Droid Engineer Archive
Thread: Question on how everyone deals with customers...
I recently had to deal with a customer that kind of made me want to quit playing a de.... for a few minutes anyway. Some of the problem was having no real knowledge on the surgical droids so that was my fault.
They asked questions aboot the surgical droids and i was under the impression (again my fault) that they healed. And i forgot what personality chip i put in them(another my bad) so he wanted one... He bought it and it had the prissy chip in it... so i thought the other one had sarcastic chip... so he returned it and i gave him his money back to buy the other one. It had the same chip. So he took it out to try and heal and it didn't work. SoI took both back and gave him his money back too. I lost money but most of it was my fault for not knowing but he also should have done some research too, correct?
Get back online last night and he bought an r4 droids and was complaining that he sent it into combat and it ran away. He wanted his money back to buy a probot... this time i charged him 1k in restocking fee. So I have 3 tamed droids that are almost impossible to see on my vendor.
My question, would you give money back the 2nd or 3rd time? I don't want to be a jerk and get repeat customers but how far does one go? Again some of it was my fault, but should i charge for returns for something that isn't broke? Just that they don't want it? Is it the old "buyer beware" rule? I will put more info to give the customer and me info on anything i sell now too.
Years of working at a Best Buy, "making the customer happy" has ruined me. Any info appreciated! Thanks
The only other tip I can give you is to be organized, and name your droid deeds according to how you've built them.
I'm with the Rho-man on this one. Know your droids and everything they can and can't do. That way you're prepared to answer every question about em. There are some really good FAQs on this forum board (if they are not lost in the bowels of it) and are well worth reading em cover to cover.
On a lighter note, I like to deal with my customers with an iron fist. They talk back to me? Get the slap. They're rude to my droid? Get the slap. They happen to own a creature? Get the slap. Pronounce the word 'erb instead of Herb? Get the slap. You can see how it all works out. But if you're looking for a good return policy, then take any droid back at half price. Then, once you've massed a large collection in your datapad, just take them all to Coronet, into the starport or the bank/bazaar, or even the med bay, and shout "Cheap Secondhand Medical Droids! PST!" and sell them for two-thirds their original price (or even full price, depending on how cheap your originals were). That way you make profit off everyone. The newbies are happy. you're happy. The oddball who traded in 3 times and has ended up paying for like 2 droids now is happy. everyone's happy (till they get the Slap, that is)
Droid_Engineer_Rho wrote:
The only other tip I can give you is to be organized, and name your droid deeds according to how you've built them.
Exactly. When I go to create a prototype item, I use a coded naming convention for the final deed:
R3 ADV CR:FC/MED:6/STG:6/DAT:6/DR/AR:4x2
Tells me that this is an Advanced R3 with a Food/Chem crafting station with Medical, Storage, Data 6, droid repair and 2 Droid Armor 4 Modules. Likewise
Protocol ADV CR:FC/MED:6/PER:SAR/AR:4
Tells me I've got an Advanced Protocol with a Food/Chem crafting station, Medical 6 module, Sarcastic personality and Armor 4.
Thanks... I know i was at fault for not being more organized... which is what i will do from now on... I felt bad for not knowing the surgical droids capabilities.
Can they make a customer service rep droid to handle all questions??? lmao thanks everyone for giving me help. I guess i will play with the droids to figure out what they can and cannot do.
Thanks!
im with woody here, iron fist all the way.
But I barely ever sell droids(by choice) so I don't care about repeat business
NO Refunds, No mercy!
The best way to deal with this would be for SOE to make the appropriate updates to the SWG Online Manual. After all, we've got Advanced Guides to Player Cities, Vehicles, Mounts, etc. in there. Why not have an "Advanced Guide to Droids" that explains all the modules, capabilities and options in there as well?
Before I sell the droid I tell them EXACTLY what is does. I just Copy and Paste it for each type of droid. Sometimes I lose the sale because the customer thinks that a Surgical Droid can heal them automatically or something. But its worth it. Id rather not sell it, than be bugged with /tell's for a week and have an unhappy customer run around saying I suck because my ADV Probot cant soloa Corellian Butterfly.
Kurt_Mendel wrote:
The best way to deal with this would be for SOE to make the appropriate updates to the SWG Online Manual. After all, we've got Advanced Guides to Player Cities, Vehicles, Mounts, etc. in there. Why not have an "Advanced Guide to Droids" that explains all the modules, capabilities and options in there as well?
...because hardly anything works the way it's supposed to. It'd be a waste of time for them to devote 15 minutes to typing up a manual on Droid Repair Modules that don't actually work when installed into an LE Repair Droid or a Protocol Droid that serves no real purpose, or a Binary Load Lifter that does absolutely nothing, etc.
There are too many inherant problems with droids right now to have any type of "official" manual.
Secondly, if you are dealing directly with a customer (as opposed to them buying something off your vendor) find out what it is that they want from their droid. If someone is trying to buy an R4 for combat, tell them before they purchase it that it's no good for combat.
Third, and this can hurt, be willing to accept a return if it was your fault. If something doesn't function because of a bug (surgical droids and storage) or because of design you weren't aware of (R4s can't be used in combat) then take it back. Not to preach but you are responsible for knowing your profession and you are responsible for providing your customer with what they want. However, as you become more experienced you will find this easier and easier to do. When I started I probably had half a dozen returns as I discovered bugs (such as the aforementioned surgical droid/storage issue). However I haven't had a return in recent months, learning most of the bugs through hard work and making sure to give people what they want.
Finally, don't be afraid to refuse a return or to tell a customer or potential customer to jump in a lake (providing a waypoint if necessary). If you tell them they probably won't be happy with a DZ70 as their combat droid and they insist on it anyway, it becomes their responsibility. If they are rube to you as you haggle over prices don't be afraid to close up shop and tell them to buy elsewhere.
I suppose it all comes down to maintaining a good merchant/client relationship. Hold up your end in knowing your product, making sure to give the client what they want, and taking responsibilities for your mistakes, and insist your clients hold up their end in being courteous (or at least civil) and taking responsibility for their own mistakes.
lmao NO MERCY!!! i like that.... I was joking aboot the guide...i meant putting up a droid next to the shop that says stuff like "no you don't need that..." "are you nuts? Buy the more expensive droid that does nothing!" "what are you asking me for, I'm just as smart as the programmer." "You pick Color!!! NOW!!"
I guess i should post "cavet emptor (sp?)" lol! and "Stupid DE working... don't ask question!"
I just can't get the forum to work at home so i only get to see this at work... ugh.Anyof the fan sites have good info? just to read at home...