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Your Failure To Pay Attention Is Not My Emergency!

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  • Your Failure To Pay Attention Is Not My Emergency!

    Long time reader, first time poster. Sorry for the length - it's kind of complicated.

    I work in an office for a manufacturing facility that sells a very specialized product. Nothing secret or anything, but we have a certain (albeit large) niche that we sell to, so for that reason, I'm not getting in to the major details (as there are very few businesses that sell what we do, and I have nosy co-workers, one of whom will surf during work and will actually occasionally surf for stuff related to work in case she gets caught. She loves to tell when she finds stuff, so I'm not taking any chances.

    Anyway, we do both phone orders, and internet ordering. The other morning, I get a cal from a woman. Surfing co-worker transfers her to me because she doesnt want to deal with her questions - her typical thing.

    This woman proceeds to tell me that our website is confusing, and customer un-friendly. It can be tricky for people who don't have any idea about our product, but we have notes all over the site encouraging people to call if they have any questions, and many people do call. Some will just place the order over the phone, and others will go back to ordering online - no big on either. I ask her what she finds so confusing, and she says that she wanted to add something to the product, but she couldn't figure out how. To try to explain, yet keep from saying exactly what this is, think something similar to adding clear coat to a car. I explained to her that it was on the website, but we're in the process of getting a new website, and that we put a note right next to the item that says "If you are interested, please call and place your order over the phone". I didn't tell her, but it would cost us a lot of money to try and add that to the site when we're only going to have it for a short while yet - it's simply not cost effective. She seems to acknowledge that she saw it, and that is why she is calling. I get set-up to take her order over the phone.

    I start asking for her info, and she keeps asking me why I'm asking, because she gave it all already. After a few "huh?" moments, I realize that she already placed the order overnight, and it's already in the system, and her card has been charged. Once an order is placed online, we can't easily modify it (another reason for the new system). She asked me how much to add the extra item. I told her that I wasn't sure, and I'd have to figure it out with the help of a co-worker, and the two who could help me weren't in yet, but I'd be happy to call her back as soon as I could (this is a new thing we're offering, and it was my first experience with it - it's expensive, and I didn't want to mess it up).

    She didn't seem to get that, and kept on. I twice again told her I'd have to call her back. Then she says "So you're telling me you can't do it". I said no, we could, but I needed assistance in figuring out the extra costs involved. I also told her that since she finalized the order, I couldn't change the original order, and we'd need to run a separate charge for the item, should she decide to go with it (I always do this, because people just assume you'll change the original order, and they call in flipping out when they see the 2nd charge - some will just file a chargeback, which is something I'm trying to avoid). At this point, her husband walks in, and asks her if it's done. She tells him, and I quote, "They said they can do it, but it's a real pain in the butt". Um, NO? I never said this, and I told her "No, I didn't say it was a pain in the butt, I said I would need help, and I'd call back". She finally dropped it, and gave me her phone number.

    As a quick aside, the thing she wanted to add serves a very specific purpose, and we have FAQ's all over our website about it. I will say that the FAQ can be a bit "wordy", but the company that makes this product is specific about what we can and can't say about it, which is fine. So I call the woman back, and she's much nicer, thanking me for calling back, etc. I tell her the cost, and she is fine with it, and I get her CC info (the website encrypts it), and she then says "So, by adding this, I don't have to do "xyz", right?" Oy......the FAQ says right at the top in bold, all cap letters: "DOES "ABC" BUT IS NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR "XYZ". I politely remind her that she will still have to do "xyz" and invite her to double-check the FAQ if she has any more misgivings, and ask her if she wants to reconsider. She said no. Feeling uneasy, I take a moment to remind her that this item is part of manufacturing, and once she decides to go with it, she can't change her mind, and likewise she can't call back in a week and decide to go with it. She says she still wants to go with it, and asks me a question about a product we offer that will do the "xyz" she was concerned about.

    I proceed to tell her that the product is excellent, it will do "xyz" and more. I also told her that it's important that she follow the directions EXACTLY, as it's something where not following the directions can have an adverse effect that is hard to reverse. She said she understood. I then told her the item is drop-shipped by the manfacturer, because we don't have the ideal storage for it at our facility, so it would come in a separate shipment (again, because people will constantly call wondering where half their stuff is - saves that phone call). Lastly, I told her that there would be a shipping charge, and it might be salty (ie: almost the cost of the item) because she was on the opposite coast, and because the item is heavy. She said that was fine. I placed the order, charged her card, and placed the order for the drop-ship item. Done and done.

