Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I went ahead and placed an order last week and received it very quickly. That is good service. I will agree though that the decision to delete all the emails, responses I have read from PTI and the blocking of comments and opinions is horrible!
I am surprised that no one has posted about tonight's June release fiasco. There are 6 pages on the PTI forum's June 2012 release night tech help thread. There were major server problems (error codes, orders not going through, orders duplicated, etc.).
I have not ordered in awhile but I really wanted some of the items being released and decided to take a chance. I was having trouble ordering so I went to the tech help thread intending to post. I was appalled to read a reply that Nichole had just posted in response to an earlier post by Ted. He was tactful as always, IMO. But I thought her reply was very rude and I'm sure it must have embarrassed and offended him. The ongoing tech issues are bad enough but customers should not be treated that way.
After all that, I decided not to place an order. I really do love their stamps, dies and paper and want to be a customer. But until I see major improvements in the new website and customer service, I will continue to wait and see.
I can't believe how rude Nichole was to Ted. IMHO, he wasn't at all disrespectful, but was stating facts and rather calmly voicing what a lot of people had to be thinking. I'm really happy that a few people had the guts to call her out on the rudeness. I'm not willing to because I've been banned for less in the past. It will be interesting to see if those posts are allowed to stand or if they get deleted.
For those that aren't on the forum, here is what Ted wrote -"With all due respect, Nichole...the amount of traffic shouldn't be "unprecedented"... it's a release night.
I'm wondering if...on release night, the tech department couldn't perhaps add another server to take on some of the traffic? Take the load off the one server?
Or perhaps beef up the current server? Obtain/purchase a server that is larger, stronger...that can take on this amount of traffic.
I have no doubts in your sincerity in your apology nor, do I doubt your appreciation of our patience... it's because of those qualities you possess that keep me coming back.
and this was Nichole's response
"Ted, we actually have triple the number of orders coming in every minute when compared to all previous release records. It isn't fair to make a disrespectful comment like that if you have no first hand knowledge to base the statement on. Moving forward, now that we have experienced this huge increase in traffic, it is something we can prepare for. And we will do so to help prevent this from happening again. We always, always put our best foot forward in trying to accommodate everyone, plan adequately for inventory, and to make the overall shopping experience as smooth as possible here tonight. I am disappointed in the performance of the server myself and I apologize that we caused a situation that left so many people feeling frustrated. All we can do is learn from this unique experience and put things in place to not allow them to happen again."
It is amazing to me that they are still have problems of this magnitude and that Nichole Heady is the person handling tech/ordering questions in the forum on release night. Isn't she the creative/product director of PTI? Why wouldn't they have a person dedicated to handling ordering problems and customer service take care of this during a high traffic period?
It really makes me wonder why PTI continues to push this monthly release model but what's more confounding is that people still venture to order on release night. When PTI first started, they had at least this many problems - it doesn't look like they've learned anything.
And ..... yet another release and the website hasn't been changed either.
I haven't ordered from PTI in forever - first it was too little time for me to even stamp so no need to add to my supplies stash. Then I simply couldn't keep up with the monthly releases and all the new stuff they added every month. I absolutely love the design of so many of PTI's stamps, papers, and so many of the dies. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll ever own them unless PTI gets their act together. Their design team is one of the best - love just about everything they put out - so amazingly creative. But I will not put my money towards a company that seems to refuse to face the problems they have and try to make things better. I was glad to see they seem to have FINALLY dealt with so many of the duplicates listed on their shopping site - that was a big pain. But they still don't have links to all the related products or additional stamp sets which is a pain.
I never signed up for the forum because I don't like the fact that I had to register just to see the entries. I can understand having to register to post comments but just to view them?!
The continued rudeness of the owners/adminstrators is appalling. I saw here the info that Ted wrote - he wasn't disrespectful at all! Like others have said, he simply stated what others are and have been thinking forever and did so very well without being rude or disrespectful (I can't say the same about Nicole's comments!) I will continue to admire their products and design team creations, but I won't be ordering any time soon - not until they actually do something about the numerous issues and problems and treat their customers in a much better manner than they're doing now - and have done for quite some time.
