customer service 0

[EwanUK]

I've been back into comics in a big way for over a year now - my first "age of collecting" being between 1985 and 1990 (and by god, I have some fantastically valuable treasures from then!). So now at 30, with 8 years working experience in customer service I really wonder how many dealers get by.

 

Collecting in England is reasonable - we have some great specialist shops (and some utterly dreadful ones) and regular Comic "Marts" across the country. However, I sense there's often an air of predictability / desperation / abject misery when I visit a Mart.

 

Let me paint a picture of a recent comic mart (in London):

 

Walk into half-decrepit public building. Overwhelmed by all-engulfing smell of body odour and musty newsprint. The dealers, seemingly super-glued to their respective patches remain in the same location time after time (maybe they never leave?). Each presenting the same old stock: low grade [!@#%^&^] in filthy plastic bags, 300 comics crammed in a box only big enough to fit 200 in. (Luckily I brought my pliers). The good stuff stuck to the wall behind requiring binoculars to examine them in any detail. I move on... the great unwashed frantically feed on the 50p boxes... I join them... ask the dealer if he has anything interesting? Receive grunt in response.

 

Etc etc... but there is hope! One dealer had cottoned on to the basics of good customer service... a friendly welcome... clean and well-presented stock. Fresh bags and boards. Items worth buying!

 

CGC is a real godsend for the UK. Dealers are as notorious for over-grading as they are for over-pricing here - at least now we have a 3rd party for the former - and I for one, am happy to pay that difference.

 

So how is it for everyone else?

Or is the US much more advanced?

Personally, I think, most private ebay sellers sell better, grade better, communicate better - all of it - than the people actually in the business professionally. Why?

 

 

[Prophet78]

You aren't alone. Even the shops in the states aren't that great. For example. My shop, one of 2 (and they are both owned by the same schlub) over grade and charge max book price. The shop is clean and the ladies are great to deal with, but the other day I went in there and there was some goof ball playing this annoying speed punk music. Way to loud for how annoying it was. I was under the impression untill recently that USM was a relatively new title, and this guy was totally annoyed with my question about it.

 

Now I am down to using their subscription services. And if next month's batch is as bad as this months, I will stop dealing with them all together. The back cover on most of them had a wrinkle in it. Not a crease but looked like a wrinkle. If it happens again, I am going to go elsewhere. If I have to out of town or out of state to have a subscription service.

 

-Jeremy-

[xboxist]

Heh... humorous post. While pliers may work for you in these cases, I am periodically forced to bust out the Jaws of Life at some comic "marts" around here.

 

But yeah, I know what you mean. A bulk of stores just simply seem like they could care less about you and the books that they sell. It's sad. *shakes head*

[Get Marwood & I]

On 3/3/2003 at 11:39 AM, EwanUK said:

Walk into half-decrepit public building. Overwhelmed by all-engulfing smell of body odour and musty newsprint. The dealers, seemingly super-glued to their respective patches remain in the same location time after time (maybe they never leave?). Each presenting the same old stock: low grade [!@#%^&^] in filthy plastic bags, 300 comics crammed in a box only big enough to fit 200 in. (Luckily I brought my pliers). The good stuff stuck to the wall behind requiring binoculars to examine them in any detail. I move on... the great unwashed frantically feed on the 50p boxes... I join them... ask the dealer if he has anything interesting? Receive grunt in response.

A full 16 years later.....no change 

[sagekilz]

35 minutes ago, Get Marwood & I said:

A full 16 years later.....no change