Forum Members Feedback Needed, Please Take Some Time & Chime In!

[HardRacing]

This post is to HELP all the Site Sponsors/Vendors with good feedback from You The Forum Members.

What Drives your Purchase Decisions ?

What's important to you when purchasing from a company ?

Please leave company names off your post.
We don't want it to turn into a " " Joe's Bike Shop is awesome " "Joe's Bike shop sucks "
This Thread is supposed to be helpful for ALL the SiteSponsors/Vendors.by letting us know more about the Forum Members. What influences you to purchase from a company. What's important to you. And what's not.


Here is a Quick List of Key Points that most people consider when making a Purchase.


1) PRICE - Obviously with the current economy this is going to be first on everyone's List.
So Lets just assume, that everyone will put that 1st on their list.

That being said, Take a second and Post up.....in Order of Priority....... OF These Most Common Key Points (Other than #1 Price) , :Which ones come first on your list..

Which ones are important to you.? Top of your List

Which ones are not that important. ? Lower on your list.


We have put them in RANDOM ORDER. But, you can arrange them in whatever priority they are to you.
And of course post comments.


- Answers their phones when they are open ---- (Not saying every company can have a full sales staff and a bunch of dedicated Sales lines, so that you never get voicemail. That is Rare. But, Key point being, MOST of the time when you call, someone answers the phone. Nothing more annoying that Not being able to get someone to answer the phone, no matter what time of the day you call. )


- Replies to your emails in a timely manner ----- (Again, not saying every company can have a dedicated staff to do nothing but reply to emails 24/7. Key point being, MOST of the time when you email them during "NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS" you get a reply within an hour. Not 2 days later, or even worse no reply at all. )


- FREE Shipping ---- (Key Point : FREE SHIPPING)


- Knowledgeable Sales Staff ---- ( Key point : The person taking your order, knows the products, knows the bikes, knows what should fit, and what probably won't. Has 1st hand experience with the products your considering... We have all experienced what it's like to ask someone about a product, and they have no idea what it is, or what it does. All they do is sell it )

- A Real Store with a Physical Address and a phone number ---- ( Key Point :You know they are going to be there for the long haul. Not a "here today, gone tomorrow". There is nothing worse than seeing a PO BOX as the company's Physical address. Or no phone number listed, instead a.. "Email is Preferred method of contact ".


- Tracking numbers sent as soon as your product shipping ---- (Key point : They just email it to you automatically. That way you can track it, and you know when it will be arriving. You don't have to call or email and ask for it. Or worse your told. " You cannot get a tracking number until at least 14 days after your order..? WTF? )


- Repeat Customer Discount or Customer Loyalty Discount ---- (Key Point : In some form or another the company appreciates your continued business and gives you something extra for sticking with them. Either Store Credit, or Extra Discounts...etc.. )


- Order Status Updates ---- (Key point : As soon as you place your order, you are confident it will be processed quickly. Otherwise the company will email and/or call you immediately, to inform you of any delays and let you decide to continue or cancel or change order)



- Informative Website (Key point : Lots of information on the specific products, and Details Photos. Not just a "Here's the part, and here's the price. with a generic photo or no photo at all )


- Fast Shipping ---- (Everyone wants their stuff, Yesterday. Unfortunately, that's impossible. :-) But, you expect it to get to you quickly 2-5 days in most cases.. Not 2-3 weeks later. Unless your notified it's on back order.)



- Tech Support/Customer service that you can call and get Answers ---- (Key point : They don't just take orders. They can give you important information that helps you make an informed decision on what your buying. ie.. (will this fit my bike.? What do I need.?? Will this product work with That product. Are they compatible ? What size Sprockets do I need. How Fat of a Tire can I squeeze on my Rim )


AGAIN, please leave ALL company names off your post.

You're welcome to give past experiences you have had and how it has changed the way you make your decision. That's what we are looking for. Not a Bash fest on anyone or a HYPE Fest on anyone.



.

[Stonewall]

price ,brand, free shipping.

