Sutlers: iPhones & web vs. in-person sales

[groomporter]

A few days ago I got an E-mail asking if we were going to be offering the same special listed on our website for our period playing cards to in-person customers at the Kalamazoo Living History Show this weekend. It reminded me that when we were at the Reenactor Fest convention last month there was a family playing our Pope Joan game with us, and while the father stood behind the kids he researched "Pope Joan game" on his iPhone and our website was one of the first things that came up.

In thinking about it later it made me think that as portable internet access gets more commonplace, it may become more important for us merchants to be willing offer the same prices or specials in person as online. -or at least be willing to give the same deal if someone asks even if we're not promoting it in-person.

[atlanticwallblanks]

i have a blackberry from work and have been using it a lot.

i have price sheets that i hand out with a note at the bottom that prices are subject to change and the current web site price is the defining price.

i have had a few people try to play games, some are simple mistakes, others are outright attempts to steal. the blackberry gives me the chance to pull up the web site and show them right there.

i am sure there are a lot of other uses that i will find down the road but this is where i have found it good for me so far.

personally i hate being connected so much but the job demands it. 

robb

[groomporter]

i have price sheets that i hand out with a note at the bottom that prices are subject to change and the current web site price is the defining price.

Yeah, after seeing mail order brochures come back to us that are 3 or 4 years old we always make sure it says "prices are subject to change" even though our prices haven't changed on most things.