Customer Communication

I treat customers in a friendly manner and talk nicely to them. Nothing else. I don't advise unnecessary repairs to my customers to earn more. Customers come because they trust me and will spread the word to other people too. If I work well at a low cost, customers will definitely come to my shop. That's how I build trust with my customers.

No, there is no discount. I offer discounts to my customers. I inform them about the price; if the customer is interested, I lower the price by Rs.100 or Rs.200 if it's not a lot of work.

It's my way of talking that brings customers to the shop repeatedly. If I don't talk nicely and do a good job, customers won't come back to me. If I do a good job and send back a satisfied customer, they will spread the word and bring more customers. I talk politely and deal with customer tensions with a smile. If I vent my tensions to my customers, they will run away.

If the customer has to wait, they can call me at the contact number provided, in case I am not present at the shop.

This Gpay and PhonePe is good; now I can call the customer and that I need payment for their vehicle repair and request them to send it; it's easier; otherwise customer will have to wait when I ask him to come and pay. They are at their jobs and can't come till evening. Over phone they make online payment.

Sending pictures to customers is sometimes necessary. I may send my picture if needed. After fixing a phone, I will take a picture of it and send it. This picture is sent only to the customer once the phone is completely ready.

I ask for feedback about the products from customers. When a customer comes to me next time, I ask them: "Are you satisfied with my material? Did you get the proper material? Is the person who came to your home for puja happy?" Then the customer explains to me whether the material is good. If the customer is not satisfied or if the material is faulty, I return it to where I bought it and close the account. Then I try to buy something better and maintain the quality. If I have bought something and it is not good, I would not purchase the material from the same place but from another place to maintain the quality of the material. I do not go back to the vendor. If the vendor gives me faulty material, I would not go to them again. If we both do not have a proper conversation, you would not come next time. I would say that the material and rate are not proper. If the vendor behaves very rudely, I would not go back to them. If you behave well, I would also behave similarly. Otherwise, God would do good for us. 'Narayan' is the one who gives and takes. I just know Narayan; nobody else.

We have to motivate them. If a customer asks me about the rate and I tell him the rate and ask him to take it, on what basis will he make the decision? It depends on factors such as my language and behavior, whether I am giving a guarantee, the quality of the products and raw materials, and if I can deliver on my promises. All of these factors are dependent on behavior; if the behavior is good, customers are more likely to make a purchase. If 15-20 customers come in a day, we aim to ensure that 90% of them leave with a purchase. This is our objective in our work. The language in Bangalore may be different, but we try to be familiar with their language so that they don't feel like outsiders. We aim to remove any language barriers for customers, managing the communication in their preferred way. We can explain things to local customers in our own way, but for customers from outside who may not be familiar with furniture, we explain things in their language and in a way that they can understand. This helps them feel that they are in the right place.

I use WhatsApp to send photos to the customer for confirmation and to know their location. This helps us bring the furniture to the fitting location. Through WhatsApp, I can easily track the customer's current location. All these features are available on WhatsApp.

When a customer comes and demands something we don't have, we show them what we have. We try to persuade them to buy it and sell it. We have to show it to them. We have to talk to them. We have to make them understand. We have to give them more time.

Yes, I put statuses on Whatsapp business. Same, if there is any festival or if there is any new product launch in the market or if I have to give any additional information. Mostly I put status about some new products only. Just for 24 hours same as the story. No I don't update it daily just once every 15 or 20 days. Yes, I get enquiry on that.

Yes i check the price of the clothes while buying from wholesaler, because there is a copy of everything. If there is a top, it will be the same in their shop as well. But the difference in them will be; for example, if there is one stitch, it will cost 5 rupees more. If there is interlocking, it will cost 10 rupees more. There is a difference in clothes. We check the clothes. It is a big deal to explain to the customer. For example, if a customer comes to my shop and says that he is getting clothes for so and so price in other shops then I ask him to check the quality. I have to explain to him that my clothes are good, I have interlocking.

If customers compare prices with other shops the I have to explain to him that my size is good, my clothes are good, I have interlocking and that their clothes will be different.

We have customers, and we have a lot of designs. We put them on WhatsApp as status. We put all the designs on WhatsApp as status. Everyone sees them: photos of clothes, catalog. They message me to ask the price of the clothes when they look at my status.

