Product or people?

[Verve Designs]

I'm (with my designers hat on) in a different industry of course, but I use a printer (mentioning no names) who's print is consistently good, who's turnaround is great, the prices are fab and it's run by an arrogant ****- but because they're good at what they do, I rarely have to speak to them to reaffirm that

I've been annoyed with them enough times to think about using someone else, but then it's going to cost me and my clients money- so I bite my tongue. And it works.

But, because my business isn't my hobby and I'm not really intested in making "friends" with my suppliers (I've worked with too many sales-people to be too naive about how that relationship can be manipulated) - it'd be product every time.

I'd love it if people used my "product" because they liked ME, but I'd be more pleased if they used me because of the work and took my personality out of the equation.

I think a good question to ask yourself is, "Whats making/could make my business succeed , the person or the product?"

......and I can't see where the person comes into it in those terms unless they're acting in an obstructive way to how you work, as opposed to having a personality defect or two

 

[happyfeet]

Interesting thread

I have a process to begin with, I look at the product first and foremost. Then I get as much information as I can and see how much that particular company/distributor is willing to give before I have even invested in the product- this is a huge factor for me. I won't invest blind in to something and I think it speaks volumes when a company/distributor either gives you a wealth of information or if they are very closed and guarded. If I had a product I was proud of and knew it to be the bees knees I would wax lyrical about it.

That said over the last couple of years I have learnt to look past the company/distributor and try and focus more on the product- I dont want to cut of my nose to spite my face as i could actually miss out on something. However i don't want to know or get caught up in the 'politics' of it all- for want of a better expression either. The fact is I think over a period of time, we can all have moments when we don't agree with how a company /distributor does something or the path in which they chose to go down or we simply don't agree with a stance they take but that's not just the case for our industry, I think it covers a lot if not all industries.

More recently I looked in to one company and I just didnt like their attitude either directly to me via email or to other people on other social network platforms. I also felt they were too guarded about their product and one thing I have learnt from this site alone, never mind any training or life experiences over the years, is find out everything you can and then make an informed decision on a product. I'll admit for this reason and a few others not related to this, I decided that the product wasn't for my home salon. So was it the product or the person? Well for me it was the person that made me question the product.

I also like to consider how a company/distributor supports their customers whilst purchasing their products. Again this is a huge factor for me. If I run in to any problems or have any queries is that company/distributor going to support me and help me out?

Reading back on all the above, yes it would appear I favour the person over the product, however without a quality product I wouldn't go near the person. But equally if I felt the person wasn't giving me enough information I wouldn't go near the product. For me after all that :lol: I don't think I have a clear defined answer. I guess I take each product on merit and work my way through my 'process'. :wink2:

 

[pure]

I think it depends where you are on your product journey. When first looking for a new product, it is that which you research, test etc However, once you have chosen your product, it is then down to the supplier to keep your business.

Several years ago I took on a skincare line, was very happy with products. At PB I approached the staff including the owner, at their stand to ask some advice, and was so disgusted at their attitude and the way they spoke to me that there and then I made the decision to no long purchase from them and spent the rest of the day sourcing new products to use. So after investing hundreds of pounds with them I walked away and let another, more supportive company have my business and hard earned money and I never looked back!

So a simple reply lol is product will get my custom but people will keep my custom

 

[fozzyo]

So a simple reply lol is product will get my custom but people will keep my custom

I think that is an awesome response! Not really much that I could add to that.

 

[mum]

I've put a couple of answers on this on Mrs Geek's FB page but i think pure's answer does sum it up.

The product is key but I'd pay more for it from the better supplier (with every line of connection working well, i.e. sales, customer service, delivery ect)

from the 'people' point of view I would wonder about those that promote and extol the virtues of a product that, clearly, does not live up to expectations. Also those that extol the virtues and then suddenly change allegiances! I would wonder what the motive is.

 

[Lynne Baker]

I put up with the most appalling customer service because the products were so good. And then I became the distributor for them!
I'm determined that our customers will get the best service we can give them, as well as brilliant products!

