WHY…Do Tri retailers give you the option to ask questions via their website or through email if they don’t respond.
In the last few days, I have sent emails (or web contact forms) with very simple questions to:
–Three of Tris larger online retailers
–One Tri bike manufacturer (not cervelo -ok)
The most recent Q was sent about 8 hours ago, the others have all been days, yet NONE of them have responded in any way shape or form. Now I realize that if I want immediate response I should pick up the phone and call them, but if you are going to sell product on the internet and put a link on your site to take questions, then somebody should monitor it. I can appreciate that a brick & mortar shop might not check their email hourly, but for online retailers it seems ludicrous that you wouldn’t be on top of this stuff.
Perhaps I’m a whiner, but I’ve been in sales and marketing for a long time and it’s the little details like this that drive me crazy. In the companies I’ve worked for, if you didn’t quickly route those web contact forms or incoming calls then it was somebody’s ass because ignored leads = $$$$ out the door. I know this is a small industry and these companies are not giants with unlimited personnel, but in my mind that makes this type of offense even worse because each potential customer is even more valuable.
Thankfully, there are a few that “get-it” and I’m reminded by today’s threads that Emilio DeSoto is one of them. He has a small company, but I guarantee that he doesn’t have a box of ignored email questions.
Rant over, on to the weekend. Happy Easter!!
