Loveinamist
Registered Shopper
Nothing, Strato, but they have to become VIP's first, which they may balk at!
Paul Turner - Senior Marketing Manager at QVC UK
- Thread starter Graham
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Vivalas
Guest Shopper
It's a terrible position to be in for you Graham and you have my sympathies. If I'm being totally honest I don't see any way that the situation will change. They are a business and they've made a decision - right or wrong. The thing is though you as an individual has the power to change things. Whilst I'm not in your business I can see a few things. Firstly you have a fantastic forum set up. Secondly this forum is well read and posted on by many different people. So thirdly you have the all important 'traffic'. You need to somehow increase that traffic and get that traffic directed to other paying sites. It won't be easy, but then again if it was everyone would be doing it. No matter how low you feel, you need to congratulate yourself for what you've achieved. Very few people could have created all this. So please give yourself some credit. But also please, take some positive action, even if its just talking to someone initially.
No one on here knows me so I don't expect anyone to take my word for this: I run a successful financial services company and have around 10 people working for me. Unfortunately due to the economic climate my business income has dropped severely over the last year, particularly the last 6 months. I should have made some redundancies if the truths known but due to loyalty etc i haven't. Rather than it defeating me I've spent 6 months looking at a variety of avenues to increase revenue. I've finally managed to find a way (totally different to what I do) to increase my income back up to what it was and as such I've got all my staff still. 6 months a go I could have just walked away, but I've been in business since I was 23 and I'm no quitter. It may take me 2 or 3 years to get back to the really good times but ill do it, I know I will.
So for what's its worth see tomorrow as the first day of the rest of your life and go for it. Rebuild that lost revenue by hook or by crook! Good luck
No one on here knows me so I don't expect anyone to take my word for this: I run a successful financial services company and have around 10 people working for me. Unfortunately due to the economic climate my business income has dropped severely over the last year, particularly the last 6 months. I should have made some redundancies if the truths known but due to loyalty etc i haven't. Rather than it defeating me I've spent 6 months looking at a variety of avenues to increase revenue. I've finally managed to find a way (totally different to what I do) to increase my income back up to what it was and as such I've got all my staff still. 6 months a go I could have just walked away, but I've been in business since I was 23 and I'm no quitter. It may take me 2 or 3 years to get back to the really good times but ill do it, I know I will.
So for what's its worth see tomorrow as the first day of the rest of your life and go for it. Rebuild that lost revenue by hook or by crook! Good luck
Frazzled
Sense of humour intact
I would imagine all sorts of "spies" exist as VIP members, £6 is hardly likely to put off marketing and analysis professionals. Would be nigh on impossible for Graham or Sazza to suss them out. There are plenty of VIP members who have never or rarely posted.
DebraJane
Registered Shopper
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2012
- Messages
- 1,203
i wouldn't rule them out just because they do post either. Q only brought in Will to run the social media side for them and they won't be the first or the last company to employ someone to do this and market research at the same time.
Sparkles26
Registered Shopper
Graham, it saddens me to hear you talking so negatively about yourself. I don't know anything about legal issues or how to generate online revenue etc. so I can't offer any advice on that, but what I can do is to offer my support to you. I am in the same situation as you mentally - self harm, suicidal ideations etc. - so I know how terrible this is. If you ever need a shoulder, or just someone to listen while you have a good moan, I'm here. From the bottom of my heart, I hope your state of mind improves.
Ballerina
Registered Shopper
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 982
This is such a sad business and my heart goes out to Graham.
QVC will not be convinced to be associated with ST and I think that is obvious to all. There is no easy solution. As others have said, approaching other hight street names may be an option. However, they are likely to do a bit of research / google ST and they will see this awful situation and they are unlikely to to want to get involved, especially as Graham is such a sensitive (genuine & lovely too) man.
Perhaps a new forum would be the way to go, what do you other folks think? Also, how about a whipround for Graham?
Hang in there Graham,
Inge xx
QVC will not be convinced to be associated with ST and I think that is obvious to all. There is no easy solution. As others have said, approaching other hight street names may be an option. However, they are likely to do a bit of research / google ST and they will see this awful situation and they are unlikely to to want to get involved, especially as Graham is such a sensitive (genuine & lovely too) man.
Perhaps a new forum would be the way to go, what do you other folks think? Also, how about a whipround for Graham?
Hang in there Graham,
Inge xx
LE lover
Registered Shopper
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2009
- Messages
- 2,748
There is nothing to stop qvc spies becoming VIP members and using the drop unfortunately.
Moving all TSV details there would encourage any lurkers who only use this site for this info to become VIP members and pay to view it as oppossed to just getting what they want from here without contributing to the site at all.
Whilst on the subject ,Graham, have you thought about raising or changing the VIP membership prices?
Moving all TSV details there would encourage any lurkers who only use this site for this info to become VIP members and pay to view it as oppossed to just getting what they want from here without contributing to the site at all.
