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If I hear that phrase from a crafting customer service person one more time I'm going to scream :confused:
When I spend my limited crafting budget on crafting supplies, I expect to get the quality commensurate with the money I'm spending.
If I give you valuable feedback and let you know that your quality has slipped in one area, and I'm now sorry/sad/frustrated about my purchase, I don't expect to be treated like a person trying to game the system when I ask you, crafting company, to make that right
If these companies are just spitting out that phrase out as a filler, because they don't really want to follow up or be any more thorough and just want me to go away, then they're doing it wrong.
I'll be danged if I'm going to spend $15-$30+ on a stamp set only to have some of the stamps develop defects after a few months. This has happened more with photopolymer in my experience--I have had some defective out of the box (and blamed my stamping because I didn't think that photopolymer defects were a thing) and now, I have damage to a photopolymer stamp that started out perfectly fine.
I'm careful with my things and will not be shamed into being silent. Take that, crafting companies! Thank God my emergency stash of black licorice will arrive later today from Amazon, a company that truly understands excellent customer service
You definitely seem to have bad luck in the quality department. :( I haven't had nearly the error rate, and I'm a high volume buyer. But as long as they take care of you, it's all good right? Defects are definitely possible with both PP and rubber. But it shouldn't be a big deal and it's easy to demonstrate for a return.
What happened to a photopolymer stamp that started out fine?
It's a solid photopolymer stamp out of a set that has developed pockmarks on its surface...I think this is only the second photopolymer stamp I've had trouble with and I hope this trend doesn't continue!
Pockmarks...that's a new one on me. Could they have been air bubbles that popped as you flexed the stamp using it? Do you have a super bright light you could look at the other set stamps with for air bubbles? If you flex the others does it happen?
I've gotten that remark several times myself: "a one-time courtesy." My answer to them is, "So, does that mean that after this you aren't going to be courteous anymore? You're not doing me a favor, you know. It's called standing behind your products. That's not a courtesy; it's good business."
I've gotten that remark several times myself: "a one-time courtesy." My answer to them is, "So, does that mean that after this you aren't going to be courteous anymore? You're not doing me a favor, you know. It's called standing behind your products. That's not a courtesy; it's good business."
I don't consider it a micro-aggression My bank tells me that every time they reverse a fee, and they continue to do it. Companies have to have a professional way to express that they are extending you a benefit that exceeds their standard policy - this is how you protect your policies, your profitability and establish consistency in service. I don't think the language indicates they're going to be rude next time. It's standard language in every industry, not just the craft industry.
I don't consider it a micro-aggression My bank tells me that every time they reverse a fee, and they continue to do it. Companies have to have a professional way to express that they are extending you a benefit that exceeds their standard policy - this is how you protect your policies, your profitability and establish consistency in service. I don't think the language indicates they're going to be rude next time. It's standard language in every industry, not just the craft industry.
While I agree it may be "standard" in many industries, I respectfully disagree that it is good business practice. I've done a lot of marketing and customer service work and know that language is crucial! Since I have done the job myself, I know that they have a choice in how they approach customers, and in my opinion they are making a bad one.
The attitude that they are "protecting" themselves from their own customers is problematic. The fact that a company has badly thought out policies and quality control is also problematic, but they can easily make up for that with exceptional customer service.
When a company takes my money for a product that fails to deliver, that's a broken contract � and so many companies fail to recognize that. Fortunately, I have a lot of choices and I can vote with my wallet. And I do :grin:
I hear you Lydia having been in the position. "Micro-agression"-I like that! Of course NYers do that as a way of life all too often sadly about everything.
I know for one company i worked for, it was more like b/c we often did help people who were clearly doing a no no to begin with, just not to have a fight, was more the "I'm going to do this this time, but dont try this again" subtext and people get that. B/c you would be shocked how many people pulling a fast one will get completely righteous and indignant and carry on like you shot their mother, including screaming. They know what they are doing, and that warning often works. They cant complain now, because they are getting what they want, but dont pull that again.
ie-One was a book store. You want to return a stack of books to me that literally have sand pouring out them all over my counter that you clearly took to the beach, read and now want a refund. Am I supposed to be able to resell those? Because they were within the refund time frame, they felt it totally fine to return product in whatever condition.
However...that isnt the same thing as a person who has a legit complaint-lets say pages were missing from a book. I would never say that to those people. I was apologetic that it happened (even though it isnt my fault being a publisher error) and let me fix this right away for you and replace it. I can say in a low tone, "normally I cant do this but we need to fix this for you" which totally conveys I am stepping outside regular policy to make you happy without intimating I think you are pulling a fast one. ie I dont have a replacement book in the store so I am going to get it and overnight it to you for free so you dont have to come back again. I could even say "this is a publisher error but I am going to make it right for you" b/c hey-they bought it from me! It isnt like a bad jacket we should have seen.
I agree with Poppy. Language matters-as does tone. Please save me from CS people who sound like they are so bored they cant stand it or they are doing you a favor when they are not.
