Comments on: Ingram-Micro: Unfriendly to Small Business? http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/ Thoughts on using various forms of media in a harmonious way to grow your business and personal goals Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:14:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Good Quality Customer Service : Virtual Impax http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-8457 Good Quality Customer Service : Virtual Impax Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:33:54 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-8457 [...] Writing this post reminded me of when Patrick wrote about a customer service disaster with Ingram-Micro: Unfriendly to Small Business? [...] [...] Writing this post reminded me of when Patrick wrote about a customer service disaster with Ingram-Micro: Unfriendly to Small Business? [...]

]]> By: Brett Vilnis http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-8205 Brett Vilnis Mon, 19 May 2008 08:52:31 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-8205 I have had an Ingram Micro account for a few years which is always being closed due to not spending enough per month. On Monday I tried to submit a urgent order $6500.00 for a client that had IT gear stolen. The reply was fill out a survey, guarantee you will spend a selected amount over the next 3 months which was much less than my standing order and we will get back to? I needed product now to get my client trading! They offered no service and was more concerned about there survey and what I must spend over 3 months. My client today decided to do a total upgrade worth over 17k! I was lucky I was able to talk my client in to other brands. The problem is that they are the sole distributor for many products which means small business are unable to sell the end user product they have requested? I like to be in a position to knock back what ended up being a 17k order. Brett I have had an Ingram Micro account for a few years which is always being closed due to not spending enough per month. On Monday I tried to submit a urgent order $6500.00 for a client that had IT gear stolen. The reply was fill out a survey, guarantee you will spend a selected amount over the next 3 months which was much less than my standing order and we will get back to? I needed product now to get my client trading! They offered no service and was more concerned about there survey and what I must spend over 3 months. My client today decided to do a total upgrade worth over 17k! I was lucky I was able to talk my client in to other brands. The problem is that they are the sole distributor for many products which means small business are unable to sell the end user product they have requested? I like to be in a position to knock back what ended up being a 17k order.

Brett

]]> By: Deborah Cohen http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7371 Deborah Cohen Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:05:42 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7371 Forgot to say one thing in my previous posts: As horrible as my experiences with Ingram-Micro have been, my dealings with Synnex, their competitor, have been wonderful. My Synnex sales rep treats me like I'm her biggest customer. In fact, everybody at Synnex treats me like I'm the Queen. Moreover, I get great terms from their credit dept., or if I prefer, I can use Amex or MC/Visa. Just thought I'd kick in that plug for Synnex. Forgot to say one thing in my previous posts: As horrible as my experiences with Ingram-Micro have been, my dealings with Synnex, their competitor, have been wonderful. My Synnex sales rep treats me like I’m her biggest customer. In fact, everybody at Synnex treats me like I’m the Queen. Moreover, I get great terms from their credit dept., or if I prefer, I can use Amex or MC/Visa.

Just thought I’d kick in that plug for Synnex.

]]> By: Deborah Cohen http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7369 Deborah Cohen Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:34:47 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7369 Thanks Patrick. I emailed Mr. Crotty a copy of my post. Deborah Thanks Patrick. I emailed Mr. Crotty a copy of my post.

Deborah

]]> By: Patrick http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7368 Patrick Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:31:11 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7368 I'm not Mr. Crotty. I've experienced the bad customer service just like you so I would advise contacting him directly as I don't know if he is continuing to read this blog post. Thanks for chiming in and adding to the conversation. We need to do all we can to encourage the support and consideration of new and small businesses. I’m not Mr. Crotty. I’ve experienced the bad customer service just like you so I would advise contacting him directly as I don’t know if he is continuing to read this blog post. Thanks for chiming in and adding to the conversation. We need to do all we can to encourage the support and consideration of new and small businesses.

]]> By: Deborah Cohen http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7367 Deborah Cohen Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:13:50 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7367 Dear Mr. Crotty: Add me to the list of small business owners who have been swept out with the trash by your company. To wit: yesterday I logged into our Ingram Micro account and discovered that our account had been purged. When I attempted to call customer service, tech support and my sales rep, I was continually disconnected by the automated phone system because my account number, when entered, was not recognized. I finally called the "new business" phone number in a desperate attempt to reach a human being, explained what I had experienced and was told to go to the website and fill out a new re-seller application. That's the service you can expect if you are a small to medium size business. Anything you can do to help me re-establish my existing account will be appreciated, mainly because I need access to my order history. Deborah Cohen Dear Mr. Crotty:

Add me to the list of small business owners who have been swept out with the trash by your company. To wit: yesterday I logged into our Ingram Micro account and discovered that our account had been purged. When I attempted to call customer service, tech support and my sales rep, I was continually disconnected by the automated phone system because my account number, when entered, was not recognized.

