German customers difficult?

[a1anm]

We have just started selling on Amazon.de and sales have been good.

However we have noticed that in general the customers are more difficult than we are accustomed to. We have found:

- The customers to be more impatient
- Return rates are extremely high
- Goods are returned that have clearly been used and a full refund is expected
- Not very polite with their communications

Of course this is a generalisation and some of the customers are great. It just seems that we have a lot more 'problem' orders than with any other country. The extremely high rate of returns alone is proving to be very costly.

Has anyone else found this to be the case?

 

[kulture]

The DSRs in germany are far more in the customer's favour than in the UK!! It has to be factored into the costs. I have found german customers in general to be fine, provided you send things out immediately, reply to e-mails promptly, and are firm and direct.

 

Certainly were a bit demmanding during WW2.

 

[KM-Tiger]

Certainly were a bit demmanding during WW2.

Indeed, but without them you would never have had that ration book.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

Some people say it's silly to generalise a whole nation, but consumer attitudes definitely do change from country to country.

This isn't necessarily for the worst, of course. Fast, prompt and respectable customer service is going to go down well in every country across the globe. Some just have lower tolerances than others.

 

[The Byre]

The differences between the UK and Germany are legendary - and largely true!

1. Germans put in an 8hr day. That's eight hours of actual work. Not breaks, chats and Facebooking.

2. If you tell a German that goods will be delivered "in a couple of days" then he or she will re-order from someone else on day three.

3. Office staff (inc. senior management) all come to work at 8am. That's 7am in the UK. Production staff usually start at 6am.

4. Total reliability and total quality management is everything in German manufacturing.

5. The UK and UK goods have a poor reputation in Germany and they expect to have trouble with UK suppliers and they are therefore more likely to jump down the neck of a UK supplier.

 

4. Total reliability and total quality management is everything in German manufacturing.

I take it you have never owned a BMW or VW.

 

[The Byre]

I take it you have never owned a BMW or VW.

Worse! I once bought a brand spanking-new Mercedes, a 200E and it was just one disaster after another. Sun roof jammed, computer crashed, ABS failed, so no brakes, alarm went off all the time, keys failed constantly, and so on and on and on . . .

I bought my wife a Honda Accord and told her that as soon as things start going wrong with it, I'll get her something better. It is now 12 years old. Nothing has gone wrong. Not a sausage!

 

Worse! I once bought a brand spanking-new Mercedes, a 200E and it was just one disaster after another. Sun roof jammed, computer crashed, ABS failed, so no brakes, alarm went off all the time, keys failed constantly, and so on and on and on . . .

I bought my wife a Honda Accord and told her that as soon as things start going wrong with it, I'll get her something better. It is now 12 years old. Nothing has gone wrong. Not a sausage!

Well there you go.

German cars are made in China.

Japanese cars are made in Britain.

Dur Sprung FEWKWITS.

 

[theRB]

Evening all,

- The customers to be more impatient

Most German companies deliver next day on everything so they get used to a certain level of service.

- Return rates are extremely high

Most UK companies experience returns up to 45%. This is a particular problem for multi-variation items. Using shoes as an example, if they think they're about a size 45 and they can't decide between two colours then they'll order 44.5, 45 and 46 in both the colours then return 5/6 pairs. Oh and they're quite likely to expect you to cover the cost because that's what they've come to expect.

- Goods are returned that have clearly been used and a full refund is expected

They have a right to return the items but if you state that they must be returned in a re-saleable condition and they're not then you also have the right to return them back to the customer (take photographs before you do). Simply send them a letter explaining the situation and your reasons for not accepting them. You've got half a chance of losing a customer though.

- Not very polite with their communications

We find this as well. We tend to think of it as there need for efficiency rather than being impolite. Straight to the point, please respond quickly. British people are a general rule are amazingly polite (with some exceptions to the rule), a lot of people on the continent mock us for it (unfairly, I must add). Whereas Germans believe that if there is a queue, a delay or anything that slows the system then something is broken and it must be fixed.

They're a colourful bunch (with an excellent beer taste) and it's a big market so it can't really be ignored despite how impolite and impatient they are or how much of a penchant for returns they have. Shame really.

Kind Regards,
Ryan

 

[Jayser100]

We have the same problem. All you can do is be patient and as helpful as you can, to make sure your metrics don't suffer.

German customers are very intolerant. As others have said, their return rates are higher than UK and, because of German distance selling regulations, if their order is over a certain value (can't remember off-hand what it is, I think about 40 euros) you will be liable to pay their return postage, even if they are only returning the item because they changed their mind.

These things gave me severe headaches when we first started selling on Amazon Germany but the sales are still worth it. It's just one of those things you have to put up with.

 

[globalguy]

We have the same problem. All you can do is be patient and as helpful as you can, to make sure your metrics don't suffer.

German customers are very intolerant. As others have said, their return rates are higher than UK and, because of German distance selling regulations, if their order is over a certain value (can't remember off-hand what it is, I think about 40 euros) you will be liable to pay their return postage, even if they are only returning the item because they changed their mind.

These things gave me severe headaches when we first started selling on Amazon Germany but the sales are still worth it. It's just one of those things you have to put up with.

True, German customers can be demanding, but the rewards of cracking Europe's Key market can be considerable...

Nice chatting earlier btw