posted on April 12, 2009 09:18:52 AM new
I guess you know you've made it when you get a complaint like this. I was quite busy yesterday at our store, but as the day wound down it tapered off. Enter this family. The woman walked around the store with her husband and kept saying really loudly, "I could get this at an Estate Sale for only 4 dollars." I sat back and thought, "She's one of THOSE shoppers." Finally, she convinced her husband to buy these 4 vintage mugs from us. There was one tiny chip on the bottom that I saw when I first bought them a few months ago. The chip is obviously very old.
When she brought them to the counter she immediately left them and kept walking around our store blathering on and on about how she could get this and that for less at estate sales. While she was away, I carefully wrapped them in thick paper and bagged them. Never once did I "bang" them or mishandled them... anything. I came home and told my girlfriend/business partner about the obnoxious customer I had at the end of the day.
I wake up this morning, check my emails and this is what I get. I'm not even sure I should respond at this point, as no matter what I do it won't rectify the problem. As with most vintage/antique stores there are no refunds or exchanges. Even if I offered her the refund, she wouldn't come back in and would still likely spew her rhetoric anyways.
"Wow, where do I start. I have been wanting to go into your store for a long time. Finally went in today. Highly overpriced....but so what. I actually found some coffee mugs I really liked. A set of four.... blue, green, lt brown and dark brown marked japan. Perfect condition, I inspected them very carefully before I bought them. Because like everything else in your store they were overpriced at $19.00 for four. But I really like them, so I bought them. The gentleman who helped us, whos name I do not know, (because he had no name badge) wrapped them up for us, and smacked one on the counter alittle when he bagged them up. I almost wanted to make him unwrap them to make sure they were ok, but unfortuneatly for me, I did not. So obviously once I got them home and opened them up, of coarse there is a big chip in the bottom of the lt. brown one. I have received better service from the Goodwill thrift store, where i might add, the prices are better. For $19.00 for four coffee mugs, I would expect some care in wrapping my merchandise. I will never shop at your store again. And all my friends who love midcentury will be privy to this information. Bad customer service.
Horrible. I am very very very upset. Its one thing If I chip it at home after actually using them, but it sucks so bad, that It was chipped before I even put it in my cupboard. Sucks....sucks....sucks."
Most people in Portland who are into what we sell consider our store one of the most reasonably priced midcentury modern stores in Portland. Even the local newspaper, online blogs, and magazines who've reviewed our store consider us a store where you can get good prices.
posted on April 12, 2009 09:50:24 AM new
Willamette Week Newspaper wrote:
"The selection is constantly shifting, but Shag's generous prices for gently used furnishings remain constantly eye catching."
PDX Magazine wrote:
"From a clean lined credenza or desk to vintage hi-fi equipment and kitschy tiki accessories, you'll find it all at an extremely reasonable price."
Apartment Therapy wrote:
"If it were possible to play out one-of-a-kind Danish and mid-century modern finds (and we dare you to try), Shag would be the Top 40 station to do it...But whereas the above-mentioned sources might yield up a particularly choice morsel one time out of every ten, Shag has managed to curate a collection that does it over and over again."
Yelp.com customer reviews:
"The owner was very friendly and we did not sense an "attitude" at all like some shop MOD shop owners have. Genuine good service, friendly and very helpful but not pushy.
The selection was diverse and the prices seemed affordable and much lower than the prices we see in Seattle."
"I don't have $5,000 to spend on a couch. I don't want to buy something dingy and stinky. Shag is for me. A lot of midline, clean, well-designed and well-staged pieces. Think $100 for a nice lamp and $350 for a decent lounge chair. The owners are nice and helpful people. There's no condescension here. It feels good to walk out of a furniture store without three boxes and an Allen wrench once in awhile."
"Many of the furnishings are actual designer pieces, and the prices reflect that. But Shag also carries lovely "unmarked" items as well, at very reasonable prices."
We were also just interviewed and photographed for an upcoming AAA Magazine article, and a couple of other magazines.
It is funny how one condensending person can make a rainy day even more rainy. lol.
posted on April 12, 2009 10:20:05 AM new
If I were to reply to her at all, it would only be to tell her that I was not only the owner but the "clerk" who waited on her and the buying agent that originally purchased the "chipped" cup.
I might add that as she was very critical of our stores prices etc, I felt it best not in engage in unnecessary conversation with her and apology if she took this as "poor customer service" when in fact it was merely restraint.
posted on April 12, 2009 11:09:04 AM new
She's the main reason I don't do shows or deal direct in any way with the public. My spot in the antique mall is serviced by the mall and I only see it when I bring more merchandise.
That being said, If I mess up and buy a damaged piece, I always mark it as-is. At least that gives the customer a heads up. Generally the piece will still sell.
posted on April 12, 2009 12:04:53 PM new
i've always found the irony in the phrase, "as-is" in an antique/collectibles store or show. everything is considered "as-is". just an observation.
i enjoy working with customers, and this is something out of the norm. it was obvious she wasn't a typical customer of ours by her attitude when she was in the store. i was friendly and professional throughout.
i would feel much differently if the woman emailed me and said, "i bought some cups yesterday and when i unwrapped them i noticed a chip in the bottom." i would have been happy to make things right.
