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Author Topic: What makes for a good online purchase?  (Read 3292 times)

bamaster

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What makes for a good online purchase?
« on: March 21, 2005, 10:54:22 AM »
Ok, I have a question.  What does it take to have a good online purchase experience?

I ask because the Online Proshops forum here is dominated by kudos for Buddies. They run a great operation, without a doubt, but I hardly think it's justified glorification.  Here is why...

When you buy something online, you are SUPPOSED to receive it.  If you live in the same state as where it's being shipped from, you are SUPPOSED to receive within a day or so.  I mean, when you buy a Big Mac meal at the McDonalds drive through, do you call your friends and tell them that you received it within minutes of ordering and that they are the best fast food joint?

Haha!  I know I sound like a bitter e-tailer, but I'm not, honest injin.  But from my perspective, it seems that I'm working too hard.  

Or am I the only one that feels this way?

Tony
http://www.allBowling.com
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shelley

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Re: What makes for a good online purchase?
« Reply #31 on: March 23, 2005, 09:36:27 AM »
quote:

A business owner is in business for one thing - to put food on the table and a roof overhead.  If the business owner is losing money to please the customer, then it is probably not in his best interest.  THAT's what it boils down to in a nutshell.


I have a hard time believing that Buddies would have lost money on that deal.  A $5 towel (which they probably pay even less for) would more likely mean that they make $95 profit instead of $100 than that they would lose $5 instead of breaking even.  There's a difference between making less money and losing money, in my mind.  Buddies, as a result, didn't make ANY money on that deal.  I'd rather make a little bit less than none at all.

Hell, for the number of people that order that many balls at once, they could probably afford to throw in a free towel with each order.  Buy 8 or more balls, get a free towel.  Buy 7 balls and get squat.  Maybe they don't have to state that last part.    Filling more of those large orders may help them get further price breaks from their distributor, that may increase profits in the long run.

SH
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JPRLane1

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Re: What makes for a good online purchase?
« Reply #32 on: March 23, 2005, 11:22:54 AM »
Yes buying $900 worth of balls in one shot and buying 8 balls one at a time thats a huge difference.  How many people can afford to buy $900 worth of bowling balls I am talking cash money not credit now.
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Leader & Founder of Fellowship of the Saws! 03/04/05 Respect us or get left in our Saw Dust!
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CharlieBrown

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Re: What makes for a good online purchase?
« Reply #33 on: March 23, 2005, 01:04:02 PM »
I hope nobody is thinking that JPRLane1 is ripping Buddies, I think he's just using 'that' incident to give us an example of his purchasing experience.

And as JPRLane1 mentioned, he'd buy from them again in the future.

Good reputation is the main thing I guess, and Buddies just happen to have a good rep and a big following at this forum.

As for me, well I have purchased form Buddies and Tony 'bamaster' before, as well as some from ebays, and all of them were excellent experiences.

And speaking of 'bamaster', allow me to go off-topic for a while...... he's a top class e-tailer, he managed to find me two hard-to-get NIB bowling balls, with the exact spec, AND I was being very extremely picky with the ball spec as well!  

The whole deal was done though PMs and email, and he found the balls for me even before I paid him..... even though he knew nothing about me at the time.

He also did me a huge favor, one that I'd rather not mention at a public forum, but let's just say he saved me some extra $$$. And that to me, was definitely a good online purchase experience.

BTW Tony, the balls you sent me, still No Holes!!!


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seadrive

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Re: What makes for a good online purchase?
« Reply #34 on: March 23, 2005, 01:14:37 PM »
Tony, the reason you see so many kudos for Buddies is that they have a lot of satisfied customers, and people like to share their experiences.  It's really just that simple.

Buddies has great prices, an outstanding reputation for customer service, and they've been in the game from the beginning.

At the risk of waking a sleeping bear known as "the Mezz", it's hard for a new shop to compete against the established players, but I think it can be done.  

You just have to work twice as hard as the other guys.
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DonSVO

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Re: What makes for a good online purchase?
« Reply #35 on: March 23, 2005, 02:47:45 PM »
as far as retail and large customer base go, i have my fair share of experience...

i think you get a 'group effect' going in the case of Buddies... everyone uses them and raves about the goodness. so lets say Buyer D reads about some Seller, and in this post buyers A,B, and C harp on how good the deal was. Buyer D reads it and says, 'well damn, they must be good!' and also purchases from the Seller. Buyer D then posts up about how good it was... basically it's a chain of self-gratification on the buyer's point: he feels "in the know", he feels like he is part of the guys helping the seller out, and he gets to crow about buying from "Mr. Badass Ball Seller", whomever that may be. there's nothing wrong with it, but i deal with it alot, especially on message boards.

Hell, even in the alleys: you get one of the more popular bowlers to say "yea i went to so-N-so's Pro Shop. he hooked me up and man... he knows his stuff..." all the sudden everyone who at LEAST appreciates this person's style/skill thinks, 'wow. they MUST know their sh!t if So-N-So is using them!' word-of-mouth from a VERY believeable source: unlike the PBA guys, you bowl next to So-N-So last week and his 768 series stomped a new turd-cutter into your team's pride. he IS good.

so all retailers need more than just good service: they should have a good slid following of skilled bowlers who popularize their equipment. think of all the big-name guys on here that you always see post good info, or have verifiable solid averages: if you get a thread of those guys babbling about how AMAZING some seller is... you have ALOT of good feedback with only half a percent of the board even saying anything. but it goes a long way: people naturally polarize themselves with the elitists... so their recommendations draw customers. simple business.

why do you think there are Ads on TV with sports stars? same affect, oly in our smaller bowling-ball-reviews community it is that much more effective.


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funniest thing i have ever read on here:

originally posted by Bjaardker, about if brunswick sells 2nds/blems:

Yeah, they're called Lane #1s....

JUST KIDDING!!!

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