watch out for hatsupply.com

[Joel Tunnah]

...Although earlier in this thread I stated that the female employee at hatsupply.com needs an attitude adjustment, I don't believe she should be fired. I DO think she needs to explain herself to the owner.

She is the owner.

 

[Mark G]

I've dealt with Hatsupply twice and have been very pleased. When I called, I got an answering machine and received a return call shortly, she was very friendly and took my order over the phone. I don't know of many places where you can find some of these items... hat bodies, milliners ribbon etc. I've had a hard time finding hat making supplies anywhere, it seems it's a very closed society, and I've done quite a bit of searching to find anybody that will sell you anything.

 

[Miss Crisplock]

Oh dear. I have a few ideas on the subject of "customer service". I will preface my comments with the information that I have just graduated from a University management course where "Customer Service" was one of the courses. It was taught by a trainer from the Ritz-Carlton. I am an aestheticain and have worked (and owned) spas.

One of the first things he said and I concur, is that a companies FIRST customer is their staff. If the staff are poorly treated, it will be reflected in their level of service. No one should be abused on the job.

The second is that the customer is not, alas, always right. I am sure I do not need to elaborate on the volitle mix of young, attractive staff serving underdressed gentlemen. There really ARE limits to customer behavior.

The third is the story of the Ritz-Carlton trainer HANGING UP (can you imagine?) on a guest. As you can imagine, the guest used profanity and asked the nationality of the trainer. This was rewarded with a dial tone.

As successfull as the Ritz-Carlton is in customer service, there are guests (a very, very small number of guests) that are requested to find lodging elsewhere.

Yes, management HATES that.

I do not know the particulars of this transaction, and I am very sorry the parties are not able to come to an amicable resolution, but this is sometimes the case. As an owner, I would stand on my head for a customer, but I am not willing to get on my knees. As a manager, I have to balance the customers wishes with the specter of staff retention; in a spa, the quality of my staff IS my product. I understand that the lady is however, the owner? In this instance, it may well be that there is another dynamic at work; there will be a conflict if the owner is a lady, and the customer, is not, however, a gentleman.

Nobody goes into business to lose money or clients. I am very sorry that both seem to have been lost on this transaction.

I do appologize for rambling and spelling (or lack thereof).

 

[Joel Tunnah]

I understand that the lady is however, the owner? In this instance, it may well be that there is another dynamic at work; there will be a conflict if the owner is a lady, and the customer, is not, however, a gentleman.

You imply (and others have as well) that there is a possibility that this whole thing is due to my being rude to this woman. Maybe you feel you need to suggest things like this because she is not here to defend herself - as though it isn't a fair fight, or something. As far as I know, there is absolutely nothing keeping her from signing on to the Lounge, and telling everyone her side of the story. She was even sent a link to this thread.

Second, let me remind all of you "the customer isn't always right" people about the relevant facts: she agreed to take back an item and refund my card; she received the item, and then after 6 weeks, still had not refunded my credit card. Period. End of story. She is already wrong, and we haven't even talked on the phone yet.

To top it off, as of last night, she still hadn't refunded my card, and I was forced to call my credit card company and dispute the charges.

Whether I was the biggest jerk ever on the phone or not makes no difference. She has both the merchandise, AND my money! How can I be "wrong" in this scenario?

Joel

 

["Doc" Devereux]

You imply (and others have as well) that there is a possibility that this whole thing is due to my being rude to this woman.

I've noticed this as a subtext, too, and found it a little disturbing. Since one person here has dealt with Joel before, let me quote them in his defence:

I know from my dealing with Joel that he is a stand-up guy and very understanding in situations that don't pan out as expected. Please don't read my posts as questioning anything that Joel has stated. However, being that I have had pleasant dealings with this company, I felt it only fair to post the information so that anyone wandering along and reading this thread can see that there is more than one point of view. There is no reason to be rude to a customer, especially if they are being pleasant, and I know Joel is a pleasant guy.

Now if this is becoming a discussion of customer service as a wider field, maybe that's worth stating explicitly before any of us start to find these undercurrents directly offensive.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Joel, my friend, I am with you 100%....

You imply (and others have as well) that there is a possibility that this whole thing is due to my being rude to this woman. Maybe you feel you need to suggest things like this because she is not here to defend herself - as though it isn't a fair fight, or something. As far as I know, there is absolutely nothing keeping her from signing on to the Lounge, and telling everyone her side of the story. She was even sent a link to this thread.

Second, let me remind all of you "the customer isn't always right" people about the relevant facts: she agreed to take back an item and refund my card; she received the item, and then after 6 weeks, still had not refunded my credit card. Period. End of story. She is already wrong, and we haven't even talked on the phone yet.

