Hello,
Today I want everyone to tell me, firstly as a vendor how far are you willing to go to satisfy your customer and from clients I want to know what sort of customer service you demand?
Clients in around 90% cases are covered whereas vendors are not even 1% covered.
Why is it that a client has every right to shout out publicly if a vendor provides anything less than over a hundred percent but a vendor has nowhere to go and say anything cause that’s considered unethical and unprofessional.
I’ve never had a good head for business, I guess if you wish to run a business you should be very untrusting of everyone and everything otherwise you will have to bear big losses for sure.
I lost over $900 once here cause I trusted someone to pay when their order is ready and a fool that I am, I went ahead and did the same again.
Basically the point of this thread is for vendors and customers to talk and tell what they expect from each other in order to avoid such situations.
Re: Everything A Vendor Has To Deal With...
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I guess the venting session helped :)
Re: Everything A Vendor Has To Deal With...
Hi, well I didn't read everything through but I will make a few points now and then maybe write more fully when I have more time.
Yes, it's a very tricky issue and one should have a plan for how they are going to conduct business. I can imagine how frustrating it is when you want to please a client but they keep changing their order or try to haggle on price AFTER it was agreed.
A few ground rules I employ:
Clearly list how you will conduct the order in the first email. This includes mentioning if shipping is included or not (and shipping charges), that the prices are fixed (or if you will give a discount for multiple orders, how many and how much) so you will not partake in bargaining, how much you payment you expect before the outfit is started, that you expect the remainder to be paid before shipping on the outfit's completion (you can say that you will take photo of the final product to satisfy the buyer), that you will supply a full measurement template and instructions for the outfit in question (this places the onus on the buyer to supply you with proper measurements as per your guidelines), that the buyer must carefully detail and list any and all changes or requirements in an outfit (you can only be held responsible if you mess up on any of the things they mentioned)... i could go on but you get the idea.
Yes, you want to build up goodwill in the first transaction with a client and therefore have a tendency to be more accommodating or supply outfits with zero profit but there are limits and you need to ensure that you are not being taken advantage of. Sometimes you go through a lot of hard work with a buyer on their outfit and then they pull out at the last minute; it's difficult to deal with when it's a new business. If at any point you feel that the buyer's intention is you mess you around, it can be best to respectfully decline to take the order, or say that you will accept it when they have finalised what they want in their own mind and ready to pay the deposit. If someone has paid for an order and wants a lot of updates (swatches, photos etc) it's understandable and something you have to deal with to the best of your ability.
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AW it’s funny you mention that, yesterday someone was telling me about how she posted out items to a boutique owner, and now that person is not responding to her calls. She too has incurred a big loss.
While I’m glad that there are customer support groups for bad designers, there also need to be a group for vendors I suppose, that warn each other about a particular customer…though that may be quite harder since a client can constnantly change their info. I guess dealing with bad clients is a part of the business.
I’m sure noone would want to rip off a big designer house like Hajra Hayat, etc… and its far easier to rip off a small-time vendor like you guys. its not fair at all…
It’s really hard to trust a vendor, and likewise i think its hard for a vendor to trust a customer…that’s why whomever i’ve ordered from, i appreciate them being so trusting. :halo:
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That’s weird moneygram charges so mcuh.
Western union only charges $10 flat fee :halo:
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I wouldn't trust clients who don't give at least some money in the beginning. I think that would be totally wrong. Quite frankly when I first dealt with a GS designer i was scared about getting ripped off too, but that's why GS is good...then you can warn others not to deal them. Although thankfully i recieved and was happy with my order.
You really shouldn't trust customers who aren't paying anything, in a case like yours it's a big risk you shouldn't take. Either you'll make a lot of money and great long-time customers or you can lose a lot of money...
mmm, exactly. also, it’s the buyers responsibility to pay the money however they see fit and therefore their responsibility to bear the cost of their chosen method.
Hi, well I didn't read everything through but I will make a few points now and then maybe write more fully when I have more time.
Yes, it's a very tricky issue and one should have a plan for how they are going to conduct business. I can imagine how frustrating it is when you want to please a client but they keep changing their order or try to haggle on price AFTER it was agreed. ...
I agree with this a 100%.
Although I've never engaged in purchasing clothes online, but I've read AngelWings post with great interest because it aligns with my research interests on internet based commerce and consumer trust.
It sounds to me like there's a great need for an E-Commerce 101 type course for the vendors who're doing business online at a small scale. Something that will convey the best practices of online commerce from a business standpoint (the technology part can be handed off to someone who're proficient at a later point).
It surprises me that if a vendor (no matter how small) is expecting to do regular business where the average value of transaction is in hundreds of dollars, there's no website that customers can visit to get a sense of the authenticity of the vendor. Why is there so much email going back and forth for very basic issues? Why not spend a couple of weeks upfront in putting policies, procedures, and expectations on a website? Having a very basic web presence is not a big deal these days.