Yes a company has to protect itself from abusers and sadly there are a ton of them out there these days-some know, some are just entitled jerks, some are in lala land. I totally agree with you there! But not everyone is one. So having that pat answer isnt good to me. Just in my humble opinion.
You do seem to have more than your fair share of bad luck! I haven't had any issues with any of my photopolymer stamps so far. *knocks on wood* I don't think it's an insult or "micro-aggression". It's just a customer service script.
BTW, can we not stereotype here? I am married to a man born and raised in NYC and he is kind, compassionate and friendly to everyone. Really!
I am born and raised in NYC too LOL, and I am nice too-or I try to be. Ask him. He'll tell you. Our city peeps can be remarkably rude and self absorbed. Take speed. If you are walking too slow on the sidewalk-they want to run you over, esp in rush hour. But it's ok if they slam into you b/c they looking at their cell phone and not where they are going-then you get a grunt of "sor-" and they are off again.
wavejumper, you remind me of when I worked for Laura Ashley (remember her?). A woman came into the shop and wanted to return a wedding dress. The dress started out as crisp pure white cotton lawn, in the true Laura Ashley style. She was returning it as a yellowed dress that had clearly been worn or stored somewhere weird. It was expensive at the time and she demanded a cash refund. I wasn't very sympathetic, but I was also young, and now I think I would handle it differently, even if I felt she was trying to take advantage. You just never know what the situation is, and it's always good practice to send a customer away so happy to recommend you to others. I'm sure there was something I could've done for her, but yes, some people are determined to be pushy and unhappy, too.
But not me and my stamp, though! Sent pictures and I think they will replace it, as they should.
If I hear that phrase from a crafting customer service person one more time I'm going to scream :confused:
When I spend my limited crafting budget on crafting supplies, I expect to get the quality commensurate with the money I'm spending.
If I give you valuable feedback and let you know that your quality has slipped in one area, and I'm now sorry/sad/frustrated about my purchase, I don't expect to be treated like a person trying to game the system when I ask you, crafting company, to make that right
If these companies are just spitting out that phrase out as a filler, because they don't really want to follow up or be any more thorough and just want me to go away, then they're doing it wrong.
I'll be danged if I'm going to spend $15-$30+ on a stamp set only to have some of the stamps develop defects after a few months. This has happened more with photopolymer in my experience--I have had some defective out of the box (and blamed my stamping because I didn't think that photopolymer defects were a thing) and now, I have damage to a photopolymer stamp that started out perfectly fine.
I'm careful with my things and will not be shamed into being silent. Take that, crafting companies! Thank God my emergency stash of black licorice will arrive later today from Amazon, a company that truly understands excellent customer service
Sorry to hijack... But you distracted me at black licorice! AMAZON SELLS THAT?!
Of course I remember Laura Ashley! I loved her fabrics with the great real looking florals in the 1980s...till she went to the more impressionistic style and then I backed off. And yes, those dresses were expensive! I held onto 3 for YEARS lying to myself how I would shrink back into them...sigh.:rolleyes: When I finally gave up the ghost a GF got em-two still had tags on them. 20+ years and the white based one was not yellowed.
Dont get me started on clothes. I never want to go back to that industry, at least from a retail pov. I tend to be a little biased and female centric-as in we are the "better sex" lol...but you see some truly bad behavior in clothing. I was so disappointed!
Sadly we live in a social media world now, and people can really do some damage there to you, so yes, we always want them happy-even the naughty ones.
I'm born & raised in NYC, and I'm actually very understanding when it comes to customer service. I've worked in that capacity, so I know what they go through. I even say please and thank you. That being said, I don't think that it's going above and beyond for a company to stand behind its products. Telling me that you will replace a defective product "as a one-time courtesy" is not only poor wording, but it is a bit rude. I'm not accusing them of being "micro-aggressive." I'm saying that customer service people need to learn how to speak to customers. The customer is not always right, but he/she is, at the very least, entitled to receive a working product in good condition.
I know for one company i worked for, it was more like b/c we often did help people who were clearly doing a no no to begin with, just not to have a fight, was more the "I'm going to do this this time, but don't try this again" subtext and people get that. B/c you would be shocked how many people pulling a fast one will get completely righteous and indignant and carry on like you shot their mother, including screaming. They know what they are doing, and that warning often works. They cant complain now, because they are getting what they want, but dont pull that again.
ie-One was a book store. You want to return a stack of books to me that literally have sand pouring out them all over my counter that you clearly took to the beach, read and now want a refund. Am I supposed to be able to resell those? Because they were within the refund time frame, they felt it totally fine to return product in whatever condition.
:shock::shock:
Happy I don't work in retail anymore, that's for sure
But it's true - a lot of people do take advantage - that's where the numbness creeps in and they do need policies they can invoke. I remember when I worked in a mall as a teen someone brought in a towel they'd stolen at a hotel and wanted to exchange it for a "different color." The name of the hotel right on it!
You do get numb after a while. And I agree it's not the same as a defective product at all.
Speaking of Amazon - that's a company I've always gotten stellar service from.
