Some companies still do not understand that customers talk about their experiences

I recently purchased some supplies from a company I have done business with for three years but after this experience I probably will never do business with them again.

They sent me an email promising a 10% discount if the purchase was made in the next three days. I made the purchase the next day and although the website said the 10% discount was being honored, it did not show up in the final charges.

I sent them this email:

I placed an order today after receiving an email with your 72 hour offer. The Order number was  #24452.  While I was putting the items in the cart, the site said that the discount would be shown later. When the order was completed, there was no discount shown.

That is very bad PR and is a definite "bait and switch" tactic.
I expect to see a correction to the total on my order to show the discount.

I received my PayPal charges later that day and the final price showed no discount and the shipping charges were not broken out.

I got this email back from the president of this company:

Our system does not allow us to show the discount in the shopping cart. As for "That is very bad PR and is a definite "bait and switch" tactic." We will apply the discount here when we enter your order. this is not a bait and switch tactic. We have been in business for over 100 years and I do not appreciate attacks of our credibility. You will receive the discount you expect.

I wrote:

Thanks for giving me the discount.Your credibility is suspect when the discount does not appear anywhere, even on the final order. Making customers wrong for questioning your order handling does not bolster your credibility either. All you have to do is to say that the discount will not ever appear until you get the final reckoning and customer expectations will be set properly.

The next day I received an additional PayPal charge instead of a credit for the missing discount. (He never gave me the discount)

This company president's credibility is no longer in question. He has proved beyond a doubt that he does not know what his company is doing. He has also proved that he does not pay attention to customer complaints.

What a pitiful excuse for non-performance: "We have been in business for over 100 years and I do not appreciate attacks of our credibility.

That sounds too much like what we hear from our elected representatives in Washington, DC and elsewhere.

Any company that does not listen to its customers is on a short route to
oblivion because their marketplace is well-connected on the Internet and discusses poor
treatment as well as good treatment.

This entry was posted in Basic Business Concepts, Shooting yourself in the foot and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

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