Secondly, I understand that Paypal is not an option for businesses in Pakistan, but why don't they use credit cards? Again, it's probably an upfront cost of $500 - $800 to get someone to create a standard storefront/shopping cart function that can help with so many payment related headaches. Along with standardized policies and an automated payment mechanism, significant level of trust can be established upfront because the customer is now aware of the policies and would know what to expect. Similarly if credit cards are being used, they know there's a recourse available for non-delivery etc. and they would hesitate less to make advance payments.
To me these things seem like very basic issues for anyone who wishes to conduct business online. Vendors need to make an upfront investment in planning time, formulating policies and procedures, and providing different assurances to the customer to help alleviate their concerns.
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Hello, thank you all for listening! The thing is .. it's not the bearing loss part tha frustrates me .. the part that I dont get is how can someone just commit to doing something and then just back out.. just like that, also most of the designs she picked were mine, from my FORMALS thread, not designer copies. Is it ok for me to trust her? If so then howcome it isnt ok for a customer to trust a vendor? Also, I think nobody in their right mind would risk their reputation over $1000 or $1500, when someone orders from a vendor on GS they need to know they're secure and that they wont be messed around with!
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AW i think if ure going to succeed in this business, u have to have a much thicker skin. you sound like a sensitive, soft-hearted person, which is a wonderful quality to have in a person...but not in order to run a successful business. it's fine to bend a little if you want to be loyal to a customer or for a first-time client, but i think u have to strike a balance and be firm. It may take time and a few mistakes but it's all a learning process.
I know ure not AS upset about the money being gone but consider it lost to charity i guess (if it will help u feel better). dont fret abt ppl's intentions... everyone has different circumstances, maybe she weas in a genuine problem, or maybe she was being a total cow. Only she knows.
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Angel weings i understand where you coming from.....but i have lost $500 from a vendor online just like that...i paid in advance and im not getting the outfits made...neither my money back...its like its been swalloed in a black hole...maybe thats y client are having a hard time to trust the vendors.....
but dont worry i know the frustration you must be going through...i personally love your work.....inshallah i will post your review online on your thread to encourage other girsl to buy from you...:)
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Hi Guys, just thought i'd add my 2 ruppees worth to the discussion. I think its quite risky on the part of both the buyer as well as the seller. I know in the past i have been very hesitant buying things off the internet from Pakistani sites and to be honest i still havent done so, all because i dont trust them. I know that might be a gross generalsiation but thats just my opinion. For me Word of Mouth is very very important and for me was the real key to ordering Kapray from Pakistan.. Reading the experiences of different GS members on here with our home based designers did persuade me to order and MA up until now i have been completely satisfied. The fact that most of the Home based designers started out as posters on the site and not as sellers/designers also was reassuring.
I agree with everything that stoppit said and i think its very sesnsible advice. I also think that perhaps for piece of mind u should ask for a deposit of some sort, just to cover yourself for the eventuality of people not paying. I think AW, your a really lovely girl and maybe as another guppy said u might have to get a little tougher :) I like your stuff too.
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My advice to all prospective buyers would be to purchase their outfits DIRECTLY from the designer, be it me, or aw or prototype or cyma. Or approach a vendor that is highly reliable.
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^we,as designers CHOOSE to have vendors BY CHOICE & NOT by force for OUR personal interests i.e. to expand our clientage&advertise+sell our work in places where we cant personally be in.I have a vendor in houston since 3 yrs and I know I am making money/working with her only on the basis of her PR and dealing with clients and I have never bothered to know how much profit margin she has been getting as whatever anyone says, she is doing more than sitting on her laptop and forwarding emails and info! Since I want my work running,I dont keep a big profit margin because I believe in lesser profit,running business rather than big profit margins,lesser orders-the clients are wise enough to know the worth of any piece usually since they have a LOT of choices. even I wont buy directly from one shop without getting to know the price of any iteem from atleast 3-4 shops so that I am not ripped off!
so,you cant totally leave out the vendor's role.
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plus I feel that the middle-man/lady is equally in distress as she is the one who has to deal with both ends.if something goes wrong with the product,it HER who has to deal with the mess-complaints by the customer and arguments from the designer that she did it in accordance to all that was conveyed.phansta hamesha bechara beech wala banda he hai chahay Jaisa bhi kaam ho :halo:
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i was actually surprised angelwings that u did not ask for payment upfront from me....as i did not give u any fabric(which is sort of guarentee that customer will come back)...
bad way to do buisness girl.
but it made things easy for me.
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Just like there are some vendors u should stay away from... there are some perfect examples of customers to stay away from.