What makes a GREAT Customer/Vendor?

This sugar glider community is a very unique one with many rules, standards and traditions that can sometimes take a newer person by surprise. I find that many times people come into this community and expect that they will order things from a vendor or begin vending and everything will work just like it does at WalMart or ebay.

So, I'd like to hear from you all - within the sugar glider community, what do YOU personally feel sets a customer or a vendor apart as GREAT?

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I'll start. I am in the position of being both a vendor and a customer, so I will give a few of the thoughts that I have for each.


A GREAT Vendor:
* Is easy to contact - they offer more than one way to contact them about my order.

* Keeps in contact with me regularly - I undersand that this is not a livelihood for vendors, but I would like to hear from them once every 7-10 days to tell me how my order is progressing (even if they only say "haven't started yet.")

* Is creative and inventive and never copies someone else's product

* Because they are creative and inventive, they do not consult me with every detail of every order. I know that some people really like to have input into every bead or ring used, but I do not. I could make them myself if I wanted that much control over it. I am very busy and when I place an order, I want to be surprised when I finally open the box. I don't want to be bothered with every tiny detail.

* Is easy to communicate with if there is a problem with the products that I receive or if I have an idea for their product.

* Will work to make amends/make things right if there is a problem. They do not blow me off or tell me that the issue is my imagination or my own fault. And they NEVER tell me how much all of their other customers find an issue safe or appealing if I feel it is not safe or appealing.

* Cares about how my gliders (all gliders) might or might not use a product and makes sure to test their products with gliders other than their own, to listen to customer comments about the product and to seek feedback on the product from those who have used it in their home.

* Is never critical of the way I say "thank you", of the time it takes me to review their products/service, or of the way I let MY gliders use the product *I* paid for.

* Treats me with respect as the person who paid them good money for their stuff. In other words, acts like they WANT me to return to buy more from them.



A GREAT customer:

* Realizes that this is something that I do in my spare time (which is very minimal what with running a rescue full time and working out of the home part time to support it), so they patiently wait the entire period of time that I have told them it would be for their order before they get worried or start asking for daily updates.

* Are specific in their requests when they are going to be picky.

* Makes quick payment for orders

* If there is a problem with an order, they contact me and only me and give me the chance to make it right. If I make it right, they do not bad mouth me or my products in public.

* Is realistic in their expectations of a vendor of products for sugar gliders. They do not expect that their products are coated in gold or created by elves with perfect sewing machines or stamped by a machine to make every product exactly the same.

* Does not expect special treatment. If special circumstances require a special request (i.e. a rush on an order, etc), then a great customer ASKS politely if I can work with them and does not EXPECT a "yes" answer. Sometimes, I can't make things happen.

* If they are happy with their order, they place a good review in any of the various places that this is an option.

* Returns for more great stuff from Glider Pals



Those are a few of my thoughts. What about you? What makes one or the other great to YOU?

A good customer waits the allotted time before contacting vendor about the order. Does not make a pain of themselves wanting their order. When special ordering something be very specific. Pictures do help and when the vendor doesn't get it right don't get irraate try to understand vendors don't read minds. They do the best the can with the info given them. So the more details the easier it is for the vendor to get it right.
When contacting the vendor the customer is curtesious and not demeaning.
A good vendor gets orders out in a timely mattress specified on their website. No taking 6 months then acting like it's normal to take that long.

A good buyer will be excited about buying things for their pet and not complain on expense.
A good buyer will realize when you are running on a small amount of spare time and that it is virtually impossible to educate them about sugar gliders in general in such a short amount of time.
A good buyer will only contact you when necessary or to give acknowledgement of the vendors work.
A good buyer will contact the seller first when there is an issue.

A good seller will answer any questions asked about gliders or the products they sell or refer the buyer to informational sources.
A good seller will always correct their mistakes instead of hiding them.
A good seller will use each product before making it available.

A good vendor:
-Thinks of safety first. Too many new vendors are putting 'fads & fashions' over safety.
-Constantly observes glider play habits to see what interests them and updates products accordingly.
-Listens to suggestions from customers, other vendors, & fellow owners and uses those suggestions to the benefit of future products.

And my most current favorite of all:
-A good vendor will own and experience gliders more than 6 entire days before making and selling products.

Ditto on all previously stated vendor/customer attributes and sorry if I repeated anyone.

Good vendor: I agree with everything already said so far but also as a vendor ask if you have questions or concerns over a part you would like to use. If in doubt ask another vendor you trust. Most are willing to give an honest opinion if it is OK to use that part safely.

Good customer: If you have a problem with your item PLEASE talk to me in a pm or over the phone do not go plastering the issue all over the front of the boards until I have had a chance to speak to you and try to fix it. Now if I do not respond to you or I become hard to work with then you have every right to take it public. But at least give a chance for correction.

A good vendor will have their items easily identified for sale, state the time-frame for order completion, and does so accordingly. If an item is going to take longer than expected, COMMUNICATION is the key!

Shipping items with a tracking number for both the vendor and customer.

Follow-up with your order with the customer on orders that have shipped. This shows that you not only care about the order after you've received money, but that it was received, and that the customer and gliders are happy with it. If not, handling things in a mutually agreeable fashion and in a timely manner should guarantee a repeat order from the customer.

A good customer will be patient. while waiting the time-frame to receive an order that was agreed to in advance (either in e-mail/PM/or posted on website). Be very precise if there are special requests to ensure the vendor fully understands. Let you know that they have received the order and if there are any issues with it.

BCChins wrote:

Good customer: If you have a problem with your item PLEASE talk to me in a pm or over the phone do not go plastering the issue all over the front of the boards until I have had a chance to speak to you and try to fix it. Now if I do not respond to you or I become hard to work with then you have every right to take it public. But at least give a chance for correction.

Leave feedback with personal experience with a vendor, either on their website if they offer testimonials, or on Sugar Glider Help.