OK. Could you all just slap me on the head and tell me I’m unreasonable to be irritated by this?
Due to an exciting incident involving a dead cockroach I find myself with a tiny, tiny bit of spare money. As my birthday is coming up, I decide to go wild and buy wool for a pattern I would very much like to knit. Hurrah! Somewhere sells a kit of the recommended wool, which seems very good value! Now, due to (being non-specific) something about this pattern, the wool in the kit is probably the wool it will work best with – you need a specific type, so I can’t shop about quite as much as I would usually do. The place I am trying to buy the kit from is also the only place where it is, I suspect, good enough value for me to bother. I try to buy it online – failure. Their website, which is pretty and features a very beautiful windswept sheep, is not compatible with my browser which is old, and cannot be updated unless I upgrade my OS, and look, here I am spending the money on wool instead (or, trying to). I very rarely have this problem shopping online but it can happen, and at this point I would normally go elsewhere but I really want this kit. I cannot see contact details on the website because of the browser problem. I am cunning and track them down on Ravelry, where I find an email address. I email them and ask for a phone number so I can order over the phone, as their website does not work with my browser. I am nice and friendly and I do not say, your web designer is an idiot who has prioritised a pretty website over people who are not on the most modern versions of everything actually being able to use it, although, this is what I think.
I receive a nice and polite email back which says, although they can take phone orders, they really don’t want to. They would really prefer me to order online, as that is much easier (not for me, obviously). If I ring them up they are happy to explain to me how to use their website and they are sure I will find it easy when I have had it explained. I email back politely and say, sadly I do not think I will, given the fundamental fact that their website does not work on my browser, and perhaps I will wait to place my order until the day I happen to find myself on a different computer with hell in the process of freezing over (I mean, I don't say that last bit). I receive no reply.
I am irritated. I am getting over a cold so I am Mrs Grumpypants anyway but I am irritated. What shall I do now? Shall I ring tomorrow and be chirpy? Shall I forget about the kit, especially since a lamp exploded earlier while I was dusting it and now I will have to buy a new one? Shall I hope I encounter another dead cockroach and get more money? Shall I get Partner to order it from his office (no! Bad idea! Who knows what I would get!).
I know this is a first world problem! (Really, I do ;-) ).
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It's better made at home
4 days ago
9 comments:
One thing that irritates the living bananas out of me is bad customer service, and this is baaaad customer service!! You are not being unreasonable, personally I would be ricocheting off the walls, but I have a tendancy to go off on one. ;)
Don't these people know there is a recession? Have they never heard that the customer is always right?! They prefer online orders because it's easier?!! Do they want to go out of business?!!! Right, now I need to calm down.
You say they said they can take phone orders, so (if they gave you their phone number) I would phone them tomorrow and explain the situation to a real person. Then if they get stroppy, I would get stroppy too.
I'm not really helping, am I? Good luck, whatever you decide to do.
What exactly happened with the cockroach? I feel that this subject should have a blogpost in its own right :p
But yeah, if I were really really wanting to get the kit (even though the shop are a little arsey) I would go to a library and buy there :)
i would be annoyed. Just call them. They said they can take phone orders, so just insist! You never have to deal with them again after you get your goodies!
First, I want to know how a dead cockroach brought spare money!?!
I would be irritated too. I would call them tomorrow and insist they do a phone order. If they refuse it's their financial loss.
I agree, you have to share the cockroach story now! I guess they are just used to people who are scared of the internet and buying things on it (I am related to some), still it is bad service, I would ring ad do the order on the phone
The dead cockroach! I ordered some winter clothes in the sale from a fairtrade clothes website and they arrived with stains on, in a box with a broken coathanger and with a crushed cockroach. I'm not squeamish but the cockroach was a bit de trop, so I sent it all back (not the cockroach, I put that in the bin) and eventually after chasing they refunded me and gave me an extra £20. At least it was a dead cockroach and not a live bed bug...
You are all quite right and I should just ring - also I suspect they would be perfectly helpful if I did. I shall see if I feel up to it later ;-).
Have emailed you.
PS I don't think I;d want anything so badly I'd put up with that poor level of customer service. It's one of my pet things, you know :-)
This really is quite irritating, but take a deep breath and...
take account of their belief that their website will work on your computer if only you press the buttons in the right order (ignoring the shocking lack of respect that allows this belief to form) and their response looks quite helpful, actually. If you're feeling very generous spirited, phone them up and allow them to talk you through how to make the website work, whilst reporting back what's on your computer screen. They'll give up fairly soon and accept your order by phone. Actually, that might be the only way to get what you want. You did say this place is much cheaper than anywhere else, didn't you?
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