[R1nStang]

pricing, free shipping, in stock item for quick delivery, quick and friendly service if there is a problem

[z064life]

Actually I don't look at price 1st. The vendors I stick with give me the best value. That means speed of service, ease of purchase, correcting things that go wrong, and if I need help they provide that if I am giving them a sale at the time or not. There are vendors that do that and I have given them a fair amount of money because of it. There are times I know I can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere, but in the end it works out.

Example..when I send a vendor an email at 10pm on Sunday because I'm having a problem/need an idea on a part that I may have purchased from them or may not have....they actually respond that night almost always. That is worth $$ in my books.

And when I need something, I simply email them and it gets handled. If parts are wrong, they cross ship without worry.....all of that is worth it to me

[CupraR1]

Quality Parts For A Quality Price With A Quality Service will keep the customers coming back every time!
You can serve a customer once or a hundred times! They will choose

[Mike08r1]

Price, company reputation on the forum, free shipping, responsiveness to calls or email.


Sent from my iPhone using Motorcycle.com Free App

[Blue Streak]

Originally Posted by z064life

Actually I don't look at price 1st. The vendors I stick with give me the best value. That means speed of service, ease of purchase, correcting things that go wrong, and if I need help they provide that if I am giving them a sale at the time or not. There are vendors that do that and I have given them a fair amount of money because of it. There are times I know I can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere, but in the end it works out.

Example..when I send a vendor an email at 10pm on Sunday because I'm having a problem/need an idea on a part that I may have purchased from them or may not have....they actually respond that night almost always. That is worth $$ in my books.

And when I need something, I simply email them and it gets handled. If parts are wrong, they cross ship without worry.....all of that is worth it to me

You made the first mistake in sales - assuming. Why assume price is themost important thing for ALL of your potential clients?

As stated, value is far more important to me than price and that comes with some of the other things you mentioned and that are above.

I want a "competent" vendor - someone who can actually do what they say and/or should be able to do for me.

I want a "credible" vendor - some of the vendors (OK I wont mention names) post regulary on the forum and offer good advice vs. just trying to sell their stuff. They ride bikes themselves or are around them enough that they know what we are asking or talking about vs. trying to google the answer or look at the product description in a catalogue. They are knowledgeable about what they sell - and thats worth something and drives loyalty.

Price is only important if it's a commodity that I need zero assitance with and can be found anywhere. Even then I will pay a small percentage more and give the business to someone who I have dealt with before and liked their service.

Being from Canada there is NO such thing as free shipping from USA. The carrier and cost of shipping are important to me. For example I refuse to use United Parcel Service since they screw you royally on brokerage fees. If a site tells me they only use them - i look no further.

Response to ANY email questions within 24-48 hours is also expected. If the response is canned or useless info - I move on.

Lastly - I will say that this forum has POWER. If I read too many bad reviews about a vendor ( someone always has some stupid little problem that they bitch about and I dont let that influence me) I wont use them - not even give them a try.

[ss55539]

availability and customer service head my list. often i pay a little more just to know im going to get the item when im supposed to and if i have an issue it will be handled quickly.

[rorytsm]

letting a customer know if there is any kind of a delay with an item instead of just letting them wait it out wondering what the f*ck is going on. shit needs to ship inside of 2 days if you "have it in stock" otherwise let them know when it will be shipped.

[MANOWAR]

I like what Sportbiketrackgear does. They only sell what they use. When I got my Handroid gloves in their store they had a set of used one they'd crashed in I could try on. (they held up perfectly for crashed gloves too). They knew how they fit and how they held up over time.

I want a brain behind the phone/email who can answer questions about a product if I have them.

[Blue Streak]

Originally Posted by MANOWAR

I like what Sportbiketrackgear does. They only sell what they use. When I got my Handroid gloves in their store they had a set of used one they'd crashed in I could try on. (they held up perfectly for crashed gloves too). They knew how they fit and how they held up over time.

