Here at Coolsmartphone each of the writers goes through an inordinate amount of handsets and accessories that go with them. We each have our own favourite suppliers that we find to be reliable and prompt. We therefore thought that we would bring a profile of the ones that we use most often. This will be a weekly series with a different supplier being profiled each week, we also invite you to contribute and give us your experiences, good or bad over on our forums.
This week is the turn of Clove Technology
In 1992 Chris and Jill Love formed Clove Technology. Based in Bournemouth and some 20 years later Clove.co.uk has a workforce of 10 dedicated employees and are one of the most established mobile retailers in the UK.
Despite their relatively small size, Clove Technology operates on a vast scale. International shipping is the norm at Clove, and it would be easier to list the countries that are not shipped to than the countries that are! Clove’s core business is the consumer market however they have also dealt with some major FTSE 100 companies too. Also numbering amongst their customers in the past has been the Archbishop of Canterbury and HRH Prince Phillip.
Clove has a close relationship with most handset manufacturers and is recognised as a major partner and distributor for the following:
-
HTC Authorised Ultimate Partner
-
Motorola PartnerSelect Authorised Reseller Partner
-
Blackberry Partner Program
Platinum Partner with:
-
HP
-
Nokia
-
Palm
-
Samsung
-
Sony Ericsson
-
Huawei
Recognised Reseller
-
Acer
-
Airo Wireless
-
ASUS
-
Doro
-
LG
Clove’s list of products stocked is varied, ranging from the Blackberrys to ZTE handsets. Accessories are well catered for too, these range from iPhone 5 cases to bluetooth headsets to microSD cards. Once again, accessories are available that cater for all of the major handset manufacturers.
The customer service offered by Clove comes in many forms. There is a twitter account, @clovetechnology, a Facebook account as well as a Google + account all of which are regularly monitored and maintained. Telephone service is of course offered too.
Product returns are dealt with on an item by item basis but generally all goods can be returned within 7 days for exchange or refund. Clove also offer a repair and replacement service via the manufacturer service centres. From personal experience faulty products are dealt with quickly and efficiently and with the minimum of fuss.
So, in Clove we have an exceptionally well established international retailer. A customer base of over 100,000 shows that the company is certainly doing something right, indeed, service seems to be at the core of everything that they offer. When asked for a comment Chris Ward – Clove’s Digital Media Co-ordinator had this to say:
We have been pleased with the continuing growth and success of Clove Technology and put this down to our knowledge and passion within the Smartphone market and a rewarding experience for our customers who share this passion. A lot of this is due to the enthusiasm of our staff.
Have you used Clove Technology? We are looking for your feedback in our forums. So, Why not come over and share your experiences…