Dealing with people....

[AirgunSavant]

Got the email this morning........
You know, Merry Christmas and the whole nine yards...... disingenuous- I was about to get reamed.
I have seen this a zillion times over the last 40 years of doing mail order.....
Guy ordered parts on the 16th... I'm on the computer as usual. Ten minutes later his order is packed and waiting at the front entrance for USPS pickup.. Tracking sent as well........

He starts with the long winded dissertation on he needs to know when he will get the parts. He has heard nothing but good but he will be the judge... why the delay? On and on and on.......

I respond instantly that it has been sitting in his PO. box since the 20'th........
Now he gave a PO Box.......... and that was the only ship to address. Tracking shows delivered and awaiting a signature.
I swear today people are just out of it. They do this all the time and give bogus email addresses, bad phone numbers and half don't even know their own address. Another one is the wife picks it up and throws it in the trunk for a few weeks and forgets about it. And I always get a threat from them and no mention of top shelf service..

 

[Lyman]

My Wife sells online. She gets this all the time. Has 30+ conversations with someone and then they cancel on her. Or they give the wrong address and when the order gets shipped they ask where it was sent to. Makes you wonder how these kind of people get anything done or hold down a job.

 

[Andrew1972]

I get the frustration however what percentage go perfectly?

 

[tomcat27]

curious if you get "thanks" and an apology...

 

[Chris142]

Many people are arrogant idiots. I get all kinds of calls from people asking about the "gray Subaru"...Well I don't have any Subaru's here and I cant tell you where you left your car.

They are constantly giving the wrong phone number then get upset when we didn't call when we said we would.

I also get to hear how Juan down the street is cheaper and much better than I am but he does not own an ac charging station.

 

[jeepman3071]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant

I swear today people are just out of it.


I agree. There are a small percentage of people that I wonder how they even function everyday.

I have a small engine repair business I run on the side. 90% of the customers are perfect. 10% of them I really wish would never call. I have one guy who literally calls me all the time to ask me a question. And he won't leave a voicemail either, he will just keep calling repeatedly until I answer. I have to turn my phone on silent now at work or it will vibrate off the desk.

That same guy needed a belt for his snowblower. It was a special belt that the OEM one was preferred. Stopped at the dealer and they had to order it. I told him that it would be in stock in 2 days (that's what they told me). Next day he calls 3 times asking if the belt has come in yet.

Again, 90% of the customers I have are awesome people. 10% drive me insane to the point where I'm considering telling them to go elsewhere.

 

[AirgunSavant]

A great deal go well because people today love to track parcels. So most are waiting for it every minute.
But when you are a one man shop and do everything you do get overloaded. Often they hide or delete the tracking so the wife does not see what's going on. Many do me in and when they get automated order recipts or tracking they mark it as spam- that ruins it for everybody...

Originally Posted By: madRiver
I get the frustration however what percentage go perfectly?

 

[AirgunSavant]

Rarely Tom,
Honestly when they see they messed up they freak out on me to disguise the stupidity. Really!

Like the other day I seen this older gent pull up to the gas station and jump out of his car and grab the green nozzle- ( the diesel fuel) I yelled over- don't, that's diesel...... he cursed to himself and waived me off like I was bothering him............ oh well.. lol

Originally Posted By: tomcat27
curious if you get "thanks" and an apology...

 

[AirgunSavant]

Another issue you folks most likely run across is this.....
Often I send several parts not just one or two. I have people just open the top of the box and grab a few parts and throw the box away never looking into the package to get all of the parts.

They tell me I shorted them and since I'm a one man show I can tell them exactly what is in there and what color bag etc. They want me to make up for their laziness and it is often. I have never done that myself and think it just maybe a scam.

A few years back I had a few guys run around on the net and they were telling each other how to work me. Buy two seals and then send him a nice email saying the service was superb but you only received one seal. How can you argue but I know what I sent. It kept happening so I set up a digital camera at my packing station and the next guy that tried it got a shock. The mailer and contents are shown as well as the product and shipping labels. Once the ring leader found out- that came to an end. Disgusting!

 

[Johnny2Bad]

I started dealing with the public when I was 19 years old, and am now retired after doing it for most of my working life (but in different jobs). There is no use complaining about it ... it is what it is.