    Fast forward one week. Another co-worker (this one is relatively new with the company and still learning) answers the phone, and guess who it is? She's just gotten her credit card statement, and can't understand the extra charge. My co-worker asks me about it, and I told her "Oh jeez - that's the lady with the "pain in the butt" comment". I told her to tell the lady that it was for the extra item for manufacturing, and for the drop-ship item. She tells her that. She comes back to my desk and says "She's saying she wasn't told there would be an extra charge for shipping". I said that yes, she was told. Co-worker comes back, and says "Now she says she was, but didn't know it would be this much". I said that I told her it would be almost as much as the cost of the item due to the weight and the distance shipping (shiping was $25 on a $33 item). I'm trying hard not to get back on the phone with this woman because I'm afraid I'll not be as nice as I should (I hate people who don't tell the truth), and also because we are trying to get our "new" co-worker to handle more calls on her own.

    Co-worker explains the item ships from elsewhere, and she can refuse it, but she'll be responsible for the shipping out and back, so she might as well keep it. Woman goes in to a full-on tirade about how our failure to disclose these things isn't her repsonsibility, etc. I tell co-worker to take her phone number, and we'll call her back. That brings the same results it did when I said it on the original call - several tries before she finally gives it and hangs up. I call the manufacturer of the item in question, and he says it shipped yesterday. I asked him for actual charges (since she said that our charges were unresonable) - it was less than $10 off actual shipping costs, so it was not inflated. Both bosses were out - one is sick and the other is out of staff. We ask another co-worker for her opinion. She doesn't have one, except for to say "tough".

    Finally, I ask the most senior co-worker what to do. Explain the whole situation. She's stressed out, and didn't need me to dump more on her, and she grumbles about it, and gets on the phone. She negotiates with the woman for a whopping $10 refund, which makes her happy. I make notes in the system about spelling out things clearly should she try to order again, as she tried to weasel out of the charges - to provide them in writing even.

    So one would think it's done, but not. The co-worker who had no suggestions is now full of them, and proceeds to tell everyone they handled it all wrong, and should have created goodwill by agreeing to just wipe out the entire shipping charge. Sure - our way only "costs" us $10, but her way would have put us in the hole. Twit.

    I've got tons of stories, but this one is just the most recent of crappy customers. Sorry for the length. Carry on......
    Oh yeah? Well I have a few words for you! Like YOU, and ARE, and A MORON!!!!

  • #2
    ok now this is really making me wonder what your selling if its $33 but is customizable.
    my logic says its probaly electronic

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    • #3
      You CLEARLY told her all the particulars & she STILL had the nerve to bitch? Wow.

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      • #4
        Quoth Cyphr View Post
        ok now this is really making me wonder what your selling if its $33 but is customizable.
        my logic says its probaly electronic
        Not electronics. Durable consumer goods.

        All of our items are made to order in terms of sizes, colors, models, etc, and there are things that can be added during manufacturing to serve certain purpose (compare to something like Scotch Guard).

        The $33 item was an accessory to be used with the item, for it's maintenance and upkeep.
        Oh yeah? Well I have a few words for you! Like YOU, and ARE, and A MORON!!!!

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth Bright_Star View Post
          You CLEARLY told her all the particulars & she STILL had the nerve to bitch? Wow.
          I try to be very upfront with things and let people know all the particulars up front, so there's no problems later.

          If things aren't ordered the proper way, it creates headaches in terms of returns, etc, down the line.

          Like the late great Mitch Hedberg said, "You can't please all of the people, and last night, all of the people were at my show".

          I'm not sure why she had such a problem with retention of what was being told to her, but it ticked me off more that a paltry $10 made her skip away happy, when a few minutes earlier she was so outraged with the price that she was pitching a fit. The only funny part was when my co-worker kept reminding her that we did indeed tell her what she was denying we told her, then her having to scramble for the next excuse.

          The good news is that she's a home user, and the only need for her to contact us would be for accessories, and she shouldn't need any for a long time.
          Oh yeah? Well I have a few words for you! Like YOU, and ARE, and A MORON!!!!

          Comment


          • #6
            I love Mitch, RIP.
            I was not hired to respond to those voices.

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