"Do You Buy From Snooty People?" Topic

Who???

Okay, you mean there's ANOTHER ONE out there that hates me???…wow…now all I have to do is wait for the torches and pitchforks…

It is inconceivable that the world of 18th century miniatures could attract someone else as unpleasant. :-)

On the other hand there is one individual whose financial success I completely refuse to contribute to, I dont buy this authors books either from retailers or on the secondary market. They(sic) guy is undoubtedly a subject matter expert and probably a good guy too, but I completely object to one of his publicly held beliefs.

Come along Eric don,t be coy, Who do you mean?

Come along Eric don,t be coy, Who do you mean?

Isn't there some rule against critisizing people by name? :)
I will say that the author has written books for Osprey (the link to wargaming), is a historian specializing in [feudal] Japan, and is not Stephen Turnbull.

- Eric

There's a 25mm figure companys figurehead at the uk shows (no names, no lurid waistcoats)that really annoyed me with his attitude at Triples some 12 years ago, I just worked out his company would have been £3-4000 better off just from me, if only he wasn't such as arse all those years ago.

John

I've had one instance of one maker telling me his figures were so much better than anybody else's. When I told him what I owned he said they were rubbish and that he binned all his years ago. Suffice to say I didn't buy any of his 'oh so wonderful figures' nor will I ever. That's the only time I've ever rebounded off a wargaming ego.

There are a few companies where the service has been 'difficult' and I just steer clear.

One supplier had a reputation for being tricky but I never found him to be so – perhaps its down to ways and means.

RichardDMB: "If the seller is a jerk, for any reason, he DOES NOT GET MY MONIES! No Ifs, Ands or Butts.
Will it deprive me some some cool minis/terrain/rules? So be it."

Amen, brother.

As for me, I only had two on my list over all these year. However, now there are a couple of TMP gasbags that are teetering.

CC

But do you penalize someone in business, if they are merely annoying on a forum? Or if you don't like their spelling, their style, their wargaming opinions?

Personally, I'd rather spend a little more to get good service. There is an online store that supposedly has the greatest service. I've ordered from them and it took over a week to get my paints and figures. I sent an email to the owner asking why – no response. Now I order directly from the UK and guess what – I get them in the same amount of time! With the dollar to pound conversion, I pay roughly the same.

As for me, I only had two on my list over all these year. However, now there are a couple of TMP gasbags that are teetering.

Two? And now a "couple more?" I don't think two is an "only" here. I've been in this hobby for thirty years and I only have one vendor I don't buy from anymore, and that's because I didn't like their returns policy, not because I didn't like them as people. I think someone who would do that has a bit too much emotionally invested in the hobby.

Ever stop to think that maybe it's you, and not them? I mean, "TMP gasbags" -- that is so poignant.

The personality of the seller DEFINITELY has an affect on my purchasing habits. I will not send good money to bad people. Fortunately, there are MANY vendors for the types of miniatures I buy (cowboys, Indians, pulp, modern zombie). And I've never fallen so in love with a single figure that I cannot find something comparable elsewhere.

Brigade Games: That is exactly my philosophy. I treat others as I would like to be treated. It's a simple philosophy that actually works. I'm not saying I've never had a bad day or faced a potential customer with less than perfect patience. But, on the whole, that's what I strive for.

But do you penalize someone in business, if they are merely annoying on a forum? Or if you don't like their spelling, their style, their wargaming opinions?

Yes.

Despite being a very technical and numbers oriented person, i recognize that gratification is fundamentally emotional. Sales is fundamentally about emotions. Anything that can cause an emotional reaction can and should have an impact on the sales process.

It's also a matter of trust. When I see someone say something I find utterly ridiculous or annoying, I stop trusting the brain that produced that. I begin to wonder if I can rely on that person to produce things I'll like.

1) YES – If I get a bad attitube, I go else where. There are always new lines coming up and new suppliers, just a case of waiting.

2) No – If someone is horrible I avoid them full stop.

And Yes I do try and go back to those traders/suppliers who were nice to me, even if they are a few pence more pricey. If I get a good service and product, I try and promote their business amoungst my interested gaming friends and I look to their ranges first.

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: If a seller or author, either in person or online, annoys me too much through rude behavior, obnoxious attitudes, or reprehensible (to me) espoused beliefs/opinions they don't get my money. Period. End of story. If their products are truly unique I will simply do without.

Examples (and no, I won't name names because it's personal and YMMV):
I can think of 1 author, 1 retailer, and a couple of frequent ebay sellers that post here on TMP who have annoyed me so much they'll NEVER get my money. I won't even buy the author's stuff second hand. There's a FLGS that dropped the F part awhile ago, and after too many instances of rude and boorish behavior to me I quit going there.

The opposite is true too though: Folks who are generally polite and/or helpful will GET my money, even if it sometimes means spending a little more (no, you don't have to be pleasant every minute of every day, and no, I don't have to agree with you 100% – just don't get insulting or condescending if we disagree). TMP folks in this category who have gotten or soon will get my money include (but are not limited to) Mal Wright, Tom at GFI, Dave at I-94, Dom the dancing banana, and a certain Crispy mouse in Cincinnati. All fine folks who also provide good service and/or are helpful with sharing their knowledge; all will continue to get my financial support.

