Guys, I have been reading this post for a while and think that it is time for me to step in and comment a little bit. I think that I can add a slightly different perspective, having been a member of IJC for a while now, but also being a cricket customer, and GM fan for a while.
Firstly, let me make my position clear. I like the new GM range, I have been a fan of GM for a long time, I was sponsored by them a few seasons back, and I still use a Luna, which goes like a gun. Where it may seem Paul has a slight intrinsic criticism of GM, which personally I don't think he does, I want to assure everyone that I am a big fan of GM, and the 2015 range in particular looks great.
With regard to IJC and GM, I think above all it is a great shame for both parties that we cannot stock one of the biggest manufacturers of cricket kit in the world. Having been involved in many hand picking sessions myself, I know that it does not require great effort on the part of the company - at Gray Nics, Newbery, Salix etc the guys just give us a cup of tea and leave us to get on with it! Thus the benefits - a new account, with decent spending power, outweigh the negatives of having to provide us a single member of staff for a day. I believe in the benefits of hand picking - I think that is basic logic. It cannot be logically shown to be detrimental. Having two people look over and judge the best bats, both people being professionals with extensive knowledge, can only be better than one.
As a small shop, we believe in our staff and our knowledge, and want to be able to passionately talk about every product on the shelf, and believe in them. The simple fact is, cricket bats are different, irrelevant of the grade. As manufacturers often tell us when bats break, willow is a natural material, and therefore it varies from every individual bat. Here at IJC, we like to pick what we think are the best bats for our customers, and this helps us have the confidence and belief in our products which we hope translates into our customers receiving the best of the best. If we are unable to pick these bats with our own hands, such as at GM, we cannot put our hallmark, our own seal of approval on them, like we can at Gray Nics for example. We may be looking for bats with very specific properties, in very specific weights, and hand picking allows us to do this. It does also allow us to find some "diamonds in the rough", which can then translate into massive savings for our customers - ie they are paying 5* prices for SPS quality. Hand picking is not meant as a slight on the staff of GM, it is merely meant as an extra layer of filtering to ensure that we have the best of the best in the shop. It is for our own, and our customers, guaranteed confidence in our products. As a customer, people trust in Paul and Neil and myself, having built up a relationship with us through Youtube, emails, phone calls etc, and therefore they trust us more than someone they have never spoken to, regardless of whether they might do a good job, as I'm sure every single one of the GM staff does. Thus, as a customer you would rather a bat which is hand picked by someone you know and trust, then someone you are just going on blind faith with.
I'm sure this wouldn't be the case, but as a small shop how would we know we are getting the best of the best - surely our spend on an account would not come close to some of the bigger retailers, and so the incentive to send them the best bats is much greater. Hand picking allows us to select what we feel are the best bats. As a customer, would you not like that extra layer of screening, ensuring that you get two professional, high quality opinions on your bats, knowing that it s therefore agreed upon as one of the best in that range? It is ridiculous to say that bats of the same grade are the same - it is natural that they will be ever so slightly different, and that is the benefit of hand selecting them.
As to it being unfair or it being a hassle. I personally think it is a bit of an insult that retailers cannot have thesame benefits as customers. Surely customers then come and pick the best bats in that range, and the retailers are left at a disadvantage? Why should that be? Further, any retailer who, given the opportunity to, chooses not to hand pick, is quite frankly being negligent to their customers. The ability to personally stand with a customer and talk them through why you chose this bat over a hundred other competing sticks is something which I find vital to successfully selling a bat.
In conclusion, I make a plea to Mr Lowy, allow retailers to hand pick. It is not a slight on your staff, it is merely a way of us showing our customers that we go the extra mile to ensure they get the best value for their money. After all, we are on the same side here, Edward, and IJC and GM having a good relationship is something which everyone wants to see.
Thanks for reading this long winded post,
Chris
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Topic: GM 2015 (Read 68531 times)