Rant Black Friday Mis-Order: How to Handle a Repeat Customer's Mistake

[pamperedberry]

I had a Black Friday sale, and had a repeat customer ask me if the sale was good on the outlet. I told her to order it through the web site, forward me the confirmation and I would refund her the difference. I never got an online order, so I assumed that she didn't see anything that she wanted. This morning, she sent me her order confirmation. She ordered through another consultant's web site!!! I politely replied that it was ordered through someone else's site, and I couldn't give her the refund. She replied that "you told me to order it directly through the web site, and it WAS at 3:16 AM!".

How do you recommend that I handle this? She's a repeat customer (and a previous PC consultant herself). I really don't want to lose her business! It was a $33 order....so about $8 out of my pocket. Sheesh!!!! :grumpy:

 

[ChefBeckyD]

If she's a former PC consultant, then she should know that she'd have to order through you to get the discount.

You can't give her a discount on an order never placed. Common sense should tell her that.

 

[deanna_g]

The fact that she was even on another consultant's website means that you've already lost a customer, in my eyes. She's got at least one other consultant that she's buying from. She shouldn't expect you to give her money for ordering from another consultant. She screwed up and doesn't want to admit it. I say forget about her.

 

[Becca_in_MD]

If she wants the discount, she has to contact HO to see if they'll cancel her order. Then she can order through you if you're willing to extend the discount to her past your Black Friday date. Next time, don't offer to refund people the difference. Have it go through a catalog show on your PWS so you can adjust their charge amount before submitting it. Not that people pay attention to those instructions, either!

 

[Becca_in_MD]

The fact that she was even on another consultant's website means that you've already lost a customer, in my eyes. She's got at least one other consultant that she's buying from. She shouldn't expect you to give her money for ordering from another consultant. She screwed up and doesn't want to admit it. I say forget about her.

She could have gone to the main PC website and gone through the lead system.

 

[Nanisu]

If you gave her directions and she didn't follow them, she loses. Once again, if you go to Target and buy something and leave your coupon at home....oh well.

 

[minirottie]

I'd try and as gently as possible explain that since she ordered it through another consultant, you can't honor the request...

 

[gailz2]

Are you kidding? I can't believe she would even think you should give her the discount when ordering from someone else's website. I would, however, offer to her to cancel her order, then reorder through you and give your discount from Black Friday.

 

[ShellBeach]

Rant away! This is a perfect example of why I don't have a personal website anymore! Stuff like this was always happening to my customers and I never got commission on my sales, even after calling HO and explaining they could look at my past shows and see they were previous hosts of mine. They need to change their software to let customers pick their consultant at checkout, not at the beginning and then have timers that expire and reset to the open lead system.


The only way to do this is have her cancel the order and then re-order through you.
Good luck!

 

[wadesgirl]

If you wanted to be funny, tell her to contact the other consultant to see if she would honor your discount She what she says to that. I'm totally joking though but I agree that you should not have to honor anything that you are not making money on. It was nice enough of you to honor the fact that she was going to place it online. I would have told her no from the get go if I was asked that only because it gets so confusing

 

[raebates]

I would respond this way:I'm so sorry. I can understand how frustrated you must be. However, I can't really refund you something that wasn't ordered through me. That would mean I was actually paying you to order from someone else. LOL! You can contact the home office [number/email] and ask if they will cancel the order. If they'll let you do that and you re-order through my website [website link], I'll be glad to honor the discount I offered.

 

[deanna_g]

True....it could have been through the home office lead system....HOWEVER, she's a former PC Consultant! She should know better. And it says the consultant's name that you're ordering from pretty clearly on the website, doesn't it? She didn't follow instructions, so I say oh well. However, if HO will cancel her order, and she wants to go through you, I'd honor that. But no way under heaven would I give her $8 for ordering from another consultant. Heck no.

 

[minirottie]

They need to change their software to let customers pick their consultant at checkout, not at the beginning and then have timers that expire and reset to the open lead system.

I didn't realize the sites did that...

 

[flemings99]

I think the frustrating part of pc.com is they can search for their consultant but unless they know the exact spelling of the first/last name and the exact city/st. they AREN'T going to find you.

I go by Barb, but if a client were to enter Barb Kansas City, MO I wouldn't be found even if they entered my last name. Also if they entered Barbara Fleming but didn't know KC, I wouldn't be found. Or if my name was misspelled any it wouldn't pull me up. I wish it had a search type feature that customers could use without having to enter exact data or all fields.

 

[BethCooks4U]

I think the frustrating part of pc.com is they can search for their consultant but unless they know the exact spelling of the first/last name and the exact city/st. they AREN'T going to find you.

I go by Barb, but if a client were to enter Barb Kansas City, MO I wouldn't be found even if they entered my last name. Also if they entered Barbara Fleming but didn't know KC, I wouldn't be found. Or if my name was misspelled any it wouldn't pull me up. I wish it had a search type feature that customers could use without having to enter exact data or all fields.

Send that to HO. The more times they hear this and the more consultants who say it the more likely they'll fix it!

 

[ShellBeach]

And it says the consultant's name that you're ordering from pretty clearly on the website, doesn't it?
If that timer goes off, it reverts back to pamperedchef.com. Very easy to miss that you're not in a consultant's .biz site anymore, since all the pages look roughly the same.

Yes, I've tried finding myself too on friend's PCs and it doesn't find me!
After 3 years of giving the complicated directions of how to make sure I get the commission, and still losing my sales to some stranger, I've found it easier to just say, please call me with your order so I can get the commission.


Let us know what she says about returning the order. That is more than fair, you can honor your terms if she does that, but I sure wouldn't pay $8 to give somebody else a commission!

 

[Sheila]

Customers can not search online for overseas military consultants. It's not an option.

I agree that if you didn't get commission you should not have to honor the discount.

If you think she's just a "gimme" personality, I'd find a nice way to explain that you were giving the discounts from your commission check and when you don't make a commission, you can't offer the discount.

If you think she had the right intention but is just not computer saavy and made a one time mistake I'd pay the $8 to keep her happy. But I'd also make sure that she understands how commission works and that this is a one time thing ... that you will not be able to continue reimbursing for discounts on purchases made with other consultants.

 

[pamperedlinda]

I'd give her the credit on a future order that she places with you.

 

[pamperedberry]

Thanks everyone! I ended up talking to her yesterday and we worked out a compromise....I'm giving her an $8 credit on her next order placed with ME! She was happy with that......I didn't have to go out of pocket, and she still gets her discount!