I finally called the “new business” phone number in a desperate attempt to reach a human being, explained what I had experienced and was told to go to the website and fill out a new re-seller application.

That’s the service you can expect if you are a small to medium size business.

Anything you can do to help me re-establish my existing account will be appreciated, mainly because I need access to my order history.

Deborah Cohen

]]> By: Patrick http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7239 Patrick Wed, 20 Feb 2008 12:54:13 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7239 I appreciate you are doing what you can to rectify a bad customer service experience. Bad customer service and an original unresponsiveness to it was what drove me to write this article. However is Ingram-Micro willing to change some of their financing policies to make it easier for small businesses to get to the next level or service and product offerings? What do you consider a "small solution provider?" What can Ingram-Micro do to cut the "red-tape?" I appreciate you are doing what you can to rectify a bad customer service experience. Bad customer service and an original unresponsiveness to it was what drove me to write this article. However is Ingram-Micro willing to change some of their financing policies to make it easier for small businesses to get to the next level or service and product offerings? What do you consider a “small solution provider?”

What can Ingram-Micro do to cut the “red-tape?”

]]> By: Justin Crotty http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7216 Justin Crotty Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:45:07 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7216 My name is Justin Crotty. I'm the VP of Services for North America for Ingram Micro. I own the division that the original post author was apparently trying to purchase the managed service offering from. Obviously, a bad customer service experience is difficult for any business to overcome. I can assure you and the subsequent authors that small vars are Ingram Micro's bread and butter and your experience is not typical. Small solution providers make up a very large portion of our annual $35B in revenues. Small solution providers are very much our target market. But talk is cheap, right? The big Fortune 70 company trying to explain away a poor customer service experience. Not at all. I, and every Ingram Micro associate, make my living on the reputation of our company and the way we treat our partners. I cannot change the experience you have had with our company. But I can offer you my personal attention to try to rectify the situation and demonstrate the customer service and support that thousands of vars around the world rely on everyday. The buck stops here. Anyone that knows ME will tell you it always has. Justin.crotty@ingrammicro.com. Justin Crotty VP Services North America Ingram Micro, Inc. My name is Justin Crotty. I’m the VP of Services for North America for Ingram Micro. I own the division that the original post author was apparently trying to purchase the managed service offering from.

Obviously, a bad customer service experience is difficult for any business to overcome. I can assure you and the subsequent authors that small vars are Ingram Micro’s bread and butter and your experience is not typical. Small solution providers make up a very large portion of our annual $35B in revenues. Small solution providers are very much our target market.

But talk is cheap, right? The big Fortune 70 company trying to explain away a poor customer service experience. Not at all. I, and every Ingram Micro associate, make my living on the reputation of our company and the way we treat our partners.

I cannot change the experience you have had with our company. But I can offer you my personal attention to try to rectify the situation and demonstrate the customer service and support that thousands of vars around the world rely on everyday. The buck stops here. Anyone that knows ME will tell you it always has. Justin.crotty@ingrammicro.com.

Justin Crotty
VP Services North America
Ingram Micro, Inc.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7202 Patrick Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:27:36 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7202 Yes, Their core business is enterprise customers but one thing companies like that need to never forget is that companies like HP and Apple started off in garages or bedrooms. A lesson I learned when I worked in retail clothing in the early 90's was to never judge or talk down to a potential customer. Everyone is a potential "someone" if you know what I mean. Yes, Their core business is enterprise customers but one thing companies like that need to never forget is that companies like HP and Apple started off in garages or bedrooms. A lesson I learned when I worked in retail clothing in the early 90’s was to never judge or talk down to a potential customer. Everyone is a potential “someone” if you know what I mean.

]]> By: Kathy http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7201 Kathy Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:09:12 +0000 http://www.spinningsilkmultimedia.com/ingram-micro-unfriendly-to-small-business/#comment-7201 It's apparent that small businesses are NOT Ingram-Micro's target market. With that said, being rude is NOT the way to win friends and influence people, especially in the world of Web 2.0. I can't imagine any business, large or small, putting up with the kind of "crap" you were subjected to in the name of "customer service". Congrats on finding a way to work around, although I'll bet the most satisfying course of action would have been to grant your $$$ to a competitor! It’s apparent that small businesses are NOT Ingram-Micro’s target market.

With that said, being rude is NOT the way to win friends and influence people, especially in the world of Web 2.0. I can’t imagine any business, large or small, putting up with the kind of “crap” you were subjected to in the name of “customer service”.

Congrats on finding a way to work around, although I’ll bet the most satisfying course of action would have been to grant your $$$ to a competitor!

]]>