How to get your file customers to pick up their file 0

[Artboy99]

 

A discussion came up at my local comics shop: How to get file customers to pick up their files.

As I was purchasing my files I saw some others that had not picked up for at least 6 months.

How do you get file customers to pick up the books they made a commitment too?

 

[ADAMANTIUM]

I would assume, that there has to be some kind of time limit otherwise the books go back on the shelves.... at some point when they come in they would have to start a new pull file. With a even smaller limit of time for them to pick up their books since they lagged the first time around might be in order. 

Edited January 28, 2018 by ADAMANTIUM

[BlowUpTheMoon]

22 minutes ago, Artboy99 said:

How do you get file customers to pick up the books they made a commitment too?

 

There was a thread about this recently.  There was a idea floated to make the customer prepay. 

[Patriot6]

3 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

There was a thread about this recently.  There was a idea floated to make the customer prepay. 

+1

This is how my LCS does it. He takes an imprint of your CC and charges it each new comics day. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Edit:

I really don't know how a LCS could do any other way...ordering a lot of extra books for the shelf that you may not need if you get stuck with the unpaid for file books...

Edited January 28, 2018 by Patriot6

[NoMan]

1 hour ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

There was a thread about this recently.  There was a idea floated to make the customer prepay. 

For some reason I read "make the customer prepay" as "pepper-spray the customer."

[speedcake]

That's probably about the effect it would have on most people as well.

[mattn792]

On ‎1‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 6:40 PM, NoMan said:

For some reason I read "make the customer prepay" as "pepper-spray the customer."

Taking a page from The Simpsons, I recommend a financial panther -- "Mr. Smith, your file books are two months overdue.  Get him Sheeba!"

[Buzzetta]

Deposit deposit deposit.

 

[999ghosts]

On 29 January 2018 at 12:26 AM, Patriot6 said:

+1

This is how my LCS does it. He takes an imprint of your CC and charges it each new comics day. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Edit:

I really don't know how a LCS could do any other way...ordering a lot of extra books for the shelf that you may not need if you get stuck with the unpaid for file books...

Used to have a comic book store. I could never do pre-pay. People would not order on pre-pay for books that will come out in 3 months. (From Preview order to release date it is about 3 months). I tried and people would not order. 

So I either order and hope they will pick up, or loose over half my customers to another store. Most people did pick up their books. I think about 3% didn't and that was a lower loss then loosing customers who would not do pre-pay option.

the only other option would be a credit card on file and automatic pay when arrived at the store. Something most online pre-sale stores do now.

[Patriot6]

3 hours ago, 999ghosts said:

the only other option would be a credit card on file and automatic pay when arrived at the store.

Yep, this is what my LCS does and it has a very healthy file business. I prefer it too because if I'm in a rush I can just run in and grab my bag and not have to stand around to scan a ton of books.