To top it off, as of last night, she still hadn't refunded my card, and I was forced to call my credit card company and dispute the charges.

Whether I was the biggest jerk ever on the phone or not makes no difference. She has both the merchandise, AND my money! How can I be "wrong" in this scenario?

Joel

I empathize with you completely!.... probably more so because of my recent experience with my 'Crossroads' jacket (as mentioned in a previous post on this thread). I believe that many business owners (and their staff) have forgotten the basic, fundamental, core reason that they are in business to begin with... and that is to SERVE. I believe that there is a tendancy for many to become EXPERTS who condescend to bless us (the consumer) with their expertise and wisdom. (This is certainly the feeling I had in my own aforementioned transaction.)

To everyone who has opined herein, I recommend a little training video called "Give 'em The Pickle" by a guy called Bob Farrell. He's the guy that gave us 'Farrell's Ice Cream Parlors' where we all had such fun as kids. Bob became a wealthy man and tutored many a young man and woman in the fine art of SERVICE during his tenure at Farrell's. All of us who work... and serve... for a living would do well to learn from him.

http://www.giveemthepickle.com/

Personally, at my age, I'm fed up with businesses that want to prosper by selling me stuff for a profit, solicit my patronage, and then FAIL to serve my needs to my satisfaction. I have no problem telling my ten people about the lousy experience.

I'll bet if these businesses received ten hand written letters from our little 'consumer's union' (the FL), they'd change their attitudes post haste knowing that the web is talking about them and receiving negative commentary on their SERVICE. Give me that address - I'm in the writin' mood right now!

-Dixon Cannon
Consumer

 

[BigSho]

Joel I wasn't tryingto imply that you were wrong. Idon't knwo if it was taken that way but I don't think you are. I wouldn't have even waited as long as you have befre I stuck it to her. Waiting six weeks or more to refund someones return is unexcusable for any buisness.

Jeremy
Hats Plus Ltd.

 

[majormoore]

The month before Christmas I took a order for a hat from a customer(lady) on the phone, she told me she wanted this style hat I build and so on, I said it would be ready a few days before Christmas. All along this time frame until the 23rd of Dec, I kept getting a call from (lady) who I thought was the same one who ordered the hat from me, asking about this type of hat. I thought she sure has called me a lot about this hat.

On Dec 23rd at 10:30 AM , I get a call asking if the hat was ready, I told her it was and to pick it up at 5PM, about 1:30 that afternoon, I got a call (lady) asking if the hat would be ready, I stated, "I told you this morning it would be ready at 5PM, there was no response from her for a few seconds, then she asked, when did you tell me. I knew right then I had made a huge mistake, and I was dealing with two different ladies.

Both ladies had wanted the same style hat, both wanted the same color, and both of their husbands were named Bob, the only thing one was a 7 1/4 and the other a 7 1/8.

At 5 PM they both show up, I give the one hat to the 7 1/4 lady, the other lady, I told her I would stay up all night and block and sand and make her hat at all cost, she sort of thought I think, oh yea, this is what I hear all the time.

She told me that's ok, I'll give him a card and tell him it's being built, I told her the hell you will, I will, make this hat if I have to stay up two days, you will have it before Christmas morning. I don't think she really thought I would do it.

I called her on the morning of the 24th, told her it was done and ready for "me to bring it to her" she could not believe I did what I said I would do, I took it to her at around 1:30 that afternoon, and she was shocked, that I did this. She was so happy, and it made me happy to see her so happy, because it was the big gift she was giving her husband. She told me "never before have I had service on anything like this"

On the 26th of Dec, I get two orders for two more hats, one from her brother, and the other from her brother in law, they both wanted one like the one I made but in another color, they saw the hat Christmas day when she gave it as a gift.

So there are times when you have to cowboy up and get it done at all cost.

Mike Moore

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Wow, Mike. Bravissimo! :eusa_clap

That's the kind of service which instantly makes me someone's customer for life. I'm really pleased to see how well it paid off for you, too.

 

[majormoore]

I made the mistake, and I made good that the hat would be ready before Christmas. And I was proud of myself also of keeping my word.

Mike

 

["Doc" Devereux]

I made the mistake, and I made good that the hat would be ready before Christmas. And I was proud of myself also of keeping my word.

