where the aitch is customer service in this hobby?

[seecrabrun]

Not sure if this is allowed on here, but I'm just talking in general.

Where the "h" is customer service in this hobby????

I constantly get ignored both in store and online through Facebook and email when I'm trying to shop.

I ask simple questions and I know they saw/heard me and I get just flat out ignored.

The few times I do get answers they are vague and sometimes even have nothing to do with what I asked.

And then if I do buy something, it's all buyer beware... I'm so sick of it!

Shopping in this hobby has been no fun. I've walked into a store more than once with a wad of cash in hand and walked out empty handed.

I just had to start my first PayPal claim in 10 years of having PayPal because a company refuses to give me a straight answer about a product I ordered that was in stock.

And it looks like I'm on the edge of filing another one with a different company.

Neither is this site, I've not bought from them yet. Everything I've been dealing with is stuff this site doesn't offer.

 

[beth]

The goal of the store is to sell merchandise and the people working there are not necessarily all-knowing about the products they sell. Maybe the owner is more knowledgeable, if a small business, but the clerks are usually min-wage workers. How much skill do you think they are going to bring to their job? The problem with seeking advise from the store itself is they are first and foremost going to try and promote the products in their store. They are not librarians, they are salespersons and their job is to sell you merchandise. I have learned that the best bet is do your own research reading articles and opinions. Hobby forums for some items (such as the fish hobby) are also a good place to learn, but it is always buyer beware. Any time you are ready to buy a big ticket item your best bet is to research first then go in to buying with your own knowledge base backing you up.

Facebook is more a free advertising place for businesses, not a question/answer tool for customers.

 

[jay0705]

I know what your saying. I've ordered online 3 times. Never do you actually talk to anyone. Its all computer generated. If you do have an issue and call its always a machine to leave a message. Its like wtf!. I totally agree w beth on stores tho. Its up to you going in, even if you go to Window shop. Then go home and research what you saw and liked. A lfs recently opened by me. Very very nice couple , but very limited in knowledge on sw fish. Yet thats there biggest offerings. I went in and I'am a social guy we started talking. I commented on the triggers he just got in, he said his wholesaler said there a docile trigger so he got them. There huma triggers, not murderous monsters but I wouldn't call them docile either. My guess his seller had a bunch and said whatev he had to , to sell them. It really is buyer beware.

 

[pegasus]

It seems like it's "us against them" at times, doesn't it? As always recommended, it's best to know about the item(s) you are interested in before you make your purchase. If you walk into an LFS, and you tell them about the habits and needs of their critters, they tend to try a little harder to keep up. It's like buying a car... the more you know, the less the salespersons tend to spew BS. They are simply there to sell, so it's up to you to be the knowledgeable one...

Online shopping is quite different, as you seldom have any interaction with a real person... and it's hard to find vendors that are actually there for the customer. Most are simply trying to make a sale (sounds familiar), and never mind what happens after the sale. However... there are a few that go the extra mile to make sure you're completely satisfied, because they want you as a repeat customer. They'll answer the phone, answer questions, offer support, and stand behind the products they offer. They're needles in haystacks, as they can be hard to find. When you do find some like that, you tend to stick with them. Hard to find? Yes... I can count the ones I truly trust on (less than) one hand, if that tells you anything. Buyer beware...

 

[seecrabrun]

This has nothing to do with the knowledge of staff, it's truly about customer service.

I expect my existence to be acknowledged. If it is not then they won't get my money.

Simple questions like "where do you keep the supplements" and "do you have any zoas at the moment" should be something any person who works in the store can answer. Yet I get flat out ignored.

But my real beef is with online stores, as I don't have any local stores.

There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call.

It took them longer to tell me to call them than to answer the question of whether they had any acans or not. It was a simple yes or no answer.

Then this other online company. A product was in stock on their website. I purchased it. I waited. A week goes by and I email about availability and apparently it was on back order. I messaged that I would have expected a notice that the item was on backorder considering they took my money up front and the site said it was in stock.
Waited 2 more weeks and nothing, messaged again and they said it would be here in a week or two. Messaged back that I'd like a refund. No answer. Messaged again that if I don't get a refund I'll file a PayPal claim. No answer. File a PayPal claim and 5 minutes later get a phone call from them asking me to cancel the claim and that the product should be there that day or the next. A month after I've been told it should be there within the week. And over a month since I ordered.
I told them I'd wait a couple days as they promised it would be there for shipping, that was a week ago. So last night I proceeded with the PayPal claim.

All of which has nothing to do with minimum wage employees who don't know a fish from a frog.

 

[seecrabrun]

I'm not new to this hobby, I knew when I started not to expect anything out of the employees as far as knowledge went.

I ONLY ever ask questions about the product availability, location, or price. Yet I get ignored or even attacked for asking for help with purchasing an item, NOT help with picking the item out.

I've had bad experience with every single online store I've tried to shop, and I really rely on them because ***** is the closest store at over an hour away, and the first decent store is 2 hours by traffic because it's in a huge city.

Between the attitudes of the people I've interacted with and their customers who then attack you for having anything negative to say, to the people who tell you you must be doing it wrong if you aren't having luck shopping for things...

