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A Very Different Customer Service Model

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A story appeared over the weekend in the New York Times about a business that has a very different sort of customer service model. (Read the story here.)

I’m not going to refer to the company by name for reasons that will be apparent momentarily, or if you read the article. 

The business is an online eyeglasses retailer that sells the highest-end brands and also happens to rank highest among Google searches — higher, in fact, than many eyeglass manufacturers’ own websites. How’d this company get so high up in the rankings? By providing the absolute worst customer service possible.

Yep, you read that right. The company stocks no eyeglass frames. When an order comes in, it scours eBay and other sites to find frames that are close to what the customer ordered — maybe legitimate, maybe counterfeit. In this business model, it doesn’t really matter. When complaints roll in, the owner of the company comes out swinging, using foul language, threatening lawsuits until the customer shuts up, or, more likely, vents his frustrations on the many consumer review and complaints sites out there. Anytime this company’s name registers on one of those sites, lo and behold, the algorithms of the highest-tech search engine out there pick up on the buzz on that company (never mind that it’s negative buzz) and ranks it higher in the search findings.

On the bright side of what’s a pretty shocking business model, the company’s owner says it’s very tiring being that belligerent. Maybe he’ll wear himself out.

Meantime, it’s just another reason to favor the traditional bricks and mortar store. And if you do read the NYT story, make sure you don’t pick up any tips; better read INSTORE for those!

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Ready to Move? Let Wilkerson Lead the Way

When Brockhaus Jewelry planned their move to a new location in Norman, Oklahoma, owners John Brockhaus and Brad Shipman knew exactly who to call for their moving sale: Wilkerson. "Having worked with Wilkerson before, choosing them again made perfect sense," says Shipman. "And our second partnership was even better than the first." The sale exceeded expectations, thanks to Wilkerson's strategic approach - starting with Brockhaus's existing inventory before carefully supplementing with additional pieces. "They made everything simple," Shipman adds. "From the outstanding consultant to the detailed planning, the entire process was seamless." It's why both partners enthusiastically recommend Wilkerson to fellow jewelers planning a move, remodel, or retirement sale.

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A Very Different Customer Service Model

mm

Published

on

A story appeared over the weekend in the New York Times about a business that has a very different sort of customer service model. (Read the story here.)

I’m not going to refer to the company by name for reasons that will be apparent momentarily, or if you read the article. 

The business is an online eyeglasses retailer that sells the highest-end brands and also happens to rank highest among Google searches — higher, in fact, than many eyeglass manufacturers’ own websites. How’d this company get so high up in the rankings? By providing the absolute worst customer service possible.

Yep, you read that right. The company stocks no eyeglass frames. When an order comes in, it scours eBay and other sites to find frames that are close to what the customer ordered — maybe legitimate, maybe counterfeit. In this business model, it doesn’t really matter. When complaints roll in, the owner of the company comes out swinging, using foul language, threatening lawsuits until the customer shuts up, or, more likely, vents his frustrations on the many consumer review and complaints sites out there. Anytime this company’s name registers on one of those sites, lo and behold, the algorithms of the highest-tech search engine out there pick up on the buzz on that company (never mind that it’s negative buzz) and ranks it higher in the search findings.

On the bright side of what’s a pretty shocking business model, the company’s owner says it’s very tiring being that belligerent. Maybe he’ll wear himself out.

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Meantime, it’s just another reason to favor the traditional bricks and mortar store. And if you do read the NYT story, make sure you don’t pick up any tips; better read INSTORE for those!

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SPONSORED VIDEO

Retiring? Let Wilkerson Do the Heavy Lifting

Retirement can be a great part of life. As Nanji Singadia puts it, “I want to retire and enjoy my life. I’m 78 now and I just want to take a break.” That said, Nanji decided that the best way to move ahead was to contact the experts at Wilkerson. He chose them because he knew that closing a store is a heavy lift. To maximize sales and move on to the next, best chapter of his life, he called Wilkerson—but not before asking his industry friends for their opinion. He found that Wilkerson was the company most recommended and says their professionalism, experience and the homework they did before the launch all helped to make his going out of business sale a success. “Wilkerson were working on the sale a month it took place,” he says. “They did a great job.”

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