RCI Off Road...*shakes head*

How do you justify charging your customer $15 to pick up from your shop. This is absolutely insane. It actually makes it cheaper to ship it *face palm*.

 

Years ago I recall reading discussions about sellers charging a handling charge’ on pickups … based on the inconvenience of meeting cancellations, no shows, lateness, and/or driving to ‘safe locations’ … all of which ate up a seller’s time. Many buyers assumed they were doing sellers a favor by offering to pick up the item … rather than having it shipped … and were surprised that a seller would turn down their request.

Some responders recommended that sellers charge a handling fee for the inconvenience of a buyer-requested pickup. I haven’t seen a discussion of this issue for a long time … but that seems to be related to what you’re seeing now. I personally can understand the inconvenience of a pickup.

 

If that’s the case, all they’d have to do is ask for a deposit and keep it if there is a no show

 

I agree with this. To me, the are a shop with business hours, it literally puts them out nothing if someone doesn't show up. To me, it is squeezing out more and more money from their customer base.

...or if it is that "inconvenient" don't even offer it.

 

We pay for (in)convenience, ours or theirs. That's the nature of commerce.

Bake your daily bread, or buy it.

 

I will have them work harder to ship it. No inconvenience for me.

 

With respect to "have them work harder," it's likely easier and less time-consuming for them to ship than to arrange an in-person pickup.


After packaging (which likely gets done even in the case of in-person pickup), it takes about a minute to enter the shipment in the system (FedEx, UPS, whomever), and just a moment to print and stick a label. Take it to the dock, and out it goes.

I say this as someone who works in manufacturing and sees the process daily.

 

I still standby if it is so much of an issue to have local pick up...why offer it? It used to be free. That was one of the perks of buying through them living in Colorado. To me and other people it is money grab for absolutely no reason.

 

I have an order pending completion with them. I thought it was odd, typically pickup is free with most fabricators in my experience. I think it feels like one of those greedy Covid surcharges. In any case, I will pay the $15 and drive the hour up to their shop. In doing so I’m mitigating the risk of powder coat damage caused by FedEx mishandling the product like I’ve had on some items in the past.

 

It’s funny how the whole world screams transparency but when a business itemizes and discloses costs, people get upset. They could easily just bake it into the price and then some will complain about a price increase. Rant done.

 

Speaking of transparency, I’m curious to what is exactly this $15 surcharge on top of the price of the product?

there might be a good reason, but I can’t think of any so I’m legitimately wondering what it covers?

 

Fab shops that don't do public work don't typically have someone watching the door. What do you think the shop rate is for the guy spending 15 minutes helping you with your order? Prepping freight in bulk to go out on one truck once a day is way less labor intensive than interrupting your work to deliver orders throughout the day one at a time.

 

If that really is the case that’s what I call poor customer service. Can’t have someone meet you at the door after spending thousands of dollars on their product? At the very least, have a “call when you’re here and we’ll come out” if they don’t want to waste their time. How do they do when they get deliveries?

When I picked up my sliders in person at WD, they told me to pull up next to their warehouse and helped me load the sliders in my truck. Heck, they even offered me a tour (unfortunately I couldn’t that day).
I guess it’s good to know I’d rather spend my money on someone that cares about their customer service

 

Plus the guy (or guys) prepping your pickup order are now not spending time cranking out orders to be shipped. There's a loss there also.

 

Yall are really going to make believe that the profit margin is so tight that they can’t afford 5 min of their time on a local pick up? Personally I call that greed but to each their own

ps: I hope for them their employees don’t take a long piss or it could get expensive

 

I don't disagree with you about the being greedy. As a consumer there are two options I have:

1) Pay to have it shipped to me.
2) Take my business to another vendor.

 

I absolutely agree with that. Personally, I’d choose #2 if someone can’t spend 5 min of their time to allow me for a local pick up. I understand not everyone is like me though

 

Its greed and covid surcharge nonsense. People always try to justify the bs companies do to squeeze a penny because they take the criticism personally for some reason.. probably because they got free sticker at the expo. Also, RCI has core business hours. If they can answer the phone they can do inshop pick ups for no charge. If they can always have a 15-20% off sale. They can have free order pickups.

Small chance but possible this post will help show they consumers arent happy with the charge and they can change or remove it.

 

Why is that bad customer service? They're a manufacturer, not a fucking Wal-Mart with curbside. Time is money and if you don't like the business practices then don't buy from them. They don't owe you customer pickup just because you want it.

The hilarious part is this is a cost you pay anywhere, including that shipping rate. You are all just butthurt they're actually being transparent about it.

 

For 14.99 they better bring it out to my car, load it and kiss me on the cheek afterwards. This is the ticketmaster business and we know how deloved they are as a company.

 

That’s what I did. Did you miss the part when I said I got my sliders at WD. I support local businesses as long as they’re not greedy, which is what I ve done.
How can you even compare this with Walmart, this is ridiculous. I’m not spending a few dollars on groceries here. I can assure you that they can really easily eat the cost of meeting up customers for local pick up. Again, do they have their employees clock out when they go take a shit?

 

I honestly didn't care enough to get past the first line. People like you are all the same and if those sliders were $815 instead of $800 and a $15 fee, you'd be perfectly happy in your naiveté.

 

And if the sliders were $800 with a $50 pick up fee you’d think it’s normal.
Two can play at that game…

 

People can call it a "justifiable business practice" all day long, but charging for a local pickup is about the dumbest thing I've heard yet.

There's no chance of a customer making a damage claim, or the package getting lost, not to mention the recipient claiming they didn't get what they ordered. Now you have to take the time to drive there, pay for the gas to get to RCI, AND pay a fee to pick it up there.

I could see if there was a line of cars down the block waiting to pick up their orders, but how many customers actually select local pickup?

 

You have an uncanny ability of missing the point.

 

I think its more of waiting around for people that either 1. dont show up or 2. show up 30 mins after they close and then make a big deal about it

I take it you have not sold many things on FB marketplace or Cragislist?

 

As someone that worked shipping and receiving in retail stores and manufacturing plants, it’s easier to stop once to load multiple orders on a truck, than single orders to different folks. But from a business stand point, customer service is what keeps companies alive. My guess, this charge or similar is also added into the shipping cost, and they have been losing out on pickups. It’s better to advertise a lower price to attract the buyer, and then hit the added fee later in hopes they have too much invested to back out.

 

RCI has a front office with a mini show room and staff that sit there by the door. At least 2 years ago when I did a local pickup they did. Can’t imagine a lot has changed since then

 

I’ll admit I never deal with marketplace and rarely use Craigslist. I’ve used OfferUp a few times where you can “rate” seller/buyer and often deal with people that have said to be punctual and friendly so I’ve been lucky with that.
Also, like I said above, I understand this constraint but if a company is afraid of no shows, as a customer, I would rather pay a deposit that’s refunded only if I show up when agreed on.
Regarding the 30 min after closure, if people are late they can come back another time like any other business. No need to stay open and wait for them.

i agree with everything you say here. I just find that more and more companies gravitate towards what’s easier/convenient/max profit for them rather than customer service.
Obviously, I don’t expect anyone to go out of their way and lose their profit to please customers, but certainly more can be done for a lot of companies. As a customer it’s nice to know we’re not just a number that gives them money, but to have a cordial and honest service