Facebook company's response

[wheresthelight]

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

If this was in any other section of the forum it would have received normal, sane responses.

Whatever was written it was / is completley rude and unacceptable to be adressed like that .
Anybody who thinks it is ok to speak to someone like that customer or other and in any situation needs a lesson in manners.

kali how on earth did the OP insult the seller's fabrics??? She basically said she didn't like it. How is that an insult? Isn't a paying customer allowed to say that a product isn't to her liking

And OP did post the rest of the conversation.

Yes, OP was vague, I grant you that.

But really if the seller could not handle their own irritation and it led them into being so rude then they really have no business selling to the public.

OP was a mild, garden variety irritating customer imo.

How will the seller react with one who is truly irritating I wonder???

I suspect that would provoke a massive outpouring of resentment, frustration and wounded pride stored up from having had to deal with the great British public Poor petal.

OP I don't think you were being demanding, rude, annoying etc to the company.

They however, clearly don't want your business. And yes, they were very rude. If I responded to an online enquiry like that, I would sack myself!

Let's assume the git you were dealing with was having a bad day, involving throbbing piles, being dumped and bad hair.

If she reacts like this at the beginning of the process can you imagine just how bad she might get if you complained about the product after a sale? Bloody hell I bet she'd send the heavies round to kneecap ya!

The customer has the right to be picky. It doesn't matter how much trouble they had gone to - why would you buy something you didn't like? At no point did you demand they start looking for other materials.

All they need to say was something along the lines of "have a look on eBay and let us know if you find something you like".

GlitterIsJustVampireAsh - of course a fabric can be girly. Are you normal so easily offended? Yes, a boy could choose pink owls, but most would not do. As this is obviously for a baby it is more for the parents benefit than the that of the child.

If anyone's read this thread on the app, you won't be able to see the photograph with the rest of the conversation, where they go on to tell the OP that her head's up her own arse and she's an idiot. The seller sounds a bit unhinged and this is a massive over-reaction on their part.

I would have been a bit taken aback at the 'It's owls???' comment, but it would have been a reminder that I was dealing with a fb seller, not a 'proper' company. I don't think I'd have thought it rude exactly, and wouldn't have told them that. But I'd have thought they were a bit odd.

I can see why they'd be a bit tutty and eye-rolly with you - having looked at their whole catalogue you asked for something really specific, and lo and behold they happen to have it, but it's still not right. You were a slightly irritating customer and you were a bit OTT for calling them rude, but their reaction to that was off the scale.

YANBU - the seller was rude and I've although not seen the pic of the convo but sounds as if she went on to be very rude and unprofessional.

And I don't think it was unreasonable for the OP to ask if there were any more fabrics. It reasonable to expect someone in this line of business to have access to trade fabric or possibly source other fabrics that the OP was after. Not immediately, the seller could have said something along the lines of "leave it with me, I might be able to source something, I'll get back to you". Alternatively, the seller could have suggested the OP find a fabric she liked and they could have one to an arrangement to get it made.

YANBU. You were not rude, or demanding or insulting! She was astoundingly rude to you.

I cannot believe anyone on this thread thinks otherwise. I'm at some of the responses!

Of course they are geared towards a gender - to pretend otherwise is ridiculous; if that is right or wrong is another debate entirely.

I am boggled that so many people have said it is perfectly understandable for seller to tell op she has her head up her own arse! Seriously?

That is of course atrocious customer service. I've worked in retail and would have been sacked on the spot for saying that to a customer and rightly so!

Op yanbu at all and I think you should name and shame.

naming and shaming would definitely out me unfortunately but it's nice to know it's not just me that is at her comments

As someone who runs a business there have been many times when I have been tempted to let rip at an unreasonably demanding customer. But I don't. I always try to behave in a professional and polite manner because that is how any worker should behave.
Personally I think you are dealing with someone who is a bit thick here. "Nothing to be proud off" (sic) evidences this.
I think the company representative is being VVU, just because this type of petulant behaviour has the potential to tarnish a brand.

I agree NAME and SHAME. Why should you give a rat's arse if this "outs you", you have not done anything wrong, they have.
I do not believe the customer is always right, but I do believe the customer should be treated as if they are always right.

YANBU and I cannot BELIEVE people here are saying you are! Facebook is one of the massively growing bases for all business today. They need to be far more professional than that! Name them so I can avoid.

I think she was rude but I'm not sure why you didn't just reply with a 'thanks' once she texted you a picture of what was clearly her only girly owls fabric. She probably thought you were needling for her to find some alternative fabric.

YANBU though. I just would have left the convo far sooner than you!

JustUsFour, if you do not mind me asking what type of FB business is it? I think FB is a good way to start a business at the moment as it is a rapidly expanding market and e-commerce has far less overheads than running a traditional high street shop.

I think more appreciation for the time that the FB company put in to your requests for which they weren't paid might be in order. For the ultimate price of £50 for making something including materials doesn't make a huge profit. They were probably a bit irked by this and rightly pointed out that you should put the time in to finding the right fabric yourself as you didn't like what they came up with.

Tbh I found their response rather funny.

can you PM me the name of your business? You may not be allowed to write it on the AIBU page as there may be some forum rule against advertising (not sure on this)