Anyone on PLUTO received Stompernet??? :P

6 replies
I'm feeling particularly devious (hence the tongue in cheek title), probably too much sugar...

This isn't a rant - more of an observation, and a question.

I've seen tons of threads recently about whether or not a particular product has been received - which of course gives the impression that delivery dates aren't being communicated properly and customer expectations are higher than the service they are actually receiving.

I understand why people, who are part of a community, look to receive feedback - but why would someone else being in possession of their product have any bearing? (All it does is raise awareness of apparently poor service and communication.)

In a way, it's a little bit like standing on the corner 100 feet from the bus stop - looking down the road to see if the bus is coming. As if it will make it arrive faster.

First thing I'd do if I was expecting something and it hadn't arrived:
Pick up the phone and ask WHY it hasn't arrived.

Businesses on the internet are no different to say, a mail order catalogue firm. I suppose a lot of it has to do with expectations being badly managed, and the apparent "instant gratification" that people are used to.

There is a lesson in all this (buried somewhere) - that you can give better customer service, even if your service isn't really that good - by telling people what to expect, and then keeping the lines of communication open. If you can't keep your promise... tell your customers, as early as possible. They will thank you for it, and you won't end up with the adverse publicity that these types of forum posts can bring.

Summed up in two words: Manage expectations

There's a great book called The Richer Way, for anyone who wants to see what an award winning company thinks about great customer service.
#pluto #received #stompernet
  • Profile picture of the author JayXtreme
    mruhahahaha...

    But you're right Karl.. I do think at times the WF unfortunately becomes like a support forum for outside products/services when people should be going straight to the source..

    Like all the Planet threads when they had that fire a while back.. or a couple of BANS threads when service went crazy...

    Spot on Karl.. even if it was tongue in cheek..

    Peace

    Jay
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    Bare Murkage.........

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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Tongue in cheek again I was thinking about the StomperNet tagline:

    You Are Not Alone (is that in waiting over 3 weeks to receive the
    package and get replies to enquiries to customer support?!)

    I was really surprised how the StomperNet guys dropped the ball big
    time on this one. They've had so many launches and are used to
    shipping physical products I don't think there's an excuse for their
    poor communications. I can understand challenges in delivery but
    poor customer support is inexcusable.

    In saying that, I've found that the material from StomperNet is first
    class. It's just a shame that some new customers of StomperNet are
    having such a torid first time experience.

    Thanks for reminding me about the Julian Richer book that I have
    just dug off my bookshelves. I'll scan that again sometime :-)

    Best wishes,

    Shaun
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    • Profile picture of the author KarlWarren
      Hi Shaun,

      my post made me do the same, I now have Julian's book right beside me - I'm going to take a week off and rebuild my business model very soon and make customer service the very heart of everything I do.
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      eCoverNinja - Sales Page Graphics & Layout Specialist
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  • Profile picture of the author mmurtha
    Hi Karl,

    Good post and thanks!

    I understand why people, who are part of a community, look to receive feedback - but why would someone else being in possession of their product have any bearing? (All it does is raise awareness of apparently poor service and communication.)
    Isn't the bolded part the whole reason for those types of posts?

    What better way to let the sellers know people are disatisfied? If they do that, they think they can get that company moving fast.

    If you ask me, they're like a bunch of kids asking, "Are we there yet?"


    Mary
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  • Profile picture of the author pjholt
    I too have not received any of my ordered goods nearly 6 weeks after I ordered, except for the one that went to my invoice address which is in a different country.
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  • Profile picture of the author IMChick
    My take away from the stomper b*tch-fest is that customer service is the beginning, middle and end of any business, whether it has a net-only or physical presence or a combination of the two.

    As far as the net effect goes, I received a 'did you get it yet' email from the fulfillment house last week, and when I answered 'no', they asked for my receipt for the umpteenth time. I guess the only answer they were geared for was a 'yes'. I told them to forget it and cancel.

    Very telling was that my credit card company told me that they just wrote off the charge and gave me a credit without opening an investigation or contacting the merchant. This happens when there are 'a few' charge back requests across the board.

    Customer service. And the Customer is always right.
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