Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: What makes a great DE so great?
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Jenden
Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:56 am
#14
Zorkk wrote:
Quite often that will be the first question I ask a new customer... especially the ones that are "I know nothing about droids!!" Then I can suggest to them useful droids, rather than trying to explain all the different modules.
Z
Yep, if they don't have a specific droid in mind or want something like an R2 and only ask for storage in it) I ask them off the bat what profession(s) they are or they plan to be. 9 times out of 10 there's modules that will help them immensely that they didn't know even existed.
DarkRenown
Tue Sep 14, 2004 1:38 am
#15
Everyone has said the main points. Customer Service, Knowing your Market, friendliness and variety.
I tend to specialise in 3 or 4 main droids, as well as the normal stock (BH Droids, Repair Kits, Batteries, Customisation Kits).
What I also do for custom orders, is a personal tuition in Droid Handling (naming, calling, functions etc) if the customer wants it. I have done this several times and have had good feedback each time.
Also for custom orders, I throw in a Battery (4 charges - keeps them ticking over for the first few days), repair kit, and if availabel a customisation Kit. This is just so that the customer gets the droid they want, and can use it without having to hunt for accessories straight away.
I get quite a few return customers for Accessories, and upgrades when they want different droids. For return cusotm jobs, they generally get a discount as well, purely as a thankyou.
wotz
Tue Sep 14, 2004 8:34 am
#16
Me too, I would say that one of the important things are detailed descriptions on the vendor.
However, the server seems to cut off my descriptions after about 1000 chars. Can you confirm this?
(This is more of a Merchant Forum question, but I didnt find anything about this after a quick search over there.)
wotz
--
MDE - Hammerhead/Tatooine/Naritus
However, the server seems to cut off my descriptions after about 1000 chars. Can you confirm this?
(This is more of a Merchant Forum question, but I didnt find anything about this after a quick search over there.)
wotz
--
MDE - Hammerhead/Tatooine/Naritus
Kleston
Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:33 am
#17
wotz wrote:
Me too, I would say that one of the important things are detailed descriptions on the vendor.
However, the server seems to cut off my descriptions after about 1000 chars. Can you confirm this?
(This is more of a Merchant Forum question, but I didnt find anything about this after a quick search over there.)
wotz
--
MDE - Hammerhead/Tatooine/Naritus
I'm sure there is a cap on this. It's probably 1024 I believe, which is the equivilant of 1k file size. (If I remember correctly.) They do this for file storage reasons.
Say there's 1,000 vendors on a server. Each vendor has 100 items with a maxed out description. That equals 102,400 kilobytes, or 100 megs effectively. That's the storage of just the descriptions themselves, not counting linking the description to the product and the vendors and their locations on the server, the crafters, the stats of the products, if it's crated or not.
So yea, there's limitations on it, just like anything else that can be named.
Straker_Atrella
Tue Sep 14, 2004 3:55 pm
#18
I did answer this on the other thread, and I agree with what people have posted here.
1. Pride in your work.
2. Honesty and Integrity, don't lie to your customers.
3. Droid knowledge. If they ask a question, know the answer.
4.Patience and the ability to help new droid owners.
I'll add the next could for a good "business DE,"
5. Charge prices that match the quality of your droids.
6. Give good descriptions of your droids on your vendor, so they know what they are getting.
7. Offer a wide variety of droids.
Jjiaah
Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:53 pm
#19
While I'm still relatively new to the profession, I have found that what matters most are:
1. Honesty, regardless of what the consequences may be
2. Willingness to explain functions and uses
3. Going the extra step to build the customer the droid they want
A distant 4 is Quality of product.
I have had more repeat business from people where I've had problems building the droid they want(ex. tell them I can do something like storage in a surgical, bounce back here to double check myself, then go back and tell the customer I was wrong and try to help them find an alternative), than from stocked droids with no customer interaction regardless of quantity or quality.
Making the customer happy, no matter what, is what makes a DE great.
Branes
Tue Sep 14, 2004 11:21 pm
#20
What makes a good DE great is that same thing that makes any businessman great..customer service, quality product, knowledge of your business and going the extra mile for the customer. I've developed a Droid Catalog. Essentially, I put a base price on every model, and then list modules and prices for each. When a customer wants to order a droid but doesn't know what's available, I email them the catalog. It explains every module,and droid model so he/she knows exactly what they are getting and how much it will cost. They like to custom design their own droids. Additionally, I have created a "Getting to Know your new droid" handbook with instructions on how to use the droid, name it, program it, etc. I just paste the data in an email and give it to my customers or prospective customers..they really love it. I also have standard "Package" droids which I sell with "cute" descriptive names...
MASH Droid for the medical with storage, stimpak dispenser, crafting station etc..
"Tonto" Faithful Scout Companion 110 harvester droid
Mighty Mouse Boomer droids...etc. My customers love the names.
and my favorite. the "Elvis" entertainer droid.
Unfortunately, I'm leaving the business, not because it's not successful, but because I'm bored with it.
If you're a DE on Chilastra and interested in buying me out, send me an ingame email. I'll send you an inventory. I have thousands of components, modules, chassis's, schematics, etc. as well as over 100 resource containers and 12 factories. I'm going to keep my harvs though.
See you on Chilastra
Rissa Coto
Master Droid Engineer, Master Artisan, Master Merchant
Triad, Corellia, Chilastra
MASH Droid for the medical with storage, stimpak dispenser, crafting station etc..
"Tonto" Faithful Scout Companion 110 harvester droid
Mighty Mouse Boomer droids...etc. My customers love the names.
and my favorite. the "Elvis" entertainer droid.
Unfortunately, I'm leaving the business, not because it's not successful, but because I'm bored with it.
If you're a DE on Chilastra and interested in buying me out, send me an ingame email. I'll send you an inventory. I have thousands of components, modules, chassis's, schematics, etc. as well as over 100 resource containers and 12 factories. I'm going to keep my harvs though.
See you on Chilastra
Rissa Coto
Master Droid Engineer, Master Artisan, Master Merchant
Triad, Corellia, Chilastra
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