Small family business should be especially careful to maintain a good relationship with their customers....
But DriNights will not be on my list ever!
Linda C

I would hope this small family business is the exception to the rule, but I would not be surprised if I am wrong.

Small business, large business, in-between busines....it doesn't seem to matter these days. Customer service has gone by the wayside in more cases than not, and it started way before the economy went in the toilet.

Linda

I looked at their website and it says that they may charge a 15% restocking fee, so you might be out some extra money if you return it. They also say that you may cancel your order anytime before shipping. I think I'd try to cancel the order.

Well, my order arrived today. I feel humiliated that I picked the wrong business to support, and feel forced to keep the item, as sending it back isn't really worth my matter of principle at this point. Bite me. Oh! That's right...They already did.

If it will make you feel any better, last night for the long drive home and papers to grade upon arrival, I stopped at the Duncan Donuts on Shoenersville Rd. in Bethlehem PA and ordered 2 chocolate donuts and a small coffee, milk, no sugar. I get this order dozens of times with no problem at my local Allentown DD. Well, first she didn't give me the right change, which was only off by .03 so what the heck, but then the coffee had sugar in it, which I just can't do with donuts. So backed up and parked and went in to get my "no sugar" coffee. The guy behind the counter gave me the coffee refil, no seeming problem, but I could hear him saying to the drive up window woman, "She said she ordered the coffee with no sugar" (which I DID). The woman said in a loud obnoxious voice, "She DID NOT." C'mon, it was 37 degrees and pouring rain, why would I leave the drive through, park, walk out in the rain and take the time to return the coffee if it was what I had ordered! But I have my coffee and I'm on my way out, so I try to let it go. I get on the road, reach into the bag, and realize that she has also given me chocolate frosted GLAZED donuts, not chocolate donuts, but that is a minor point, I guess she doesn't know the product terminology, because I have been repeatedly told that is what the chocolate cake donuts are called. I kept calling them chocolate cake donuts and getting the wrong thing, so I have finally gotten it right. Oh well I say, a donut's a donut, get a life. But now comes the kicker, there is only ONE donut in the bag. And she charged me for two! Do I really now want to make a U-turn, drive back a mile in the rain, go back into the place and get yelled at again. I guess it's just a dollar. Wonder how many other "dollars" she made that night. And I really don't mind that she got my order wrong, maybe she didn't hear me in the rain. But to be so nasty to me and then overcharge me for the privlidge. So I'll stop going there, but no matter, there are a thousand other carb/caffeine addicts out there to replace me!

Not that this has anything to do with the lousy service you got, lpink, but why would you have to sepcify "no sugar" on a coffee order? Doesn't it just come black unless you ask for sugar?

Clarie - I've been on both sides of the equation, and while I frankly don't think a retaler should be expected to extend sale prices for items purchsed outside the sale period, common sense has to come into play. It's not like the things were on sale a month ago; we're talking 24 hours!

The irony is that you could have cancelled the order right then and reordered it at the sales price -- resulting in more paperwork for them and added annoyance to you. Better if they had (pleasantly) said that while it isn't their normal policy to extend sales prices outside the sales dates, they would be glad to make an exception for you for this order. You'd still get your product at the sale price, and a lot of uncessary unpleasantnes would have been avoided. Bad negotiation skills on their part.

in spite of the much overused cliche, I don't believe the customer is always right; however, the customer is the customer, and if you want to keep that cyustomer, it's often smart and very easy to accomodate reasonable requests. IMO, your request was reasonable.

And a retailer should never EVER lie to a customer. (EVER! DO YOU HEAR ME BB&B?)

LOL Renee! At Duncan Donuts (should I call it the "evil orange and pink empire?!") the default coffee you get is with sugar and cream. You have to specify, (clearly and vehemently, as I have discovered), NO SUGAR. Being a devotee of drive through coffee nowdays, I frequent DD a lot, and have learned the lexicon. If you want chocolate cake donuts, ask for chocolate donuts. If you want raised donuts with chocolate frosting, ask for chocolate frosted donuts. And if you want chocolate frosted cake donuts, ask for double chocolate donuts. DO NOT use the words "fried" "cake" and "raised" donuts, they do not know what you are talking about. The dounts are labled in the stores a certain way and that's all they know. I thought I had gotten it down to a science. That's why I know they got my order wrong. Which, BTW, they frequently do, but this is the first time I have gotten a hassle about it. I only go there when I am desperate for a caffeine fix on my way to work, which happens quite a lot! A brilliant franchise actually, and I think they have definately worked their niche. It is not the quality niche, it is the "I need sugar! I need caffeine!" "I need cheap!" niche, which is getting to be most of us nowdays!

