manners matter
You may not know this, but my freeform crochet line, Classy Broad, was actually started many, many years ago. And starting in about 2003 I owned the domain classybroad.com, but then I let the registration expire a few years ago because I was too busy being a mom and full-time multi-tasker and personality juggler at my day job to really do any crocheting at all. And I had officially ended my business, anyway, so who needed a dead domain for a business that no longer existed?
But then last year when I started creating again and resurrected Classy Broad, I thought I would see if the domain was still available. Alas, it was not. Worse yet, it redirects to…ready for this? A blog for really rich people who travel with their kids. I shit you not. I won’t link to it. You can just type it in yourself. classybroad.com
So I contacted the site owner and nicely asked her if, since classybroad.com redirects to something else entirely anyway, she would consider selling the domain name, or maybe letting it expire?
And, not surprisingly, she never responded. Must be too busy wrangling nannies and her three-year-old’s iPad to respond to an e-mail. Whatever, who am I, anyway? I’m a complete stranger e-mailing her out of the blue, and worse yet, my child does not have his own iPad. Quelle horreur!
Fast forward to the past couple of months, when I started up my Kickstarter project. I contacted a couple of indie crochet/crafting blogs to see if they might be interested in taking a look at my Kickstarter project. No reply. Not even a “sorry, we aren’t interested” or a “go fuck yourself, you attention whore.”
But you know, whatever. Again, who am I? I’m some crazy person who makes stuff that no one but weirdos like myself would wear AND I’m sending unsolicited e-mail propaganda. I can see why they didn’t respond. Fair enough.
And then this happened: after my Kickstarter project was funded I began seeking out suppliers for all the yarn I needed to fulfill the rewards I’d promised everyone. I found a couple of woolen mill type places that, according to their websites, can produce yarn in a number of different weights and colorways. So…perfect, right? I sent them both an email that basically said I wanted to give them hundreds of dollars of my business, linked to my Kickstarter project, explained roughly what I was looking for, and could they please let me know what their policies are regarding minimum orders, etc.?
And guess what? You know how this ends. Neither of them replied. So I sent them both a follow up e-mail. One of them never replied, but the other replied that someone else at their company handles such things, and that person should be contacting me soon. I waited another week, still nothing from this mystery person who handles customer orders. I emailed back, was told again that this other person would contact me. Nothing.
So I ordered hundreds of dollars worth of yarn from another company that I’ve ordered from before, and I won’t give these two other companies my future business. Have I mentioned how much yarn I purchase on a regular basis? It’s a lot.
So. Is this just a sign of the times? Does no one have the decency to respond to people anymore? And when did customer service become a second thought? I’ve noticed this on Etsy, too. Just recently I had to practically hunt down a fellow seller to find out where the hell my stuff was (after almost three weeks, three unanswered convos and one email threatening to file a PayPal claim, the seller finally got back to me). I had a similar situation last year when I placed my first wholesale order for my vintage store. Jeff recently had a similar situation with an eBay seller. WHAT GIVES, WORLD? And why, if you hate dealing with people, don’t you find another line of work?
Is customer service dead? Or am I just in a really bitchy mood?*
*Now would be a good time to mention that I quit eating sugar and all I want is a goddamn brownie.
Personally, I’m hoping (and sorry) that you just had the bad luck to deal with a string of a-holes in a row. I think it is true though that few people seem to care about their clients. If they can’t muster some decent customer service because it’s the decent thing to do, you think they’d at least realise that these *people* that they have to deal with are the same place that their money comes from.
I’ve only actually made one Etsy purchase thus far, and the seller was wonderful, getting back to me right away, getting it the mail as soon as possible and even including a “thank you for your purchase” note.
Here’s hoping you have a string of that kind of person next.
I think (hope) you’re right — this is all just a string of bad luck. Either that, or I am shielded in some sort of electronic invisibility cloak. I mean, woah.
Glad you had a good Etsy experience! Most of mine are positive as well, this one was just at the end of a series of WTF-ness. And also I should not quit eating sugar ever again.
I hope it’s just a string of bad luck for you – my day job is with a firm that has a requirement that all emails like yours be responded to within one business day. It may not be a complete resolution, but you’ll at least hear from us!
Sadly it does seem to be a growing trend that customer service means less, but I’m pretty sure that’s why people like us exist, to keep manners and courtesy alive – if I had a tattoo, it would read “Noblesse Oblige”.
I am so glad to read that others feel the same way I do about customer service. I gives me hope that maybe there are some good people left out there in the world. But now, most importantly, I want a brownie!
Hey Somer , I’m with you 100% on this! Maybe that’s why I’m actually leaving a comment : )
p.s. I just lasted 72 hours without sugar or alcohol, ended with a Manhattan and a pot de creme.
You know, I’ve been on both sides of this argument, and you’re right– manners count. In my case, my problem is that I have a post office phobia, so I write thank you notes that NEVER GET MAILED. This year, I am determined to get down to the bottom of this issue (or just find a work-around), and in the interim, have started sending email thank you notes.
But, if you are a business, you don’t have the excuse of being a lousy friend. Your retail business depends on prompt, reassuring and upbeat replies. And if you can’t do it, hire someone who is good at just that one thing.
Recently, I fired off a complaint letter to an online company that handles the comment section of a major blogger. This comment section does not allow you to cancel your subscription to their comment service without contacting them. And (this is what sent me into a tirade)– there’s no way to know that without digging though their website. And then, you have to dig even more to figure out how to contact them. It took me HOURS to find this basic information.
I wrote the company a sharply worded letter. I also contacted the BBB.
Long story short, what I got from the company head were excuses. Stupid excuses.
The BBB was right on top of them, though.
(Seriously, this comment form provider was dealing some dirty pool and I wasn’t having any of it.) The owner was FURIOUS I contacted BBB– but I’m glad I did.
He didn’t want to fix his problem; his software was created that way in the hopes that inertia would take over and you (the commenter on a major blog) would drop it and forget about it, thus never unsubscribing and keeping BIg Blogger’s commenting numbers at a nice fat level.
Because I contacted BBB, this commenter company guy was forced to address the issue because his software was potentially illegal in his state.
Due to this really creepy commenting software and because of the useless and stupid replies I received, I will not now, or ever, comment, link, click, or read this major bloggers work.
And I wondered then, if Big Blogger knew exactly how this software worked, and whether Big Blogger chose this software to falsely inflate Big Blogger’s commenting numbers.
So, yeah, the short answer is: I understand.
Your free form hats ar amazing!
I have been trying to ‘rescue’ a dog, not one shelter etc will respond to my request. Call? How? No mention of tele numbers anywhere. I fill out app after application and not even a confirmation reply. I thought ‘they’ are trying to find homes for these doggies? I have a perfectly wonderful home. I am begging for these people to repond and NOTHING! Sheesh.
I am trying to get my head around starting a kickstarter project – since I can’t have a puppy!
Keep crocheting!
Marj
Did you see your old domain is up for sale! Kind of pricey though imho.
http://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=c lassybroads&e=com