A message to Dapol

[MinZaPint]

I have been extremely disappointed at Dapols lack of communication with their customers and have sent them the following, am I being too hopeful in expecting a reply?

I am an avid fan of your N gauge products, Big 4 steam era (GWR SR) is my particular area of interest, at the moment you have several items I am looking forward to, Schools (Maunsell livery if poss) WC BoB, Maunsell coaches and reissue of M7’s and 45xx. I feel you have totally lost control of your communications with your customers, your company website is out of date, you have updated some items but not changed the last update info which shows as 12 months old! Do not try to do to much but make sure that what you do is up to date. Your Facebook page is not getting any response from you, I would suggest you issue a monthly newsletter on your own website giving an update on your current projects so that your customers know where they stand. You recently offered a link on RMWeb which it would appear they have had to take down due to lack of response from yourselves. You can not please all the people so do not offer what you cannot give. In my working life KIS (Keep it simple) was drilled into me, Monthly updates on a newsletter would I am sure please us all and make life easier for you.
Just my hopeful twopenneth

David

[Oldddudders]

I thought the Dapol people had recently had an RMweb Q&A exercise, presumably trying to address the sort of issues you identify? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/86065-any-questions-quiz-the-Dapol-team/

[alfsboy]

I wonder if this happens in other industries.like Bosch,BMW ,etc, telling the world they are making a new freezer.Auto,etc in twelve months time and getting huge flack when it doesnt come until 14 months  time .It seems an odd way to go about things and makes huge problems if its subcontracted so out of your control .

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I wonder if this happens in other industries.like Bosch,BMW ,etc, telling the world they are making a new freezer.Auto,etc in twelve months time and getting huge flack when it doesnt come until 14 months  time .It seems an odd way to go about things and makes huge problems if its subcontracted so out of your control .

 

Indeed, but BMW do not promise to make a two-seater roadster (therefore meaning that Mercedes Benz and Audi decide not to proceed with their two-seaters so as not to dilute the market and therefore sales), put it in their catalogue effectively as a placeholder, then promptly do nothing for the next couple of years before quietly dropping it; hoping nobody will notice.

 

Dapol have had far less slack given to them on this issue as one of their marketing tag-lines was 'Delivering on Our Promises'... This is not one chap in his shed running a few kits off in what little time he has between his family and job committments, this is a supposedly major manufacturer.

 

I know it is only model railways, but they are employers - and the more they alienate their customer-base, the less people will purchase their products. Lose custom, and peoples (i.e. staff) livelihoods are impacted. Delivering on promises is much more than getting stuff delivered when they say. We are (in the main!) educated and circumspect enough to recognise and understand that things do go wrong - the supply chain does throw up lots of situations that effect delivery. It is the lack of communciation and information that needles people the most, and that is common in all aspects of life.

[Debs.]

One can`t know for certain, but likely the exigencies of running a business may mean that some aspects of customer-interaction have to be set aside; when time, manpower/skills and money are at a premium........but not an ideal state of affairs; I grant you.

[MinZaPint]

My post must have crossed with a hive of activity at Dapol, they've updated their Facebook page and are promising a newsletter, guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[justin1985]

This is not one chap in his shed running a few kits off in what little time he has between his family and job committments, this is a supposedly major manufacturer.

 

Well they might not literally be a one man band, but it does seem that in terms of product development, they pretty much are. People have been criticised on here for criticising Dapol after Dave, but with the benefit of quite a bit of hindsight now, Dapol basically was Dave. They had all of their eggs in one basket, and clearly no way of sharing the knowledge and expertise. His replacements give the impression of effectively starting again from scratch.

 

With regard to their website, it seems like they hire a new external designer to make a new one every so often, but no one in the company seems to be taking ownership of keeping it up to date. Common problem! The OP's suggestion on a monthly newsletter is perfect - unless they can afford to hire someone with a specific job role of digital marketing, focusing on communicating via something that can become part of someone's routine is probably the best idea.

[clarkea1]

I thought the Dapol people had recently had an RMweb Q&A exercise, presumably trying to address the sort of issues you identify? http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/86065-any-questions-quiz-the-Dapol-team/

 

Trouble is that thread was very heavy on the Q's and relatively light on the A's.......

[Roy L S]

Topic closed 28th May for responses to be collated.

 

Two and a half weeks later and nothing has started to come through yet.

 

Without wishing to be seen as overly critical, if an invitation is made to ask questions, personally I think it is important to follow it up with responses in a timely manner.

 

Regards

 

Roy

[Kenton]

It costs a lot of time and money to employ, train, equip someone just to satisfy a relatively small bunch of grumpy old "Meldrews" who want something now this instant or even earlier.

[Roy L S]

Why does it have to cost anything apart from a limited amount of time?

 

We have not (after Andy's clarification) expected replies individually or in "real time" and the majority of answers should surely be within the "gift" of Management or Design team at Dapol to answer. As such what need is there to employ, train or equip anyone?

 

Regards

 

Roy