I want a brain behind the phone/email who can answer questions about a product if I have them.

ahh man! you went mentioning names like you were told not to!!! Do you have a problem with doing what you're told!

[ss55539]

Originally Posted by MANOWAR

I like what Sportbiketrackgear does. They only sell what they use. When I got my Handroid gloves in their store they had a set of used one they'd crashed in I could try on. (they held up perfectly for crashed gloves too). They knew how they fit and how they held up over time.

I want a brain behind the phone/email who can answer questions about a product if I have them.

and they have AWESOME customer service also

[Kevap]

Originally Posted by MANOWAR

When I got my Handroid gloves

Wait... you finally got rid of those gay ass Icon gloves?

[MANOWAR]

Originally Posted by Kevap

Wait... you finally got rid of those gay ass Icon gloves?

1. They aren't gay they're AWESOME.
2. I still have them but I got the Handroid ones because all my forum buddies give me shit for wearing squidcon gloves.

I do like the Handroid better though. Kangaroo leather and they broke in nicely. Very comfortable and dropping Shanes name got me a great deal on them.

[MANOWAR]

Originally Posted by Blue Streak

ahh man! you went mentioning names like you were told not to!!! Do you have a problem with doing what you're told!

yes. And I'm too lazy to edit my post.

[HardRacing]

Originally Posted by Blue Streak

You made the first mistake in sales - assuming. Why assume price is themost important thing for ALL of your potential clients?

.......

.


Well for starters, 4 out of the First 5 posts said Price.

Assuming they are the norm of course.

Having done this for nearly 15 years and 50,000 + customers later , we find they have Price at the top of their list. That's just fact.

That's not to say A Dealer has to be the cheapest around.
Not always the case.
It's just one of the most important factors when considering where they spend their hard earned $$$

.

[MeanOne]

Originally Posted by z064life

Actually I don't look at price 1st. The vendors I stick with give me the best value. That means speed of service, ease of purchase, correcting things that go wrong, and if I need help they provide that if I am giving them a sale at the time or not. There are vendors that do that and I have given them a fair amount of money because of it. There are times I know I can get it slightly cheaper elsewhere, but in the end it works out.

Right, the "listed" price can be deceiving. "Value", to me, entails the entire buying experience - from perusing a website, to placing my order, to support months (or even years) after making my purchase. I take account of all that when I'm deciding what I'm willing to spend on a purchase. There is a sort of "buying calculus" I engage in, and price is not the only variable nor is it necessarily the most important.

But why is RETURN POLICY not an option? I won't buy from any online vendor that doesn't have a no-hassle return policy, period. Too many variables, especially in riding gear, when buying online. When spending $100s or more, I want the security of knowing I can send something right back if its not right for me. Free return shipping, therefore, also goes a long way with me.

Originally Posted by HardRacing

Well for starters, 4 out of the First 5 posts said Price.

One could develop a very healthy business meeting the needs of the other 1 out of 5 customers, those who aren't willing to sacrifice all those other factors just to save a few bucks off of "list".

That mentality ultimately leads businesses to have to cut customer service so they can be competitive in price - and there are a lot more businesses out there playing that game.

As a consumer, I like being paid attention to, treated like I matter, and having my concerns taken seriously. Give me that and I will pay more for it. (Not a lot more, but more.)

[Blue Streak]

Originally Posted by HardRacing

.


Well for starters, 4 out of the First 5 posts said Price.

Assuming they are the norm of course.

Having done this for nearly 15 years and 50,000 + customers later , we find they have Price at the top of their list. That's just fact.

That's not to say A Dealer has to be the cheapest around.
Not always the case.
It's just one of the most important factors when considering where they spend their hard earned $$$

.

Actually - the first 2 out of 5 as most important .... but whose counting....

[KMac]

Actually, 3 of the first 5 response posts.

[Blue Streak]

Originally Posted by KMac

Actually, 3 of the first 5 response posts.

geez - go and spoil my fun

whats the total percentage of all posts with price as first? I'm too lazy to count it up...