That's just about the most perfect response to "As a one time courtesy..." I've heard! Going to use that. ;)
ETA Now I'm being scolded for not including my order number with my original complaint, which I am completely ignoring since I signed on the site as a member and they could easily look that up. Please just replace my defective stamps without putting me through any more bother, thank you! Sheesh.
Last edited by poppydarling; 04-06-2016 at 02:30 PM..
I did tech support for Verizon. You say what ever it is they tell you to say. You say it with confidence and get the customer off the phone quickly because you are give just a few minutes to deal with the problem before you are marked down.
In my first month I was given 'Coaching'....I didn't know what that was till after the 'Coaching' was over. I was taken to a room with my manager, told I was hitting 85% of metrics and that was really good as most don't hit that mark. But, I had to sign that I understood the meeting because I should be hitting mid 90%.
They constantly listen and then badger you all the time about not saying all 13 of the things you are suppose to say....Oh, and the notes....those have to be meticulously kept while you are talking and trying to get thru the process and keep the customer happy and calm and OFF the phone!
Then, after hearing the same complaints over and over I asked when these things would be corrected. My manager smiled and said never...V doesn't review the notes/concerns.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
My husband who understood Six Sigma says you give the customer exactly what they want and NO more. I suppose getting the internet back up trumps LONG wait times on calls, having to give the same information to the robot over and over before you get a real person...of course after all that one is not as happy as they were 30 mins ago.
Not sure how any company knows if that expectation is met, I am sure there are metrics for that as well, but I want to know the company HEARS me. And I know they don't with these large companies...they just don't. That poor CS person handles it half in fear of messing up the call or going over their time limit.
Not to mention the software merging with other software...I had to look at 16 software systems at any given time. They conflict frequently, but don't make a mistake if one of those systems isn't correct and a customer complains. Ugh!
And you MUST end every call with 'is there anything else I can help you with today?' And PRAY they don't want anything else as your time is UP!
I really HATE that I couldn't spend an hour helping an elderly person get their internet back up because they couldn't crawl on the floor to unplug and replug their router when necessary.
NONE of this is good customer service, NONE! And it doesn't bode well for the company in my book, either!
I've made ONE return to JoAnns...now, Amazon is my hero and will continue to be so! I shop JAs to use my coupon, get a sale but NOT to order online...and it only took ONE return episode to accomplish that.
Last edited by CottageBliss; 04-06-2016 at 04:42 PM..
I did tech support for Verizon. You say what ever it is they tell you to say. You say it with confidence and get the customer off the phone quickly because you are give just a few minutes to deal with the problem before you are marked down.
Then, after hearing the same complaints over and over I asked when these things would be corrected. My manager smiled and said never...V doesn't review the notes/concerns.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!
My husband who understood Six Sigma says you give the customer exactly what they want and NO more.
NONE of this is good customer service, NONE! And it doesn't bode well for the company in my book, either!
What a nightmare — I'm sorry you even had to go through that! A lot of these legacy companies act like monopolies. Remember those days, when you had one maybe two choices for phone or cable television? They can hardly turn the Titanic around fast enough, and good riddance.
I had to look up Six Sigma I just don't see how you can be a modern profitable company with that methodology. The reason Amazon is such a behemoth is because they over-deliver every time. There may be exceptions, but I haven't run into them. Have you guys ever done a return with them? Painless! Not only that, they are falling over asking if there's anything else they can do to make me happy. Cheerfully, too. That just encourages me to order more from them (Zappos is in the same category). I need a new mattress, and the other day I said to myself: I wonder if Amazon carries mattresses... LOL They do!
And now that our city has Prime Same-Day Delivery, my craft budget is in serious trouble :grin:
Last edited by poppydarling; 04-06-2016 at 05:49 PM..
Write a letter to the company president telling them about your experience with their product.
This isn't really about their products � in my experience, their stamps are usually top notch and anyone can make an occasional lemon, most understand that. It's how they handle it when the customer lets them know that makes all the difference.
I may be missing my calling. I should travel the nation, interview retail people and collect these stories-that towel one is a riot for example.
Oh no CottageBliss! What is wrong with phone companies? It isnt like the old days and we only had AT&T...there are choices! Hey, you want to have 10 million customers, you need to have more than 10 people in CS and stop rushing them! That sounds terrible for you!
Wanted to report that the company did send me a replacement stamp set… and the new stamp has the same damage on it :confused:
So I wrote back to ask if they could check with the designers to make sure that this wasn't designed as a "distressed" stamp (I swear that it was not, I remember a solid image when I first stamped it). I was truly interested in finding out if my memory serves me right, but they just said it may be a manufacturing defect and told me they were going to refund my money for the set.
That was very generous, and I'm happy about that ( I suspect they just wanted me to go away :-)) but I'm still going to struggle with this stamp and it's a popular one for me in the set Grateful for the Misti...
How deep are the pocks? Since you now have two...could you try sanding them out of one? Some clears are thicker than others and maybe you could?....
They're pretty deep! Not sure that would work... I sure hope they figure out what's going on with the set because it's so cute and doesn't deserve a bad rap :(
As a one-time courtesy�
