When does a real person answer the phone??

[55 50 Ron]

Very few companies seem to have in-person phone answering anymore.

I know how to do on-line ordering, but still prefer to talk directly to someone because in many cases, there are still questions when looking at a website.

Case in point (Not Case tractor) I tried to order via phone a part for a mower. Went through several "menus" and finally got to an entry that made sense. Then was "parked" there for a LONG time and finally got frustrated and hung up. Will try a repair shop locally and ask them to order for me.

One company I deal with regularly that HAS a phone person always answering within seconds is McMaster Carr and I so appreciate that company and will continue to have only good tings to say about them and will recommend them.

 

[Two Dogs]

I've been trying to reach my county commissioner for weeks about a road concern. The only number I can find for her is a land line and it has been off the hook for those weeks and I'm sure for a lot longer. I bet she still cashes the checks though. TDF

 

[old]

Ya now days customer service is most of the time very poor since you get a computer which is very UN-personal. Plus if you have a hearing problem like many older people that does not help either. Plus when you do finally get a live person they have such a bad accent that it is super hard to understand them. But that is how things have gotten which sadly to say it will get a whole lot worse before or if it ever gets better.

 

[JOCCO]

Another one for you: call your insurance agent, bank or whatever in local town and you get there branch in a city far away automatically!!! I hate that IF you want to talk to Mary at local bank and you get Judy 6 hours away.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Some places you can talk to a person if you hit zero many times

 

[4wdtom]

I too love doing business with McMaster. When I worked as a maintenance mechanic in a mill I ordered from them constantly, I favored them over MSC, and Granger, the other major companies we delt with. Now that I am retired I continue to do business with them for my personal projects. I try and not order less than $25 or $30 even though they have no minimum as other companies do. They know what they are doing, and I get stuff the next day or the day after. One of the best companies I have ever delt with. I always recomend them. They mostly have everything too, very seldom back order. Sometimes an item is shipped from another warehouse, but even that comes in a few days. A lot of companies could take lessons from McMaster Carr.

 

[01gentdc]

no way to run a county ,,. I always take my calls and try to get them results within 2 days ,

 

[shugy368]

When their Mother calls!!

 

[ss55]

Elected officials usually have a government web address where they can be contacted.

 

[Two Dogs]

Please come to south Ga. and run for office. We need someone with a sense of duty. It's rare in this area. TDF

 

[wd9garymn]

I will second 4wdtom's reply.I also worked as maintenance mechanic in a feed mill--used Mcmaster-Carr for many years. Never had a problem with a sales person and always thanked them for their good service and they would say, that's just what we do. Good company to deal with.

 

[ShadetreeRet]

Some, but not all of those menus do, at the very end, say if you wish to speak with someone push xx or stay on the line. By this time, I am already agitated and hang up before I realize what they said.

 

[john *.?-!.* cub owner]

Part of my job before I retired was installing and programing those systems. I used to tell my customers that if they wanted to keep their customers happy they should get them to a live person as soon as possible, don't run them all over the place chasing menus. Some listened, some didn't. We used to call those systems "B!tch in a Box".

 

[Dave O'Brien]

Roughly the same as when a machine calls me. Which is usually 3-4 times a day on average.

 

[Mike M]

Many times I much prefer the automated systems. Like the local tractor dealers. I know what number to push for parts so I don't have to listen to the whole message. Saves getting an office person and then getting transferred to the wrong dept. and such.
When I worked there at parts the parts guys had to answer all the phone calls ! That was not good at all !

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Yeah, but when you do eventually get to a live person, it's someone non-technical, like a receptionist. They can't answer, "Will part XXX fit machine YYY?"

Much of it has to do with the business climate we've created. We constantly cry about how expensive things are and seek out the place with the cheapest price. Then we scream about how customer service has gone down the toilet.

How do you think these places can offer the cheapest price and stay afloat? They do it by CUTTING COSTS.

You cut costs by firing the receptionist and having a computer answer the phone. You cut costs by firing the high-salary product experts and hiring minimum-wage box stuffers.

 

[55 50 Ron]

Send me an email please, Gary. Seems I remember you are in the Howard Lake area. I get to that area regularly to visit family.

Ron

 

[JML755]

(quoted from post at 17:24:06 05/31/16) I too love doing business with McMaster. When I worked as a maintenance mechanic in a mill I ordered from them constantly, I favored them over MSC, and Granger, the other major companies we delt with. Now that I am retired I continue to do business with them for my personal projects. I try and not order less than $25 or $30 even though they have no minimum as other companies do. They know what they are doing, and I get stuff the next day or the day after. One of the best companies I have ever delt with. I always recomend them. They mostly have everything too, very seldom back order. Sometimes an item is shipped from another warehouse, but even that comes in a few days. A lot of companies could take lessons from McMaster Carr.

itto on McMaster Carr. We have a "cart" open every day, order many hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Get just about everything we want the next day. I'd love to see their warehouses as we order a lot of obscure parts that aren't carried ANYWHERE locally and they've always come through. Their return policy is awesome. When we finish a job, we sometimes have parts leftover that we have no idea when they were ordered. We just throw them in a box and McMaster figures out when we ordered them and credits us, no questions asked. Sometimes months after we bought them. Great company to deal with. We rarely deal with them by phone but when we do, it's always a pleasure.

 

[oldtanker]

(quoted from post at 05:16:48 06/01/16) Yeah, but when you do eventually get to a live person, it's someone non-technical, like a receptionist. They can't answer, "Will part XXX fit machine YYY?"

Much of it has to do with the business climate we've created. We constantly cry about how expensive things are and seek out the place with the cheapest price. Then we scream about how customer service has gone down the toilet.

How do you think these places can offer the cheapest price and stay afloat? They do it by CUTTING COSTS.

You cut costs by firing the receptionist and having a computer answer the phone. You cut costs by firing the high-salary product experts and hiring minimum-wage box stuffers.

Yep! Same reason jobs are going overseas! Gotta have that cheap price! Then demand 15 an hour minimum wage so even more jobs will become automated or move off shore!

People need to think. If I work at a place that starts people at minimum wage and that goes up 100% and I'm making 15 an hour I too will demand a 100% raise. And so will most workers. The guy/gal making 10 and hour is going to want 20.

The one that makes me laugh the most is the people who demanded the laws on telemarketers. 1: a lot of good paying jobs were gone overnight. 2: a lot of those jobs moved off shore. Guess people didn't know that the laws only cover companies LOCATED in the US. Base in Mexico or Canada and they can still call.

Rick

 

[Dr. Walt]

Two Dogs:

Start a Recall Petition, that'll get her attention.

LOL