We show them good varieties and the best clothes in our shop to make them our regular customers. We talk to the customers and ask them what they like. We give them the best clothes in our shop. They come first. They tell us themselves that they want this type of clothing. If they want to see a specific kind of suit, then we show it to them.

We update our status on WhatsApp when we bring new clothes from Delhi. It works. Yes, we update the status. Everyone sees it. Whoever wants to buy it comes here.

Online shopping is a problem. Customers don't understand the quality of the clothes. They ask us why we sell at a certain price when it is sold for a lower price online. I tell them that my variety is different, but they don't understand. I explain to them that my variety of clothes is different. I suggest that they order online. However, it's not always perfect. Sometimes I order online for myself. When customers say that it's cheaper to buy online than in Delhi, I order a piece and see that the quality is very poor.

Actually, I follow my father's formula only. Whatever he taught, I do and buy that. It means taking less credit and accepting lower margins. I don't aim for excessive profits. My principle is not always to seek a 20% profit. I am satisfied with making 10% or 15%. My main criterion is that customers should be happy. I eventually want to expand my business, but I have reached this point slowly due to the prevailing environment. When I opened the shop, the environment was quite dull. Now, with the presence of malls, there is a rush. People were not aware of super net and pure fabrics. I introduced and explained the benefits of wearing them. They are better than cotton. Now, even other castes like Thakur are also wearing them. They buy pure fabric clothes from me and they like it. Previously, they used to prefer cotton, but cotton becomes soft after washing and requires ironing before wearing. It is not suitable for wearing outside, and people don't even wear it during puja. Super net fabric has workmanship. It can be worn outside and gives a royal look. So, I convinced people to start with something low-priced, and now everyone buys it. My business has expanded to other castes as well. Previously, only the Khandelwaal community used to buy clothes from me. Now, people from other castes also purchase from me because they don't know about pure fabric. They are only aware of what is available in Surat. What I sell is different from what is available in the market. You won't find the clothes that I sell anywhere else here.

I have to convince customers. Some customers can't buy it. They have an investment of Rs.500. How can they buy it for Rs.700? I tell them to buy it once and then tell me. When they wash it and use it then they say it's good. The only thing I have with my shop is that I don't compromise on the quality of my products. Customers come only for the quality otherwise they don't come to me leaving the whole market. As you can see, I don't have a lot of products. But in this, the customer is satisfied. They say that I have 100 designs and all of them are good. They tell me that they keep 1000 designs in the market out of which 10 are shown and they take just 2 of them. They say that they like all the 100 items that I show them and they can’t even choose 50. That's why I don't try to buy a lot of products. I only keep what's in fashion. It's not that if the fashion is out, your product is bad. It's not like that.

I'm a businesswoman so I have to remember customer’s choices and demands. I have to buy stuff according to people’s choice. I remember it. In my call list, I call my customers and ask that I've come to Jaipur and if they want anything then they can tell me. They tell me that they want a pure Bandhej sari in the range of 5 to 6k. I bring it. I call them and send them a message. The day my stuff arrives, I can't even open it and my customers are already waiting to shop. I can't even tag them.

Yes, I have groups. But I haven't joined any group because we receive a lot of good morning messages and all, but I have created a broadcast. So, if I have to send a message, I can send it through the broadcast and everyone will receive an individual message on WhatsApp, and it won't be in a group. They will see that I have messaged them directly. If there is any festival or new product launches, I can use the broadcast to provide them with information. I don't have groups because I think it's very hectic we get useless messages more than work-related messages.

Yes, customers can see the catalogue on Whatsapp and they do look at it.

I can't tell you specific benefit of using WhatsApp, but it makes it easy for people to know the location and timing of the shops. If someone is not able to know my location, they can directly find it on WhatsApp. Similarly, if someone is not able to understand the products, I tell them to go on WhatsApp and look at the catalogue there.

With WhatsApp Business, as I told you, these things are there and it looks normal, but it helps a lot in day-to-day life. Whether it's for location or catalog or saying WhatsApp Web, things that I am not able to do on mobile phones, it becomes very easy on PC. Like he had an enquiry that is this thing available in this particular design. So I will reply him that yes it's available. He will ask rate then I will send him the reply.

Not employees, but my brother and I check WhatsApp. And if there are any inquiries, then I will just send a message to my employees on WhatsApp to check the availability of the product or remove it.

