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AIBU?

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Original poster

Facebook company's response

129 replies

wheresthelight · 25/10/2014 21:23

Ok so am probably being unreasonable because the company is run through facebook however...

I am looking for a nice cosytoes for DD's pushchair and have seen this company on a few groups i am a member of and their products look really nice so i was messaging them to find out the procedure and lead time etc. They said to look through a fabrics album and choose one i liked, unfortunately there was nothing so i messaged again asking if they did any girly fabrics with owls on it. They very kindly sent me a picture of a single fabric but although it was owls and pink I just didn't like it. I messaged back saying thanks but it wasn't what i was looking for and got a really arsey response of "But its owls???" So I replied saying i knew that and i was sorry but i just didn't like it, but that I found their reply a little rude. they have replied with some proper abuse! I have attached a picture to prove their words because if i was reading this then i wouldn't believe it either!

Please see the picture and tell me if i am being unreasonable to think this is not how you behave with a potential customer who is looking to spend £££ on customised items

Facebook company's response
OP posts:
Original poster
wheresthelight · 25/10/2014 22:30

szeli thanks will have a look

saoirseba - erm..at what point have i asked them to do any of that??

OP posts:
cakedup · 25/10/2014 22:35

I am shocked that people who are running their own business think they can afford to speak to potential customers like that. I am even more shocked that other posters think the seller was being reasonable!!

OP I don't think you were being unreasonable or rude. They were being completely unprofessional. I spent my 20s working in a call centre, even the most demanding of customers would merely get an eye roll.

Anyway, more fool the seller. She has lost a potential customer, potential word of mouth recommendations leading on to more customers (small businesses rely on this don't you think?). Plus the OP will probably tell her friends about the bad service she received.

smashboxmashbox · 25/10/2014 22:39

Op. What did you expect the company to do at the point at which they had shown you their "girly with owls" fabric and you'd said you didn't like it?

cakedup · 25/10/2014 22:39

For those of you saying the seller shouldn't be expected to "go to the ends of the earth" for the customer....(not that she was expecting this, mind)...well this is exactly the kind of attitude that fuels the shit customer service that the UK is known for.

If I had my own business, then yes, I would bloody well go over and above to serve my customer. I grew up around my dad's successful business...the customer was always right and nothing was too much trouble.

cakedup · 25/10/2014 22:40

smashbox she didn't expect them to do anything....surely that's clear??

smashboxmashbox · 25/10/2014 22:41

But she wasn't a customer. She'd already said she didn't like the items the business had on offer.

It's like me going into Next and demanding a Marks and Spencers top.

Panzee · 25/10/2014 22:44

"have you got anything a little less piratey?"

Makes me cry every time (former retail worker here.) I wouldn't have said "it's owls", but I suspect I'd have been thinking it. :o

Original poster
wheresthelight · 25/10/2014 22:45

that is ridiculous Smash you are assuming all sorts and even if i had asked for a different fabric that does not at any time excuse them being rude and abusive

OP posts:
cakedup · 25/10/2014 22:47

When you're in business, everyone is a potential customer, either now or in the future. Maybe OP would have found her own fabric and got in touch with the seller? Maybe she would have changed her mind about the fabric? Maybe she would have recommended her to a friend if she had got a warm friendly service? Maybe she would have bought something from the seller as a gift?

A "girly fabric with owls" could be a hundred different designs. OP is under no obligation to love the fabric the seller came up with.

cakedup · 25/10/2014 22:49

All she had to do was say "Sorry about that, let us know if you change your mind. Thanks for your interest."

Is that so bloody hard????

katese11 · 25/10/2014 22:57

So you'd expect to get a load of abuse if you asked for a Next Top in M &S? Or politely redirected?
Hmm

mommy2ash · 25/10/2014 23:10

she was rude but I can see where she is coming from. I work in retail and just yesterday I had someone ask for a very specific item. I spent 20 minutes with them going through all the options i had and showing them what I could order from our supplier. in the end he said if I could get that one and pointed at an item in the shop in white it would be perfect. I just so happened to find one it white and then he said No actually I need it a bit wider. do you have anything wider. I smiled and no im very sorry we don't have anything like that but inwardly I was cursing every profanity known to man.

GingerCuddleMonster · 25/10/2014 23:17

I work in the banking sector dealing with the top wealthy customers globally, one guy rang me to complain the ATM did not show his full balance ( his bank account had too many digits for the display) I wanted to tell him to swipe his bank card in his arse crack and jam his fingers in the money slot, but I did not I just apologised.

moral of the story customer is never in the wrong bite your tounge and apologise even if it's got duck all to do with you.

Mascaramascara1 · 25/10/2014 23:20

I'd be posting that screenshot to their facebook page tbh. Let their potential customers make their minds up if they want to purchase from a company where that's their idea of service.

