Tales of the 'Cat--The Inside Perspective

BadCatMatt · Post by **BadCatMatt** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 5:28 pm

From our site:

"Email?

Our experience has found email to be a somewhat useful but limited communication tool. Email is at its best when transmitting simple information like tracking numbers. However, when answering product questions or resolving customer service issues it becomes a very costly and time consuming way to communicate. More importantly, email is extremely conducive to misunderstandings caused by poor writing or reading and lack of inflection.

We prefer to answer questions and resolve the occasional customer service issue by telephone. This may seem old-fashioned but it works. Folks who call are almosts always satisfied with the results. At Bad Cat, you'll never get one of those hated, menu driven machines answering your call during business hours. When you call us a real human being will answer, ready to go to work for you!"

In addition, emails reached a point where I was spending several hours each day answering them. If I had 400 emails, then answered them all, about three hundred people would hit the reply button and the next day there would be 300 replies plus 200 fresh emails to answer . . . and so on . . . and so on . . . with the snowball continuing to grow. Any random thought that would pop into someone's head would generate an email. And heaven help us if we didn't answer each and every one of them.

Eventually, emails got to the point where they helped cause me to miss a exclusive deadline and the aircraft ended up not being produced.--Which is definitely not in the best interest of our customers!! It seemed like I was spending the majority of my work time answering questions like "How come the P-38s guns aren't all the same length?" and "Why does my Flying Tiger P-40 have Chinese markings?" etc., instead of doing what I do best, maintaining the inventory and researching new projects. As the emails got deeper, answers got shorter, faster, and more efficient but many customers would become offended by the brevity, reading more into the answer than was there.

Emails are simply a poor way to efficiently communicate thoughts and Internet flames are a perfect example of that. The arguement that email communication goes hand-in-hand with goodwill just doesn't hold water.

In the end, we had to decide whether we would be an email company or a retail establishment. Since six hours of daily emails produced ZERO REVENUE, we decided to focus on retail. So for the folks who need know why the P-38s props turn in opposite directions, the telephone continues to be the best way for an explanation.

Rob
BCAT

victory · Post by **victory** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 9:12 pm

Wow Rob. The enjoyment of this collecting hobby creates a feeling as though doing this stuff for a living would ge great. After reading what you go through I must say I don't envy you now. Despite your headaches, know we appreciate your contributions to our hobby and making many of these products easily available to us through you on-line store. Sure beats the frequent and fustrating trips to WM. Thanks.

toyktdlgh · Post by **toyktdlgh** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:00 am

I have been curious about the email thing for a while now. I never would have thought of it like that. I guess when you’re a very small company stuff like that has a big impact. Sure am glad you cleared that up.

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:04 am

Hi BadCat

I spend 80% of my day at work. Like other large corporations, we use a Web Content filter to restrict the websites that employees can visit. In our case we use websense.com. Unfortunately websense categorizes badcattoys.com as WEAPONS and so I am blocked from visiting your site from work.

Any chance you chance you would be interested in contacting them to have them correct your category to toys or hobbies or shopping ? They have 22 million customers so who knows how many customers your are missing. Their support phone number is 858.458.2940.

GooglyDoogly · Post by **GooglyDoogly** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:12 pm

While were at it, how come my D-Day P-38 I bought from you didn't have camo paint on it? I think the factory forgot to paint it. Can I send it back?

*ducks and hide*

toyktdlgh · Post by **toyktdlgh** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 12:54 pm

Why dont you give them a call.

INTREPER · Post by **INTREPER** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 1:19 pm

Thanks for posting your end of the story Rob. I've only had one issue with bad cat and it was quickly handled by your customer service manager. Kudos to you guys and the service you provide for a tough market

Magilla1973 · Post by **Magilla1973** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:23 pm

toyktdlgh wrote:Why dont you give them a call.

I tried using the websense url reclass submission form but they didnt change it. I think it would be worthwhile as 22 million users is a lot of potential customers to have blocked out from your site.

KAGNEW · Post by **KAGNEW** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:33 pm

maybe your P-38 was a model of a late war plane
time D-Day came along the Allies controlled the air
and i don't know about a 38, but a buffed P-51 went about 11 MPH faster then a painted one.

BadCatMatt · Post by **BadCatMatt** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 3:08 pm

victory wrote:Wow Rob. The enjoyment of this collecting hobby creates a feeling as though doing this stuff for a living would ge great. After reading what you go through I must say I don't envy you now. Despite your headaches, know we appreciate your contributions to our hobby and making many of these products easily available to us through you on-line store. Sure beats the frequent and fustrating trips to WM. Thanks.

Oh, no, no, no, no . . . don't get me wrong I LIKE MY JOB!! Despite the occasional light to moderate turbulence, most days are fun!!! I've loved airplanes since I received my first diecast Hubley P-47ish with folding wings and gear when I was two years old. Then, after years of flying R/C aircraft, I earned my pilot's license and have now accumulated 2000 hours flying in peaceful skies. I built my Vans RV-8 "Bad Cat" from 1996-2002 in 3000 construction hours, test flew it, painted the bird, then showed it at airshows. With a finished plane and new-found time on my hands, I started Bad Cat Toys--yes, the company was named after the Felix-adorned plane. So I'm definitely satisfied with my profession--it's usually more work than fun-and-games but I did have a good time with the production sample F-86 that arrived the other day!!!

Thanks for the Websense tip. We contacted them and they said things should be changed by Monday of next week. Please let us know if its not fixed. This is important.

Thanks again for the feedback and blue skies.

Rob
BCAT

Post by **p51** » Sat Feb 11, 2006 1:07 pm

Locked until further notice, and moved.