We were never going to get very far into the new year before I needed to rant and it's poor customer service again.
Mid November last year I ordered some Origins toiletries to be delivered to Pam in Scotland for her birthday, I completed a gift tag on line, ticked for the free gift wrap and completed all the details. I thought it was a bit odd when the billing address came up as Pam's because I thought that had to agree with the information on my credit card but when I phoned to clarify that Pam wouldn't be getting a bill they said everything was fine.
I didn't hear from Pam for about a week after her birthday when she phoned and mentioned she'd received a nice box of Origins products with no idea who it was from, I told her it was me and that I'd get in touch with them about the mistake, the box wasn't gift wrapped either.
I emailed and Origins replied offered to send me a gift tag and some wrapping paper, I felt they hadn't fully understood the problem or my disappointment and got back to them. Then they said I had paid less than the normal price for the product, not paid any extra for the tag or wrapping (which were offered free) and so it was fair enough that they hadn't fulfilled my order properly. This made me even crosser so I asked for my complaint to be dealt with at a higher level and suggested I should receive some compensation. There was a string of emails, at least a dozen in total, mostly saying we can only apologise, not their usual standard etc, each response from a different person. I got so cross that eventually I phoned and spoke to a lady who insisted on calling me 'my love', agreed it was annoying, confirmed I had ordered a tag and gift wrap. She would look into it and phone me back, which she did saying that having checked the emails no one had been rude to me (I never suggested they had) so they wouldn't be offering any compensation. I said they only had to stick a bar of soap in the post with a letter of apology and I'd have been happy, as it is I won't be shopping with them again. I really don't like this attitude and I won't support companies who explain away their mistakes as 'human error', say that the mistake happened in the warehouse and they are not responsible for that. Now that I live within walking distance of shops I shall not be ordering online so much as I've experienced several problems recently and because I want to do what I can to shop locally and maintain our high street. I won't buy Origins in store either which is a shame as I do like their products, it's their attitude to customers that stinks.
Some companies just don't get it. I tried to order a new computer, because of poor communication with customer service I ended up canceling the order and bought my computer else where.
ReplyDeleteWhen the lease on my car was up I decided that I wanted to buy it and the dealership didn't seem to care one way or another so I financed else where.
That's a lot of money these 2 business's lost.
How annoying, especially that they didn't 'get it', even at the end. Their loss, I bet you will be able to find some lovely things locally.
ReplyDeleteHow annoying!! A lot of firms just don't seem interested in providing any sort of service after they have your money - which is really stupid, as of course you won't shop there again.
ReplyDeleteI also get annyed at cafes and restaurants that pay a lot of attention to regular customers and ignore me - I won't go back to places like that - they forget that those regulars won't last for ever, and they need to encourage new customers.
That's a shame, particularly from a 'quality' company like Origins. I do like their products, I must say. At the very least, I would have thought they ought to have refunded your postage and packaging charges.
ReplyDeleteHow frustrating for you and now they are losing a customer (not to mention the bad publicity for them via your blog); still Origins loss is another business's gain!
ReplyDeleteTheir attitude stinks, it really does. Has me remembering all those years ago when my parents had a shop. Even in those days, they bent over backwards to keep their customers happy. One brought back a potato she'd just peeled and pointed to a tiny black bit on the white flesh. My dad happily changed it, no question. And gave her an extra one, just in case.
ReplyDeleteHow very annoying!!!!! I'd have been on the phone too! Ros
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