I'm about ready to just get out of the hobby. People have just about ruined it for me and I'm not the kind of person who puts any faith in people to begin with.

Customer service is a dying art apparently. I'm expected to just know everything and read minds and willingly donate them money and possibly get something I want in return.

 

[flower]

This has nothing to do with the knowledge of staff, it's truly about customer service.

I expect my existence to be acknowledged. If it is not then they won't get my money.

Simple questions like "where do you keep the supplements" and "do you have any zoas at the moment" should be something any person who works in the store can answer. Yet I get flat out ignored.

But my real beef is with online stores, as I don't have any local stores.

There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call.

It took them longer to tell me to call them than to answer the question of whether they had any acans or not. It was a simple yes or no answer.

People are human beings. and they may not have heard you, or got distracted trying to help somebody else, maybe the person left to find another employee that might have the answer for you. One thing I'm pretty sure of....They didn't just out right ignore you on purpose, unless for some reason they don't want your business. Many times, I don't see things on the shelf I'm looking for, but it might be in the back, not yet tagged and set out for display, because it's still on the pallet waiting for the stock boy to get to it.

Here I was, all sympathetic until the "it's not a good time for me to call" statement...really???
I hate when I can't get hold a living breathing person on the phone, and here you are all ticked off because they want you to actually TALK to them. The person who mans the web site and answers basic questions about the store, may not be same the person out on the floor to answer what might have just arrived and is not posted yet on the site.

If you are looking at an on-line site and don't see a critter advertised, that means they don't have it posted, the message person responsible for manning the on-line customer service knows that maybe a shipment has come in and they do have it, it's just not posted yet...they can only tell you what is posted. So the best way to find out if said critter is there, would be to talk to somebody on the floor manning the tanks. But you are just too busy to bother to talk to them. The answer...why don't you bother to call when you can talk to person. In fact, it took more time to post a complaint on this site then to make a simple call.

If you are at work at that moment and can't call...What are you doing trolling the on-line store, rather then doing your job?

That sounds meaner then it was meant... My point is ...You should be delighted to actually talk to somebody. Also try to be a little understanding of sales people out on the floor, I never ask advice from them, but as a rule they are happy to tell you where to locate a supplement, or tell you what critter is for sale. If they make you feel ignored, something is going on, sales people can't make a living being rude.

 

[pegasus]

Wow, flower... having a bad day? If that sounds meaner than it was meant, just how mean was that meant to be? Without any knowledge of the conditions surrounding her circumstances, you were awfully quick to criticize. I've been in circumstances where store clerks act like you're bothering them by asking questions, as I'm sure many others have. Perhaps you're one of those people that commands attention, and always gets results immediately? Good for you. There are others who aren't quite as brazen, so they're not as lucky. I've experienced it myself, even though I've been told (a few times) that I can be a bit intimidating. If you don't believe there are store clerks that couldn't care less about what you want, then you don't get out very much. I don't know Sara, but I can only imagine how she feels after reading your post. She gets shunned in person, and when she vents about it here, you make it sound like it's her fault. Geez...

As far as wanting to know if certain acans are in stock, I can completely sympathize with her. I've seen some on one site that I'd love to have, and they always show to be in stock. Yet, when I try to order them, the order never goes through. I tried calling many times, and guess what? They NEVER answered the phone. The only way I was able to get a response was by emailing them... constantly. After a couple of weeks of missing 50% off sales, and free shipping offers, I finally got a response. The email said the inventory on their site was not in real time, and the item was never in stock. Before you go flying into someone without knowing all the details, you should try being sympathetic beyond reading a line that doesn't jive with you. I'm still a bit confused how you interpreted "it's not a good time to call" to mean she was "all ticked off because they want you to actually TALK to them". Sorry if any of this sounds any less mean than it was meant...

 

[flower]

Wow, flower... having a bad day? If that sounds meaner than it was meant, just how mean was that meant to be? Without any knowledge of the conditions surrounding her circumstances, you were awfully quick to criticize. I've been in circumstances where store clerks act like you're bothering them by asking questions, as I'm sure many others have. Perhaps you're one of those people that commands attention, and always gets results immediately? Good for you. There are others who aren't quite as brazen, so they're not as lucky. I've experienced it myself, even though I've been told (a few times) that I can be a bit intimidating. If you don't believe there are store clerks that couldn't care less about what you want, then you don't get out very much. I don't know Sara, but I can only imagine how she feels after reading your post. She gets shunned in person, and when she vents about it here, you make it sound like it's her fault. Geez...

As far as wanting to know if certain acans are in stock, I can completely sympathize with her. I've seen some on one site that I'd love to have, and they always show to be in stock. Yet, when I try to order them, the order never goes through. I tried calling many times, and guess what? They NEVER answered the phone. The only way I was able to get a response was by emailing them... constantly. After a couple of weeks of missing 50% off sales, and free shipping offers, I finally got a response. The email said the inventory on their site was not in real time, and the item was never in stock. Before you go flying into someone without knowing all the details, you should try being sympathetic beyond reading a line that doesn't jive with you. I'm still a bit confused how you interpreted "it's not a good time to call" to mean she was "all ticked off because they want you to actually TALK to them". Sorry if any of this sounds any less mean than it was meant...