Mike

My point exactly. That kind of personal responsibility is why I prefer to deal with small businesses - in fact, I prefer to deal with people rather than businesses. Knowing that when someone gives me their word I can trust them to keep it is the difference between a one-shot deal and a long-term business relationship as far as I'm concerned.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Good job, Mike. Now why didn't these ladies' parents teach them to state their name whenever calling someone on the telephone? To someone I know, "This is Ashley, may I speak to Van?" To someone I may not or don't know, "My name is Ashley Black. I'd like to etc." There. No confusion. My dad even had us answer the telephone "Black residence". I still do.

 

[CanadaDoll]

That's fantastic!!!
I love to hear stories about good customer service!
I find it not only thrills the customer, but I feel great when they're practically cartwheeling out the store. and I'm sure her husband was thrilled.
My boss has gone so far as to drive a lady home and hang her painting for her, just for good service.

Do you make ladies hats too?

 

[majormoore]

Ashley, I agree 100% on the phone thing, I always state my name when calling and when I answer the phone, that way you know who you are talking to and who you may have called.

I learned this back in grade school back in the early 60's, just like counting money back to someone, it's just good business. Matter of fact my two daughters years ago were working part time at a place and one day I walked in and the owner said, "in all my 10 years in business, never has anyone worked here, that counted the money back to the customers as your girls do, I love it." "and they always tell the customer when they hand the money to them, out of what ever amount was handed to them for the sale, before they do anything" I told the owner, by doing that the girls are making the customer agree on the amount they handed them, and by counting back the money the customers don't get short changed.

I have always done this and always will.

These things don't cost a dime and add so much to a business.

Mike

 

[BegintheBeguine]

(wish some of the people I work with knew that.)

 

[Pilgrim]

I presume that Joel was NOT rude or in any way provocative to the woman (I didn't say lady) on the phone.

If she's the owner, then I return to my earlier statement: no way am I doing business with them.

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Oh dear. I have a few ideas on the subject of "customer service". I will preface my comments with the information that I have just graduated from a University management course where "Customer Service" was one of the courses. It was taught by a trainer from the Ritz-Carlton. I am an aestheticain and have worked (and owned) spas.

One of the first things he said and I concur, is that a companies FIRST customer is their staff. If the staff are poorly treated, it will be reflected in their level of service. No one should be abused on the job.

The second is that the customer is not, alas, always right. I am sure I do not need to elaborate on the volitle mix of young, attractive staff serving underdressed gentlemen. There really ARE limits to customer behavior.

The third is the story of the Ritz-Carlton trainer HANGING UP (can you imagine?) on a guest. As you can imagine, the guest used profanity and asked the nationality of the trainer. This was rewarded with a dial tone.

As successfull as the Ritz-Carlton is in customer service, there are guests (a very, very small number of guests) that are requested to find lodging elsewhere.

Yes, management HATES that.

I do not know the particulars of this transaction, and I am very sorry the parties are not able to come to an amicable resolution, but this is sometimes the case. As an owner, I would stand on my head for a customer, but I am not willing to get on my knees. As a manager, I have to balance the customers wishes with the specter of staff retention; in a spa, the quality of my staff IS my product. I understand that the lady is however, the owner? In this instance, it may well be that there is another dynamic at work; there will be a conflict if the owner is a lady, and the customer, is not, however, a gentleman.

Nobody goes into business to lose money or clients. I am very sorry that both seem to have been lost on this transaction.

I do appologize for rambling and spelling (or lack thereof).

All of this is excellent and I concur. However, your statement, "I would stand on my head for a customer, but I am not willing to get on my knees" is so beautiful I'm dabbing my eyes with my vintage Christmas (still using them until January 1st) hanky. Honestly, having worked in organizational development and now a business owner, you really nailed it!

 

[Miss Crisplock]

Thanks, but thinking it over, it isn't true. I DID get down on my knees for a customer - in a hotel room at 3am no less. I was representing a skin care line and did a facial on a potential client. We were both in the same city at a convention, and couldn't get together until the wee hours. She was reclining on the bed with her feet at the head while I did the facial.

I got the account.

Now, the time I left the reception after my Father's funeral to meet with the head of the company that had just flown in....

Looking back I would have said I'm sorry, but I just can't be there. :eusa_doh: One really can spend too much of oneself on the business.

My 2 cents. Your opinion may vary.

 

[ledsled]

do follow-up please

What an interesting thread... taking several twists and turns, but coming back to the original topic.

Joel, good luck resolving this matter. Once you put the charge in dispute, I think that will put an abrupt end to the financial saga. If you have any further follow-up tales, please come back and share them.

MajorMoore: Good for you! :eusa_clap When you have a chance, please post pictures (or links to pictures) of your work.

 

[majormoore]

I would like too, but saw a few weeks ago that the owner of the site here, came down hard on a few hatters for maybe doing that.

Don't want to get in trouble around here.

Mike