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Why do some people/firms have websites.....
#23986 10/30/12 06:27 PM
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.....if they don't reply to their "contact us" link/facility?

I've heard or read "Put your business on the internet to attract customers..." and "If you're not on the internet you're not in the game (or words to that effect)"

Oh? Just totting up, in the last few weeks I have contacted a range of firms via their websites and had zero response. So why have a website?

A Tree Surgeon (spiffy looking website, though)
Various hotels around Europe
A firm of fruit juice manufacturers/retailers
A world-wide white-goods manufacturers/retailers (rubbish website IMHO)
Oh, and, of course, that global conglomerate, see threads passim.

Are they in the "game" or not? It seems to me they take the trouble to put up a website then take no trouble to administer it. Hey-ho, the world is full of tree surgeons, hotels, fruit juicers, white goods retailers and conglomerates. If customers get no response from their "contact us" buttons/links, they'll go elsewhere. Therefore, their website-response-fail is really bad advertising.


Replies to this welcomed. Thanks.



Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
Bensheim #23994 10/31/12 01:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: Bensheim
... their website-response-fail is really bad advertising.

I can only agree with your summary statement. But while I don't doubt your experience, I wonder whether you have any recent positive responses in the field of vendor web contacts to share here?

I have two reasons to ask this. One is to separate possible issues on your end from those at the vendor's end, and to try fixing those if there are any. Second, to explore alternatives like the one Jon provided elsewhere in these forums.


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Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
alternaut #23998 10/31/12 06:20 PM
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Hi Alt,

It was only a bit of light hearted ranting; I thought I might get some replies along the lines of "I know, you ought to try getting a builder/plumber/postal service to reply to emails left on their websites......"

I hadn't realised that even jokey threads in the Lounge are interpreted Very Seriously.

As to that website on the link provided, it looks to be American and therefore of little to no use to me, as I'm in the UK (as shown).

Now I'll scuttle off and, er, await another serious enquiry to raise itself for discussion here.

Best wishes

confused

ps. In reply to your question, yes, Amazon.co.uk are very responsive to emails from customers, as are most hotels. That reminds me (thanks!): must chase up an hotel in Germany wrt a booking in December......no reply since about August (you see what I mean? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?)

Last edited by Bensheim; 10/31/12 06:23 PM.
Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
Bensheim #24000 10/31/12 07:23 PM
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I'm right there with you, I've had a lot of similar experiences.

Equally infuriating to me are company Web sites that do not list things like the company's address, phone number, and/or hours of operation on the front page. If I'm out at 7:50 PM and I want to know if your business closes at 9:00, I'll pull out my phone and visit your Web site. If you don't have a phone number or your hours on your page, guess what? I won't visit you. I don't care about your company "vision" or "philosophy," I don't care what your founder or the front of your store looks like...I want to know how long you're open and how I can get hold of you.

Grr.


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Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
tacit #24004 11/01/12 12:36 AM
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I am not sure how much of a problem this still is, but in the early days of Website design it appeared to me that some designers took a great deal of pleasure in denying customers any means of contacting the company other than through the Website itself.

I recall cases in which the only way to determine what country a company was in without leaving its Website was to check its returns policy.


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Makers of TechTool
Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
MicroMatTech3 #24007 11/01/12 04:20 PM
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This is a good one. Tesco. Here's the error:

Service Unavailable - DNS failure
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later.

Reference #11.2e2c3bc3.1351790171.78f2835

Impressive, eh?

Re: Why do some people/firms have websites.....
Bensheim #24008 11/02/12 12:27 AM
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Quote:
Service Unavailable - DNS failure
The server is temporarily unable to service your request. Please try again later

That sounds like/similar to an "unable to connect" problem with the Web site's host server, not an issue with the site, itself.


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In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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