RE: CASE ID [redacted] Dear [redacted], I am very saddened to read Ms. [redacted] account of our interactions. I truly believe that I went above and beyond in customer service and unfortunately my attempt to do the right thing has been severely misinterpreted and, I believe, misrepresented in her account....
Ms. [redacted] purchased books from the previous owners of [redacted] in October of 2014, and then returned two of them to me in November of 2014, alter the transfer of ownership had occurred. The two books are not standard paperback books. One of the books is a handmade book bound in gold foil cardstock and the other is a spiral bound collection of papers that has only slightly heavier paper as a cover. In other words, delicate and easily damaged. When the books were sent to her, they would have been carefully wrapped in either a cardboard box with substantial padding and protection, or a cardboard "folder" (just like a corrugated cardboard box but one that wraps around the product tightly, ensuring protection during mailing), We take great care In shipping our books to ensure they arrive without damage, and we happily and promptly replace books that are damaged or lost while in the custody of the US Post Office. Ms. [redacted], however, returned her books in a plastic bubble mailer without any support or structure of any kind and thy were, as I think most people could predict, damaged in shipping. Ms. [redacted] also seems to think that our returns policy has changed from the previous owners. Let me be clear: our returns policy has not changed. I have added additional language to our returns page to hopefully prevent future confusion, but the policy itself is the same. Here is a copy of the first sentence on the returns policy page that was posted when Ms. [redacted] purchased her books (obtained from backup, emphasis mine): If the content of a book does not meet your needs, we will be happy to issue a store credit for books returned In saleable condition within 30 days. Ms. [redacted] did NOT return her books in saleable condition. I consulted with the previous owner (to ensure consistency of policy) and she advised me to either return both books to Ms. [redacted] (for arriving outside of the 30-day window) or to send the more delicate book back to Ms. [redacted] with a note stating that due to her unprotected packaging the book was damaged and is not returnable, and to give her store credit only for the hardier paperback. However, I was delayed In responding to Ms. [redacted] until December 2014, so I chose to give her full store credit as a [redacted] gesture, despite the books being not returnable. I also apologized for the delay, stated that she "should hove already received a gift certificate from us," and let her know the books had been damaged In transit and to please pack the books carefully if she should return them in the future. I believe that I did this kindly and with [redacted]. Before writing back to Ms. [redacted], I issued her a store credit using the same method as the previous owners of the store, which is to issue a store gift certificate with a 90-day expiration date. Email with details about the gift certificate including the expiration date of March 29, 2015 was sent automatically by our system to the same email we had been communicating with up to that point, and from the same email we had been communicating with. In other words: no reason this one email would go to spam when none of the others had done so. Ms. [redacted] wrote back in January 2015 complaining that she "had no way to know how the post would handle her package," that we should have sample pages to prevent returns and comparing our shipping practices to [redacted].com. I responded and apologized for her frustration and reminded her that she had received a full store credit despite my being unable to sell the books at full price. I also thanked her for her suggestions to Improve the store, explained that we are not [redacted].com and don't have the same policies, and encouraged her to please let me know if she had any questions at all or needed any further clarification on packing books for return. I did not hear from her again until August 2015. In August of 2015, Ms. [redacted] wrote me to ask for a new gift certificate code. She said that her previous gift certificate had gone to spam and she had not found it prior to the expiration date. She said that I had never mentioned an expiration date and didn't feel that she had any reason to check and had assumed she would be able to use the gift certificate whenever she chose to. Again, I consulted with the previous owner of [redacted] who advised me to stick to the store polices and not issue a new gift certificate. However, in a misguided attempt to try and save this customer relationship, I again chose to give Ms. [redacted] a new gift certificate as a [redacted] gesture. However, due to the long time elapsed since the original purchase, the 5 months elapsed since the first gift certificate had expired and the damage of the original return I issued the new gift certificate for 50% of the original one, or $15.71. In my email to her, I apologized for her trouble, reiterated our long standing policies, and reminded her to look In her inbox or the gift certificate and use It within the 90 day window. Ms. [redacted] wrote back and said that she had bought the books from the previous owner, not me, and had "returned the books exactly as prescribed on the website at the time" (incorrect) and that the website also said that she "would receive a cash refund, not store credit," (incorrect) and that she was not familiar with store credits having expiration dates. She also stated that she felt that she was being unjustly penalized. According to the timestamp on your complaint, she then filed a complaint without waiting for a response from me. As I was unaware at the time, I wrote Ms. [redacted] back in response. In that final email to Ms. [redacted], I agreed that she did indeed buy the books from the previous owner and as such I had not received any of the revenue associated with the order and was continuing to offer credit as a [redacted] gesture. I said that I was sorry that she did not see it as such. I also stated that I was sorry she felt our policies were unfair. informed her that our policies had not changed with our new ownership and that the previous owners would have returned the books to her. I also took the time to explain about common, well-known stores that have expirations on store credits, such as [redacted], and [redacted], and apologized that she had not heard of such policies before. Finally, I stated that I was unable to offer her additional credit at this time. I stated that if the gift certificate I had issued her was unacceptable, I would be happy to cancel it and re-send her back the original books she returned. As I said in the opening of this letter, I believe that I have gone above and beyond in trying to forge a positive working relationship with Ms. [redacted], and I stand by my decision. She has already received a partial credit for $15.71 in replacement for her damaged returned books and subsequent expired gift certificate. If that is unacceptable I am happy to cancel it and send her back the original books.
Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
the seller's account of the situation is untrue, and from the language used in her communications, I can see that the seller is more interested in promoting her ego than reaching a resolution. As it stands right now, I have neither the books I ordered nor the money I paid for these books. I do not find this ethical business practice, especially for a store selling materials designed for children. I had already heard bad reviews of this bookstore from others in the Waldorf community, but I thought my order was simple enough, and I would rather support an independent bookseller than a huge corporation.
Again, the books were returned in a padded mailer in the same manner as I’ve received countless books from [redacted] and other booksellers. It is unconscionable that I am being blamed for the damage the books occurred while in transit, since there were absolutely no instructions as to how to pack the books on the seller’s website. I’ve received undamaged books wrapped in brown paper or a simple unpadded plastic mailer more often than I can count. That she should seek to attack my intelligence in her response is very telling of this whole fiasco.
There are too many inaccuracies and false assumptions in her response to untangle. She is inaccurate in claiming the books arrived outside of the 30-day window; I received confirmation from the post office. She claims she notified me that she would be sending a separate email with a gift certificate. False.
When inquiring about getting a time extension to use the “gift certificate” (which was really just my money she has refused to return any other way), her response was, “It is unfortunate that you didn’t follow up on the gift certificate to make sure it arrived properly after I told you I would be sending one.” That is the definition of violent communication. (I assume most adults are familiar with Dr. [redacted] work, on which almost every current model of conflict resolution is based.) This type of language used in such a mundane interaction is reflective of much unprocessed emotional grief. As such, it has absolutely no place in a business transaction. I do not know why this storeowner is so angry, and quite frankly, it is none of my business. I entered into a contract to purchase books, not become the emotional dumping ground for a stranger’s out-of-check emotions.
Perhaps I can also “take the time to explain about common, well know stores that [do NOT] have expirations on their store credits,” such as[redacted]…
Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to address the inflammatory phrase used several times in the latest response. The seller claims she has “gone above and beyond” in her customer service. Perhaps I can also “take the time to explain” the meaning of above and beyond. We are small business owners, too. We would never remotely consider burning a customer over $31.41. On a consistent basis, my husband makes amends for customers’ oversight or mistakes by offering his time and service to remedy any problems customers may have encountered with his products or original service. He spends hours every week on trouble calls, fixing issues that customers have caused through their own ignorance or neglect, all without billing a consultation fee. His hourly rate is $125/hr. We could rightly charge, but there are times when it is simply just not right. We like to ere on the side of decency and not overcharging customers. I believe that is the idea of going “above and beyond” what is legally required in order to reach the fairest conclusion.
Last example of exemplary customer service: We are having a custom home built. Ordered all materials from the builder, but after talking with the designer realized we would come closer to staying in budget by decreasing the width of the marble counter to be used over the kitchen island. The builder originally said it was too late to change the order. A few hours later, he said we could go ahead and change our order after all. Guess which piece of marble arrived? The thicker, more expensive one. I was fully ready to pay for the original order, but the builder took responsibility and made sure we got what we wanted. I don’t know what he will do with a custom cut piece of marble, but I guarantee it cost him more than $31.41. I find this builder’s business ethics more fitting of the description “going above and beyond.”Sincerely,[redacted]
RE: CASE ID [redacted] Dear [redacted], I am very saddened to read Ms. [redacted] account of our interactions. I truly believe that I went above and beyond in customer service and unfortunately my attempt to do the right thing has been severely misinterpreted and, I believe, misrepresented in her account....
