Distributor/Reseller Expectations
Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:16 pm
Distributors and Resellers:
We realize you all understand how to deal with customers already, and do an admirable job, but we want to be explicit about the following.
In general, it is important that both distributors and customers alike understand that hardware issues relating to assembled units should be dealt with by the assembler, not necessarily via these forums. This is because users who buy assembled units often don't have the troubleshooting knowledge and skills to follow the advice given here.
It is also important in general that all distributors have clear and functional contact info, with alternatives, so that customers can contact them in a reasonable period. It is not sufficient to claim not to have been contacted by a user. If they say they have tried, then the onus is on the distributor to ensure their system is functional and redundant.
An entry on our distributors listing is dependent on the distributor remaining in good standing. We insist on users being able to trust distributors to be easy to contact, to provide all necessary hardware support, and to treat them fairly (where their expectations are reasonable). Distributors cannot pass this responsibility on to the forums.
Where there are disputes, we will generally side with the customer until the facts become clear.
- Where a customer has an on-going dispute with a distributor, we expect the distributor to acknowledge and work with the customer to whatever level the customer is willing. As a minimum, that means timely and frank emails or other contacts about the status of the customer's complaint, and the steps being taken to resolve it.
- Ignoring the customer is never a satisfactory response. This will be taken as a de facto admission that the customer is correct in all their assertions.
- Where a customer contacts Bruce, Al or Lance for assistance, we will side with the customer until we hear from the distributor (and possibly beyond, depending on the response).
- We expect the distributor to give a full and frank account of the facts (including the original problem and the steps being taken to resolve it) within 48 hours maximum (ideally with 24 hours).
- We have a responsibility to the users of the forum to act quickly to prevent potential problems originating with distributors. This means that distributors who do not participate in this finding of facts will very quickly lose their ability to post on this forum, their advertisement(s) in these forums, and any advertisement(s) they might have in the manual and/or FAQ.
Posting any material on these forums is a privilege, and no one has the right to an advertisement. The reinstatement of any or all of these are at the management's discretion, is subject to both a plausible promise of acceptable performance and the restitution of any costs involved in settling the customer's dispute.
The bottom line is that customers must be able to trust distributors, and distributors are responsible for establishing and maintaining that trust.
If we have to get involved, this indicates a very serious problem, and should be attended to immediately. Once we get involved, it is not enough simply to satisfy the customer, you must convince us that steps have been taken to ensure a similar situation will not occur again.
Customers, Buyers, and Potential Buyers:
This forum has been opened up to all registered users to post in, and all specific MegaSquirt purchase questions should be addressed here.
This will allow users to find everything they need for purchase in one forum, including customer feedback, etc. For this to be a truly effective tool, users should share your experiences with specific vendors with other potential buyers and we encourage you to do so.
When you have a satisfactory experience with a vendor, post about it here and continue the free flow of useful information within the MegaSquirt community.
In an ideal world, there are never any problems or missed communications but it is not an ideal world. Your satisfaction as a customer is often determined by how a mistake is handled and what communications took place pending the resolution so please be sure to share those experiences (and how they were resolved) as well.
You are encouraged to research a vendor here and via other means you may have at your disposal before sending any money.
You are encouraged to try to look at the whole buying experience, including pricing, shipping, after-sales support, and before sales assistance in making your decisions.
Should a problem with a vendor arise, you are repsonsible to:
- First attempt to contact the vendor directly for assistance and resolution and we recommend you use whatever methods are available to you, including emails, posting to this forum, PMs through the forums and telephone calls. It is much better to run the risk of duplicate contacts through multiple methods to contact the vendor than to have an unsatisfactory experience because of missed communications.
- If that fails to provide reasonable resolution in a reasonable period of time, feel free to provide a posting here of the problem and your attempts at resolution and what the vendor has done in response. Please do not decide to post in every forum to tell of your displeasure as it tends to be non-productive and will likely result in curtailment of your posting privileges.
Be aware that disputes involving items paid for but not received (or damaged or lost in shipment) may have special rules with your bank, charge card provider or PayPal or with the shipping agents and that you should consult with them as to the proper timeframes and courses of action to take.
