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Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!iuvax!silver!stowe
From: stowe@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (holly)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.apple,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.cbm,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Mail order blues/guide (LONG)
Message-ID: <2433@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Date: 13 Oct 88 20:06:20 GMT
References: <55@cs-spool.calgary.UUCP>
Reply-To: stowe@silver.UUCP (holly)
Organization: Indiana University BACS, Bloomington
Lines: 81


This is getting cross-posted all over creation, so please, if you have a
follow-up that only belongs in one group, edit that newsgroup!!!  Please!!

With reference to problems with mail order, I'd like to offer a (not too) 
brief statement in defense of dealers.  Please note that I am part-owner 
in a small store, fairly new, and pretty much limited to the Atari ST and 
Mega.  This post may be a little biased, but I also try to look at it from 
the side of the consumer, especially the "average" consumer who is not a
power user, not a hacker... just someone who uses a computer.


Is there a place in this world for mail order?  Probably.  But... please
remember that just as you expect to earn a living from your job, your
dealer's job is the store he/she/it runs and the services provided to you,
whether those be consultation or repair type services.  If you come to me
and use my services (e.g. trying out my software, asking questions,
having me track down products and in general just picking my brain), then
go buy from mail order because the price is cheaper, you have in effect
stolen from me.  You have used my services, my knowledge, my software, 
but have not paid for them.  I think we all would agree that it just
simply isn't fair.  When you buy a product from my dealership, you aren't
just buying a product.  You're buying my support.  You're buying my
education.  You're helping to repay the money we spent to become an
"authorized" dealer if we are one (and believe me, that's no small sum!).
You're buying the opportunity to come into my store and try out new
software before you purchase it to make sure it's what you want.  Many
times we've opened packages for people to "test drive".  Many times they
have bought them.  Many times they haven't.  That's okay.  It's part of
being a dealer.  Sometimes someone comes in ready to buy an expensive
program, but when I talk to them about their needs, the program they're
looking at is overkill, and I can recommend another, less expensive or
less complex package.  That's okay, too.  As a dealer, it's my job to
provide the best service I can to my customers.  If I give solid and
responsible advice, my customers are going to come back when they need
something else.  If I make a half dozen long distance calls to find some
obscure book, that extra half-mile I've gone will pay off in a loyal
and satisfied customer.  If I've done my job well, I will be rewarded
with recommendations from satisfied customers.  If I've done my job well,
I deserve to be paid for it.

It's okay with me if you buy mail order, but please don't expect to come
to me if you have problems with it, or if you want to return it because
it doesn't do what you want.  Please don't spend 3 hours with me some
evening asking me everything I know about it and then not buy it from
me when you buy it.  Please don't ask me to try to train you in how to
use it the way you need to.  And don't expect me to drop other (read: paying)
customers when you walk in the door and be exceedingly friendly or helpful.
I can't afford to run a not-for-profit dealership.  I have bills to pay, too.

The reason mail order places can sell things at the prices they do is 
because they don't have to spend 3 hours (or more!) talking to you about
the software/hardware trying to make sure it's what you need/want.  They
don't have to have machines available to let you try the software.  They
don't have to maintain a "pretty" store because it's required for an
*authorized* dealership.  They don't have to be there to answer the phone
and spend time explaining how to set up the hard drive (printer, modem,
monitor, whatever) you just bought because the manual can't be translated
into a recognizable language.  Mail order won't send you home with another
copy of a software package because your disk drive refuses to read your
original disk all of a sudden.

Mail order is great if that's all you need.

Please don't complain about dealers because they can't compete with mail
order prices.  We can't.  But then, mail order can't compete with our
service, either.  We don't charge "list"... but we don't charge mail order.
With a lot of luck, we may get into the financial "black" in about 18 months,
but that's only for equipment, stock, etc.  Taking into account the amount
of time we have spent and will spend tracking leads, teaching, talking, 
reading, etc... well, let's just say it's a good thing we enjoy this... :-)

I apologize for the length of this, but I think it needed to be said.  It's
not meant as a chastisement or a gripe.  There's simply more than meets the
eye to retail sales.  I probably stated it a bit more eloquently on GEnie,
but then, I didn't have the phone ringing all the time and people in and
out while I was writing that one.  ;-}

Happy computing and support your local computer pusher!

*climbing back down off the soapbox*