Go Away you snotty beggar!

[jont]

Customer ordered a personalised product 5 days before the event.

The supplied artwork was corrupted - they were emailed the same day and asked to attach to an email (the website also asks users to check uploaded artwork for validity) - this was resent as some bizarre Yahoo attachment which needed Yahoo account to open - asked them again to attach to another email and a basic attachment. They sent the following day (a Sunday) and a proof of design returned.

Approval was given with a snotty reply along the lines of and quote

"John, You do realize that this gift was supposed to be there the first of March and was supposed to be a birthday present...I have never seen such slow service on anything I have ordered before and I am 60 years old!

PLEASE use this picture and get it done fast
THANKS Mrs XXX"

Saturday to Monday to get proof out and would still have been delivered in time (we use a next working day service with APC) is by any stretch of the imagination fairly quick - especially as a personalised gift. We clearly state 5 working days for delivery (all artwork is created and set individually).

It was the inclusion of her age (totally unnecessary) and the "get it done fast" .. even allowing for the American - English language barrier is it just me or is this unacceptable behaviour?

I know I should not get rankled by customers and wondered how the rest of you would have responded to her email? ... not that I am now regretting hitting "send" to the reply I did and it duly leaving the server

[Mike Hughes]

In the words of Rudyard Kipling:

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
.....

Mike

[acompton]

I'd have been pretty annoyed at this, but I would have tried to pen a polite reply (not sure I would have succeeded)

This tale serves to remind me how lucky I've been with customers so far. They have always been pleasant and polite. Sometimes they are formal and direct, but never rude. Some of the younger customers expect everything to turn up on their doorstep the next morning (even when they haven't paid for that service), but most people are amazed that the goods arrive quickly.

I guess I just haven't dealt with enough of the great unwashed yet - or anyone that's aged 60!

I'm impressed by your stoicism in the face of extreme provocation. I'd like to have seen your reply.

Alan

[george]

Jont, I'm afraid we need to see your reply... TODAY!

[Darren B]

John

I take my hat off, i am dealing with a guy demanding a full refund for items returned to me not collected from the post office, even though i have supplied him with the tracking number, told him were to collect it 3 times. it still got returned and he told me to send it again or give him a full refund as "at law" i am not allowed to deduct the postage charges.

I have written him a nice email and it is sitting in my draft box, still pondering what action to take. He has said that he will issue a charge back, if i want to be bloody minded and decided to let him do his charge back as it will take him longer to get his money, would i get any bad rating from the credit card company?

Does anyone know if i can legaly deduct the charges, i have calmed down a bit since his email and almost but not quite refunded him. But i certainly am not going to send the goods again

Darren

[george]

John

I take my hat off, i am dealing with a guy demanding a full refund for items returned to me not collected from the post office, even though i have supplied him with the tracking number, told him were to collect it 3 times. it still got returned and he told me to send it again or give him a full refund as "at law" i am not allowed to deduct the postage charges.

I have written him a nice email and it is sitting in my draft box, still pondering what action to take. He has said that he will issue a charge back, if i want to be bloody minded and decided to let him do his charge back as it will take him longer to get his money, would i get any bad rating from the credit card company?

Does anyone know if i can legaly deduct the charges, i have calmed down a bit since his email and almost but not quite refunded him. But i certainly am not going to send the goods again

Darren

Just leave it Darren. Let him do the chargeback thing. And delete any orders he places in future. If he can't be *rsed to go to the sorting office...

[leehack]

Jont

She left things til the last moment and then she is trying to vent this guilt she feels herself, onto somebody else. If the guy is 60 and its for an upcoming party, it's not rocket science to work out she should have sorted this out a few weeks ago. The world is full of these idiots, who have to panic and do things at the last minute to make them feel alive.

Bite your lip, be polite, cos at the end of the day a ridiculous womans money is as good as anyone elses.

Darren

I would change your terms and conditions to state that if a customer does not make a reasonable effort to collect any parcels that not could be delivered due to the house being empty, that they are welcome to a refund for the purchase price, however shipping charges will not be refunded under any circumstances.

[jont]

Jont, I'm afraid we need to see your reply... TODAY!

Probably not wise to post the actual reply (not heard back yet as they are in the USA and probably still asleep).

I essentially outlined the time frame of events (all in uppercase as she replied back in size 18 to make her point), pointed out that people tend to order for known date events much further in advance (despite us being able to fulfill in time) and at the end told her we could have met her deadline but I was concerned further issues would arise following the tone of her aggressive email and "regrettably" would not be able to fulfill the order. No payment had been taken so nothing to refund - I even let her off the design costs for the personalised work undertaken so far. How nice was that of me?

I am generally the mild-mannered-janitor type but something about her last email tipped me over the edge. Yes. I am a bad man and will probably go to jail for contravention of the Old Peoples Online Sales Act 1634

[jont]

Bite your lip, be polite, cos at the end of the day a ridiculous womans money is as good as anyone elses.

I tried, but at £35.00 and with the margins involved there is only so much it is possible to take ... I could tell there would then be a follow up complaining it was delivered by a man with a goatee beard and demanding it be done free of charge or [insert international hit squad] will kill me and all my family (and their neighbours.

[george]

Goat Point to Jont for p*ss*ing off The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. Incredible story.

[chris ashdown]

When I started my first company i tried to pacify every customer and bent over backwards thinking that they would pass on the good work even if it cost me, no doubts about missing items or goods not delivered etc.. I went bust and just managed to get out with the house

This time I hope to please all my customers but realise i can never please them all all of the time, I keep a much tighter hold on my money and we somehow manage to keep growing

We try but now know when to call it quits on the akward customers

You did the right think Jonty, if you had done the first image she would have complained it was poor quality and asked for a refund, and probably the same if she did not get it on time as she was out at delivery time (your fault)

[completerookie]

and I am 60 years old!

one word of caution, hopefully, we all plan to be that old some day, some, of course are closer to that time than others. - I just hoping that the "Microsoft Thought Transference PC" will be on the shelves by then and that old idea of putting fingers to keyboards to complain will be a thing of the past.

[brian.mc]

I think you did the right thing Jont. When you get a feeling you just can't please someone, no matter how hard you try, it's best to give up and let someone else take on the hassle. That way you might just get to see 60 yourself one day.

I agree with the way you responded to her as well. People like her are basically no better than bullies and if enough people stand up to them and let them know their attitude and behaviour are unacceptable they may eventually mend their ways.

[NormanRouxel]

I owned a sports shop some time ago and the staff were expected to operate under "the customer is always right" principle. Except they were also allowed to make an exception when someone completely unreasonable was shopping (about once a month if I remember right).

One irate lady left saying "I've never been so insulted in my life" The assistants parting response was simply "come back tomorrow when we've had time to think up a better one".

Result - happy staff who know that they don't have to take too much nonsense and a few troublesome customers who'll never bother us again.

[jont]

staff who know that they don't have to take too much nonsense

Autonomy is one of the greatest features of my job.

Received a lovely response this morning:

"I am sorry...I saw the picture on your site before I left it and presumed it had been uploaded.

I hope you understand my frustratation [sic] and needing to vent.

I now realize that is wasn't your fault...NEVER have I had trouble with someone opening my yahoo pictures and I send all over the world even Russia. I will use you again but if it is too much trouble to send the bottle
that is ok too!

SORRY there was a problem between us...I wasn't MAD just frustrated!"

.. I particularly like the "even Russia" part

A most unexpected result ... I stood my ground and the customer was understanding. Must be a first

And yes - I will now be sending her item.