I think it speaks volumes that Lisa Johnson of Poppy Paperie has left PTI. She was on the original design team, I think!! And she designed a TON of stamps for them! They've lost a great designer in losing her... I wish her the best in whatever she pursues next! :-)
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
Well, I just read on Nichole's blog that Michelle Wooderson and Beth Silaika have also quit Papertrey!! Wow!
__________________ ~ Susan - Celebrating 19 years as an SU demo! Grammy to Anna 15, Elizabeth 14, Nora 12, Abigail 12, Kendall 10 , Isaac 10, Evan 7, and Hudson 3 with me in my avatar Proud to be SCS Fan Club Member since the beginning!
I think it speaks volumes that Lisa Johnson of Poppy Paperie has left PTI. She was on the original design team, I think!! And she designed a TON of stamps for them! They've lost a great designer in losing her... I wish her the best in whatever she pursues next! :-)
Wow, I must have snoozed and missed that info. Yeah, she's been around forever and appeared to be quite close to the heart of the company. That does speak volumes.
I am stunned to learn of the situation with Ted. The guy has been nothing but tactful and has bent over backwards time and again to be supportive (almost to the point of obsequiousness at times) and try to encourage fellow customers to remain optimistic and positive.
If PTI always "puts their best foot forward" I would not want to see what a half-baked effort looks like. I cannot fathom how the IT issues have gone on the way they have for a company who only exists as an online store. If a bricks & mortar store with online options were struggling to maintain its IT dept, I could see it. But this is their whole selling tool.
It's reminded me of a restaurant where the chef has great recipes, but the applicances rarely work and they constantly run out of ingredients (or the wait staff can't take an order and are snarky when you ask). Serving the meals, not merely devising them, is the whole business.
Wow. They're dropping like flies at PTI! Lisa, Beth, Michelle. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. For me, Mish was the reason I started ordering PTI in the first place. I'm just hoping that she continues designing, either for herself or for another company.
On the forums, some folks have noted that PTI hasn't been selling out of releases like they used to in the past. I tend to doubt that they've gotten better at ordering. I'm thinking it's because fewer people are willing to take the gamble.
Wow, Wow, Wow! I can't believe Lisa, Beth & Michelle left. I am not a big PTI fan because their style of stamps is not my style. I do like some of their dies but I don't own any. I have been a big admirer of Lisa, Beth & Michelle's work. Seriously talented ladies. I hope another stamp company snags them up quickly.
I have known Ted a long time from other boards and over here too. Ted is one of the sweetest guys in the stamp world. He's just a treasure. I could never think Ted as rude or disrespectful. I was just shocked to hear that Ted got a dressing down.
I know I have said this before in this post. Thank you all who post the good, bag & ugly of the stamp companies. I really appreciate it.
IMO, if Betsy Veldman or Melissa Phillips leave the DT, PTI will really suffer. I sure hope the company owners get it together soon. Instead of applying band aids and trying to sweep problems under the rug, real changes are needed quickly. The new website is a joke and has taken all the fun out of browsing the online store. Quality control is nonexistent. Although Nichole is very creative and talented, she is probably alienating many customers with her snippy responses on the forum (not to mention dictatorial tactics such as burying or deleting posts and banning members) and poor business decisions. If the owners refuse to invest in the company's infrastructure and treat customers nicely, the company will continue going downhill. It's a shame, really.
PTI's Customer Service is the worst....i once sent a few mails to CS about an issue...never got a reply. then posted my concerns on their forum. i received an email from JE snarkily asking if i "really expected a personal reply" .... how foolish of me to think i would that. and i used to order a fair amount....love their ideas and dies. no more. done. finished with them.