I know how frustrating it can be, but the truth be known, It isn't going to change. Either you learn to deal with it or you find another line of work. Just the way it is.

Now, that doesn't mean you are helpless to minimize it. Do not be afraid to refuse to deal with someone. Start your "Never Again" list and compare your orders against it. Refund the money and be done with them; some business is not worth the grief.

 

[jeepman3071]

My GF has an online business selling on ebay and amazon. It is disappointing to me how many people clearly take advantage. Usually it is a small percentage of her total sales, so it is easier just to make them go away than spend time fighting a losing battle. Paypal and ebay are really all about the buyers and no protection for sellers, so it is extremely easy for buyers to take advantage. She had some lady recently who bought a really expensive purse. The lady had it over a week (delivery was confirmed) then claimed she had never received it. The USPS confirmed it had been delivered to the address specified by the buyer, but the buyer wanted a full refund. The buyer opened a case and made a big deal. In the end Paypal caved and the buyer got the purse for free because a refund was issued, and she still left negative feedback on my GF's account.

 

[jeepman3071]

It also has a lot to do with how a person was raised. I've had plenty of horrible restaurant service experiences. These were reflected in my tip (or lack of if really bad), but never once have I caused a scene or physically done something.

When I worked at dunkin donuts the reactions from customers to a simple mess up (like 1 sugar instead of 2) was insane. We had a guy throw scalding hot coffee at my coworker because it didn't have sugar like he wanted. He never came back in and asked for more or wanted a new coffee, simply drove through the drive thru again and threw it directly at her face. Of course, the cameras were pointed at the drive-thru cash register to protect the store from employee theft, not employees from dangerous customers.

 

[AirgunSavant]

You said it.............
PayPal- they take the money away from you right away and then make you prove you're right.
I quit selling to Italy and France for several years , they knew the drill. Awhile ago the USPS could not get a signature and unless you got one you lost. They got the parcel and just lied. I never got any back.. I fixed that though and it's funny how the problem goes away when you get a signature!

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
My GF has an online business selling on ebay and amazon. It is disappointing to me how many people clearly take advantage. Usually it is a small percentage of her total sales, so it is easier just to make them go away than spend time fighting a losing battle. Paypal and ebay are really all about the buyers and no protection for sellers, so it is extremely easy for buyers to take advantage. She had some lady recently who bought a really expensive purse. The lady had it over a week (delivery was confirmed) then claimed she had never received it. The USPS confirmed it had been delivered to the address specified by the buyer, but the buyer wanted a full refund. The buyer opened a case and made a big deal. In the end Paypal caved and the buyer got the purse for free because a refund was issued, and she still left negative feedback on my GF's account.

 

[sleddriver]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
...It kept happening so I set up a digital camera at my packing station and the next guy that tried it got a shock. The mailer and contents are shown as well as the product and shipping labels. Once the ring leader found out- that came to an end. Disgusting!
Not sure what business you're in, but I once knew a guy with an on-line astronomy equipment business. The stories he would tell about these insecure, tempermental, type-A emotional two-year-olds...I've met more than a few on the observing field myself. Hypersensitive fanatics....anyway he finally set up a digital camera to photograph THE ENTIRE ORDER before being packaged.

The next time he was questioned, he sent them the photo with all the details.

Idiots........

 

[AZjeff]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Another issue you folks most likely run across is this.....
Often I send several parts not just one or two. I have people just open the top of the box and grab a few parts and throw the box away never looking into the package to get all of the parts.


When we ship multiple small items in one box they all go in one ziplock bag. Problem solved.

We had a photography store for 17 years dealing with the public face2face every day. A couple of observations:

People want what they want and logic or fact won't change it. Doesn't matter if it doesn't exist or can't be done. If you can't give them what they want you don't know your business and they leave unhappy.

You can have a great day with lots of good, normal interactions then one nasty person can ruin it. It doesn't seem to matter if the ratio of good to bad is 100:1, your day is shot.

 

[maximus]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071


When I worked at dunkin donuts the reactions from customers to a simple mess up (like 1 sugar instead of 2) was insane. We had a guy throw scalding hot coffee at my coworker because it didn't have sugar like he wanted. He never came back in and asked for more or wanted a new coffee, simply drove through the drive thru again and threw it directly at her face. Of course, the cameras were pointed at the drive-thru cash register to protect the store from employee theft, not employees from dangerous customers.

