Wholesale catalogs....what a mess!
Recently sending off a pile of catalogs made me think a little about these little nightmares......
They make a book of items....listing prices...offering extras....showing pictures....describing these things like its just likely to cure cancer if you sell this thing.
THEN....
When you call the distributor it is IMPOSSIBLE to get....each distributor has been given ten (or less) and you might just get ONE if you are in someone's favor.
They haven't made the thing at all....which I have heard is a tactic they use to see how it may do by how much interest it gets.
They show a million pictures of these guns with nice sites and extened everything on them.....when you order it you get the bare gun with grips that are just one molecule better than cardboard.
Why....why put everyone through all of this? It sometimes has me to the point of a meltdown. I can't tell you how many times I have just quit breathing when I see someone pick up a catalog that was mistakenly left on the countertop. I have a HUGE PILE of these books, fliers, catalogs, papers, letters, coupon-ish things....all over the place and I have to go around picking them up to keep from having someone flip through them.
Yesturday I had to tell TWO people that they don't MAKE a stainless 1911 Taurus......"but its right there in the picture.".....AAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They make a book of items....listing prices...offering extras....showing pictures....describing these things like its just likely to cure cancer if you sell this thing.
THEN....
When you call the distributor it is IMPOSSIBLE to get....each distributor has been given ten (or less) and you might just get ONE if you are in someone's favor.
They haven't made the thing at all....which I have heard is a tactic they use to see how it may do by how much interest it gets.
They show a million pictures of these guns with nice sites and extened everything on them.....when you order it you get the bare gun with grips that are just one molecule better than cardboard.
Why....why put everyone through all of this? It sometimes has me to the point of a meltdown. I can't tell you how many times I have just quit breathing when I see someone pick up a catalog that was mistakenly left on the countertop. I have a HUGE PILE of these books, fliers, catalogs, papers, letters, coupon-ish things....all over the place and I have to go around picking them up to keep from having someone flip through them.
Yesturday I had to tell TWO people that they don't MAKE a stainless 1911 Taurus......"but its right there in the picture.".....AAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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As a marketing student, it sounds like a very expensive way to gauge customer interest. Not only are you picturing something that doesn't exist, but you're causing frustration for customers.
At one end, it is brilliant. You count the demand prior to even having to produce the product.
At the other end, it is idiotic. Why on earth would I want to do business with someone who engaged in bait-and-switch tactics?
In my opinion, the idiotic move trumps the brilliant move. To me, customer service is everything.0 -
In this market the SELLER is the customer. These things HAVE to go through the distributor to get into the public's hands. Its not like any other product....because of all of the laws we have. They can drive me as batty as they want to and STILL they don't look like the bad guys.
If a person thinks these things are out there....and I don't have them....well then....I bet the guy up the road can get me this magical thing. It only makes the stores look "less cool" if they don't have these things.0 -
quote:Originally posted by Locust Fork
Recently sending off a pile of catalogs made me think a little about these little nightmares......
They make a book of items....listing prices...offering extras....showing pictures....describing these things like its just likely to cure cancer if you sell this thing.
THEN....
When you call the distributor it is IMPOSSIBLE to get....each distributor has been given ten (or less) and you might just get ONE if you are in someone's favor.
They haven't made the thing at all....which I have heard is a tactic they use to see how it may do by how much interest it gets.
They show a million pictures of these guns with nice sites and extened everything on them.....when you order it you get the bare gun with grips that are just one molecule better than cardboard.
Why....why put everyone through all of this? It sometimes has me to the point of a meltdown. I can't tell you how many times I have just quit breathing when I see someone pick up a catalog that was mistakenly left on the countertop. I have a HUGE PILE of these books, fliers, catalogs, papers, letters, coupon-ish things....all over the place and I have to go around picking them up to keep from having someone flip through them.