Remembering customer requirement comes with a practice. The brand will change when we influence our customers. Usually, every customer comes with a set mindset. If a customer comes to us saying that he wants Havells or RR or Polycab. We will guide them about the features, quality and its price. Generally, they come with a set brand but if they are not sure then we will tell them about the brands.

We also use Google a lot. If you want to find information about a product, such as its description, features, and ratings, we rely on Wikipedia. We gather all the information from there and present it to the customer. If a customer asks about Havells, for example, and we recommend RR, they might not be familiar with it. In such cases, we search for RR on Google and open the results. For instance, we can find that RR is available in 9 countries and all the details are provided online. This gives the customer confidence that the information is accurate if it is available on the internet. It is really beneficial for us and we can assure them that we are not making false claims. We can search for the product right in front of them and say, "Look, this is what it says online." We have to explain things to them, for example, by showing them a catalog. Sometimes customers might be skeptical and say, "You don't know about it." In such cases, we can open the internet and show them. We can say, "Sir, look, this company is selling it in the UK, as well as in the US and Germany.”

We receive various types of inquiries, including online forms, competitions, and degree-related inquiries. Additionally, there is a series of exams in MA, and we also receive books and question papers. We also handle inquiries related to MCIT and there is a vacancy for Delhi Police. In summary, we handle a wide range of queries.

We have two IDs available on Facebook. One is in the name of P (Personal). When we opened the shop, we had 5,000 friends. So, we made another ID in the name of Aryan Traders. I only post personal things on my P ID. Today is my son's birthday. It's my brother's wedding. Today is my marriage anniversary. Today is my birthday. It's my wife's birthday. Okay. When I go for Darshan or an outing, I upload my photo there. In Arihant Traders, we also upload photos. We don't post anything new. We have a B.Ed form. If there is any B.Ed counselling, I inform students through our Facebook page. So, we also post about that..

Now we have a group of shopkeepers on WhatsApp. This group was created when we started the wholesale business. (showed the WhatsApp group). Yes, I created this group. The group consists of small stationary shops in various locations, such as Babugand, Amethi, Chanda, Pratapgarh, and outside these areas as well, including Chutanpur, Amethi, and Jaunpur. We created this group to promote our new shop and facilitate communication with potential customers. The idea was to inform people about the presence of our new shop and make it easier for them to find us, especially when visiting the wholesale market.

I provide my WhatsApp number to the kids (customers). If I am unable to answer their call, I ask them to message me on WhatsApp. Sometimes, due to a large crowd, they are unable to reach me via call. In such cases, I give them my WhatsApp number. If they ask about a specific item, we reply to them confirming its availability. If it is not available, we inform them when it will be available.

I do my work and they do their work. If customer creates the fuss related to the spare part or problem in his car then I have to interfere and explain everything to the customer. I have to maintain relation with the customers and with mechanics both. If anything wrong happens with the mechanics, I have to manage that also.

Even though the material is not available with us, customers come to us only. I had placed order to Punjab vendor and told him to give delivery within 4 days but he delivered it after 7 days, customers made much fuss saying our vehicle is standing useless, it has become very late and all. We tell customers that we have placed order for your part, if you will go elsewhere he will also consume 10 days more, now here only 3 days are pending, you will get the part in 3 days from now. We tell them transporting issue happens many times, it becomes delayed. Vendors tell us that we have already dispatched your material, you will get it soon. Vendors tell us clearly that they have that material or not.

Regarding farmers' likes and dislikes, they use whatever they want to use, whether they want to grow vegetables or anything else. See, if they are growing paddy or brinjals or tomatoes, then we know about this stuff, so I just bring it.

Yes, I also send information to customers on WhatsApp. For example, there was a customer who sent me photos of paddy on that day. He sent me a picture of his farm, showing me the crops and saying they were very good. He specifically mentioned Bhindi. Yes, on that day, another person sent me photos of paddy. He had taken medicine from us and sent the "before" and "after" photos. Yes, the crops are turning yellow. He called me that day and told me that the crops are now good, the medicine worked well for them, and now they are healthy.

No, I don't make video or voice calls on WhatsApp with dealers and customers. I directly call them. I mean, if they are facing some problem or if they want to tell me something, then mostly I prefer phone calls. I use WhatsApp only sometimes.

I use WhatsApp just because of this, sometimes the customers want a particular seed, then they send a photo of that packet, I use it for that.