I have experienced PTI's customer service (or lack there of)...and I have been a very loyal and spendy customer. PTI sent me the incorrect die, it was a larger order, I took pictures of my packaging (they were insisting it was there in the tissue...nope), I took pictures of each item I ordered and yet the die I ordered was not there, it was some other die3...it took them over a week for them to figure out they sent me the incorrect die, and I had to send the die back first to get the die I originally ordered...about 3 weeks... I expected maybe a little "sorry" card or something...nope...nothing... that was an eye opener for me. Which sucks, because I certainly love their products!
I was contacted here when I said I had not received my anniversary set from last year and asked to give my address...so far I have yet to receive the anniversary set from LAST year. I give up.
blessings.
Amber you provide outstanding customer service a rapid shipping, if anyone deserves to be treated well it is you. I am so sorry this happened to you too!
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I was contacted here when I said I had not received my anniversary set from last year and asked to give my address...so far I have yet to receive the anniversary set from LAST year. I give up.
blessings.
For those that aren't on the forum, here is what Ted wrote -"With all due respect, Nichole...the amount of traffic shouldn't be "unprecedented"... it's a release night.
I'm wondering if...on release night, the tech department couldn't perhaps add another server to take on some of the traffic? Take the load off the one server?
Or perhaps beef up the current server? Obtain/purchase a server that is larger, stronger...that can take on this amount of traffic.
I have no doubts in your sincerity in your apology nor, do I doubt your appreciation of our patience... it's because of those qualities you possess that keep me coming back.
and this was Nichole's response
"Ted, we actually have triple the number of orders coming in every minute when compared to all previous release records. It isn't fair to make a disrespectful comment like that if you have no first hand knowledge to base the statement on. Moving forward, now that we have experienced this huge increase in traffic, it is something we can prepare for. And we will do so to help prevent this from happening again. We always, always put our best foot forward in trying to accommodate everyone, plan adequately for inventory, and to make the overall shopping experience as smooth as possible here tonight. I am disappointed in the performance of the server myself and I apologize that we caused a situation that left so many people feeling frustrated. All we can do is learn from this unique experience and put things in place to not allow them to happen again."
I found it to be rude as well.
Barbara
Okay, I have been quiet on this while lurking, but this takes the cake! I ordered from PTI once because they had something I was looking for I couldn't find anywhere else (tween through teen boy theme -skater, video games etc) and it was okay. I have had my eye on a couple of things I want - the Jane Eyre set with the dies - but have been holding off due to the issues with the company. After reading the above, it is settled. If that is all he wrote, he was being kind and offering solid advice, no snark or anger and to be answered like that by the OWNER?! I would not reward that behavior by putting one nickel in her pocket. She needs to go the forums, blogs and boards of Unity Stamp Company and watch someone like Angela Magnunson in action - even under fire, she is sweet and kind and it's obvious she recognizes that what she projects is the impression people will have of Unity.
__________________ Kelly "Pray,hope, & don't worry"~Padre Pio
Chiming in again, I gave up on them several months ago when their "new" website became impossible to navigate and I felt overwhelmed by all the new releases. I have all the colors of their cs that I want so there is nothing more from them that I'm interested in. I was thinking of getting their black and kraft cs since I'm low on those, but not now. I'm hoping My Favorite Things comes out with a card stock sampler so I can see what their colors are like. And SU ships within days to me.
Kelly, I'm not familiar with Unity and Angela but I am not surprised. There are so many efficient and competent stamping and supply companies with wonderful, kind, and gracious women at the helm ~ we're fortunate that PTI is the exception to the rule.
It is clear that PTI doesn't value their customers, even very loyal customers like Ted. IMO, Nichole needs to step away from the forums. Her communication is often unprofessional, and she inflames situations with her snarky posts.
I haven't ordered anything from PTI in over a year. I've found I don't miss them that much. There are so many companies out there that have fabulous products AND they treat their customers well. I will choose to support those companies over PTI any day.