 

[pinkthistle]

Well as an example, today I enquired by email about a facial machine, their 'guy' called me...the first thing he said was " you want to buy from us" and gave me a price, I explained I didn't know the machine and wanted more info...he told me my nearest salon was 100 miles away (I know of one 5 miles away) ... I asked him to email me info, I got a photo of a brochure!!

I made up my mind on that 2 minute phone call not to give my money to him even though I do think the machine and celebrity endorsements are just what I want.

 

[LilMissEmmylou]

People every time. Don't get me wrong, I won't buy a product I don't believe in from a lovely person - the product needs to be good too. But I have for sure been put of amazing products by the ignorance of people working for the company.

 

[Belle Vie]

For me customer service wins me over every time, but the product has to be top quality and I won't cut corners on that. I have recently been in a position where I had two products which performed similarly and made no hesitation in switching from the brand who behave like I've ruined their day with my query to one who can't do enough to make sure my business is supported. Best decision I've made.

 

[Tomme]

I had an example of my mind on service today.
As I've said in chat I'm re decorating my kitchen and looking for the perfect green. Today I found it on a wickes kitchen showroom wall. I looked around their paint section and couldn't find which one would be what I seen. I walked about for about 10 minutes at the 3 shoulder height paint display shelves. A large group of kitchen staff were near by, and a group at the till, all talking away. I was in store in total for 30 minutes. I didn't even receive eye contact off anyone let alone a hello or god forbid an offer of help.
After working in retail and in hair for years I understand how important customer service is, and always demanded of staff that customers were to be greeted within 2 minutes and offered help every 15 they were in store after the first possible opportunity to offer help.
Because no one there wanted to help I walked out empty handed.

They had the product I wanted, sat right there slapped on a wall! And no one had the decency to sell me it, although they would have taken my money for it.


Another view is how we sell our product, yes the clients come for the amazing hair or beauty, but they also come because the person is friendly or funny. Xoxo

 

[pinkfairy]

People every time. Don't get me wrong, I won't buy a product I don't believe in from a lovely person - the product needs to be good too. But I have for sure been put of amazing products by the ignorance of people working for the company.

I agree, there are two companies spring to mind, who produce top quality products, who I have bought from and considered investing a lot of money in, but their customer service has put me right off.

One company made a mistake and instead of rectifying it courteously the owner chose to be rude and quite inappropriate to me on this forum, that was it for me. I don't care how great your products are, on principle I found another company.

The other company I haven't dealt with personally, but their representative on this forum writes the most appalling responses to people, I could never deal with someone so unprofessional.. It's a shame as I had thought of investing quite heavily in their salon and retail packages, so yes it's definitely the people/company for me.

It should be a lesson to all of the companies who post on here, that how you conduct yourself could be costing you a lot of money!

 

['chelle]

This is a great question, and is actually something I was pondering a couple of weeks ago from a slightly different viewpoint.

For me there has to be a package of both. I'm not what you would call "brand loyal", not blindly so anyway. I am loyal to a company, and that "company" is the one I run, therefore I will not compromise on product quality. I am currently "loyal" to a company and that is the one who for many years have been supplying me with the best products on the market. The company in question is innovative and invests in research and in creating new products, therefore I am more than happy to make sure my money is going to the authorised distributors so that they can continue to invest in new products so that I can continue to wow my clients. Having said that, if a new product came onto the market that was better than the products I am currently using, I would change suppliers, subject to what I am about to say below.

However, I am a stickler for customer service, and if you absolutely made me choose one or the other, I would have to choose people. I would never buy a bad product, but if given the choice between a reasonable product from excellent people, or an excellent product from mediocre people, I would choose the "reasonable" product. Good customer service isnt just a please and a thankyou, its about a long lasting and evolving relationship, and its about your supplier understanding your business, and being able to advise you. I put a lot of money into products, and I expect more in return than just products. If I wanted just products I could go to any generic wholesalers and save myself a few quid (depending on how you look at it), but I pay for premium products because I want that premium service.

I said above that I'd change suppliers if a superior product came along, and that I would, if the level of service and support they offered was also equal. If it was any less I would stick with the product line I use now.

 

[PaulineM-Mobile]

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.

I love what you have said here. I instantly thought of one brand that this truly was/is the case. From start to finish they had it down. Their ethos was clear to see. It gave me absolute confidence and admiration for the brand. Currently it doesn't suite needs but when it does. I'll be right there.