Firstly, I consider the customer as a highly important person. I find inspiration from them. When a customer intends to purchase something worth Rs.100, I show them something worth Rs.500, regardless of whether they decide to buy it or not. I explain this approach to all the female employees in the shop, instructing them to do the same. If a customer comes to buy a particular item, they should show them other related items as well. They should also suggest that the customer consider purchasing those items next time. This is the aim: to ensure that people understand. That's why I attract customers from distant locations, as they appreciate the quality of the items I offer. Because of my customers, I stay awake all night. If I were to go home, I would leave immediately, but I know that my customers will come. That's why I remain awake throughout the night. And everyone is aware of this fact.

When the customer arrives, we will ensure that the goods are available. We aim to meet the customer's demand promptly so that they do not leave empty-handed. If I bring the product today, there is a high likelihood that they will make a purchase tomorrow. Additionally, I inform customers that if the product is not available, they can contact me, and I will make arrangements for them. Some customers visit the shop in person, while others reach out through phone or WhatsApp.

Whenever a new product is released, I advise them not to solely rely on TV ads. While TV ads are important, they are not the only factor that drives product sales. I encourage them to consider other organic methods, such as word-of-mouth recommendations from friends.

I don't force anyone. When customers come, I provide them with love and affection. I give them whatever they want. I am familiar with new customers as I have been here for 20 years. When new customers arrive, I inform them that we also offer repair services. If an earring, ring, bracelet, or anklet breaks, we can fix it. You can leave it with us for a day, and we will have it ready for you the next day. Additionally, we provide courier services that cover all areas where I sell my products. We offer repairs and courier services. I make sure to provide them with all the necessary information.

Yes, we have a lot of customers. I have a different group of customers. During the lockdown, I created a group for women. I conducted online business for selling clothes. I earned a profit of 7000 to 8000 rupees during the lockdown. I also created a separate group for girls and boys. This was done to manage any comments boys might make on girls. That's why I created separate groups for women and boys.

Due to the increasing demand for mobile phones and the need to spend more time on them, it becomes necessary to click photos and send them. However, this can be challenging at times due to network issues. Personally, I use WhatsApp to share photos with friends, as it is a popular platform these days.

That's not what customers prefer. Some customers come and don't like something. I have to persuade them to make a purchase. If a customer chooses a bottle but doesn't like it, I have to convince them to buy it. That's what I learned in Marketing. It's because sometimes I go to a shop to buy something and I may not like it. It's like going to a shop to buy something and not liking it. I can't just stay back, when a customer comes, I have to sell them something as well. I have to make them understand about something else and then sell them that product too.

That's like when I receive new stock of jewelry, then I update the status on WhatsApp. The customers see that, and sometimes they ask for something as a special order, so they also send me a message on WhatsApp. We cannot call all the time, and sometimes I write them a message that their product has arrived, and then they come and pick it up. I communicate with the customer about this, and if I need to show something, I take a photo and send it. Customers like to see the collection live. Then sometimes a customer comes and wants to show it to someone, so she makes a video call on WhatsApp to her family member and shows it. That's what happens during the video call. All of this is done on WhatsApp Business, I don't use it on personal WhatsApp. All the customers are on WhatsApp Business. You can learn about the WhatsApp Business app by searching for it. It's like when you have this question in mind about whether you can open another account on WhatsApp or not, and then you can use WhatsApp Business for this. That's why you don't always need to rely on someone else for information.

Masons buy those brooms. Whoever does masonry work, they need this. Masons only ask for this. They need this. Everything is kept based on customer demand. We ask and get to know the requirements of ten masons. Out of ten people, whichever item all ten of them are asking for, we keep that. When they come to buy something, we ask them at that time. After they make their purchase, they stand here for two minutes. And at that time, we have some conversations. We ask them what else they need. And we also ask which company's product is better. And we only keep those materials. For example, ten painters came and we asked all ten of them which company is better, like Asian Paints, Berger, Nerolac? All of them mentioned Asian Paints. So, we started to carry Asian Paints. Overall, we carry whichever products have more demand. We take reviews from customers, painters... Then we keep our stock.

If someone sends the order through WhatsApp, then we will send the bill through WhatsApp. Some customers send the items through delivery, we will check them and deliver the items to their place. We provide door delivery. On Sundays, we will make deliveries. Most people come to the store and buy items. However, there may be two or three people who would send their order through WhatsApp. We will send them the order and the bill accordingly to their house.

