Re: 755cx - Mailorder YES, IBM-Direct NO (Long)

[Don Whiteside <dwhite@shadow.net>]

On Fri, 19 May 1995, David Fox wrote:

>  > >Sounds to me like you need some assertiveness training. You should have 
>  > >asked to speak to a supervisor...
>  > 
>  > Thanks Ron, good feedback and I totally agree.  Customers should be
>  > assertive and stand up for what's right...
> 
> Sometimes you don't have time to do the research to find out what's
> right, or the energy to be assertive enough to get it.  I prefer
> companies that can be trusted to give you a decent (if not the
> absolute lowest) price every time.  You may say that if I'm not
> willing to do the research I deserve to be ripped off, but modern
> society would not be possible without delegation of authority.
> 
> Certain mail order companies seem to have a "no bull***t" culture
> which makes this work, or so it seems to me.  Examples from Computer
> Shopper include Insight, CMO (aka Storage USA), OS Computers, First
> Source Intl.  Authoritarian religions and alternative lifestyles seem
> to help, look for companies in central Pennsylvania, Utah, San
> Francisco, etc...  :)

I don't think that's behavior that is "deserving to be ripped off" at 
all. I'd rather pay 2% more across the board than constantly wonder if 
item 5 of 200 has been artifically inflated in price. Add to your list of 
"reliable companies" DC Drives in Texas - they have always been above 
board with me. Also Micro(/Mac/Systems/Network)Warehouse, who lacks the best 
prices but always tells you if it's really instock, shipps overnight for 
reasonable prices, never charges till it's out the door, etc, etc.

If CDW had pulled that stunt on me (and made the fatal mistake of doing 
it in the STORE!) I'd have been screaming at the top of my lungs. I'm not 
a screamer, but behavior like that (jacking the price up 50% just to see 
if it could be done, then _still_ selling for $40 more when called on it) 
should be advertised to everyone in earshot. You want to charge a premium 
for service, fine - I used to work in a reseller like that. We were more 
than the local competitors, but our policies were more flexible and out 
support more extensive. You want to be bargain basement and provide a 
minumum of service, fine. But to make up the prices as you go along and 
always follow the screw-em-if-you-can method is unacceptable.