Sorry to have taken this post OT Claire! I totally agree about the customer service part, if I am going to shop with a company, I want to be respected. The idea that the individual doesn't matter, there's always another customer around the corner, is NOT what I was raised on as the daughter of a small business owner. Service to customers was the whole point of our business. Luckily I have had the best of luck with Internet shopping. I pick my companies very carefully, read all about them in the "About Us" section, etc. I keep waiting for the day when I am going to have a hard time, but so far I have had some great experiences. That whole, "We are just a small family run business" thing is very lame. That was not the issue at hand.

Well I ordered from a new site yesterday. I was ordering a Belly Band for my chihuahua who finds it necessary to pee in the house when I'm not home. So he wears a Belly Band and I thought I'd buy him a new one for xmas.

I went to the site and as I was ordering it, I didnt see anywhere to specify which design I wanted so I continued ordering it thinking a new page would come up and give me options on which design to order. Well it didnt. So I wrote to the place.... here are the emails:

From Me:
Vicki - I couldn't figure out how to choose a certain belly band. Isnt there a way to choose which one I want? I went ahead and placed the order thinking another page would come up asking me which one I wanted but it never did.

From HER:
Hi Shaun. You are correct there is not an option to choose which belly band you want. The material and designs change constantly as I have such a high turnover and there is no way to post each and every one on site. I hope you like the one I did send to you.
Vicki

Key word here is SEND. She already sent it. Now I have to just take what she gives me? Had I known that I would have never ordered from her site! Now what if I hate the design she sends me? I have to pay to ship it back?

Eh... it's just a diaper.

lpink, I'm sorry the drive-thru turned into such a struggle for you! Don't worry about being OT...I'm not sure it really is. It's frustrating when you think you've finally got a handle on it, and realize someone is pulling, while you're pushing to get what you ordered. She sounds like she really is trying to make a little coin on the side, and it's too bad the manager won't get a clue. I remember once when a cashier tried to tell me I gave her a $10 when I gave her a $20. I proved it by showing her how I folded my bills, and what the one she said I gave her looked like. She gave up when I told her to get the manager. From then on when I ever made change, I thought about her being on the opposite side of me claiming to have given me more than she did. I always made sure to keep the bill in front of me until the customer counted their change!

Renee, I've been on both sides as well. The 24 hour period turned into 36, because my phone call wasn't returned. That's the most frustrating part. There's a long phone message about ''holding'' so you can be ''helped'', only to find at the end of it there's no one to help you. When No One calls back or even tries to communicate, it's easy to see they don't care anything about you as a customer. I find it REALLY OBNOXIOUS when I'm hung up on! I usually have had good luck as well, but not this time.

Shaun, I think if I had to change a doggie diaper/pee pad, I'd want to like the one I'm changing. Yes I'm picky, and yet I agree, it's just a diaper. Pick your battles? I guess.

It's only going to get worse from here on out folks. Mercury Retrogrades on the 26th, and if you count the two weeks before that, we're practically in it. Fortunately for me, my shopping is done! When the terrain gets muddy as it has, it's time to stay inside and drink something hot and watch the world go by. I don't think I want to participate...

Here is a link that might be useful: Mercury Madness

Oh I cringe when this Mercury thing happens. People get nuts.

I'm done shopping. Just need lottery tickets and disposable razors for my daughters for their stockings.

Ha - just had a flash back. I used to get them disposable cameras back in the day when we had to have our film developed. hahahah!!!!

Shaun, people get nuts and especially don't pay attention to their driving. I always notice terrible, tragic car accidents during Mercury Retrogrades, and tend to stay extra vigilant while driving. Since I know it's coming, it's always a good time to schedule organizing tasks then. I may even start on my basement clean-out to see if I can bring some order to my New Year. Adding to the Mercury Madness this year, will be a blue moon at the end of the month. I already know I'm staying home!

Most of the time, you get better service from the Mom and Pop small companies. I hope this was a fluke, but you can bet I will never purchase from DriNights.
They were foolish not to treat you better. A happy customer usually tells 1 person, whereas an unhappy one usually tells 7. They will do themselves out of business.