Yep...bad day, I do get dark moods. Seacrabrun did say that she refused to call, that she didn't want to talk to them on the phone... She said "There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call."...How would you interpret that? If she refuses to talk to them...it is her fault if she never got her answer. I then gave her a few reasons why they would tell her to call.

When I worked we were not allowed to make personal calls, and if you used the work computer on your desk for personal business, it was also off limits...so in that respect I did assume that was the case. You, as well as myself said that you a WANT somebody on the phone to talk to you, the exact opposite Seacrabrun wanted. So my response that I felt sounded mean (and I really didn't mean it in a mean way) was only in regard to that. I really don't care if she uses her computer or make personal calls at work, that she should just wait until she got home to contact them.

99% of the time sales people really don't mean to be rude, they couldn't stay in business if they did. It certainly doesn't mean such morons don't exist, and frankly such sales people should be out of business.

I did have one sales person who just really didn't want my business. I always used to buy my saltwater premixed at $1.50 a gallon. I spent over $60.00 a month on water at this particular store. One day I decided to stop and get my water on the way to work...I work night shift, I started at 10:00pm, I was in the store at 8:30. That day I only wanted regular RO water, I was going to mix my own. (The sales clerk didn't know that however) When I tried to talk to him, he kept saying, "after this customer" he jerked me along until 9:30, and I was afraid I was going to be late to work... I finally went in the back room and saw another employee and she took care of me...the fellow came back there as she filled my jugs. When he saw I only wanted regular RO...he actually said to me..."If I knew you just wanted RO water I would have taken care of you an hour ago". I was so mad, I have never been treated so badly by a manager in my life.

After that, I got my own RO unit, and I don't use that store for anything unless the other 3 in the neighborhood doesn't have it, and it's an emergency that I can't wait for it to be delivered from an on-line order. Guess how often that happens....

 

[pegasus]

Yep...bad day, I do get dark moods. Seacrabrun did say that she refused to call, that she didn't want to talk to them on the phone... She said "There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call."...How would you interpret that? If she refuses to talk to them...it is her fault if she never got her answer. I then gave her a few reasons why they would tell her to call.

I don't use that store for anything unless the other 3 in the neighborhood doesn't have it, and it's an emergency that I can't wait for it to be delivered from an on-line order. Guess how often that happens....

"There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call."

I know what you mean... I have those days, too.

Just for the sake of debate... who's to say she wasn't sneaking in a text at work, where she could get in trouble for talking on her cell? We don't know the circumstances, so we can't even speculate about the reason for not calling. Unless I read it wrong, she didn't say that she refused to call them... that's what they wrote in their reply. Personally, if I had sent a message asking if an item was in stock, and they couldn't answer me other than by phone, I'd be a little ticked off, too. Besides, the person writing that message is usually the same person answering the phone! As she said... it was a simple yes or no question. I would certainly refuse to call if I'd gotten that message. I prefer to do business with folks that respond to whichever method of communication I choose at the time. What happened to her would be no different than me calling and then they tell me to send an email with the request for information. You see the irony when I put it that way, don't you? Just answer the freaking question! DOH!!!

I'm just glad you didn't kill the manager at that store... nor did you mention calling him everything except a "manager". LOL!!!

 

[flower]

"There is one store in particular that I asked a simple question online, do they have any acans at the moment, and they message me back that I should call them. I told them it wasn't a good time to call and they replied that they really can't help me if I refuse to call."

I know what you mean... I have those days, too.

Just for the sake of debate... who's to say she wasn't sneaking in a text at work, where she could get in trouble for talking on her cell? We don't know the circumstances, so we can't even speculate about the reason for not calling. Unless I read it wrong, she didn't say that she refused to call them... that's what they wrote in their reply. Personally, if I had sent a message asking if an item was in stock, and they couldn't answer me other than by phone, I'd be a little ticked off, too. Besides, the person writing that message is usually the same person answering the phone! As she said... it was a simple yes or no question. I would certainly refuse to call if I'd gotten that message. I prefer to do business with folks that respond to whichever method of communication I choose at the time. What happened to her would be no different than me calling and then they tell me to send an email with the request for information. You see the irony when I put it that way, don't you? Just answer the freaking question! DOH!!!

I'm just glad you didn't kill the manager at that store... nor did you mention calling him everything except a "manager". LOL!!!

For the purpose of debate...You are absolutely right, I jumped to conclusions about work and using the phone, and I was wrong to do that. I'm afraid I'm a bit literal when I read something, I'm not very good at between the lines meanings, I had never seen the way you looked at it, and now I do. How two people can read the same text and come to completely different conclusions is pretty interesting....It explains a great deal about religion to me. Thank you for the eye opener.

That "manager" is still in charge of that store, but in the one I go to across the street... the nice lady who did take care of me, now works there, she has no problems with calling him other things besides a manager...LOL. I think the only reason he gets any business is that he sells puppies and none of the other stores do, with puppy mills being such a problem, I would never buy a puppy from any pet store. He should be out of business IMO.