Ms. [redacted] purchased books from the previous owners of [redacted] in October of 2014, and then returned two of them to me in November of 2014, alter the transfer of ownership had occurred. The two books are not standard paperback books. One of the books is a handmade book bound in gold foil cardstock and the other is a spiral bound collection of papers that has only slightly heavier paper as a cover. In other words, delicate and easily damaged. When the books were sent to her, they would have been carefully wrapped in either a cardboard box with substantial padding and protection, or a cardboard "folder" (just like a corrugated cardboard box but one that wraps around the product tightly, ensuring protection during mailing), We take great care In shipping our books to ensure they arrive without damage, and we happily and promptly replace books that are damaged or lost while in the custody of the US Post Office. Ms. [redacted], however, returned her books in a plastic bubble mailer without any support or structure of any kind and thy were, as I think most people could predict, damaged in shipping. Ms. [redacted] also seems to think that our returns policy has changed from the previous owners. Let me be clear: our returns policy has not changed. I have added additional language to our returns page to hopefully prevent future confusion, but the policy itself is the same. Here is a copy of the first sentence on the returns policy page that was posted when Ms. [redacted] purchased her books (obtained from backup, emphasis mine): If the content of a book does not meet your needs, we will be happy to issue a store credit for books returned In saleable condition within 30 days. Ms. [redacted] did NOT return her books in saleable condition. I consulted with the previous owner (to ensure consistency of policy) and she advised me to either return both books to Ms. [redacted] (for arriving outside of the 30-day window) or to send the more delicate book back to Ms. [redacted] with a note stating that due to her unprotected packaging the book was damaged and is not returnable, and to give her store credit only for the hardier paperback. However, I was delayed In responding to Ms. [redacted] until December 2014, so I chose to give her full store credit as a [redacted] gesture, despite the books being not returnable. I also apologized for the delay, stated that she "should hove already received a gift certificate from us," and let her know the books had been damaged In transit and to please pack the books carefully if she should return them in the future. I believe that I did this kindly and with [redacted]. Before writing back to Ms. [redacted], I issued her a store credit using the same method as the previous owners of the store, which is to issue a store gift certificate with a 90-day expiration date. Email with details about the gift certificate including the expiration date of March 29, 2015 was sent automatically by our system to the same email we had been communicating with up to that point, and from the same email we had been communicating with. In other words: no reason this one email would go to spam when none of the others had done so. Ms. [redacted] wrote back in January 2015 complaining that she "had no way to know how the post would handle her package," that we should have sample pages to prevent returns and comparing our shipping practices to [redacted].com. I responded and apologized for her frustration and reminded her that she had received a full store credit despite my being unable to sell the books at full price. I also thanked her for her suggestions to Improve the store, explained that we are not [redacted].com and don't have the same policies, and encouraged her to please let me know if she had any questions at all or needed any further clarification on packing books for return. I did not hear from her again until August 2015. In August of 2015, Ms. [redacted] wrote me to ask for a new gift certificate code. She said that her previous gift certificate had gone to spam and she had not found it prior to the expiration date. She said that I had never mentioned an expiration date and didn't feel that she had any reason to check and had assumed she would be able to use the gift certificate whenever she chose to. Again, I consulted with the previous owner of [redacted] who advised me to stick to the store polices and not issue a new gift certificate. However, in a misguided attempt to try and save this customer relationship, I again chose to give Ms. [redacted] a new gift certificate as a [redacted] gesture. However, due to the long time elapsed since the original purchase, the 5 months elapsed since the first gift certificate had expired and the damage of the original return I issued the new gift certificate for 50% of the original one, or $15.71. In my email to her, I apologized for her trouble, reiterated our long standing policies, and reminded her to look In her inbox or the gift certificate and use It within the 90 day window. Ms. [redacted] wrote back and said that she had bought the books from the previous owner, not me, and had "returned the books exactly as prescribed on the website at the time" (incorrect) and that the website also said that she "would receive a cash refund, not store credit," (incorrect) and that she was not familiar with store credits having expiration dates. She also stated that she felt that she was being unjustly penalized. According to the timestamp on your complaint, she then filed a complaint without waiting for a response from me. As I was unaware at the time, I wrote Ms. [redacted] back in response. In that final email to Ms. [redacted], I agreed that she did indeed buy the books from the previous owner and as such I had not received any of the revenue associated with the order and was continuing to offer credit as a [redacted] gesture. I said that I was sorry that she did not see it as such. I also stated that I was sorry she felt our policies were unfair. informed her that our policies had not changed with our new ownership and that the previous owners would have returned the books to her. I also took the time to explain about common, well-known stores that have expirations on store credits, such as [redacted], and [redacted], and apologized that she had not heard of such policies before. Finally, I stated that I was unable to offer her additional credit at this time. I stated that if the gift certificate I had issued her was unacceptable, I would be happy to cancel it and re-send her back the original books she returned. As I said in the opening of this letter, I believe that I have gone above and beyond in trying to forge a positive working relationship with Ms. [redacted], and I stand by my decision. She has already received a partial credit for $15.71 in replacement for her damaged returned books and subsequent expired gift certificate. If that is unacceptable I am happy to cancel it and send her back the original books.
Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response because:
the seller's account of the situation is untrue, and from the language used in her communications, I can see that the seller is more interested in promoting her ego than reaching a resolution. As it stands right now, I have neither the books I ordered nor the money I paid for these books. I do not find this ethical business practice, especially for a store selling materials designed for children. I had already heard bad reviews of this bookstore from others in the Waldorf community, but I thought my order was simple enough, and I would rather support an independent bookseller than a huge corporation.
Again, the books were returned in a padded mailer in the same manner as I’ve received countless books from [redacted] and other booksellers. It is unconscionable that I am being blamed for the damage the books occurred while in transit, since there were absolutely no instructions as to how to pack the books on the seller’s website. I’ve received undamaged books wrapped in brown paper or a simple unpadded plastic mailer more often than I can count. That she should seek to attack my intelligence in her response is very telling of this whole fiasco.
There are too many inaccuracies and false assumptions in her response to untangle. She is inaccurate in claiming the books arrived outside of the 30-day window; I received confirmation from the post office. She claims she notified me that she would be sending a separate email with a gift certificate. False.
When inquiring about getting a time extension to use the “gift certificate” (which was really just my money she has refused to return any other way), her response was, “It is unfortunate that you didn’t follow up on the gift certificate to make sure it arrived properly after I told you I would be sending one.” That is the definition of violent communication. (I assume most adults are familiar with Dr. [redacted] work, on which almost every current model of conflict resolution is based.) This type of language used in such a mundane interaction is reflective of much unprocessed emotional grief. As such, it has absolutely no place in a business transaction. I do not know why this storeowner is so angry, and quite frankly, it is none of my business. I entered into a contract to purchase books, not become the emotional dumping ground for a stranger’s out-of-check emotions.
Perhaps I can also “take the time to explain about common, well know stores that [do NOT] have expirations on their store credits,” such as[redacted]…
Lastly, but certainly not least, I want to address the inflammatory phrase used several times in the latest response. The seller claims she has “gone above and beyond” in her customer service. Perhaps I can also “take the time to explain” the meaning of above and beyond. We are small business owners, too. We would never remotely consider burning a customer over $31.41. On a consistent basis, my husband makes amends for customers’ oversight or mistakes by offering his time and service to remedy any problems customers may have encountered with his products or original service. He spends hours every week on trouble calls, fixing issues that customers have caused through their own ignorance or neglect, all without billing a consultation fee. His hourly rate is $125/hr. We could rightly charge, but there are times when it is simply just not right. We like to ere on the side of decency and not overcharging customers. I believe that is the idea of going “above and beyond” what is legally required in order to reach the fairest conclusion.
Last example of exemplary customer service: We are having a custom home built. Ordered all materials from the builder, but after talking with the designer realized we would come closer to staying in budget by decreasing the width of the marble counter to be used over the kitchen island. The builder originally said it was too late to change the order. A few hours later, he said we could go ahead and change our order after all. Guess which piece of marble arrived? The thicker, more expensive one. I was fully ready to pay for the original order, but the builder took responsibility and made sure we got what we wanted. I don’t know what he will do with a custom cut piece of marble, but I guarantee it cost him more than $31.41. I find this builder’s business ethics more fitting of the description “going above and beyond.”Sincerely,[redacted]