Yesturday I had to tell TWO people that they don't MAKE a stainless 1911 Taurus......"but its right there in the picture.".....AAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[:D][:D]
LF can i get one of those stainless taurus i seen in that book of Taurus guns? [:D][:D][:D] JUST KIDDING! But there are some nice ones in there ... Im gonna read through 5 or so MORE today. This darn knee is botherin the crap outta me0 -
quote:Originally posted by Locust Fork
In this market the SELLER is the customer. These things HAVE to go through the distributor to get into the public's hands. Its not like any other product....because of all of the laws we have. They can drive me as batty as they want to and STILL they don't look like the bad guys.
If a person thinks these things are out there....and I don't have them....well then....I bet the guy up the road can get me this magical thing. It only makes the stores look "less cool" if they don't have these things.
Wait a minute.
You're the seller, aren't you?
You're still the customer. You're the business-to-business customer. The company should be catering to your needs. That's what a smart marketing department/manager would do.
Again, pi$$ off the customer, and you'll find in the end that you come up the loser. You might generate a ton of interest, but if I, as the customer, learn about your shady bait-and-switch tactics, you'll never see my money again (unless it is a monopoly which, in that case, you have no choice but you could probably get an AG involved as bait-and-switch is illegal in most states).0 -
So true LF .. I wish I had a penny for each time Ive had wide eyed customers running in to get the lastest and greatest gun out there and then the leave dumbfounded when I call six distributors with the guy standing here and I tell him "nope cant get it " . Then I tell him Jerrys has had two in the whole warehouse the past 6 months .. Gotta love this business..... The worst part is I cant sell anything I have in stock .. Ever try ordering a leather holster from a distributor ? They list 5 million of them in the catalog but dont stock any of them .. RSR sent me a flyer recently with Glock pancake holsters I think by Fobus .. I called to order a couple for stock the same day and guess what ? They didnt have any ..... 0 -
quote:Originally posted by MFI
RSR sent me a flyer recently with Glock pancake holsters I think by Fobus .. I called to order a couple for stock the same day and guess what ? They didnt have any .....
If the distributor/warehouse isn't going to maintain stocks of product, then you and the manufacturer would be well off to have a direct relationship.0 -
Some or most manufacturers make it impossible to do direct business with. Beretta is minimum $25,000 a year .. Browning , Glock and some of the others is crazy also .. Not as easy as you think especially for us little guys .. 0 -
You can send me any old catalogs you have, I love looking through them. I will gladly pay any shipping cost. 0 -
.What really gets me angry is the big bold print of a price, then the mice print hidden at the bottom of the the page After mail in rebate.
What these retailers are doing amounts to a loan of your money you paid them for a period of up to one year. I hope that some day sharp legal eagles are going to figure out a way to nail these sharp practice retailers in a multi-million class action suit0 -
Have none of you marketing "experts" ever heard of "pull-through marketing"??
Jeez.
D.0 -
...uh locust, "laying around"? Your shop, easy...keep in the back...and toss 'em once thru w/'em...[;)] 
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I used to work in a gun shop and this used to aggravate us too. When Henry rifles were coming out there were full page ads out in every magazine at least 12 months before any of us could get one. Our customers saw them, wanted them, but we couldn't help them.
I've also hated the special deals the companies give big stores like Walmart. They had the 22 inch barrel Ruger 10-22 in their stores for months before it was advertised to dealers.
It's a strange way to do business.0 -
quote:Originally posted by COLT
...uh locust, "laying around"? Your shop, easy...keep in the back...and toss 'em once thru w/'em...[;)]
noo! Dont toss em! send em to me! ill pay shipping too! Nighthawk and myself will take some! [:D]
But wait. Im still reading my current ones LOL0 -
Got to see the inside of a couple of those catalogs once in my limited gun purchases. Learned how this games works. Every catalog has the same packaged deal, except Century Arms only imports 50 every few months and the waiting list is 300. I did the math, quickly learned how the game works, and bought used. This was through a small time gunsmith. I can bet this marketing game is really frustrating for someone running a shop. 0 -
Dad-burn....frikkin...bunch of silly messs...AAAAHHhhhhhhh!!!!
(yes, very frustrating)0 -
Directly from the Taurus site 0
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