What is it with Australian businesses? How come you have to ask a service provider or retailer repeatedly and literally have to beg, for a quote or price? What is it that makes them reluctant to divulge the cost of their services or product? It baffles me!
Any other country in the Western world they would be clamoring for your custom and going the extra mile to secure that custom, after all it’s the primary objective of their business is it not? Apparently not so here in Australia.
Perhaps it’s the ‘laid back’ culture that has been allowed to permeate through, or perhaps it’s the old ‘supply and demand’ ratio being in their favor… but whatever it is, it just baffles me!
You ring a supplier and ask for a price, he says “send the details through” and he’ll “put a quote together”… but that’s where things usually stop. It can take numerous calls and emails before anything quantitative is produced and usually by then it’s to late, you’ve purchased elsewhere.
And this is not just in one sector of the economy nor is it particular to any one type of business… it seems to be across the board. Even business owners (sole traders) are afflicted with the same methodology, take the call/email and then respond in a weeks time – if at all. And don’t get me started on ‘tradies’… they’re a world unto themselves and are only allowed to exist as such because we let them.
We the Australian paying customer have allowed and still allow, tradies, sole traders, small businesses and retailers to continue their ‘unique’ brand of selling, whereby the customer must repeatedly beg for service and attention before any acknowledgement or response is given.
Weird, if you ask me.
Tags: bad service, business