As to service, I try to take all factors into account. None of us mere mortals control the postal services, so I check the postage dates on packages. If a seller posts something when they said they did but it takes the USPS 4 weeks to deliver it 350 miles away I certainly don't hold it against the seller (I had this happen once). On the other hand, if a seller says they posted something but the package shows up with a postage date 29 days later than when they said they posted it they won't ever get my business again (had this happen too). If it takes a week or two to ship my order no problem, I realize that for most sellers in this hobby it's a sideline, not their "real" job, and sometimes life gets in the way – just don't tell me you've shipped when you haven't. And if you say you're going to ship on Monday but something happens a simple email on Wednesday saying "Couldn't get to the p.o. Monday; will go on Saturday" makes everything right with me.

If an item is out of stock or needs to be cast or printed and the seller tells me up front it's a non-issue and I'll continue to buy from them. If an item is out of stock and the seller doesn't tell me and doesn't respond to emails or phone calls until I open a dispute or "out" them here on TMP they'll never see another dime from me (I've had this happen with 2 large retailers/distributors here in the U.S. – 1 of them ignored repeated emails and calls, then responded publicly here on TMP 10 weeks after I placed the order, saying they were shipping in a few days (no email or call to me though) – and then still took another 4 weeks to actually post according to the date on the package! Yeah, remind me to buy from them again!).

So if someone annoys me too much through "bad behavior" in person, online, or through lack of "common courtesy" when I've ordered, I "punish" them by not opening my wallet. Spelling, grammar, and differing opinions (as long as they're expressed without insults or condescension and aren't too abhorrent) don't get "punished".

I missed this thread!

If I have found someone to be rude/offensive/ill mannered/ignorant/snooty then I won't buy their products. I have come across very few such people in this hobby luckily.

There are also gamers/painters/historical "experts" with their heads up their own arses and I avoid them aswell

hussarbob1746.webs.com

of course it matters.
Museum Miniatures
Magister Militum
East Ridings Minis (only one order so far, but will get more)
are simply great and i feel good ordering from them.

If someone has what I want I buy it, as I have no other agenda? I do not want to be their friend,pal,camping buddy,associate,anger management counselor,partner,etc?? Pick up the product,pay the fee,then seperate --why all the posturing?
Russ Dunaway

"Do You Buy From Snooty People?"

I actually have, on a couple of occasions, written to sellers telling them that I would not buy because their staff was impolite.

Of course, I assume that the staff intercepted those emails…

In the election for the share of a market place, votes are cast with dollars.

So it's more than just getting the product I want and the seller and I going our separate ways. Business is fundamentally about relationships and trust. This is especially true for online sellers as without the face to face interaction, you have less to go on when it comes to trust.

How someone treats someone else on a forum when they can hide behind the illusion of web anonymity might speak volumes about how they might treat someone in a business transaction when they have that same perceived distance and separation.

Like I said before --I buy what I want? Why would I allow someone who is having a miserable life to have the power over me to effect my consumer decisions that are,after all. designed around my personal pleasure? when I go into the quicky mart to grab a snickers candy bar -- why would I care what the attitude of the guy is behind the counter ??? Two minutes later I am traveling down the highway --I will never see him again and I am happily munching my candy bar and have wisely spared myself the aggravation of even "engaging"? Seems counter productive to me to empower someone else in such a manner??
Russ Dunaway

The Editor said
But do you penalize someone in business, if they are merely annoying on a forum?

roflmao

OK !!! Thats it!!!! Everyone of you have annoyed me and I now refuse to sell my product to any of you!!! BWWWWhaaa --That will really harm you and teach you a lesson!!!!
Russ Dunaway

No, I don't buy from snooty people. However, I buy for snooty people…well…person.

The world is full of folk, some nice, some not…of course, (as has already been pointed out) the converse is just as true. From my experience in selling figures face to face around the shows, it is quite incredible how many of the wargaming public are rude,self-opinionated,cheap, whining, and just plain STUPID…."The customer is always right"?…I don't think so, but you have to say so!

if I'm buying online, generally I don't have any contact with the seller, so I have no idea if they're "snooty" or not. However if I'm dealing in person, I tend to buy from people who clearly are hobbyists themselves – you know the type, they'll help you find the minis that are best for YOU, not necessarily for THEM.

If a shop assistant is aggressive in his technique I will steer clear. If a manager is insulting to me (as the games workshop manager was many moons ago), my vindictive streak rears its head and I lose all interest in wargaming and focus all of my efforts on getting them sacked. Fortunately, so far I've only had to do this once (and completed it with spectacular results), but BTD is really starting to try my patience now.

In summary, the customer is not always right, but they are also rarely stupid, so don't pretend they are.

Yes it certainly affects my purchasing, whether on line or face to face.

There are a small number of traders I've dealt with in that quasi-professional capacity of being on the Salute show organisers team that – because of my dealings with them – I would not purchase from even if they were the only supplier on the planet: I'd pick another period to game, I guess.

But I know it's a 'two way street' as well: in all my years of involvement with Salute, I know of one trader who stated emphatically that he would not attend the show while I was involved with it.

It's a small hobby and it'd be nice if we all just got along but, in the end, we all make the choices we make, I guess.

John T

I like to think as a small independant manufacturer that I treat customers (and potential customers) in the manner that I myself would like to be treated. I too have dealt with 'faceless' companies where your order is just a number and your email is just a hinderance .. or so it seems. I will always answer my customers' quieries and chat to anyone who shows appreciation or interest in my products. It seems the bigger a supplier gets the less he considers his customers and these are the very people that keep these people going. … Right, I've had my say. Time to go and lie down in a darkened room and mumble to myself.
Steve
simply-6.com