Why would anyone bother when in one email someone (all b/c of a small chip on the bottom of a cup):
1) Degrages your business.
2) Complains about the prices.
3) Complains b/c a small business owner doesn't wear a name tag.
4) Tells you she'll never shop here again.
5) Threatens to tell her friends (which I can see them rolling their eyes at her).
6) Lies about what actually happened as if it would get our "clerk" in trouble.
I think #6 is what ticks me off the most. Imagine if someone lost their job b/c of a customer like this that lied?
[ edited by shagmidmod on Apr 12, 2009 12:06 PM ]
posted on April 12, 2009 01:16:46 PM new
Shag, I am glad you can find the incident amusing. So often these types of negative people can drag down even the most positive of people.
I am afraid that I am not as highly evolved as you. I would feel the need to do my community service and send her a reply. I consider it sowing seeds on hard ground.
I would let her know you were not only the one who packaged her purchase but that you are the shop owner as well as the shop buyer and had originally purchased the mugs even though they had the chip. As a collector yourself, you felt the items had more than enough collectible value for your usual customers to warrant your original purchase even with the chip as noted.
I would also let her know that you heard most of her comments and in defense of your business, Goodwill receives their merchandise for free which allows them to undercut your shop prices 100% of the time.
Unfortunately (since I am NOT as highly evolved as you) I would probably finish with "my usual clientele are discerning collectors and not the typical bottom feeders who spend their time shopping at Goodwill". Have nice day! [grin]
posted on April 12, 2009 02:59:32 PM new
The one thing I'd have done differently is to point out the chip before I wrapped it, just for CYA.
_____________________
"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who ***dared to dissent*** from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, ***may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion."*** --Eisenhower
posted on April 12, 2009 05:32:34 PM new
If I had to comb over every single thing and mark every flaw on every vintage thing I sold, I wouldn't have time to do any thing else. It's not ebay, where the buyer doesn't see the item until it arrives after they bought it. Customers have every opportunity to go over everything with a fine tooth comb in person. They can look at it under bright lights, take it to the front door and see it in natural light, everything.
Under a "new" retail situation, I can understand telling a customer or tagging something so that it indicates it is slightly damaged or open box. Those items are expected to be new.
posted on April 12, 2009 06:58:48 PM new
I've always, on both eBay and the real world tried to present the items that I sell in the most honest way that I can. If that means taking a loss on a flaw that I missed when I bought it, so be it. Just because an item is old doesn't mean it's buyer beware.
posted on April 13, 2009 12:37:17 PM new
I'm with Fluffy. The best responses I have ever had and the best "revenge" on my part is when I did not rise to their level of nastiness. It is hard, very hard. But the person hates that they did not get a rise out of me. It spoils all their fun.
In my 30+ years of teaching and education admin, when a parent called and ranted and raved for no real reason. I would listen, listen, listen and when they took a breath, I would thank them for calling and tell them to have a nice day and hang up. It took the wind out of their sails. They were waiting for me to defend myself or another teacher and it killed them not to be able to do a back and forth with me.
posted on April 13, 2009 02:17:35 PM new
Fluffy, I'm sorry that you didn't understand my intended humor and appreciation of your good advice. No "slam" was intended.
posted on April 13, 2009 02:28:08 PM new
that was my attitude as well.
the "chip" in question was so small (maybe 3-4mm at best), was located on the bottom of the mug where the base line is when it was painted and glazed. It even looked like it was original to the mug (before the glazing process) b/c the glaze even went into half of the chip. if you know much about pottery, you know what i mean.
had there been serious damage, like a real chip I wouldn't have bothered putting it out and priced the mugs individually.
i should add, the mugs also stacked which is why she bought them. i bet they didn't fit in her cabinet stacked as she had intended and she was looking for a way out.
insulting your business, complaining about the prices (after the fact), threatening telling her friends (which i'm not sure we would want as customers anyways), lying and being rude doesn't make me want to bother to respond to her.
posted on April 13, 2009 02:51:13 PM new
She obviously doesn't get our type of store. Sure, you can go to an estate sale or a thrift store and save yourself money.
Thrift stores product costs them zero. They have lower overhead b/c they can function at much lower costs by selling most ANYTHING and most are non-profits.
You can drive around town all day Saturday, all day Sunday putting wear and tear on your car, spending 10 hours of time, and so on going from estate sale to garage sale... If you enjoy the hunt, and don't mind the hidden costs, then so be it.
Most of our customers gladly come to our store because they know our store specializes in what we sell. They know what to expect when they walk in. They don't want to spend the time playing wack-a-mole (or as she would say..."smack-a-mug" sifting through everything else to find a hidden treasure.
