Customer Service

I guess I have worked all my life in customer service.  I've worked in Food Service Industry, various office staffs, greeter at the USO, and lastly in the insurance industry.

It has always been drilled into my head, that if there is a problem, go to the customer before they have a chance to even know there might be a problem.

In getting ready for Disney, we needed some pettiskirts.  Now, I know we could have made them, but it is such a pain, that we decided to purchase them instead.  That meant research, research, research.  I checked so many different sellers I started to get dizzy.  Some had good prices, but bad quality, some had good quality but bad prices.

There was one site over and over that kept coming up on top.  But she was one of the most expensive providers.

We decided to go with one of the less expensive sellers.  She had been in business for quite a while and had noting but positive, glowing reviews.  She said there would be no problem getting them exactly like we wanted.  So, I sent her the money via PAYPAL.  See, whenever I purchase something online, I like to go through PAYPAL, because they have such a good return policy.  If you don't get your merchandise, you get your money back...no hassle, no problems...

About 2 weeks after I ordered, I started noticing something different about her site.  There were more and more negative reviews and complaints.  More and more people complaining that their merchandise wasn't arriving as promised.  Yet, I wasn't too worried.  I mean you have to expect some delays when ordering something...she told me going in it would be 3 to 6 weeks.

As time went on, I started getting more and more scared.  Nothing in the form of shipping info and nothing but negative complaints on her site about not getting their merchandise.

But, she kept assuring me it would be there soon, and that all was well.  In fact, just before my surgery, I sent her a message and her response was very re-assuring, and calming.  They would be shipped immediately.

Three weeks go by and no pettiskirts.

I start researching (it had now been 59 days and I thought the cut off for filing a claim through PAYPAL was 60 days...) She was still reassuring...

Then the horror...I discovered you only have 45 days to file a claim...not 60.  So I sent her a message...letting her know my great displeasure in her lack of customer service.   I mean if there was a problem, how hard would it be to send me a note to let me know?  If I am expecting merchandise and weeks go by with no information, I get worried.  However, if I am expecting merchandise and I hear from the vendor that there is a problem with the supplier, I feel like they are looking out for my interests and relax.

Well, I do get a response.  She tells me that she shipped it as she told me she had...(well THAT was the FIRST time she indicated that it had been shipped) and she didn't know why I hadn't gotten it!  She promised to look into it and get back to me the next day....well that was a week ago and still no word from her! Imagine that!

Today I ordered the pettiskirts from someone that I should have ordered from right away!  It cost quite a bit more...since I had to have them RUSHED!!!

I am not going to name the offending seller...I don't want this to be vindictive.  I want this to be about Customer Service.

So, to all my customers...I promise that if you order from me and I have a problem getting your order to you in a timely manner, I promise to:

-keep in touch with you as to when to expect your merchandise

-if there is a problem with one of my suppliers, I will let you know and give you the option of cancelling the order

-once the package is mailed (or shipped) I will email you the shipping confirmation

-after a reasonable time, I will follow up with you to 1)make sure you got it and 2)that you are satisfied with it.

-always be quick to give you the bad news...as well as the good news

Customer Service is all about keeping your customers happy.  Sometimes that means your pocket book might not be as happy in the short term, but the long term is always better!

Nini