Originally Posted by
Crescent Cycle
By that logic there is a period of time where the seller is a bad seller while he stocks a product he knows little about. ....
No, it's both theoretically and practically to gain and impart product knowledge to staff between the time an order is placed, and goods are available for sale, and this is what usually happens. However knowledge is never complete -- there's no such thing as total knowledge, so there will be questions that have to be researched or passed to a higher source.
Originally Posted by
Crescent Cycle
Ultimately the point is, good seller or not, sellers don't always provide good answers. Yes some stuff is obvious, but to someone who doesn't know the answer to a question, they probably don't know whether or not the question is obvious, or if there is something that isn't obvious that they're missing.
Every new hire I brought in was given the same speech early in his training.
"you only need to know three things to work for me.
You need to know what you know, and develop the knowledge and skills needed to do your job.
You have to know what you don't know, and be willing to admit it and get help.
You have to know the difference".
Good company cultures encourage staff to admit what they don't know, and either find the answer for clients, or pass them to someone else who can help them. There's no sin in not knowing, or in saying "I don't know". But there is sin in giving poor answers because you refuse to admit you don't know, or in refusing to get available help when needed.
Over the yeas I've spent many hours with technical staff at my vendors, or in many cases their vendors, and occasionally at their vendor's vendors. There are always people who know, and caring staff will help you get to them.
My rule is very simple, if a prospective vendor or his staff can't/won't answer a relevant question, I shop elsewhere.