What to Do About Backordered Item

Help!! What do I do? I had a cooking show on July 7th and one of the customers had ordered a salad chopper which ended up being back-ordered. Because the hostess was going on vacation, I put the party in her name, but put my address for c/o delivery.

Several days after submitting I received an email stating that the back-ordered item had been shipped. My family left around July 26th for our vacation and it still hadn't arrived.

When I got back, it still hadn't arrived, so I started wondering if maybe it had been sent to her. I called the customer and left a message since she wasn't there stating, "That her salad chopper had been back-ordered (which she would have known by now), and that it had been mailed out. If she had not received it, please call me so I could take care of it." I then left my number and I think I even said, "If I don't hear back from you, I will assume you received it."

And since I didn't hear back from her, I assumed she had gotten it. I am new, so I didn't know that I was the one who should have received it. Know that now. :balloon:

So anyway! The hostess called me last weekend (a month after my call to the customer) saying that the customer never got her back-ordered item. I told the hostess I was sorry, that I had called the customer and didn't hear back from her, so I assumed she had received it. I also told her, that I would call HO first thing Monday morning and find out what happened. She said the customer never mentioned my phone call. Not sure if she got it (maybe someone else took message and didn't give to her), or if she just ignored it, or if she misunderstood it.

Anyway! I called the customer again on Monday and left a message since she didn't answer, and then called the hostess to also tell her what happened to cover my bases in the case the customer didn't get the message again. Turns out the salad chopper was sent the first time by Smart Post? (Fed Ex to the post office thing) and the delivery was denied. ??? Looks like they tried to deliver a couple of times. At least one of those times, we were on vacation.

Soooo, I finally received the salad chopper in the mail today. What would you do? Just give the salad chopper to the hostess to give to the customer and leave it at that? Or should I included something in there with it as a sorry this took so long? What would you suggest?

TIA,
Tracy

I would add in a Season's Best and a hand written note with my apologies! Customer Service will pay off in the long run!!

I agree with a Season's Best and a hand written apology.

I had thought about a SB too. Thanks!! How would you word the apology?

Tracy

mscharf said:

I would add in a Season's Best and a hand written note with my apologies! Customer Service will pay off in the long run!!

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My thoughts exactly. Even though it wasn't your fault, it will keep the customer feeling good about the situation and your relationship with her. GL!

I think adding a little something is a great idea! A SB is always a nice gesture, and I would give her a business card magnet so she has your number on hand so she can get you right away if she needs you.

I agree, a SB would be a good gesture.

I have learned not to rely on answering machines, and never assume that if someone doesn't get back to me it means that an issue was taken care of!

One thing I've learnd in life is to never assume. Don't leave the ball in their court, it's not up to them to get a hold of you. It's up to you to take care of them.