I Feel Justified

[GrumpyOldGuy]

A very customer based society. It is all about service and keeping the customer happy there at any cost. Here it is the other way around. Businesses are there to make money often at the expense (on a human level) of the customer.

 

Yeah, agreed.

 

Plus that in itself lifts service levels, because if service is good and the consumer walks away happy, they dont need to give away a discount.

 

Unfortunately SA consumers are very easily pleased, and / or scared to kick up a ruckus for fear of creating a scene, in the USA the customer will stand their ground, demand to be heard and ensure the matter is corrected there and then.

 

So in reality, Customer Relations here is just paid a lot of "lip service", but very little is filtered down to the consumer.

[Christie]

Agree with GoG - the internet is here to stay and the way companies do business has to change or they will die. We are part of the global village, like it or not. Will there even be newspapers and magazines in 10 or 20 years time? Should the governments of the world now intervene and ban all on-line news sites?

Wise people in the bike industry will realize that they will have to adapt their business strategies - perhaps focus on service, clubs, group rides, coaching, coffee shop etc more than sale of bikes and parts. Perhaps not all of them will survive, but that's capitalism.