Customer Service

In my previous life I worked in customer service.  Most recently as an insurance customer service representative (as well as underwriter) .  I helped train other customer service reps.  I know a thing or two about customer service.  I firmly believe that the absence of good customer service int h US has a lot to do with why our country is in such a financial place right now.  I mean, if the only thing you have to judge where to buy something is price, why not go to a foreign country?

There use to be customer service in the United States.  We used to pride ourselves in how well we treated our customers.  Treat them well and they will come back. I remember when I was younger, much younger, my grand father used to drive out of his way to get gas at a particular gas station and pay a penny more per gallon for it than the closer station.  My grand mother used to tease him about it all the time, but his response was always that the guy there always washed his windows just a bit better than at the closer station.

That has always stuck with me.

Now, you are lucky if the gas station even has something for you to use to wash your windows...I mean they even charge for air now.

As a quilter, one of my most important supplies is thread.  My quilter is very particular about the type of thread it will use. Then, there is the whole problem of not quilting enough lately to be able to make a minimum order for most wholesalers.  And retail?  I can't believe anyone would pay those prices!

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to find a good wholesale supplier with good prices and no minimum order requirement.  But most important was her wonderful customer service!  If I had a question about a particular thread I knew an email would be answered quickly.  I knew that her statement that orders were filled within 24 hours was so true.  I actually had orders arrive the next day!

I am working on two baby quilts that need to be delivered on Saturday.  Last Tuesday, I discovered that I was out of the color of thread I needed for one, an knew I had no thread for the other.  I placed an order for the thread and got a few other items as well.  True, it was still a small order, but it was right at $50.00.  I saw on her website a notice that her website would be changing names soon, but would continue to offer the same quality service as before.  Her turn around time was still listed as 'less than 24 hours', so I saw no reason to worry.  In fact a lot of the vendors I use have been updating their websites so I didn't give it a second thought.

Yesterday, I got a rather strange email from someone I didn't know stating my package had been mailed.  There was no company name...no address...nothing except a strangers name.  I tried to click on the 'tracking' info and got absolutely nothing out of it.

Last night, with no fabric here, I sent an email to my favorite thread seller.  I was concerned that I wasn't going to get my quilts finished in time.  The money came out of my account last Tuesday, so I knew there was no problem there.

This morning I had an announcement in my email.  Not only did my thread supplier change websites, but she retired and gave all her customers to another company.  That strange info about that package yesterday...yup, that was my notice that the package I have been waiting on for a WEEK has finally been mailed.  I am now the unwilling customer of someone I don't know.

Now, I am at the mercy of the post office, I seriously doubt that my package will get here before Saturday (so the quilts will NOT be finished in time for their showers!!!)  I cannot even get my login info to work on the new site to see how much the thread has gone up (because you KNOW it has!)

So, these new owners of my customer info have several strikes against them.
1-the manner in which the change took place does not sit well with me.  The "notice" was non existent and the change in shipping time is making a huge difference to me.
2-the fact that I cannot get into the site means I am not likely to be a repeat customer.
3-the fact that they sent me the email about my package without any previous knowledge that my package was in their hands.
4-the fact that it is now being shipped via the post office (which has really sucky tracking info) as opposed to UPS as normal.

OK...that is four strikes...I think they are out of here.  So seriously thinking about filing a paypal claim.  I know I will not get my money back.  That really isn't the point at this time.  I just want them to respond to the many emails I've sent about my order....some sort of acknowledgement that I am upset....anything!

Nini