For me it is product and budget. I will choose what is best for my image and budget. If a particular brand/company I have chosen really got my goat about something I would deal with it. Hopefully to a satisfactory resolution, if not, I'd shift to the next best thing.

Therefore Product first, person second.

As for the poor team at pro beauty- how annoying. Hopefully that was not the companies ethos. I'd be tempted to notify head office, let them know the damage their lacking staff can cause.

P x

 

[izzidoll]

Can I just turn this thread on its head and ask...is it just us Geeks that care one way or the other ?
We care enough to come on here day after day and discuss everything to do with our Industry, keep up to date, and help out our fellow professionals, but aren't we just a small percentage of the Industry.
Sadly I think there are far more people out there dont know or care who is behind their products and the difference between low end and premium products.

 

[abi326]

When we were at a beauty show last year I took my husband to help me buy product I ask a company to do a sample on my nails while I was sitting there the two girls were fighting amongst themselves my hubby was shocked.

 

['chelle]

Can I just turn this thread on its head and ask...is it just us Geeks that care one way or the other ?
We care enough to come on here day after day and discuss everything to do with our Industry, keep up to date, and help out our fellow professionals, but aren't we just a small percentage of the Industry.
Sadly I think there are far more people out there dont know or care who is behind their products and the difference between low end and premium products.

I think you are absolutely right. What we see and hear on SalonGeek is not a true reflection of what is going on out there in the world of hair, nails and beauty. The salonGeek community is just the tip of the iceberg, there is an enormous community of professionals out there who do not research their products, skills, trends, or anything else for that matter. They simply find a place to work, turn up for work each day, do their treatments, and go home and switch off. They buy their products from the nearest and/or cheapest generic wholesalers, to them neither product or people are important.

At the salon where I currently work, I took over from another nail tech who had moved on to pastures new, and the difference between the way we work was astounding. She bought the cheapest liquid and powder she could get and would "shop around", meaning that her chosen brand changed regularly. She used to purchase her nail polishes from the local indoor market, you know the type, there's one everywhere, they sell dodgy copies of fragrance and slight seconds of make-up brands etc. She bought all her polishes from there, none of which were recognised brands, they were very poor quality, and her shelves housed a hotch-potch of different "brands" of polish. Her main aim was to complete a set of nails as quickly as she could and I'm informed she could do a full set in 40 minutes, and on the one occasion when I had a brief discussion with her it became apparent that she had never heard of SalonGeek, Scratch, Professional Beauty, or any other sources of industry info. She didnt recognise any "celebrity" nail tech names, and wasnt brand aware. I was completely amazed, because I suppose I'd assumed that everyone did their research and chose their products carefully, but actually when you do some digging, ring a few local salons for some info, it becomes clear that the professionals who choose carefully are in the minority.

 

[Lynne Baker]

Actually, you're absolutely right!
The number of beauty/nail therapists I talk to who've never even heard of CND/Eve Taylor/Salon Geek!

 

[pure]

I think we are in the minority here on SG, but I like to think thats because we are the ones who are always seeking to improve our standards, our knowledge of the industry and our education, and in our search we found SG along the way

There are many, many consciencous therapists and business owners out there but unfortunately I think there are many more who are happy to remain static in the industry and not move standards forward. The more we demand of ourselves, means we demand more from our products and our suppliers which in turn, in my opinion, means that we provide a better service to our clients.

 

[TIPTOP]

For me it's people first, I want to feel the company's passion over their product, I want them to be a leader within an ever evolving industry and not just jump on the bandwagon, I want the company to bring out the best in me and also the best in my services that I offer my clients, I want good customer service, I want to feel like I'm valued and part of their nail community.
I want to be kept up to date with 'what's new', I want their educational support available if I experience an issue with their product or any advice which can better my techniques, I want my questions answered regardless if it makes me sound like I'm a thicko lol,

The product sells itself in my eyes

I know where to come to get helpful hints, tips, advice at the touch of my fingertips and that's Salon Geek other companies would charge a flat fee for the FREE advice that is given on here I think sometimes we all take this for granted!!