We is so stoopid
If there was a hall of fame for stupid business models, I think we would have a prominent position. When I founded Autonerdz at the turn of the century I kinda forgot that business was supposed to be a profit deal. When we had the opportunity to introduce a revolutionary new product to the automotive industry we sure got off on the wrong foot. The idea of a PC in an automotive shop was laughable back then and here we were blazing a new trail for a PicoScope PC based automotive oscilloscope. So, here we had a new PC based product that we knew was going to require a comprehensive training and support system for product acceptance.
Here is where we took a wrong turn. A profit motivated business would have seen this as a fantastic opportunity. Here we had a new product we could market that needed training and support. So, we could sell the product and then sell the needed technical support and training for that product and make a bundle. You could continue to make money off your customers long after the initial equipment purchase. What a sweet deal.
Here is a snapshot example of what another PC based scope supplier is doing. Note that even at the platinum level, resource access is limited and even screen sharing technical support is limited to 30 minutes. If we did that with our thousands of global customers, we would have over a million dollars a year in additional revenue. We would be rich!
But…. We is so stoopid. We decided to give it away when someone purchases one of our custom kits. And we have no resource access or screen sharing time limits. These resources are our main overhead expense costing us literally thousands each month to provide. Other than a few pay subscribers, who purchased from another vendor, only revenue from equipment sales supports this.
How do we do this? I have no idea. We invest everything other vendors put into advertising and promotion back into our customers instead. This means we have no budget for national advertising or buying booths at various trade shows around the country. We don’t have the time anyway as we are also investing that time into actually helping our customers.
That’s why it is so important that our customers help us out by sharing with others what they have found here. Word of mouth is so much more powerful than a glossy colorful ad anyway. Other vendors can’t provide anything close to the extensive resources we place at our customer’s fingertips. After all, we are the ONLY PicoScope automotive specialists and so we are not distracted by all the other stuff we offer. There is no other stuff.
Why do we do this? Because we always have. During my many years as an auto technician myself, I had plenty of equipment purchasing experiences so, when I found myself on the vendor side of things, I decided to do unto others the way I wished it had been done unto me.
Not being your typical businessman, the whole profit deal was not a priority. I figured, if we took care of our customers in this way they would, in turn, take care of us. Luckily for us, as well as our loyal customers, this is how it has worked out, for the most part.
Unfortunately, some just don’t get it. We do not charge for full access to our extensive Picogroup resources when you get one of our custom kits. But, in supporting our customers in this way, we do expect them to support us. Most show their appreciation by coming to Autonerdz for all their future PicoScope automotive needs. But some do not. This is what I don’t get.
So, we spend countless hours of our time and resources with someone, sometimes over many years, and then they show their thanks by taking their Pico business elsewhere. And then they get upset when they discover they no longer have access to our resources. Really?
They are not saving any money since we offer to price match for our Picogroup members on anything Pico automotive that is offered by another vendor. I just can’t imagine why anyone would do this. But they do. And then sometimes they talk crap about us because they did something stupid.
When you are enjoying access to such extensive resources for free, why would you show your appreciation by giving us the finger? OK, I guess you can’t please everyone. Sorry, we do not support your decision to take your Pico business elsewhere. The concept is too simple. We support you and you support us. It has to be this way or we cannot sustain the resources we provide. Duh.
No worries for the great majority of you out there that do get it. We have no plans to start charging you a subscription fee. You understand value and we appreciate your business. We show that by investing in you and providing an unprecedented level of support and training resources so you can continue to grow your skills. We know this is an ongoing growth experience that continues year after year. So does our commitment to you. We know you will come to us when you need something Pico as well as spread the word to others. That’s what makes the wheels here keep turning.
Those who take their support elsewhere not only disrespect us here but also everyone else in the Picogroup that also lends their time and expertise helping them out and teaching them. Some tell us and some don’t. Let me just close by sharing one individual example (I’ll call him Bill).
Bill had been with us for a year and we had spent a lot of time with him during that time. He even attended a couple of our hands on classes. One day he brags to us how he got a great deal on a WPS kit from another vendor, and then expected us to train him on it in the next class. Not gonna happen. Of course he didn’t get a great deal either. He bought a stripped down kit we would have sold him for the same price had he bothered to give us the chance. So, he sacrificed all his future Picogroup resources access for absolutely nothing.
Is our business model so revolutionary than some just can’t wrap their head around it? Even if we had not clearly published how this works from the early days of Autonerdz, to me it just seems self-evident. I guess I’m just too old school. My parents taught me to respect those that helped you on your path to success. Maybe some didn’t experience that kind of upbringing.
Bottom line though, whether this stoopid business model continues to be sustainable is totally up to you. I refuse to change it. I’m just stubborn that way. Besides, I still have faith that most people behave honorably.
Thank you for your support.
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