Consumer's expectations are sometimes not scaled appropriately to their choices

I have many interests. And like the rest of my peers, I have embraced the internet to connect with like-minded others, to share, learn, and discuss those interests. Blogs may get all the press in the old-media, but bulletin boards are still going strong, despite being woefully Web 1.0.

I belong to a number of Hi-Fi and Video bulleting boards(I've mentioned before that I belong to the community on Audiogon and have a wee business brokering HiFi for buy/sell/trade there), including Home Theater Forum. For someone looking for straightforward answers from technophilic end users, HTF is a good place to ask for, and give advice. The site is divided into subforums based on categories, and is easily navigable.

One forum, however, delivers unintentional humor. The Retail and Wholesale Vendors Feedback board allows members to share customer service stories about how well they were taken care of, or not, by a dealer. You can browse the threads yourself, but I can summarize most of them for you into three topics:

1. 
   "Grr, I ordered a new piece of equipement from an online dealer, and it took six months for them to deliver it, even though they charged my credit card that day, and they never answered my phone calls or emails!"
2. "Grr, the piece of equipment I ordered online broke down, and I've gone through hell getting the online dealer to take care of the warranty. I've spent sixty dollars on shipping, and now they tell me they have no record of recieving it. Help!"
3. "Grr, I bought something at Best Buy that broke, now they tell me that because I didn't buy the extended warranty, I'm out of luck. Help!"

The common thread in all the complaints on HTF's dealer feedback forum is that the complainants were so concerned with getting the lowest price (and this is a recurring theme amongst people who hang out on HiFi boards and obssess over stereos and televisions) that they chose a dealer based entirely on price, and they paid the consequences.

It never seems to occur to these people that finding a trustworthy dealer in their area, and paying a reasonable market price (as opposed to a very attractive lowball) might result in a higher level of customer care. If someone is selling on price alone, it's because they have nothing else to offer. Value-added dealers are just that: they add value. They take care of you. They want to have clients, not just customers.

For more fun, go to Best Buy Sucks.org and familiarize yourself with what customer service doesn't look like.

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