She's also the same person who will be #112 in line at an estate sale that she arrived at 2 minutes before a 10am opening. She'll complain about all of the dealers ahead of her, some of which began waiting at 4am. Then she'll go to their store and tell other customers that she saw the dealer buy that clock for $30 and now is selling it for $100. she vilifies dealers for it, nevermind that her job feeds her at the cost of others.
posted on April 13, 2009 02:54:52 PM new
If there is one big lesson I have learned doing customer service for many companies over the years is that usually these type of customers end up being fairly pleasant when you work with them directly on the issue (even if you have to bite your tongue here and there and just go along with an obviously dramatized description of the issue.)
The problem with not addressing it at all is you risk them passing this information to anyone who will listen, and unfortunately the loudest of the squeaky wheels are often times hard to NOT listen to. Even if their friends know to take what they say with a few cups of salt, it could have an impact.
Personally, id explain that you wrapped them yourself and know that you didn't chip the cup, but if she's that unhappy with them you'd be happy to refund her the money back if she wants to bring them back in. This way you've at least let her know that you know her story about some mystery man damaging them is bogus while also offering her a way out if that's all she really wanted in the first place.
If she offers to pay less, than I would turn a bit colder and just say no dice.
posted on April 13, 2009 09:59:32 PM new
One of the postcard dealers I regularly buy from has some of her cards labeled "as is". Of course, all of her cards are sold "as is" and it really doesn't affect my decision to buy a card. It does, however, alert me when listing a card that there is a condition problem I need to make potential buyers aware of. I go shopping for cards with a close friend who used to disparage sellers who asked for higher than I am willing to pay prices. I finally pointed out that they were charging the same or less than I was asking on eBay - retail for collectors versus wholesale for dealers. Your storefront is very enticing, Shag, I will visit when I get my mid-century collector friend from Salem up for a visit.
posted on April 14, 2009 05:23:36 AM new
Do you want to be right? Or do you want to be happy?
Let's take what we know here.
First off. We know that the lady in question is very loud and very vocal. Think about that for a minute.
Second. Your first comment was: I sat back and thought, "She's one of THOSE shoppers."
Didn't you kind of enter into the whole situation with prejudice? When I first read it, I thought the same as some of the others, why the heck wouldn't you have pointed out the chip to the customer before you wrapped it out? Especially seeing as how it was going at the time.
IMHO suck it up, send her a gift certificate to your store with a note that you were the lowly employee that wrapped them up.
posted on April 14, 2009 06:00:40 AM new
The choice of what to do is in Shags court.
When I buy something in a store like Shags, I feel it is up to me to make sure the item meets my standards. I check glass for cracks and chips. I get the feeling the customer was aware of the chip otherwise why concoct the lie about the item being banged on the counter when Shag wrapped it?
Gift certificate??? that means Shag has to see her again no WAY.
The customer lied and is a PITA. Still if I were in Shags shoes and the customer had brought the item back to the store I would have offered a refund. Sending a blistering email gets you nothing sweetie.
posted on April 14, 2009 03:26:04 PM new
I'm with Shag here. When I purchase anything in a thrift store or antique store, I check the item myself. I run my hand around the rim and the base and I check the sides myself. There has been a time or two where I didn't do this and ended up bringing home a cracked for chipped item. I didn't email the owner. I didn't call the owner. I cussed at myself for not paying better attention. I'm not going to put it on the "clerk" or owner to do it. It's not eBay. Heck, I even check new items (buttons and zippers on clothing, etc.) before I buy them.
I wouldn't answer her at all. I'd let it go. She's probably the type that will squeeze the tomatoes in the grocery store and then complain when she takes a bruised one home.
posted on April 14, 2009 03:56:29 PM new
alldings & cheryl-
that is exactly how i felt about it. it was obvious her only intent was to burn that bridge, and personally, i was just fine with that.
as previously said, we sell vintage items. of the thousands of items we have for sale, there is a small percentage that are in pristine condition (those 1960's wedding gifts that never left their packages and we found in the attic). i didn't tell her not to look over everything. would you buy a house or car without driving or looking at it first?
glassgrl-
i'm perfectly happy. in fact, i have found the whole thing a bit amusing. I have to 100% wholeheartedly disagree with your notion that I prejudged her. To the contrary, I based my statement, "She's ONE of those shoppers" on one simple fact- She already started complaining loudly about prices within a minute of entering our store. She was exactly what I pegged her as... a loud mouth negative person whose whole mission in life is to try and spew her negativity onto others so that she can feel superior.
prejudice would have been if i judged her without any prior engagement or experience with her. her email only put an exclamation mark on her personality.
something i may not have made clear earlier was that i was extremely pleasant with her, even while she complained to her husband about prices. i spoke with her husband briefly as well. at no time was their any confrontation or incident between us when she was here in person (other than her whining about prices and how she could find things at estate sales for much less). i even offered to carry her mugs to the counter for her, but she stacked them together and brought them over. after they left i pretty much forgot about them until i got home and my girlfriend asked how my day went. then i mentioned the price whiner.
sifting through everything else to find a hidden treasure.