getting fed up of suppliers

Totally agree! But what do you do if you've already booked them?! ?

Agreed, I've been having the same issue...had to discount so many photographers, djs, cake makers and florists. I've found the cake makers to be the worst...I got so fed up that I decided to go with an M&S cake and learn how to decorate it myself!

It wouldn't take them more than a minute to reply and even less to say that they will get back. Being courteous goes a hell of a long way and for me, it just doesn't bode well if a supplier doesn't bother to get back to you when they are supposedly trying to get your business still!

So frustrating! I'm hoping other suppliers will be a lot better...

Im glad to hear its not just me! i was starting to think that i was having a problem with emails!

lol

Definitely not just you- I have had similar experiences. Communication does not seem to be a strong point for many in the wedding industry. I've taken the same approach, if someone doesn't get back to me they are discounted. It is a lot more difficult once the supplier has been booked though.

Moonpie, if you are still after a tog and want to contact me, I would respond......

Sometimes suppliers need to check their spam filters as occasionally wedding requests end up there....

Peter

Sadly, I have to agree with you! I've seen this written so many times about bad communication with suppliers both on here and in general and never really understood it. We experienced the same sort of thing when our daughter got married. Not only was it difficult to get people to answer emails but, more importantly, to get them to answer the questions you actually asked! One of my biggest annoyances is people who don't read properly. This means you end up sending several emails to get an answer to a couple of questions which could quite easily have been answered immediately if only the recipient had read the email properly from start to finish. Bad communication, or lack of, is this country's biggest complaint about companies coupled with poor customer service. Is there any wonder small businesses are going bust so quickly. Running a business isn't just about being good at what you do, it's also about being a service provider. I normally only give people a week to answer emails if I'm enquiring about something then I move on to the next person on the contact list. Just not worth the hassle!

I don't understand why you would bother running a business if you are going to ignore your current and/or potential customers. When you are getting married, it is one of the most important times of your lives and you want quick communication to make sure things are going smoothly and as planned. Word of mouth is very powerful so unfortunately they are shooting themselves in the foot.

And you only have to read all the bad reviews about companies on the internet to see this.

I would find out via the telephone whether they have received your email or you are receiving theirs.

I had recently an email from someone wanting to check a date and arrange an appointment so i replyed, a few days later they sent the same email, so i replyed (starting to think one of us was going mad) a few days after that i received the same email again so i rang her, It worked out that my emails were being diverted in to her spam filter.

Family members and friends will be the worst for corispondance though as they will already believe that they have your business and the professional connection is disminished slightly, you just need to put them in their place. Dont be afraid to give them a warning.

Wow !I'm really suprised by this. I have a major panic if I can't reply to someone the same day! Although there has been times when we have had technical problems with the server or website that were beyond our control. They might not know there is a problem. At the moment I only have internet 4 days a week because I stay and look after my Grand parents for a few days. So I guess what I'm trying to say is try not to take it personally. On the other hand some people are rubbish at replying to emails and I am myself frustrated by this. Wedding fayres are a good way to meet suppliers and see first hand how keen they are and whether they'll suit your BIG DAY. Happy planning! Good Luck,

?Laura

If you don't get a response at the enquiry stage then they shouldn't be considered as an option. If they offer an email address they should respond in a timely fashion.

Hi

We often have clients who say that they've had trouble getting response from other suppliers. I just don't get it, after all you'd think they'd want your business and would reply asap. I'm the same if I'm trying to source something, if I don't get a response within 48 hours when I'm thinking about purchasing, I'll look elsewhere. If a company won't take the time to reply at that stage, it's bound to be worse once they've had your money and you're trying to get the product from them.

Alison x

I meet this situation 2

I experienced this aswell with togs, contacted them through their website, via email and left voicemail and still no response.

Ignorant beeps.

From a suppliers point of view.....there could be a few reasons why they've not emailed you back. They may be away, there pc may have broken or they may not have got your email

A few weeks ago, my laptop died and I had no way of letting anyone know this....I had phone calls from a couple of my clients asking if I had received their email and when I explained my laptop had broken they were fine about it and I emailed them as soon as it was fixed.

also I recently had an email from another client asking again if I had received her email......I hadn't had it in my inbox...so I checked other folders and I found it in my SPAM folder.

an explanation is always a phone call away

I get fed up with this too. I emailed one supplier who was very quick to get back to me. I then replied asking how to book and I've heard nothing since July. I will chase again, when I remember, but if I don't receive a response then I'll look for someone else.

This isn't just weddings though. Genuinely trying to get a plumber etc to return a call or email enquiry seems near impossible these days.

I thought times were hard!

You've just reminded me I've had the same from a videographer and a cake lady actually!

If your business is internet based then personally, I would not rely on just one computer. It is your lifeline.

