleta]

Well said Kenny!

 

[salmon]

Kenny,


You''re absolutely correct IMHO. I will make up my own mind and do my own research. My better half is in marketing, THUS WE NEVER BELEIVE THE HYPE or any type of commerials. we used to zap all the commericlas on TV, then we decided to throw the damn TV away, best decision we ever made IMHO. Ditto for radio, too much jabbering and ZAP!! I''ll have to tell my love we''re not so wierd after all. Great response Kenny.

 

[Regular Guy]

Forgetting about our particular set of vendors here, for whom I am beginning to feel some kind of sympathy...


I''m also feeling sorry for the guy that invented sliced bread.

What if it were you?

How would you get the word out?

 

[pricescope]

Date: 12/15/2006 9:59:28 AM
Author: Regular Guy
Forgetting about our particular set of vendors here, for whom I am beginning to feel some kind of sympathy...


I'm also feeling sorry for the guy that invented sliced bread.

What if it were you?

How would you get the word out?

Not by pestering pita-eating folks with direct mail, that's for sure.

And Ira, don't you worry about "vendors here", they are doing just fine.

On another hand don't you feel violated when you pay for the movie ticket and then watch 30 min of commercials before the film, and then 2 hours of product placements within it?
Why people do not raise they voice against brain pollution?

 

[Regular Guy]

Leonid,

There must be a style issue coming forward here.

On those Myers Briggs type test, I test close to the center, but as slightly extroverted. Slightly. I''ve been in marketing for some time, personally...but in the area of textbooks, and more recently, info bases.

That was designed to be full disclosure.

In response:

Surely you discern the difference between blind "direct mail," and a business providing information to its past customers.

Regarding movies, again, it must be our personality differences. Quite frankly, I am genuinely disappointed to arrive so late as to miss the trailers. What is it other than helpful information about other movies I might like to see? And entertainingly done, I might add. With respect to product placement...I''ve seen your notes about it elsewhere. I''ve really never noticed it. Not sure that it bothers me in concept, frankly.

And finally, as to style differences....despite the helpfulness that could be derived from having a button or shirt that says "I''m a Pricescope reader" potentially available to us when we would go into a B&M, how to explain your resistance in helping us with that?

Different strokes, I''m sure.

 

[moremoremore]

Mark/ERD doesn''t do that but I stay in touch with him and pester him from time to time and will sometimes comment on some nice stones I see being sold...He''s working on an earring project for me as we speak!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 12/14/2006 11:55:17 AM
Author: kenny
Just for the record I strongly prefer to not get anything form anyone I have done business with.
Ever.
Car dealers, insurance agents, anyone.
Nothing personal, but it is all junk mail.

Fortunately for us vendors you are in the minority in this. Just in case though, we all have an unsubscribe message at the bottom of our emails...

It is a well established fact that your best way to maintain a client is to stay in touch with them from time to time, and the number of clients who appreciate this contact is far greater than the number who resent it. Still, if you let your preference be known, all of your vendors will most likely remove you from your list, it is prohibitively expensive to send snail mail anymore and ridiculously easy to unsubscribe from email, so you shouldn''t ever be bothered more than once by someone.

Although my wife and I were going through the mail last night and were amazed by the number of Christmas cards we were getting from companies we have never done business with...

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 12/14/2006 5:34:55 PM
Author: Regular Guy
Probably, however, there is a great deal of marketing research on this more broad topic already, making the question of what is or is not a best practice in this regard the more correct authority. I wonder if anyone knows about this. Frankly, Pricescope readers and writers...or at least the more frequent ones...may not be the most representative crew.

Not sure if this is totally relevant to Internet shopping, and I certainly do not do it very often, but major catalog houses will mail to their best clients 14 times per year. Seems like total overkill to me, BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Each mailing makes them money. They have found through years of testing that 15 times makes less money than 14 times and 14 times makes more money than 13 times. The majors know that they are irritating some clients, but the ones they annoy are fewer than the ones they please.

Now for us small businesses that is certainly something to think about, and Storm, I promise to try to mail you more often, it''s just that as a small business, by the time I finish the day''s orders and come play a little here on Pricescope, there just does not seem to be a lot of time to write a newsletter that is any good...

Wink

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 12/15/2006 10:32:43 AM
Author: Regular Guy
Leonid,

With respect to product placement...I''ve seen your notes about it elsewhere. I''ve really never noticed it. Not sure that it bothers me in concept, frankly.

Interesting comments. I know that some people find product placement offensive and others, like me really never notice it. I was completely oblivious to the fact that the candies left for E.T. to trail into the house were (forgot the name) so was amazed to hear that the sale of (forgot the name) went through the roof after E.T. came out.

I was oblivious, some were offended yet many millions of people not only noticed but bought the product. I am not saying that this makes it right, only that it can be effective in some cases.

Wink