I won’t name names, but there are some retailers and distributors that have absolutely horrendous and ineffectual customer service departments. But this post is not about terrible customer service, it’s about an extremely positive experience I had yesterday with MSC Industrial Supply.
Here’s what happened – I received an email from MSC saying they missed me and wanted me back. To woo me over they offered an “up to 40%-off” coupon and free ground shipping. Sounds good, right? But for some reason I couldn’t get the coupon to work!
Frustrated, I contacted MSC via chat at around 11am on 8/8/12. Here’s the transcript:
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Stuart: Initial Question/Comment: I received an email the other day with coupon code ****** that’s good for up to 40%-off + free shipping but code doesn’t work.
MSC “Tracy M”: Hi Stuart
Stuart: Hello
MSC: The promo’s are only good for 1 or two days
Stuart: Offer valid 8/6/12-8/10/12
Stuart: It enters as valid in cart, but no discount on any item.
MSC: let me check it out bear with me please
Stuart: Okay.
Stuart: Then when putting in today’s 25%-off code, WEB25H, a discount appears.
Stuart: Obviously I would prefer 40%-off to 25%-off.
MSC: Oh I’m sure. I’m not able to find that promo for the 40%
MSC: could you forward me the email?
Stuart: sure, to which address?
MSC: *******@mscdirect.com
Stuart: Sent.
MSC: thanks. I did try that on another account and it took that promo code.
Stuart: Yes, it says “promo code applied successfully” but no discounts appear.
Stuart: When I put in today’s public 25%-off code, a discount then appears
MSC: what screen on you on Stuart?
MSC: wow that is wierd!
Stuart: In shopping cart
MSC: Well I can put it in from my end if you want me to cuz I really don’t understand why it isn’t taking the code, you haven’t used it before have you?
Stuart: No I have not used it yet.
Stuart: I am not ready to place my order, but the ability to use the coupon code will determine if I order from MSC or someplace else in the next day or two before it expires.
MSC: If you want to take my name and # down you can call me when you are ready
Stuart: Ah, I feel a bit silly now. I logged out, cleared all cookies and then logged back in, and it seems to work.
MSC: WOO HOO!! No don’t feel silly, I”m just glad it worked!!!
MSC: see it just took you chatting with us to get it to work
Stuart: Me too, and thank you for your help! If I have any more difficulties, should I call you directly or the main number?
MSC: you can call the main #
Stuart: Okay, thank you very much!
MSC: You are very welcome, enjoy your day
Stuart: You too!
- I reached a real person that wasn’t reading from a script
- The entire conversation took less than 10-minutes
- Tracy/MSC was able to offer a reasonable and satisfactory resolution
- Time to connect was 10 seconds, first response in 20.
I especially like the “WOO HOO!!” and “wow that is weird!” responses. The chat made me feel like a valued customer and not just a dollar sign or nuisance to shoo away. Well done, Tracy and MSC, and thanks again for your help!
Thank you MSC Industrial Supply, for proving that great customer service is still possible!
jesse
I have an account there. My experiences have always been like yours. My only complaint is the relatively high prices at all industrial distributors (e.g. Grainger), but then again, that pays for top notch customer service and tech support. You can’t get something for nothing. The sales are not all that great either.
On the other hand, I very rarely need those services, but I still pay for them whenever I order.
BTW Enco is a MSC company.
Stuart
The prices can be high on certain items, but on others they cannot be beat. I usually split my orders between Enco and MSC to get the best pricing and because there isn’t always overlap in product availability.
Some of the sales items are nicely discounted, sometimes not. Non-industrial-oriented retail products, such as Leatherman multi-tools and brand-name power tools, are often more expensive than elsewhere presumably because of a higher profit margins than is typical in retail.
fred
I’m not sure what your annual spend is – but Grainger keeps track of this for buisnesses and passes on a discount based on what you spend – not a huge number – but we save about 10% based on our spending with them
Chris
I thought you were going to cut back on buying screwdrivers? 🙂
Stuart
I didn’t buy any new screwdrivers! Well, not from MSC at least. I bought a bit driver from Amazon last week. *sigh*
Jerry
They may have higher prices for things like power tools, but they carry all kinds of hard to find and specialty stuff that is hard to find anywhere else. If you get their big catalog be sure to not drop it on your foot!
Tyler Durden
How is you resolving the problem yourself great customer service?
Mike
Msc was the only company we had as allowed to buy tools from in several machine shops I worked at, let me clarify. All the machine shops where I worked had a tool program, you had to provide most of your own tools within reason, especially the smaller ones you had to use everyday like calipers, 0-1,1-2,2-3up to 6inches. You didn’t have to have depth gauges, spline mics etc.. the bigger stuff like 12″ mica and large calipers, height gauges and the stuff that was big money, you could use the shops, but they’d want you to buy pretty much everything because it saved their tools plus the time it took from your day running back and forth to the tool room. When I first started I really didn’t think much of it, hell I’d order $3,000.00 worth of tools, toolboxes and just load up on all the wonderful tools and they’d take out $20/50 per week out of my check and I thought I was the man having all those tools, I never skimped and got fowler or general brand stuff, it was always mititoya, starrett, and brown and sharpe! I figured it up and over the years I’ve acquired at least $10,000.00 worth of tools. $2,000.00 dollars maybe a little less was profit for msc because of their ridiculous prices! Service may be good but they’re really expensive, I don’t see the need for that much customer service to buy tools, and the “woo-hoo’s” from a online chat sure as hell doesn’t justify me pissing away money like I’m rich! Now that the age of internet, price matching and research is here, I find the best price possible and that’s where I buy it, the only loyalty I have is to my wallet, I do hate the little man businesses went under after Walmart and places like that, but now that most stuff is bought online at mega companies, I’m not gonna let Tracy and a few kind words through a chat decide where I’m gonna get the best deal, if they won’t price match and give you the best deal, move on because one more click may save you $20 and that my friend is worth much more than some little feel good online fantasy chat any day of the week!