It’s more than apparent that these days a vendors popularity is only as grand as the amount of loyal fanboys, followers and hype they can generate. The more voracious the followers the better the vendor must be right? But fanboys don’t aways equal customers. And hype doesn’t automatically equate to good quality or service. As someone who has been on both sides of the hype/fanboy waves, and by that I mean I have had my forum legions ebb and flow over the years as my forum presence did the same, I can say that we vendors love attention. In fact we are gluttons for it. And places like this serve as battlegrounds for that attention. (see Black Friday around here for example lol). But is that attention really a good measure of the vendors ability to perform, to truly be considered the "best?"
I see it pretty often. So and so is "the best”. This is an easy realization to come to after one great transaction. You've got your coral. It looks good. You are happy, so naturally this guy is "the best" No doubt about it. Minds are made up. And that’s pretty much how it goes. Especially on the Internet. People feel a kinship to their “favorite and thereby default "the best “ vendor. This guy really takes care of me. But do they? Based on one or two decent experiences alone. That's it. Your mind is made up? I think in most cases the answer is yes. And vendors minions are built this way. But what is it really? What are the characteristics, the minutia a vendor exhibits that would really make any one vendor better than another?
Is it quality of the product? You’d think so, first and foremost. They’ve got the best coral around, then naturally must be “the best”. No way around that one right? But I’m not so sure. The corals may be "insane" but what if the guys just a jerk? How about polices? Like live arrival guarantees and good DOA replacement practices. This has to weigh in. Or how about the old saw that goes something like. Don’t judge someone when things go well. Judge how they react or respond when things don’t go well. Something like that. Or, personality? If someone's just plain cool dude is that enough? Then there is the inevitable bandwagon. This dude the best! Let's all agree and jump on board! Or perhaps it's just the bottom line. I’d think that price would play a huge role in this one. But again not so sure. I can think of contradictions and reinforcers to every one of these points on this very forum as I type this going on daily. So its really not so cut and dry then is it?
Subjective as it may be, I can’t help but ponder over the absolute, that every vendor is essentially the best vendor depending on who you ask. I suppose collectively an assertion of who may be the best, as with most things, is a popularity contest based mostly on public image. But I think our personal, perceived best, is always going to be simply, the one we give our money to the most.
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