Normally, almost everything I order comes from the internet. I hate shopping (well, except for kitchen stuff. I love that kind of shopping) so I buy everything off the internet. So far, I have had very good luck.

Me too, Sherry. In fact, I ordered most of my major kitchen/bathroom appliances/faucets/tile/fixtures over the internet when we remodeled. It's sad when they'd rather have a ding on their BBB rating, than treat their customer right! Unfortunately, I only checked after the fact...

Nah, I don't have a problem with Dunkin Donuts. Compared to That Place, DD is very benign toward other businesses. They've figured out a model that works for them without trampling anyone else. Having the default be with milk and sugar, though, that makes no sense to me. How do they know how much milk I want in my coffee? (Actually, I drink it black if it's fit to drink at all, but still.) Maybe they're trying to keep people from spilling hot coffee in their laps trying to add milk and sugar.

Mercury in retrograde again already, huh? That explains a lot about yesterday.

It's just a dog diaper, it's just a donut (one and not the two that were paid for), it's just a coffee with sugar instead of without -- on and on. HELL-O! It's REALLY about customer service (and service without grump and an attitude!). It's getting bad now in America and I'm getting very tired and sad about it. It's like the usual outing results in "up yours -- I'm only making minimum wage!" Go right to management with complaints. Those people are only employed because of the those of us that can continue to purchase their products!

I recently ordered a CD from comedienne Jessica Kirson and finally notified her four weeks after my order that I had received nothing. She wrote back herself saying that she had mailed the CD to me and asked if sending a replacement would be satisfactory. I told her it would and that she probably has a new fan somewhere in Los Angeles, since the post office never delivered the package to me. I'll let you know if I ever actually receive the CD, but if you get a chance to see her, she's hilarious.

I had also ordered some rug cleaner from a web site recommended by Diana when I wanted to get the smell of dog urine out of the carpet in my bedroom, and I initially ordered two bottles. However, they only sent me one bottle, and so I had to call to complain, and the woman in Shreveport said, "Oh, lawdy mercy, I've just hired some temporary help, and they are just not working out!" and promised to send me the second bottle. Two weeks later I still had not received the replacement, and so I sent her an email, and within a week I received the second bottle. I felt I got decent service from her, and I could sympathize with her plight as a small business owner.

I do get peeved if I do not receive an order acknowledgment, but I would not expect to get a discount that was offered after I had purchased something. For me, it is not worth the bother and not really valid. However, if someone lies to me, I will cut them no slack. Fortunately, I am not going through menopause and do not require that product. When I was younger, I would have asked for the discount.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: Jessica Kirson

Annie, the diaper woman I dealt with is the owner/manager.

Now listen, I ordered a small kitchen appliance for my soon to be son in law - a stick blender, from La Sur something or other. Paid $7.50 shipping. It arrived yesterday. Today I got an email saying today is the last day for Free Shipping! WHAT????????? I emailed them right away asking why I didnt get free shipping. No reply yet.

I want those jammies... sigh.

Wow I just got a response to my email:
***************************
Hello,
Thank you for contacting customer service. You will see a refund of $7.50 back onto your credit card that was used to placed the order in 2 to 3 business days.
Customer Service
Sur La Table
www.surlatable.com

We hope this will help resolve this inquiry. If it does not, please use the link below to add to or clarify your question.
***************************

I'm so pleasantly surprised! I feel so much better right now. What great Customer Service.

Shaun, At least they acknowledged you and made it right. Here's the e-mail I received:

''Thank you for the communication. We'll do our best to meet all of your expectations in the coming years.
Your kind words are certainly what causes us to pay attention to the needs of those around us.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.''

I guess NOT acknowledging the problem, takes them completely off the hook in their own minds. This is what Customer Service has become. Which reminds me...I need to go warn the Menopause Forum!

Wow. That's just wrong.

On a similar note, I went to our local Subway once for lunch and was overcharged for my sandwich. I pointed out the discrepancy to the cashier, and she insisted I was wrong. I pointed to the item on the menu and asked her to take a look -- at which point, she told me the menu was wrong. I asked if the manager was available, and she said she was the manager! It was during the lunch rush, it was only 19 cents, and she showed no signs of backing down -- but they sure lost my business (forever).

And now they've gained fifteen minutes of fame ;-)