dmprantz
is Blowin Smoke!
So my Large Egg's ceramic fire grate broke. Bad design IMNSHO, but that's a different thread. I decided to shop for a replacement cast iron grate today and talked to a local place called The Hearth and Grill Shopwho had some on order but none in stock. I decided to stop by on my way home since it was just up the street from another stop I had to make, and when I walked in, I noticed that they had five Large BGEs on the floor, all of them with cast iron grates. A sales guy came up, I explained my plite and offerred to buy a grate from him right then, which he could replace when the order came in. He said that "they don't do that," so I asked to talk to a manager and make the offer to him. He gave me the same answer, that he never cannibalizes parts from a complete grill, and said I should come back later this week because they should have 12 in by Friday.
I asked him if he really expected to sell five large BGEs before Friday, and to that he said "I hope so!" He repeated that he never parts out complete units because some one could buy it and he won't be able to sell it, so I told him if he didn't sell me a grate, I'd make sure to buy it some where else. He held firm.
Now I understand his point of view: His profit margin on a new BGE is much, much higher than a single fire grate, and he doesn't want to prevent himself from selling the high margin item. If he only had one or two in stock, I may not have even asked, but having five of them, I think it's...less than great service to treat me that way. If he doesn't sell that fifth Egg before Friday, he'll have lost the sale on the grate for nothing, but also probably have last me as a customer. Considering that my father is interested in a Performer, which they sell, and my FIL is interested in a pellet heater, which they sell, some times showing a little bit of service goes longer than the margin at hand. Just wanted to spread the word that these guys, while neither rude nor mean, don't have the customer service touch that some might expect, especially for an expensive, luxury line like BGE.
dmp
I asked him if he really expected to sell five large BGEs before Friday, and to that he said "I hope so!" He repeated that he never parts out complete units because some one could buy it and he won't be able to sell it, so I told him if he didn't sell me a grate, I'd make sure to buy it some where else. He held firm.
Now I understand his point of view: His profit margin on a new BGE is much, much higher than a single fire grate, and he doesn't want to prevent himself from selling the high margin item. If he only had one or two in stock, I may not have even asked, but having five of them, I think it's...less than great service to treat me that way. If he doesn't sell that fifth Egg before Friday, he'll have lost the sale on the grate for nothing, but also probably have last me as a customer. Considering that my father is interested in a Performer, which they sell, and my FIL is interested in a pellet heater, which they sell, some times showing a little bit of service goes longer than the margin at hand. Just wanted to spread the word that these guys, while neither rude nor mean, don't have the customer service touch that some might expect, especially for an expensive, luxury line like BGE.
dmp