I have had no problems ordering paper from them in the past. But every time I have tried to order stamp sets (I never order on or around release times), or dies, half the things I want to order are out of stock. When I inquire about when they might be back in stock, I'm told to subscribe to the newsletter (which I already do), to find out. I don't think that's good CS, but wasn't enough to make me not purchase from them. However, a few dies I want have not been in stock since last November. When I asked a couple of times if they have been discontinued or something, they said no, just to keep checking. I think it's ridiculous that they don't have a system to notify when an item is back in stock. So many other companies offer this. I would think it's simple programming to add a "Notify me when this item is back in stock" thing.
And as far as their website.. I find it so confusing that it makes finding an item you're looking for, but don't recall the exact name, like finding a needle in a haystack.
I do love the products PTI has available, however there is something seriously lacking behind the scenes. It forces me to take my business elsewhere, unfortunately.
We own a service related business, and I deal with clients via phone and email all the time. Even when they are unreasonable, I would never, ever be anything but cordial and accomodating. Sometimes I have to bite my tongue and take a deep breath to avoid telling them what I really think. But to treat a customer, even the smallest customer with negativity and defensiveness is DEATH to a company.
I am so shocked by what I am reading here. It's not difficult to control yourself, especially in written words when you can think before you post. Does Nicole not see how she has lost respect of many of her very faithful supporters? I think the whole thing is very very sad. I purchased a few items from PTI in the distant past, but I don't want any of their products bad enough to 1) worry about dealing with all the issues that I am reading about here, or 2) support a company who is so disrespectful to its customers.
Any company can and does make mistakes. It's how you handle those mistakes that will make or break you.
I'm sorry, but their products just aren't magnificent enough to justify the abhorrent treatment of their customers.
~Alicia
__________________ Alicia
Those cuties in my avatar are my 3 youngest kids: Taylor, Allison and Nick
For those that aren't on the forum, here is what Ted wrote -"With all due respect, Nichole...the amount of traffic shouldn't be "unprecedented"... it's a release night.
I'm wondering if...on release night, the tech department couldn't perhaps add another server to take on some of the traffic? Take the load off the one server?
Or perhaps beef up the current server? Obtain/purchase a server that is larger, stronger...that can take on this amount of traffic.
I have no doubts in your sincerity in your apology nor, do I doubt your appreciation of our patience... it's because of those qualities you possess that keep me coming back.
and this was Nichole's response
"Ted, we actually have triple the number of orders coming in every minute when compared to all previous release records. It isn't fair to make a disrespectful comment like that if you have no first hand knowledge to base the statement on. Moving forward, now that we have experienced this huge increase in traffic, it is something we can prepare for. And we will do so to help prevent this from happening again. We always, always put our best foot forward in trying to accommodate everyone, plan adequately for inventory, and to make the overall shopping experience as smooth as possible here tonight. I am disappointed in the performance of the server myself and I apologize that we caused a situation that left so many people feeling frustrated. All we can do is learn from this unique experience and put things in place to not allow them to happen again."
I found it to be rude as well.
Barbara
I agree this was rude. Sounds like Nichole does need to take a break from being the one responding. What he asked and said was not disrespectful. Maybe it is our current PC environment where you can't disagree with anyone on anything without being called disrespectful and judgemental??
I've been checking in on PTI just to see if things are any better. My first stop today was a blog where someone wrote that they keep closing her customer service ticket without resolving the issue.
She said that an email reply from one of the owners read in part, "I mark it solved. If I kept EVERYTHING in "Pending" status, I would never make any progress."
So now they are marking customer service concerns as "solved" even when there has been no resolution. This is not progress.
I've seen a few things I like from PTI in the last several months. But the boycott continues.
There was a little more information along the lines of the person at PTI printing out emails and then following up on them. Well, fine - but you can't expect customers to understand your private little "system" and marking it solved is no different than replying to the customer that you solved it when in fact you didn't.
Why would you not just create a "pending" folder for yourself within your email or label it in some way - and don't tell the customer that it's solved until it actually is?
