we use to have a much more liberal policy. But we had more than several packages get delivered 3 weeks after the initial order. The USPS rarely does this..is very late in delivery in 1st class mail and make no guarantees in delivery times. In 5 cases i called the buyer to try to get our product back and in 3 of these i got no response from the buyer or by phone and was just out the order. I hate being stolen from and it upsets me more than it should and i lose sleep. What you are seeing with this customer is that reaction. i am one of you guys...i am not a big business and see myself as person not a business.
SO now it is just case by case...the vibe we get from buyer....what they are ordering ....if its a returning customer etc. I hate to say this....but if a customer is nice to me , or is a repeat customer I am very quick to make good. But i also go by what i feel is fair and right and don't respond well to hostility etc. I have been more than generous especially with return customers. In this case it was brand new customer buying an item i make very little profit on and I didn't get the best vibe. When i am threatened I dont back down...i dont like the squeeky wheel gets the grease and a threatening customer should be treated better than one of my many sweet customers.
If i get the word from the customer that if the package resurfaces he will send it back then i don't have a problem sending a replacement quick. I guess i am just tired of being burned and maybe i just been unlucky.
I guess i have a lot to learn. To me its not a problem to put just an extra 59 dollar on the credit card knowing that you are gonna get it refunded within 20 days but i realize many people are maxed out and spending there last dollar on the vapes...and if the customer explains that to me i will definitely send them the vape. IF they are hostile and threatening etc it actually makes it harder for me. Those who know me know i bend over backwards for our customer..and answer all inquiries myself. I give a lot of vapes away to people i like and people in hardship. I have sent over 10 vapes to people in hospitals...especially soldiers and i gift wrap them myself. I would bet $100 i give away more vapes per month than any other vendor and if someone wants to challenge me to a giveaway proof thread i am open and I really think i will win. I am a very generous person, and dont like being a hard ass when it comes to giving a potentially life changing vape. I started in this vape biz by literally buying a vape for all of my smoking friends. I really believe in Karma and doing whats right. But more of whats human right...not busines right. And i guess thats where i need to change.
One thing i have really learned is there is a lot to dislike about the post office. I really use to hate them when this happens. and they do it from time to time . Packages go into limbo and i get heat..... the USPS are super cheap...and for vape mail they are the best. When everyone out there is looking to get the best prices anywhere you cant beat the usps for vape mail. One of the reasons i have the lowest prices in the coutnry is that i use usps first class. A new thing i have learned to appreciate is they very rarely lose packages...very rare. They are sometimes 3 weeks late. That has happened more than 20 times....but as for losing packages that is super rare...mabye three times. UPS on the other hand is so much more expensvie....and they have lost so many packages on me and they are getting worse. Fuck UPS and love the USPS.
I love the idea that i am supporting the USPS and even wrote a whole big thing on it. one of my best vape friends (anthony from helpmevape) is an employee there...and i know they take good care of Americans. I am so proud i am helping an american staple which is the USPS and i stand behind them 100 percent:
http://www.wakeandvape.com/blog/wakeandvapeandtheusps/ They are sometimes slow....but i have faith they dont lose packages.
You guys if i was just business smart i would refund this customer the second he takes it public on a forum etc... i am not that business smart.
If i was business smart i would have an employee doing all customer support...i answer 100s of emails myself...because i like having the one on one with my customers. I pay employees to do everything else...but i want to interact with the customers myself...but because of a few bad cases like this that make me lose sleep lately....i don't think i am the right person.
Also i am seeing why companies mark up more in retail...and maybe i am losing money offing a 59 dollar sigelie 150 making minimal profit....and minimal profit is not for retail where there is going to be inevitable losses and mishaps such as this.
I am really proud of the job i have done in taking care of my customers...and literally going from an ebay seller to the wake and vape super store in 6 months time.. It really hurts me to end up defending myself in a "hall of shame" in a forum that i am a big supporter of, an official vendor, and major advertiser. I have done nothing but worked with this customer and the USPS to resolve this situation and have been in constant contact with both and did my best to come up with an amiable resolution. The buyer was only 8 days away from a refund but instead went public on mulitple forums which I dont think is right. And i know you guys only see his end.....but try to see mine.
I am losing $59 dollars on this and pubically shamed. I will refund him immediately and i really hope he DOES NOT in this case send the vape back if he does receive the original order....which i still believe the usps will deliver.
I think what you guys miss is that the buyer paid for USPS first class mail not priority.....and the usps will tell you that there is no guarantee delivery time on first class mail...and i say this over and over again in our adds and the blog post above. Occasionally they slip up and a package will go into limbo up to 30 days...
I gurantee the package will be delivered in cases like this..but just ask that some time is given for the usps to come through.
So here is what i have learned and what i will change thanks to this because i am a quick learner:
Maybe its time to switch to mandatory USPS priority which has better tracking and better reliability....and raise my prices a bit. Also built in insurance so i get 50 bucks back if we do take a hit.
I am going to end UPS as an option because i dont have faith in them, they are expensive, and lose to many packages and i take the hit.
After today we are going to have a generic
[email protected] email address
We are going to come up with policies that are more "business smart" so that we compete better in a very competitive market.
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