If my computer breaks, I have a laptop. It didn't cost the earth and you can get them free with some mobile phone contracts. If that broke too, then I have my phone. If I didn't have a spare computer or a phone with internet, I would be round a friends house or at least getting someone else to check my emails and set up an out of office reply and a phone number. I do think in this day and age there aren't many excuses other than spam folders.

And as mentioned, this can be in any industry, not just the wedding. I emailed for some accountant quotes and neither have responded.

Hiya

As I also have a day job, I am also conscious of not replying to clients as quickly as possible so to make sure I am in constant communication, I have my blackberry with my email on and my iPad so I am never far from email. I make sure that all Junk mail also gets forwarded to my devices

If I am not available to answer emails, I set up an out of office to explain this.

There are always exceptions, there are times when emails just don't get to me, especially if they have attachments, emails dont get to the client (hotmail/yahoo/gmail are the worst for trying to get attachments across to people).

I have learnt now that when sending attachments through to clients (espcially with those 3 email accounts) I send a follow up email to say that I have sent an attachment and to let me know if they have got it.

If I loose my email for any reason (when my website went down for example) I post updates on facebook and twitter to make sure people are aware.

It's crazy that this has to be done but technology is never 100%.

Nat

I agree with this. When my internet had been playing up I was round my mum's picking up emails etc until it was reliable again. If I couldn't do that or didn't have a friend to go to I'd be at the library using theirs. When I was on holiday and the dongle wouldn't work due to no signal where we were I had my sister logging in to check for anything urgent as well as having an out of office set out with a phone number.

WSS - I also put a note on the homepage of my website if I'm on holiday to say that I will be closed on those dates but emails will be answered as soon as I return. I also email all my customers prior to this to let them know I will be away just in case they need to contact me. I can't speak for spam folders as I don't have one of these myself. If I get any rubbish emails, I just delete them. The only thing I do have problems with sometimes is getting through to customers who have email accounts such as hotmail or yahoo as these can play up on occasions.

I agree. We emailed a bunch of Coach companies (filled out the request a quote section of their site) and out of about 6 or 7 companies, One company responded within a couple of hours. Unsurprisingly, we've booked them.

I'm having problems with my venue, although i don't know if you'd class it as a problem. They state that they require deposits 9 months, 3 months and the month before our wedding, but at 9 months to go, i had to contact them and ask them if i was due to give them money, and then i was due to give them money this months with 3 months to go, and i haven't heard a thing out of them. I'm going to give them to the end of the month then give them a call. They said they'd be more prompt the next time. It does concern me slightly because i don't want them to have the same laxed approach on my wedding day.

I hate the query forms you fill in on websites as I have found that they don't work with Hotmail, quite often companies using these don't show their email address so you can't contact them.

I check my spam folder everytime I check email as a lot of my orders go into spam, but I think some people rely on this working and don't check it.

I have a PC a laptop and an iphone, I check email on my iphone online, not through the ap as you can't see the spam folder on the ap.

Quite often I recieve an order and need to conatct the customer but they don't recieve my emails. If I don't get a reply within 24 hours and it is going to affect their order then I write to them. Sometimes customers put the wrong email address on their order, probabaly to stop spam but it makes it difficult to contact them.

It works the other way too. Sometimes when emailing a reply to a couple they may not see it as it hits their spam folder and they find it replying two months after it was sent!

Businesses with the internet as their store front should at least have a phone number on the contact page. I even have on mine that I ALWAYS respond to emails and if no reply is received to check their spam folder.

Hi,

I agree with some of the others that there is no excuse really for not replying. It's ok for one email not to be replied too as the internet/emails aren't 100% but if a second email isn't replied to I think it is time to give up on that supplier. I've seen on here quite a lot that people aren't hearing back and it's wrong in my view. Computer problems are no excuse when it's extremely easy to access the library internet as Lisa has said or an internet cafe. I've never gone 24 hours without checking emails even whilst on my honeymoon on the other side of the world. The most I've ever taken to reply to an email is probably 36-48 hours. I check my spam folder every day where it's possible. On holiday I can't check my spam folder but that's the only time. I've seen posts on here in the past and the same excuse is used of computer problems but seriously how often can someone have computer problems ?. If a supplier uses computer problems as a reason regularly and they are internet based they need to rework their business communication plan! x

Couldn't agree more. There are so many communication methods now that doing something is better than nothing I think. Why anyone would not rush to another internet point to post messages on facebook or change their website home page to say there is a problem is beyond me. You wouldn't close your shop on normal opening hours without a note on the door so an internet company isn't any different.

Yup know the feeling, i sent off deposit to videographer about six months ago and keep nagging him for written confirmation - still nothing so am thinking of binning him cos if cant be arsed responding to e-mail is he going to turn up?