If there are North Indians, they may not understand, so they will search for the item on Google. and show us the items or tell us about them, and we can search and see. I didn't know about Poha, but I have heard of one or two items. In the beginning, they used to ask for some items, and then I would search for them on Google and show them the photos. There will be language problems like that. I know Telugu and Malayalam to a certain extent.

There are many customers, around 10%, who are challenging to satisfy because they lack a basic understanding of technology. Well, you see, many of these customers lack a fundamental understanding of technology. For example, if someone purchases a 2GB RAM mobile phone for 4,000rs, they might not realize that 2GB RAM is shared between the system and the installed apps. Over time, as they add more apps, the available memory decreases, causing the phone to slow down. We can explain this to someone with a tech-savvy background, but it's challenging to convey to those who are not tech-savvy. When they experience issues like the phone freezing or buttons not working, they often blame us. It's difficult to explain concepts like RAM, apps, and updating to someone who has no tech knowledge. For them, when they tap on WhatsApp, it should simply open. If they encounter an error message like "unfortunately Google Play Store has stopped," it means their RAM is full. At that point, they should clear the memory, but instead, they complain that the phone we sold them is faulty. We try to manage these situations, but it can be challenging. These individuals can cause problems for us. Doing business is about striving for happiness, meeting our basic needs, and surviving.

If the customers encounter defects in the mobile phones that are purchased, the companies generally handle replacements within a specified period. If the issue is more complex, they may suggest a service center near your location, but we stay updated on this.

WhatsApp is an essential tool. We even have a business class WhatsApp group. We add customers who come regularly, those who recharge their numbers, and our main contacts to this group. We use it to provide updates. We primarily use WhatsApp for second-hand sales, which are quite common for us. We update our price list and share details of upcoming sales. For instance, when we have a sale happening in a few days, we'll update the group with the sale rates and information about when the mobiles will be available and when the checks will take place. We also update our customers about ongoing offers through WhatsApp.

We have been fortunate to experience significant growth through social media, which has granted us global recognition. Recently, one of our videos went viral, and as a result, we've been getting continuous calls and inquiries. The video has got over 1.3 million views, and it has increased demand for our products. Initially, I believed that our grinders would only last for 5 or 6 years, and I thought that people wouldn't need them frequently. However, after witnessing the video's viral success, I've come to understand that there is a consistent demand for our products, in fact, for any products. Meeting this demand is now is our top priority.

Customers see the machine image on social media and ask if we have it. We confirm that we do, and then you proceed with the order. We also customize machines for them like oil dryers, atta kneaders, etc.

Negotiations are a regular part of our interactions with customers. While we do have certain limitations and may not always be able to meet their desired price, we often provide discounts and leave the decision to purchase up to them. Sometimes they even walk out. I stand firmly by my decision to maintain high product quality. While I could produce lower-standard quality items, I don't want customers to compromise on quality. It's a long process – when customers choose low-standard products, they often end up returning to the store for repairs. I often explain to them that it's similar to hiring a laborer; if you want them to perform well, you should pay them regularly.

To express our gratitude to our happy customers; I send voice messages through WhatsApp, as we may not be able to thank each one individually. Recently, a customer commented that the video was 'super' and mentioned that the wait was fruitful. We also interact with customers through Whatsapp. But I have not put any whatsapp status.

We will first explain the customers about the time and duration to avoid the misunderstandings. We then take the order and make new and deliver to them in 15 days.

We forward messages to constant customers on Whatsapp. We forward only to known people basically.

Hindi-speaking customers are now the main customers. Earlier, the business was good because our people used to come. But now they have all shifted to another place. Now there are more Hindi-speaking customers. I have gotten used to the language. I can understand a little bit, but I cannot speak back to them. I can figure out what all things they want. If they are unable to explain, they show me a picture on the phone. I try to understand using that picture.

We don't save customers' phone numbers. They generally don't cheat us. If we force them too much to pay the money, then they stop coming to our shop. So, we feel it's okay; we will not pester them for money. At least they will come to our shop. They will definitely give us the money, even if it is late. We have to be patient.

Yes, I post statuses on WhatsApp. If I feel like it I want to put a top I will do that. If I want to show a pant and shirt I will do that too. I post only once in a while. During Diwali time, I change status almost every day.