Whilst on the subject ,Graham, have you thought about raising or changing the VIP membership prices?
miss molly
Registered Shopper
Can't you recoup any money by promoting sites that are Cheaper than QVC like salonskincare, cheapsmells ect. The damage has been done with QVC but don't give up the fight.
The forum does generate other income from advertising and for that it's important for Graham to have a growing membership and an active membership- the more his statistics show a healthy active membership the more advertising revenue he can command. Moving QVC to the Drop would be a mistake as it is this section more than any other that leads people to this forum and attracts new members. Current members can help by always logging in even if you are just popping in for a quick read. I know many people don't bother if they have no intention of posting - they just join the lurkers- it's something I've been in the habit of doing in the past but have resolved since this happened to be good about logging in.
As for QVC having the right to choose who they do busines with yes they do but it is not the same as a shop banning a customer. In this case they have told a third party not to do business with Graham thus depriving him of income from other sources too which in my view is a scandal. The reason they have done this is nothing to do with Graham but everything to do with what we write on here. Graham has taken it very personally because over the years he has fostered a close and good relationship with the company. He always publishes their press releases etc., and I can see that this faceless and cowardly way of conducting business must seem like a real betrayal of his good faith.
QVC staff read these pages. I'm sure they have found some of the recent criticisms very uncomfortable reading but they should see that much of the criticism comes from frustration with a company whose standards appear to be slipping. There have been some harsh things said about presenters but people also step up to defend them. Most of us, I'm sure, have been good customers of QVC and I find it quite hard that they are throwing that back in our faces. It's petty. At the moment I don't feel I can buy from them which is a pity as I recently had to replace my television. I had always intended , when the time came, to buy from QVC. John Lewis got my money instead and I can't fault their delivery and customer service.
As for QVC having the right to choose who they do busines with yes they do but it is not the same as a shop banning a customer. In this case they have told a third party not to do business with Graham thus depriving him of income from other sources too which in my view is a scandal. The reason they have done this is nothing to do with Graham but everything to do with what we write on here. Graham has taken it very personally because over the years he has fostered a close and good relationship with the company. He always publishes their press releases etc., and I can see that this faceless and cowardly way of conducting business must seem like a real betrayal of his good faith.
QVC staff read these pages. I'm sure they have found some of the recent criticisms very uncomfortable reading but they should see that much of the criticism comes from frustration with a company whose standards appear to be slipping. There have been some harsh things said about presenters but people also step up to defend them. Most of us, I'm sure, have been good customers of QVC and I find it quite hard that they are throwing that back in our faces. It's petty. At the moment I don't feel I can buy from them which is a pity as I recently had to replace my television. I had always intended , when the time came, to buy from QVC. John Lewis got my money instead and I can't fault their delivery and customer service.
S
SparklyBarbs
Guest Shopper
Brill post JR77
S
SparklyBarbs
Guest Shopper
I lurked for quite a while before i took the step and joined. And it was reading some of the witty posts and one liners
that made me laugh out loud and want to join. So i think thats why a lot of people join, you sort of think you know
these people and enjoy reading the posts. (No big heads please). I also did a lot of shopping with QVC and could see
a lot of me in the people on this forum, i didn't realise they were helping keeping this forum afloat. I personally don't
like the personal harsh critisicim of some presenters, probably done it myself, im no innocent, but i try to see the good
in everyone (comes with the job) but sometimes i'm put of defending some presenters, as the fallout is fierce and i
never think of good answers, until hours after. I see QVC losing the plot themselves, the new studios, which are awful
and like dungeons, and don't start me on the website. I could design better and i'm no good at technology. So they've
spent a lot of money, down the drain, and business isn't doing as well as it could. Take the recent TSV'S that haven't
sold out, so they should look closer to themselves and devise something to draw customers back. They get just as much
fierce fall out on the facebook page, at least on here its witty, which is why we have so many lurkers looking. I don't
think we should keep helping QVC with all the TSV'S, or keeping talking about them. If they looked at it sensibly they'd
see QVC gets more posts than any other shopping programme, even though we complain, so why withdraw their support
from Graham. Anyway ramble over...... Not quite, just to add, why should posters change their style of posting, QVC have
withdrawn their support from this forum, , so why can we all just not keep saying what we think. Why should we be nice
to them, nobody should feel they can't say things on this forum, not in this day and age of free speech. QVC should
actually pay heed to this fantastic forum, cause its all true
that made me laugh out loud and want to join. So i think thats why a lot of people join, you sort of think you know
these people and enjoy reading the posts. (No big heads please). I also did a lot of shopping with QVC and could see
a lot of me in the people on this forum, i didn't realise they were helping keeping this forum afloat. I personally don't
like the personal harsh critisicim of some presenters, probably done it myself, im no innocent, but i try to see the good