Forum Admin Team
We realize you all understand how to deal with customers already, and do an admirable job, but we want to be explicit about the following.
In general, it is important that both distributors and customers alike understand that hardware issues relating to assembled units should be dealt with by the assembler, not necessarily via these forums. This is because users who buy assembled units often don't have the troubleshooting knowledge and skills to follow the advice given here.
It is also important in general that all distributors have clear and functional contact info, with alternatives, so that customers can contact them in a reasonable period. It is not sufficient to claim not to have been contacted by a user. If they say they have tried, then the onus is on the distributor to ensure their system is functional and redundant.
An entry on our distributors listing is dependent on the distributor remaining in good standing. We insist on users being able to trust distributors to be easy to contact, to provide all necessary hardware support, and to treat them fairly (where their expectations are reasonable). Distributors cannot pass this responsibility on to the forums.
Where there are disputes, we will generally side with the customer until the facts become clear.
- Where a customer has an on-going dispute with a distributor, we expect the distributor to acknowledge and work with the customer to whatever level the customer is willing. As a minimum, that means timely and frank emails or other contacts about the status of the customer's complaint, and the steps being taken to resolve it.
- Ignoring the customer is never a satisfactory response. This will be taken as a de facto admission that the customer is correct in all their assertions.
- Where a customer contacts Bruce, Al or Lance for assistance, we will side with the customer until we hear from the distributor (and possibly beyond, depending on the response).
- We expect the distributor to give a full and frank account of the facts (including the original problem and the steps being taken to resolve it) within 48 hours maximum (ideally with 24 hours).
- We have a responsibility to the users of the forum to act quickly to prevent potential problems originating with distributors. This means that distributors who do not participate in this finding of facts will very quickly lose their ability to post on this forum, their advertisement(s) in these forums, and any advertisement(s) they might have in the manual and/or FAQ.
Posting any material on these forums is a privilege, and no one has the right to an advertisement. The reinstatement of any or all of these are at the management's discretion, is subject to both a plausible promise of acceptable performance and the restitution of any costs involved in settling the customer's dispute.
The bottom line is that customers must be able to trust distributors, and distributors are responsible for establishing and maintaining that trust.
If we have to get involved, this indicates a very serious problem, and should be attended to immediately. Once we get involved, it is not enough simply to satisfy the customer, you must convince us that steps have been taken to ensure a similar situation will not occur again.
Customers, Buyers, and Potential Buyers:
This forum has been opened up to all registered users to post in, and all specific MegaSquirt purchase questions should be addressed here.
This will allow users to find everything they need for purchase in one forum, including customer feedback, etc. For this to be a truly effective tool, users should share your experiences with specific vendors with other potential buyers and we encourage you to do so.
When you have a satisfactory experience with a vendor, post about it here and continue the free flow of useful information within the MegaSquirt community.
In an ideal world, there are never any problems or missed communications but it is not an ideal world. Your satisfaction as a customer is often determined by how a mistake is handled and what communications took place pending the resolution so please be sure to share those experiences (and how they were resolved) as well.
You are encouraged to research a vendor here and via other means you may have at your disposal before sending any money.
You are encouraged to try to look at the whole buying experience, including pricing, shipping, after-sales support, and before sales assistance in making your decisions.
Should a problem with a vendor arise, you are repsonsible to:
- First attempt to contact the vendor directly for assistance and resolution and we recommend you use whatever methods are available to you, including emails, posting to this forum, PMs through the forums and telephone calls. It is much better to run the risk of duplicate contacts through multiple methods to contact the vendor than to have an unsatisfactory experience because of missed communications.
- If that fails to provide reasonable resolution in a reasonable period of time, feel free to provide a posting here of the problem and your attempts at resolution and what the vendor has done in response. Please do not decide to post in every forum to tell of your displeasure as it tends to be non-productive and will likely result in curtailment of your posting privileges.
Be aware that disputes involving items paid for but not received (or damaged or lost in shipment) may have special rules with your bank, charge card provider or PayPal or with the shipping agents and that you should consult with them as to the proper timeframes and courses of action to take.
Forum Admin Team