I worked in a few different food establishments in my earlier years. One thing I learned is people are VERY passionate about their food. I worked at McDs as a teenager. We had a regular who ordered happy meals, but always with no onions on the hamburgers. One time we messed up and put onions on her order. She came back in the store hysterical, to the point of crying and sobbing like she'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer. "THESE CHILDREN ARE ALLERGIC TO ONIONS! PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING." I couldn't believe it and didn't understand. We promptly remade her order. It takes literally 30 seconds. I just couldn't understand why someone would get so upset over something so minor.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
My GF has an online business selling on ebay and amazon. It is disappointing to me how many people clearly take advantage. Usually it is a small percentage of her total sales, so it is easier just to make them go away than spend time fighting a losing battle. Paypal and ebay are really all about the buyers and no protection for sellers, so it is extremely easy for buyers to take advantage. She had some lady recently who bought a really expensive purse. The lady had it over a week (delivery was confirmed) then claimed she had never received it. The USPS confirmed it had been delivered to the address specified by the buyer, but the buyer wanted a full refund. The buyer opened a case and made a big deal. In the end Paypal caved and the buyer got the purse for free because a refund was issued, and she still left negative feedback on my GF's account.


I wonder if the purse was maybe stolen off her front porch? We've had packages stolen that we're left on our front porch. Of course it showed "delivery confirmation" but my gf nor I got them (and the theif was eventually caught thanks to the eye witness being our next door neighbor,and the other time witnessed by our paper carrier). Our mail carriers from then on never leave any mail or packages on our front porch. They leave that orange slip that says there was no secure location to leave the package and we then go to the po to pick it up.

 

[pandus13]

Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
My GF has an online business selling on ebay and amazon. It is disappointing to me how many people clearly take advantage. Usually it is a small percentage of her total sales, so it is easier just to make them go away than spend time fighting a losing battle. Paypal and ebay are really all about the buyers and no protection for sellers, so it is extremely easy for buyers to take advantage. She had some lady recently who bought a really expensive purse. The lady had it over a week (delivery was confirmed) then claimed she had never received it. The USPS confirmed it had been delivered to the address specified by the buyer, but the buyer wanted a full refund. The buyer opened a case and made a big deal. In the end Paypal caved and the buyer got the purse for free because a refund was issued, and she still left negative feedback on my GF's account.


I wonder if the purse was maybe stolen off her front porch? We've had packages stolen that we're left on our front porch. Of course it showed "delivery confirmation" but my gf nor I got them (and the theif was eventually caught thanks to the eye witness being our next door neighbor,and the other time witnessed by our paper carrier). Our mail carriers from then on never leave any mail or packages on our front porch. They leave that orange slip that says there was no secure location to leave the package and we then go to the po to pick it up.


some packages disappeared inside double door locked apartment building.
i lost a paint sample: find the receipt/packing slip , but not the small touch up paint bottle.....

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Now he gave a PO Box.......... and that was the only ship to address.

I would definitely agree that people should be careful when ordering stuff, ensuring that the delivery is possible requires some caution on their part. When I order something, sometimes I send it to one of the businesses, or to my house, or to my post office box. It depends upon where it's coming from, the method being used, and whether or not it needs someone to take custody of it upon receipt, and whether I'm comfortable with it sitting outside or not.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Exactly
We seldom remember all the great people out there because all it takes is one jerk to ruin everything.
I learned not to get bent over it and I post this only as entertainment. But you're right.
Yes years ago I got the big freezer bags and put all the individual bags in one. However you always get foolishness no matter what you do.

Originally Posted By: AZjeff
Originally Posted By: AirgunSavant
Another issue you folks most likely run across is this.....
Often I send several parts not just one or two. I have people just open the top of the box and grab a few parts and throw the box away never looking into the package to get all of the parts.


When we ship multiple small items in one box they all go in one ziplock bag. Problem solved.

We had a photography store for 17 years dealing with the public face2face every day. A couple of observations:

People want what they want and logic or fact won't change it. Doesn't matter if it doesn't exist or can't be done. If you can't give them what they want you don't know your business and they leave unhappy.

You can have a great day with lots of good, normal interactions then one nasty person can ruin it. It doesn't seem to matter if the ratio of good to bad is 100:1, your day is shot.