Awful and appalling IMO.

I think you were a little ott in saying you thought they were rude the first time - they were brusque and certainly not going to win any customer service awards but they weren't rude.

BUT the sensible response would have been. 'I'm very sorry that you feel that way, it was not intentional. Please let us know if there is anything you like'.

There. Done. Their actual response was terrible .

Original poster
wheresthelight · 25/10/2014 23:25

mascara they don't accept posts to their Facebook page. however having spoken to a couple of friends they have form for this and apparently told one woman that she had a shit choice of pushchair and she wouldn't make an item for it as she didn't want to be associated with it.

OP posts:
Mascaramascara1 · 25/10/2014 23:27

Name and shame IMO.

ElliotLovesGrub · 25/10/2014 23:28

People like this will be the type who aren't doing it all properly and above board anyway. I'd be glad she showed you how shitty her service was before you let your money go!

Original poster
wheresthelight · 25/10/2014 23:29

very good point Elliot!

OP posts:
lampygirl · 25/10/2014 23:37

I do think the post was rude, but as someone who works in elements of design, searching for, or even worse, producing mock ups etc is time and money. We regularly have to do the eye roll and then give a lovely professional response because the briefs given are regualrly vague at best. Clients expect a fantastic level of customer service but designers aren't mind readers.

The OP instantly made me think of this www.27bslash6.com/missy.html

sykadelic · 26/10/2014 00:26

YANBU in that it escalated and shouldn't have, but from your post...


me - sorry but i don't really like the fabrics in the album, do you do anything girly with owls on it  <strong>you insulted her fabric options which was rude. You should have said they weren't what you were looking for.</strong> 

Them - pic with owls

Me - ok thanks but it's not quite what i was looking for  <strong>totally vague. You asked for girly with owls, they linked owls</strong>

Them - it's owls???  <strong>they were frustrated</strong>

me - yes i know but i just don't like the pattern sorry - they are stunning but its just not right for me  <strong>this was polite</strong>

them - look on ebay then  <strong>they should have said "find something on ebay that you like and let me know" or something like that.</strong>

me - will do but i think your response was a little rude  <strong>You shouldn't have said this, should have just let it go</strong>

them - what you don't like the fabric i use, you've clearly got an idea in your head of what you want so look on ebay. what do you want me to do??? do it for you??? waste my time looking for other versions of fabric that you may like  <strong>they shouldn't have posted this in this manner but were obviously frustrated</strong>

They're people who run a business, not robots. You were being frustrating and a little rude and they reacted poorly. Their temperament doesn't affect their ability to do their job but it might affect their ability to GET work!

Mascaramascara1 · 26/10/2014 00:31

They're people who run a business, not robots. You were being frustrating and a little rude and they reacted poorly. Their temperament doesn't affect their ability to do their job but it might affect their ability to GET work!

I disagree.

For a company making hand-made goods, I think attitude is very important.

My thoughts would be - if they can't be bothered to reply to messages politely, and let their emotions run away with them, maybe for the customers they disliked they wouldn't be too worried about uneven stitching or marked fabric.

I wouldn't use any company like this that showed such obvious disregard for potential customers.

alltoomuchrightnow · 26/10/2014 00:42

Just tickles me re the 'it's owls!'
Ex housemate and I always greet each other with 'What about elephants?' i.e. Michael Jackson lyric from Earth Song.

ouryve · 26/10/2014 00:46

You were being demanding.

they were being brusque.

neither of you were beyond reproach.

NutcrackerFairy · 26/10/2014 01:04

Oh come on people, the OP is the CUSTOMER!

I agree with the poster who said that the seller's crap attitude towards customer service is indicative of why the UK has such a poor reputation in this area... I cannot believe that anyone thinks the seller is reasonable or deserves to have a successful business with this type of attitude.

OP, you did come across as a bit faffy and perhaps would have seemed to the seller to be one of those demanding, difficult to please customers who ask lots of questions and take up lots of time and attention and then never buy anything in the end...

However if you had received pleasant, helpful and professional customer service you might have been won around and become a loyal customer... or had told a friend or two about this helpful person selling cosy-toes...

Really, this seller has no business dealing with customers and should really employ someone else to deal with queries and feedback asap.

kali110 · 26/10/2014 01:46

Yes iT was bad customer service clearly, however op is the type of customer i used to hate.
People are right you did insult her fabrics and you
Were more than vague. I was irritated just reading your post.
Also feel it could have been avoided if you'd just left it and didn't say 'i thought you were a little rude'.
Yes i agree that people are not robots and can lose their temper but it is not good business sense or service tfor them to have sent this reply. You do have to just grit your teeth at abusive or irritating customers and carrying on giving good service.it is part of the job.

I do wonder though, as we cannot see the rest of the conversation so only have the ops version.