On Thu, 1 May 2008 10:53:17 -0400, "J. Clarke"
wrote:

Frank Boettcher wrote:
On Thu, 1 May 2008 08:12:19 -0400, "Mike Marlow"
wrote:


Did you get many of the "I need a new part, I'll buy a tool, pull the
part, and return the tool sans part or with the busted one" syndrome?


Hard to say, information coming back was often sketchy. Picture an
RSR (retail sales rep), usually young and fairly inexperienced who
gets to the store, has to set up any aisle displays that have been
authorized, check shelf stock,cleans stuff up, sets up a reorder,
maybe has an in store class to give, then lastly heads for the return
cage to authorize the RMA's for an equally inexperienced store clerk.
Most reasons are "alledged defective" Then rushes out because he's
got three more stores to get to today. And both these individuals are
more used to dealing in small stuff, much of which has a "destroy in
field" policy.

Industrial distributors and the sales people who call on them, are
more like old partners, tend to know their customers, can spot
customers who might have a history of questionable returns, can
immediately fix problems to keep returns from happening in the first
place. It's where heavy iron belongs.



Frank



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