in everyone (comes with the job) but sometimes i'm put of defending some presenters, as the fallout is fierce and i
never think of good answers, until hours after. I see QVC losing the plot themselves, the new studios, which are awful
and like dungeons, and don't start me on the website. I could design better and i'm no good at technology. So they've
spent a lot of money, down the drain, and business isn't doing as well as it could. Take the recent TSV'S that haven't
sold out, so they should look closer to themselves and devise something to draw customers back. They get just as much
fierce fall out on the facebook page, at least on here its witty, which is why we have so many lurkers looking. I don't
think we should keep helping QVC with all the TSV'S, or keeping talking about them. If they looked at it sensibly they'd
see QVC gets more posts than any other shopping programme, even though we complain, so why withdraw their support
from Graham. Anyway ramble over...... Not quite, just to add, why should posters change their style of posting, QVC have
withdrawn their support from this forum, , so why can we all just not keep saying what we think. Why should we be nice
to them, nobody should feel they can't say things on this forum, not in this day and age of free speech. QVC should
actually pay heed to this fantastic forum, cause its all true
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caretodiffer
Registered Shopper
I lurked for quite a while before i took the step and joined. And it was reading some of the witty posts and one liners
that made me laugh out loud and want to join. So i think thats why a lot of people join, you sort of think you know
these people and enjoy reading the posts. (No big heads please). I also did a lot of shopping with QVC and could see
a lot of me in the people on this forum, i didn't realise they were helping keeping this forum afloat. I personally don't
like the personal harsh critisicim of some presenters, probably done it myself, im no innocent, but i try to see the good
in everyone (comes with the job) but sometimes i'm put of defending some presenters, as the fallout is fierce and i
never think of good answers, until hours after. I see QVC losing the plot themselves, the new studios, which are awful
and like dungeons, and don't start me on the website. I could design better and i'm no good at technology. So they've
spent a lot of money, down the drain, and business isn't doing as well as it could. Take the recent TSV'S that haven't
sold out, so they should look closer to themselves and devise something to draw customers back. They get just as much
fierce fall out on the facebook page, at least on here its witty, which is why we have so many lurkers looking. I don't
think we should keep helping QVC with all the TSV'S, or keeping talking about them. If they looked at it sensibly they'd
see QVC gets more posts than any other shopping programme, even though we complain, so why withdraw their support
from Graham. Anyway ramble over...... Not quite, just to add, why should posters change their style of posting, QVC have
withdrawn their support from this forum, , so why can we all just not keep saying what we think. Why should we be nice
to them, nobody should feel they can't say things on this forum, not in this day and age of free speech. QVC should
actually pay heed to this fantastic forum, cause its all true
My sentiment exactly, SparklyBarbs .
This forum is a good guide for QVC to follow and find out what is working with the general public and to improve on what isn't. They should be grateful for having a forum like this that gives good and bad comments. It is no point of just saying only good things, because what good is it going to do them, it will only be misleading the real situation .They should appreciate that this forum members are honest enough to voice their feelings, and as I have said earlier, it is up to QVC to take it as constructive criticism and aim do better by improvements.
Their fall in sales has nothing to do with this forum or what is being said here. In fact it has actually made me aware of so many things that I did not know about QVC and has, if anything made me buy.
If sales have slumped it is mainly because their postage has increased.
A big shopping channel like them have enough buying power to demand products cheaper, because designers and retailers know that through QVC, they can sell thousands (up to 30000 sometimes, I think) and which designer could even dream of selling that amount in years and years??
With that kind of power, QVC should be able to sell things a lot cheaper....but sometimes, when you add up the postage, the item works out quite expensive, so people like me see logic of not buying that item if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. Can anyone blame me for that?
If QVC wants to make huge profits, or pay for their staff to gallivant abroad or want to give them huge salary, it cannot do that by charging viewers goods dearer. They can make huge profits by their buying power, full stop. Sometimes greed can do damage.
People shop around , there are more and more online retailers with less buying power giving better deals with cheaper prices, less postage and better deliveries.
What QVC has to do is to compete with them, not by doing more harm to the company by increasing postage charges, how stupid is that.
These changes has nothing to do with Graham or this forum, if anything, it is mismanaging and poor marketing by QVC itself.
Huge salaries for staff and mismanaging has caused big companies to fail, QVC is a business, so look for faults within the company and not blame innocents like Graham who has and is willing to help them through this forum.
The members here do point out some annoying mannerisms of some presenters.........it is up to them to improve on and reduce these mannerisms to promote sales, in this way again we are helping QVC, by pointing these , QVC should have picked on these facts themselves, if they have good managers, they would have done before we the viewers point them out.
If as an ordinary viewer, I can point out so many things QVC can improve in their services, I am sure someone paid to do so should be able to find more, so get your act together at least in the New Year, QVC.
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