Product or people?

[Mrs Geek]

I have been thinking about this for a while and wondering and pondering to myself. It's controversial but here goes.

Who do you follow - the product, or the people. Think about this carefully before you answer!!

My answer is the product, but, I want to like and respect the people I am buying from.

Do we still buy the products we love, from people we don't like, or who don't care about us or our businesses? Or maybe they are rude to us, or maybe they sell to anyone and don't stand by us as professionals? It could be any reason, but If we do buy from companies we don't respect... why do we?

Is it the product or the people??? :idea::idea::idea:

PS... Please don't misunderstand me - this is NOT CND related - it is a general interest in peoples opinions overall...

 

[Smellenor]

For me its a bit of both - we are all influenced whether we mean to or not by good/bad customer service/experiences. Ultimately if you need a product, especially to run a business you look at several factors before you purchase from somebody - price, availability, product range and dependability to name but a few.

If there is only one place I can get something from then the point is moot, if there is more than one then I will choose the company who delivers the goods (in every sense of the meaning!) in a professional, reasonable & appropriate way. Otherwise why would I waste my time supporting a company I don't respect. That said, if one place charges twice as much or has only half the amount of stock, then I still have a business to run & therefore will probably turn a blind eye to the odd bad thing.

Hope I didn't miss the point of your post! Just my opinion

 

[xxx]

It's kind of the looks or personality question. I find its the product that attracts me but the people make me stay.

If I liked a product but didn't like the supplier, customer service, ect then I wouldn't go back.

This is one of the reasons I'm with CND. X

 

[wonderwoman]

I think theres elements of both in terms of buisness use. I like the people/reps i buy from, sometimes i may buy more- because of the way i interact with my rep and get bonus stuff that you might not get if it was sitting in the warehouse.

for instance this year at pro beauty, i tend to stock items i know will sell in the salon. I saw alot products that im not keen on, but if you woo me then im all yours! he he he!

If the product is great, you know its great in your own sense of brand acheivement-fits well in your salon. The ethos of many product lines are great but when a well established brand is discontinued i dont think it comes down to the product i think it comes down to the sales reps. for example playboy have discontinued the entire line for sunbed creams, now these were very popular in america/uk, but not selling very well across europe. food for thought! xoxo

 

[PerfectPolish]

For me it's the people, but obviously I have to believe they're offering a quality product too. When I opened my business last year I was torn between offering Shellac or Gelish. I went for Gelish in the end & was perfectly happy with the training & product. However, I had an awful experience with their customer service a couple of months ago (seriously the way I was spoken to was disgusting) & I decided on the spot to switch over to Shellac. Everyone I've dealt with at Sweet Squared have been fantastic, the service is amazing & I'm 100% happy with my decision. Although I do wish I'd chosen Shellac from the start! I'm slowly switching my existing clients over & only advertise Shellac now. I can't wait to do more training with CND & won't buy anything from the other company again on principle x

 

[Redduck]

It's a mixture of both for me too. The product has to be of the best quality but I can't abide bad service or lack or good customer services. I would rather source an alternative product than put up with bad service as to me it's the whole package.

That's not to say I don't accept a company getting things wrong but it's how they deal with things to set them right.

I keep this in mind when running my own business too.

 

[Tomme]

I do both. The product is the main thing but I have and will do again cut my nose off to spite my face. Things like Sally's, luckily its out of my way, but if it wernt I still wouldn't shop there, its the company philosophy I don't like. I have a local independent suppliers that I support, they have what I want which is a big factor but I like how they are real people, chat to you while buying and are genuinely friendly.
Its the people mainly as I can get stock from a lot of places. Xoxo

 

[izzidoll]

People, always has been always will be.

I have always got to know the people I buy from, I have been very lucky in my career that I have always got to meet the people personally, but even if that was not the case I would always have done my research about a company and their products and the people behind it all.

The Nail Industry is relatively small, and I am still taken aback that some nail techs don't know who the main movers and shakers are ! To me it is part of my role to know this, and who is behind all the products and techniques I love.

 

[abi326]

I get very fed by being spoken to in such a rude manor and its clear I know there products better than they do. But am also not afraid to speak up for myself and fight my corner!!!

 

[nicole333]

It's a package for me personally. If I am picking up something that is a basic staple, such as wipes or couch roll then I am only interested in the transaction and don't give anything else much thought.

However, if it is an investment in a brand and it's long term I don't think I could build a relationship with a company that didn't believe in being the best and giving their best.
I have always said and will always believe in that anyone can make a mistake, we are human beings after all. But it's how that mistake is dealt with that counts for me. This is not just in beauty, but in life.

 

[Trinity]

Products for me, the people that sell it are irrelevant to how it works/performs/etc.

It would be lovely to find a suppliers that I loved as much as the products but as you can please all the people all the time it's never going to happen, so I stick with the thing that matters, ie. what I'm spending my hard earned cash on, the product.

There are several suppliers that Geeks rave about and I've had nothing but rude and unhelpful interactions with, and conversly people I think are great and super accomodating have had a slating in the past.

