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[chrisbd]

Bad practice is what some people may think it is.

Emphasising that we are doing the best for our customers is what we see it as.

As much as we get on with Jake and Asad etc, they are our competition, and we need to find a way to differentiate from the competition. Since we have established ourselves as the only shop in the country which 100% handpicks all our bats (including juniors), and this is the entire USP of IJC, we need to continue to push it.

It was not meant as a dig at any other shops, just meant to present as a fact to any potential customers that we have, what we believe (and again, this is contentious), to be the best of that batch.

Simple as that - no dig at any other shop, just presenting a fact, and selling IJC. I'd be terrible at my job if I failed to mention a major competitive advantage that IJC has! Nothing against other shops, I'll emphasise once more.

CBD

[brokenbat]

I like what you guys do.

But instead of saying other shops have your rejected bats, wouldn't it be easier if you just post pics of bats you selected and let the pics do the talking?? Why pick the most difficult option?

[liscon12]

Hand picking is very subjective so one persons beauty could be anothers horror.

[petehosk]

........so any other company who restocks on the Ghost bats this season will be taking the ones that Paul rejected....

I am looking from an unbiased viewpoint.....and both IJC and the people replying have their good points.
But from what I can see, the point most people object to is the line I quoted above.
It is very bad practice to make quotes like that as people see it as boastful and unnecessary, and more than a little derogatory towards other retailers?
Especially as other retailers may have already got their stock in earlier.
But even if you were the first retailers to get the choice, then people still see a statement like that as boastful.

But everyone makes mistakes with their posts sometimes! And I am the first to realise that the written word doesn't always reflect what someone is trying to say! However, humility is not a bad thing sometimes! Therefore if one realises that perhaps they have written an ambiguous statement then it is often a good thing to admit you could have worded it better?
Unless you think there was nothing wrong with that statement, in which case best of luck on your sales! The Ghost model is a great bat and I'm sure you'll do well with them!

[chrisbd]

Liscon makes a valid point.

We are saying we have what we believe to be the best. Others may disagree.

Will post photos when we get the bats into our store on Weds.

[Seniorplayer]

This is exactly why GM refuse handpicking, your essentially saying product left behind isn't up to scratch. I can see more companies stopping this practice, it's a bad look for their product in my opinion.

Don't think Ijc is saying the bats left behind aren't upto scratch just that Ijc in there opinion have selected the best of what was available during there visit  so why not say so after all they are sponsors and its only marketing.

[chrisbd]

Seniorplayer seems to get it.

We pointed out that the bats other shops would pick from were ones Paul rejected. That much is a fact. We never said they'd be receiving worse bats.

For example, Paul didn't take any 2'13 bats - he rejected them, because it's not a weight range popular with our customers. However, a rejected 2'13 may still be an absolute beauty and a cannon - so whilst it has been rejected by IJC, doesn't mean it's a bad bat.

We pointed out facts, in a marketing way, but important to note we didn't say other people would be taking worse bats. Easy as that.

CBD

[Burdy]

Am I correct saying these bats have to go through quality control first before even being making it out to retailers to make sure there are no 'rejects'?

[liscon12]

Liscon makes a valid point.

We are saying we have what we believe to be the best. Others may disagree.

Will post photos when we get the bats into our store on Weds.

Can't wait to see them but I doubt they'll be in stock for long, was thinking about getting one but I'm so skint right now haha

[Burdy]

Seniorplayer seems to get it.

We pointed out that the bats other shops would pick from were ones Paul rejected. That much is a fact. We never said they'd be receiving worse bats.

For example, Paul didn't take any 2'13 bats - he rejected them, because it's not a weight range popular with our customers. However, a rejected 2'13 may still be an absolute beauty and a cannon - so whilst it has been rejected by IJC, doesn't mean it's a bad bat.

We pointed out facts, in a marketing way, but important to note we didn't say other people would be taking worse bats. Easy as that.

CBD

SO Paul is the Quality controller for the initial Quality controller?

[chrisbd]

Yes - it's what we call a double-filtration process (sound like some fancy water bottle company!)

All big (and small) companies will make sure they are happy with them, and then we go through from there. With 170 bats, there are bound to be some better than others - so it's a benefit to double filter - our customers like it!

[brokenbat]

I agree with what you're saying @chrisbd  IJC...but from a pure "be smart about it perspective", you could have said "we selected 13 out of a million, and here are these 13 amazing sticks right here...enjoy the pics". That would be non-controversial, AND would achieve your original goal of promoting your brand. You're not in the business of "being right" (thats the customer), you're in the business of making money!

So how about we see those pics?

[chrisbd]

Brokenbat - as mentioned above, bats are into our store on Wednesday.

Will attempt to post photos then.

At the minute looks like up to 6/7 could be sold before they reach us, will keep updated!

[Akewstick]

I am looking from an unbiased viewpoint.....and both IJC and the people replying have their good points.
But from what I can see, the point most people object to is the line I quoted above.
It is very bad practice to make quotes like that as people see it as boastful and unnecessary, and more than a little derogatory towards other retailers?
Especially as other retailers may have already got their stock in earlier.
But even if you were the first retailers to get the choice, then people still see a statement like that as boastful.

But everyone makes mistakes with their posts sometimes! And I am the first to realise that the written word doesn't always reflect what someone is trying to say! However, humility is not a bad thing sometimes! Therefore if one realises that perhaps they have written an ambiguous statement then it is often a good thing to admit you could have worded it better?
Unless you think there was nothing wrong with that statement, in which case best of luck on your sales! The Ghost model is a great bat and I'm sure you'll do well with them!

I think all that's right, except "boastful", "derogatory" and "unnecessary" are only useful as judgements of character and this thread was not started by a person, it was started by a business. @chrisbd has that logo as his avatar, he's here to sell, he might have a chat about cricket bats like an employee would over the counter in a shop, but he's not here to uncover truths and debate reality: like he said, he's got bills to pay, and he's here to sell cricket bats.

I don't care much if this does or doesn't justify anything IJC have said, but I do think - what on earth are all these people wasting their time criticising posts by salesmen and videos on a cricket shop's Youtube channel as if they're talking to someone they know? Why do you think you're in a position as arbitrator of their behaviour? You can show you approval or disapproval with your wallet, or failing that, set up your own cricket bat shop and do it the right way if you're so invested in the importance of it.

I posted about a long-blade Warbird a week ago, asking if I should get one and I got only one response, from Vitas cricket, who said "Yes they're great, we'll sell you one", I'm sure written by a lovely man with a fantastic business, but I can tell when I'm being spoken to by a salesman, and when I'm engaging in an unbiased conversation. On this forum the salesmen even have a little logo next to their name, telling you who they work for! It doesn't make me angry, I don't feel the need to dissect their attitudes and I can't imagine what would lead someone to need to fight this cause.

[jamielsn15]

It's certainly one way of selling. A bit too aggressive for my delicate disposition though. But hey, clearly works for some.