gbyleveldt
AVForums Grandmaster
I see the oppo thread was removed. I do have some thoughts on the matter which I'd like to still share (if mods would be so kind 
)
As many of you know, I used to do some repairs for forum members here on the side. It was never meant to be a business, more of a 'helping out' service. I thus deal with many of the local (and international) distributors and two dealings have stuck in my mind. To be noted is that I've never had any dealings with any of these two prior, so let's keep personal bias out of it for now.
1. I had a certain product in for repair that needed a CPU that is only available from the agents. I contacted them and was quoted a price of R1900 for the part. They did not have stock but would have to import it. Now, bear in mind that an unprogrammed CPU will set you back all of R25. So, I decided to contact the overseas manufacturer directly and guess how much for the replacement CPU? $40. Yes, only $40. At the time, that came to R300. Shipping here? Another $30 to my door. So all in, it was around R500 to have the part at my door. Please note that, as far as the manufacturer is concerned, I'm just some random guy off the street, not an agent or an approved repair facility. So I'm sure the local agent could get it for even cheaper. This same local agent had the cheek to suggest 'upgrades' to the unit to the tune of around R5250 (incl labour - looool). Interestingly, there's not even R1000 of parts inside this unit and the local agent sells it for over R9000.
2. I had another unit in for repair and again I needed a part that was agents only. I contacted them, over a weekend nogal, and they replied back that they did have a spare in stock locally. They verified that the unit was purchased through the correct local channels and stated that the unit was still under warranty. Because I'd already opened the unit, they said the warranty was void (fair enough), but still supplied me the replacement part free of charge (and they paid shipping as they not based in Gauteng)!!
R50 to the first person to guess who the opportunistic bad apple is and R200 to guess who the company is who is not only committed to their brand, but to their customers. And of course, I can furnish EMail correspondance to back my statements up for those 'foolish' enough to want to challenge me on the facts.
The point I'm trying to make is that 'buy local and get customer service' gets bandied across here rather wrecklessly but these same people don't have the first clue what customer service and local support is all about. There's many local agents here that are truly committed to their customers and then there's the 1 or 2 agents that really ruin the image of the local industry as a whole. What's not even funny, but downright criminal, is the fact that these opportunists have the cheek to try and defend themselves by making statements like 'good business' and 'must be sustainable' when thay are nothing more than charlaitans. Please, I'm an executive in a company that turns almost R100m per annum. I think I know what 'good business' and 'sustainable' means. And these guys don't realise that many members here are also rather affluent, with their own business and who understand these concepts very well as well.
So, to all you bad apples: Take your little 'enterprise' that you run as a sideshow from your garage, do us all a favour and piss off. You are doing nobody any favours (except for yourself of course).
)As many of you know, I used to do some repairs for forum members here on the side. It was never meant to be a business, more of a 'helping out' service. I thus deal with many of the local (and international) distributors and two dealings have stuck in my mind. To be noted is that I've never had any dealings with any of these two prior, so let's keep personal bias out of it for now.
1. I had a certain product in for repair that needed a CPU that is only available from the agents. I contacted them and was quoted a price of R1900 for the part. They did not have stock but would have to import it. Now, bear in mind that an unprogrammed CPU will set you back all of R25. So, I decided to contact the overseas manufacturer directly and guess how much for the replacement CPU? $40. Yes, only $40. At the time, that came to R300. Shipping here? Another $30 to my door. So all in, it was around R500 to have the part at my door. Please note that, as far as the manufacturer is concerned, I'm just some random guy off the street, not an agent or an approved repair facility. So I'm sure the local agent could get it for even cheaper. This same local agent had the cheek to suggest 'upgrades' to the unit to the tune of around R5250 (incl labour - looool). Interestingly, there's not even R1000 of parts inside this unit and the local agent sells it for over R9000.
2. I had another unit in for repair and again I needed a part that was agents only. I contacted them, over a weekend nogal, and they replied back that they did have a spare in stock locally. They verified that the unit was purchased through the correct local channels and stated that the unit was still under warranty. Because I'd already opened the unit, they said the warranty was void (fair enough), but still supplied me the replacement part free of charge (and they paid shipping as they not based in Gauteng)!!
R50 to the first person to guess who the opportunistic bad apple is and R200 to guess who the company is who is not only committed to their brand, but to their customers. And of course, I can furnish EMail correspondance to back my statements up for those 'foolish' enough to want to challenge me on the facts.
The point I'm trying to make is that 'buy local and get customer service' gets bandied across here rather wrecklessly but these same people don't have the first clue what customer service and local support is all about. There's many local agents here that are truly committed to their customers and then there's the 1 or 2 agents that really ruin the image of the local industry as a whole. What's not even funny, but downright criminal, is the fact that these opportunists have the cheek to try and defend themselves by making statements like 'good business' and 'must be sustainable' when thay are nothing more than charlaitans. Please, I'm an executive in a company that turns almost R100m per annum. I think I know what 'good business' and 'sustainable' means. And these guys don't realise that many members here are also rather affluent, with their own business and who understand these concepts very well as well.
So, to all you bad apples: Take your little 'enterprise' that you run as a sideshow from your garage, do us all a favour and piss off. You are doing nobody any favours (except for yourself of course).