Staff move jobs, change roles, get made redundant, leave to have children, go travelling, etc. you might never speak to the same person everytime you call so they are a secondary consideration for me. (perhaps my background of working in a large call centre has a bearing on that perspective)

 

[Mrs Geek]

I get very fed by being spoken to in such a rude manor and its clear I know there products better than they do. But am also not afraid to speak up for myself and fight my corner!!!

Good for you - there are 'ways' to say things and 'ways' to say things.

From what I am reading, people buy people and the respect given over a transaction. I am all for this from a personal and business POV. I guess what I am learning is this... if you love the people and the product - jobs a good un! If you dislike the people but love the product, you will try and source it else where. If you can't source it else where, you will buy from the people you don't like... begrudgingly - as you love the product - OR, you will try and source a product you like better sold to you by people you like.

Personally I wouldn't want to buy something from someone I didn't respect or like (as in the industry we are in)... I buy blind from the internet a lot (clothes, household stuff), and if its a great website with easy returns, I love it as it's no hassle and means I don't have to brave the Saturday city crowds.

But I guess bad experiences do speak volumes too... it's all very interesting and I appreciate the candid views!:biggrin:

 

[Tomme]

Oops mine cane again lol xoxo

 

[izzidoll]

Maybe we could clarify what we mean by people?
Do we mean the first line person at the end of the phone, or are we talking about the big names that sell products, and their company ethos and brand.

 

[souz]

for me it is both, they come as one.

A company can sell a fab product BUT users may have problems/questions/queries and if they dont get answers then it doesnt matter how good the product you will get fed up and move on!

I will ONLY buy products from a company i dont like if it is absolutely necessary and as Samantha said if it were possible to source from elsewhere i would!
I love sweet squared not just for the products but the ethics, the customer service and the people. Everyone be it on the phone, at events or at training that i have come across has been fab and that is why i have been investing so heavily into CND. I can pass on that great customer service to my clients knowing that if i need a product sweet squared will help me or if i need an answer to a question ill not only get it but i dont have to wait days or weeks to get it!!!

 

[Tomme]

Maybe we could clarify what we mean by people?
Do we mean the first line person at the end of the phone, or are we talking about the big names that sell products, and their company ethos and brand.

To me people are staff at the warehouse. I don't go into the manufacturers as I've not forms a range I want to invest my life and soul into yet. But when I do i
Will want to know who's who, where they live everything to do with the brand xoxo

 

[wonderwoman]

I think "begrudgingly" speaks to mind on one company which i will not name and shame.

This company really got my back up, i had been thinking for a long time to invest in this one particular company- one particular training. Looked up the reviews, pricing for courses, allocated some time to perhaps do the course. Then pro beauty came along, in my brochure was a offer on there training- which i thought fab i definatly wish to pursue, ask staff if they wished to do it. Happy days, i was very excited to book it.

Then when i was there no actual greeting, let alone a peep of eyes glancing at my direction. i must have lingered for about 5 mins while the reps all looked at each other. I tried to approach a couple of reps, that seemingly walked off. I started getting a bit fed up, i had a to do list and thought id come back later. when i did same ol stuff so ive resigned myself that this brand is not worthwhile for me to invest no matter how great their offer was.

My trusty no 2 was very shocked that you can obviously be interested in a fab product but when no one gives you the time of day- i felt like pretty woman getting rejected from the shop! (whereas in this case, noone even knows your there! the only people there was the 8 reps for the company). Lack of personal skills make a huge different to why will not be investing any money into this company. xoxo

 

[Mrs Geek]

Maybe we could clarify what we mean by people?
Do we mean the first line person at the end of the phone, or are we talking about the big names that sell products, and their company ethos and brand.

Great question - the companies or the people behind it. As Dawn Latham said in a FB response, she dislikes L'Oreal but loves certain hair products they create so continues purchasing. Companies like L'Oreal are so huge that it's nigh on impossible to get to know the personality of those that head it up. This is probably why there are 'brand personalities'...

Smaller companies such as the distribution companies you find in the UK have their own personalties / cultures (or not as the case may be).

That 'culture' should rub off onto the team (this is what makes a great company) and the culture should start from the top... so what you see / hear / experience from the those that you speak to - is simply an extension of the personalities from the top and what their overall ethos is.

If the above makes sense... the 'people' should be 'representative' of the company they work for including those in charge...

 

[Fluffle]

For me its products.

If I like the look of something I will try it and if I like it I will buy it all the time.
People dont have affect on how the products work.

 

[Mrs Geek]

To me people are staff at the warehouse. I don't go into the manufacturers as I've not forms a range I want to invest my life and soul into yet. But when I do i
Will want to know who's who, where they live everything to do with the brand xoxo

Tomme - our Square-House lads are a huge part of S2 (we couldn't do our job with out them), but there is also the Customer Care Dept, Marketing, Accounts, PR, Sales, The Sweet Shop, Reception, Sales Emissaries, Buying - many mechanics make up a great distribution company - I am simply telling you what makes up S2 - Most of us represent brands from the US - be it Lena White (OPI), NSI UK (NSI), Louellabelle (Essie / Artisitic), Gerrard Int (Jessica)... and I agree - whatever you choose... it is imperative to find out about the brand, where it started, it's history, its culture etc (not sure about their addresses though lol)... :smack: