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Dealing with Online Order Issues: Tips for Managing Unhappy Customers

C
cookingabcs
I have a really upset host on my hands right now and I'm not really sure how to deal with it.

She had a friend place an online order towards her show (a $120 order mind you), at least she thought it was towards her show. I don't know exactly what she did or didn't do but ti got sent as a standard individual order and didn't get credited to the show. I call home office when I got the email about the order and wanted to find out if we could get it switched over to credit the show. The CSR that I talked to told me that all we could do is cancel the order, get the credit card info again and resubmit it order with the rest of the show, but to call back tomorrow because they don't download the online orders til midnight and they couldn't do anything about it yet. I took that as alright and called the next morning. So I sent the customer an email (didn't have a phone number) explaining the situation and asking for the credit information so that when I called in the morning we could fix the problem.

Well, when I called yesterday morning, the order had already been processed and was beign picked for shipment and they told me there wasn't anything they could do:eek: :eek: :mad: When I told the lady that the CSR I talked to Wed night said that we could do this and this she says "It's already in the picking process. The only thing we can do to have the show redited is that once UPS delivers the products, put a cancellation on the products and have UPS go back and pick them up as a return, then place a new order actually on the show." I said "Excuse me? You want to give a kid a chocolate chip cookie then snack it straight from him before he puts it in his mouth? You've got to be kidding me. There isn't something you can do in the computer system, just attach the kitchen show numbe to the order or anything?" I was fumming!!! My co-worker was listening to be grouch out this poor CSR rep. She said "I don't know who told you that we could fix it but they should have put a hold on any order that came in with your consultant number, that would have held it before it went to picking but there is a very small space of time for us to correct this type of issue. I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do to credit the show. You can email fieldservices with your complaint if you like" and she gave me a general email to send a written complaint too.

So I emailed the customer and told her to disreguard the email about credit information and told the host that she didn't get credit for it. I told her that I would give her an extra $10 in free products, which isn't the $30 that she would have gotten and this is the response I got from the host:

You don't have to give me the credit, Alison. The point for me isn't so much that I'm not credited for it but that the company is unwilling to fix it. It's more about the principle of customer service than it is about the actual money. I'm upset about the fact that they are unwilling to work with their customers when basic human error occurs (based on the message she left, Janette (the customer) THOUGHT she did it right so that I would get the credit). That part offends me much more than the credit. And it is unique to them because I've had issues with other companies, including mail order places like Amazon.com and even Crate and Barrell online and the issues are swiftly and satisfactorily resolved by the company--even when I made a mistake in the ordering, which I actually do fairly frequently because I am not a detail-oriented person and I will happily click away without checking myself. While I would certainly prefer having the extra credit to get more products, I can easily par down my wishlist and how much I actually "get" from hosting the show. The credit is not the point with me. I realize it is not your fault, and I'm not asking you to personally give me something to correct an error that is not yours, but it does taint my view of the company as a whole. And the effect is probably worse because I have had so many experiences where I've made an error and other companies have fixed things to undo my mistakes. Because of all those experiences, this one stands out even more in my mind as a negative reflection of customer service on the part of the company. Your customer service is good, you've gone above and beyond and to try to fix things, but the customer service of the larger entity is lacking and that is where my anger lies.

I'm definitely emailing fields services with my complaint but I'm turning to you all for suggestions as to how to deal with this host. She's one of my best friends too, which really stinks.

Thanks for letting me vent. I do feel a little better but PC has really upset me right now. :(

Any suggestions would be great.

God bless,
Alison
 
When you place an order on our websites, the customer must put in the host's name for it to go on the show. If they put the name in and it still went as an individual order there is a glitch in the site and HO should take care of it...but I don't know how you could prove it...

The turnaround for orders has been exceptional lately. I have submitted several shows and they were shipped the next day. This is great in one way, but if there is a problem it is not so great.

I would email HO and attach the email from your friend. The only way we can change policy is to let HO know what we need. I think the people who answer the phone are the "Low Man" when it comes to making decisions. We have to get in touch with the "higher ups" and voice our opinions, wants and needs.
 
I can not stress enough that if you do not get the answer you want then keep going higher! The majority of the time the csr that we are talking to know less about pc than us. If I do not like the answer then I keep asking for supervisors or higher up till I get it resolved. I always write down names as well and date/times. That way you can give that information to the higher ups when you have a problem like this. I am sorry you have had bad experience. They are usually few and far between.
 
I had this issue awhile back. Customer placed an order, it was suppossed to be with the funrasier, went to a individual order. She called HO and cancelled within 2 hours. They said no problem, it would get cancelled. The next day, I check shipment status, and it was ready to ship!! I called and I was told that they would "try" to have UPS redirect it back to them, once it got into UPS's system.. Well, UPS never got that message, and it was all up to me to get a hold of UPS (that is what the guys at HO said) I tried calling UPS and was told that in order for them to send it back, I would have to call once it got to the final sorting area, it got there at 4:30 am and left at 6:30 am the same day. Needless to say the customer was confused when the order she cancelled got delivered. Then we had to set up UPS to come pick it up and everything else.. It was a MAJOR hassle, but my customer was "kinda" understanding.. She ended up with all of her products through my fundraiser, and was happy. Oh btw, when she opened the box (cancelled order) when it was delivered, it was missing all kinds of stuff.. She couldn't beleive it!!!:eek: Kinda makes ya wonder who really pulls the strings there.
 
I had this happen last fall. A customer placed, like you, a $150 order for her friend which would have put her party over $500. I called HO to try to fix it, but they said nothing could be done. They said she would have to basically pay for it twice, wait for UPS to deliver the first order back to PC before she would be credited for the purchase. My host didn't want to inconveinence her friend so she let it go. I felt so bad!! It seems like there should be something they could do to fix it. They have to understand that not everyone can navigate a computer and website with no problems! I was so upset with the company when that happened. I didn't complain then, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed!

Sorry that happened to you Alison.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #6
send reply to HOI pretty much copied my post here and sent it to home office field services... that's hwere the CSR told me to send it when I talked to her. I haven't heard anything but it's so silly they can't change it in the computer... it's got nothing to do with the products, just adding some numbers in the computer system.:confused:
 
The one thing that really bothers me is that the website really can be confusing!
 
I sent HO an email with the wish that a customer could just choose from a list of shows. Then you don't have to worry about misspellings and that kind of thing. Maybe you all could and it would prompt them to add that kind of feature. Maybe a "click to order on a show" vs "click for an individual order" and then when they click on show it will say click on which show you want to order...suzy, mary, joe, etc...Wouldn't that be better? I think so...
I do find that the HO is pretty unflexible, which I understand, but am frustrated with.
 
speedychef said:
Maybe a "click to order on a show" vs "click for an individual order" and then when they click on show it will say click on which show you want to order...suzy, mary, joe, etc...Wouldn't that be better? I think so...


Great Idea! I do like that!

I've actually experienced the same problem as Alison and I felt terrible! The host was upset, I was upset and so was the woman who ordered. The buyer and I were going to cancel the order so we could add it on to the hosts show (which she ended up having an $830 catalog show!) and then the buyer decided it was too much of an hassell to deal with all of it. (mind you, she placed an $110 order and paid $14 for s/h on top of that) So she decided to place the exact same order (who lives right next to the host) and have it be a surprise to her daughter. It was a wonderful surprise to her.:D

What stinks is that HO told me to call the next day to cancel it but when I did first thing, they said it was already picking so then I couldn't cancel it. I know exactly what you are experiencing Alison and I'm sorry that you got such a crappy letter from your host. I hope HO will resolve this issue for you.:) ;)
 
  • #10
Chef Kearns said:
I had this happen last fall. A customer placed, like you, a $150 order for her friend which would have put her party over $500. I called HO to try to fix it, but they said nothing could be done. They said she would have to basically pay for it twice, wait for UPS to deliver the first order back to PC before she would be credited for the purchase. My host didn't want to inconveinence her friend so she let it go. I felt so bad!! It seems like there should be something they could do to fix it. They have to understand that not everyone can navigate a computer and website with no problems! I was so upset with the company when that happened. I didn't complain then, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed!

Sorry that happened to you Alison.
I had the customer e-mail or call (can't remember which) when this very same thing happened to me. HO gave her a hard time about it but did cancell the order. But I was able to add the order to the show. Its hard to say why the customer gets it wrong!! I think the PWS is not very user friendly.
 
  • #11
hey all, this post is two years old! no need to resurrect the dead!
 

1. "What should I do if a customer is upset about an online order issue?"

First, apologize for the inconvenience and acknowledge the customer's frustration. Then, try to find a solution by contacting the company's customer service department and explaining the situation. If necessary, offer compensation or a resolution that will satisfy the customer.

2. "How can I get an online order credited towards a show?"

Contact the company's customer service department and explain the situation. They may be able to cancel the order and re-submit it with the correct information, or they may have another solution. It's important to act quickly in these situations, as there is a small window of time for corrections to be made.

3. "What should I do if the company is unwilling to fix an online order error?"

If the customer service representative is unable to help, ask to speak to a supervisor or contact the company's field services department. You can also file a written complaint to express your dissatisfaction with the company's customer service.

4. "How can I handle a situation where a friend is upset about an online order issue?"

It's important to separate your personal relationship from the business issue at hand. Be understanding and offer a sincere apology for the inconvenience. Try to find a solution that will satisfy both the customer and the company, such as offering compensation or a resolution that will make up for the mistake.

5. "What should I do if a customer is more upset about the company's customer service than the actual mistake?"

In these situations, it's important to listen to the customer's concerns and validate their feelings. Apologize for the company's lack of customer service and assure them that you will file a complaint with the appropriate department. Offer a sincere apology and try to find a solution that will satisfy the customer. It may also be helpful to recommend that the customer contacts the company's field services department to express their concerns.

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