The other tidbit shared was that it was a $3 refund and the owner had to wait for an email from the web developer before she could issue the refund. :confused: I guess I don't understand how this could even be. And the customer has been back and forth with them on this - a $3 refund?? Before a customer could become so frustrated as to want to blow off steam in a public forum, I'd be sending her $3 out of my pocket if I owned that company.
Before a customer could become so frustrated as to want to blow off steam in a public forum, I'd be sending her $3 out of my pocket if I owned that company.
"Waiting for the web developer" makes no sense to me whatsoever. Why would the web developer have anything to do with issuing a refund? You go to the website for your credit card processor, enter the information and BOOM! Refund. I could see where the web developer would have something to do with the interface between the online store and the credit card processor, but credits wouldn't be processed thru that interface.
However, Julie's theory on pending vs solved means that the utter disarray in my craft room is no longer a problem. I have it on a list that I plan to get it cleaned up and organized - someday -therefore it's actually already done. Awesome.
Edited to add: does anyone know of another company that makes a rolodex card die? I'd really like one (not to organize my craft supplies, I actually still use the old-fashioned rolodex for addresses and such) - but I'm just not comfortable ordering from a company that is so disdainful of their customers. I've done a google search, but all I can find are companies that used to make one and discontinued it.
I have the 7 gypsies ATC punch....I'm sure it would work to create the same cut as the rolodex, you would just need to cut the card to the size you want.
Seems to me that the owners of the company think their identity and income is directly related to new release culture. Seems odd as most companies I deal with have really scaled back on the new releases culture.
Even if they did have all these new, wonderful ideas to release the probably would garner more respect if they dedicated that much energy toward getting their customer service right.
However, Julie's theory on pending vs solved means that the utter disarray in my craft room is no longer a problem. I have it on a list that I plan to get it cleaned up and organized - someday -therefore it's actually already done. Awesome.
That made me laugh! Let's see, I look around my house and OK! Stuff is done!
Edited to add: does anyone know of another company that makes a rolodex card die? I'd really like one (not to organize my craft supplies, I actually still use the old-fashioned rolodex for addresses and such) - but I'm just not comfortable ordering from a company that is so disdainful of their customers. I've done a google search, but all I can find are companies that used to make one and discontinued it.
You may already know this, but Rolodex makes a little punch that makes any business card have the rolodex shaped punches in the bottom to fit the rolodex. If you had one of those you could cut any cardstock, punch the bottom and bam - a rolodex card!
__________________ Kelly "Pray,hope, & don't worry"~Padre Pio
This customer service response from Julie (one of the PTI owners) was posted on another board:
Someone has opened a customer service ticket because she is waiting for a refund from PTI. Julie has responded to her ticket by closing it as "solved" but the customer has not received the refund yet.
The customer asked why her ticket would be closed as "solved" when the issue is not solved.
Wow! How about actually solving problems to make progress?
How on earth can anyone think this is an appropriate response to a customer??? This is just more proof that there is severe lacking of business sense with the PTI management.
This is just disturbing!
Ami
The take home from that whole interaction is that there are two things that should be such red flags for a business owner and should cause them to have a real epiphany:
1. I have so many customer service problems that my electronic mailbox cannot hold them all - this means i need a RADICAL change in the way we do business because this is an emergency
2. It takes so long to actually take a customers problem and solve it to their satisfaction that I have to take things that aren't fixed and mark them resolved just to wade through the mess - if I don't change the way we handle the customer's problems in a shorter time frame, we are going to be out of business.
any other response is truly not seeing the forest for the trees
__________________ Kelly "Pray,hope, & don't worry"~Padre Pio
You may already know this, but Rolodex makes a little punch that makes any business card have the rolodex shaped punches in the bottom to fit the rolodex. If you had one of those you could cut any cardstock, punch the bottom and bam - a rolodex card!
I got mine at an office supply store. It looks like the attached thumbnail (couldn't find an actual link - sorry!)
You may already know this, but Rolodex makes a little punch that makes any business card have the rolodex shaped punches in the bottom to fit the rolodex. If you had one of those you could cut any cardstock, punch the bottom and bam - a rolodex card!
