To tell this shop owner I think her behaviour is unprofessional

[Dressily]

I am buying a few expensive items from a shop (expense relevant because I expect a certain level of service when buying expensive items). I went into the shop a few weeks ago and selected the items I want. These items aren't just for me so last week the other person involved went to see the items themselves. Once they confirmed that, yes, they agree with my selection all was good and I wanted to go ahead and make the order. There was some rush to this as the items have (for a limited time) been placed on sale. This was further complicated by the fact that I don't live in the UK so needed to pay for the items from overseas using a foreign bank account.

I found the woman I dealt with in the shop (the owner) extremely unprofessional for the following reasons:

• All email communications from her are extremely sloppy. She does not proof read so there are many spelling errors/typos. Whatever email program she uses is plain text so the emails look scruffy anyway, no footer image or contact details.

• She has hounded me to pay for these items, despite knowing that I was waiting for the other person to confirm. I get explain to me that the discount is for a limited time so please confirm ASAP but to keep emailing so often is a bit much

• I told her I would make a card payment over the phone expecting that she would ring the transaction through and then do a "cardholder not present" payment on the till. Nope, I called to give my details and her response was oo let me just get my pen. No! I don't want you writing down my card details! The connection was so bad that the call was terminated before I gave all the details.

• I asked for a load of details to do an international transfer (you need more info than for a regular transfer) but she only gave me the usual account no. and sort code. When I pointed this out and asked her to refer to my previous email she sent me some details saying "this is what you need for an international transfer" but obviously hadn't read my request because she didn't give me all the details I needed. This was followed up a couple of hours later with a "how's the payment coming" email.

• I really need/want these items, especially at the sale price, so I don't have much option but to buy from her

AIBU to email her letting her know that I find her behaviour very unprofessional and detailing why that's the case?

Testing I just wanted to give her some feedback so she could improve her service. I asked if the WBU and turns out it is, so I won't.

You've dicked her around for weeks, probably costing her a lot more in time than she will make out of the transaction.

Why not just send your friend the money and have her buy the items? Why make things so much harder for yourself?

When I've ordered from overseas small businesses that don't have an online presence, I've always tried to make it as simple as possible for them. I managed to get a parcel from a tiny little store that doesn't even have an email address in the backwaters of Newfoundland to a small Pacific Island by being polite and easy to deal with. It took three months (had to go by sea for a large part of the trip), but it happened.

She's not holding expensive items for me, that would make her pushing for payment totally understandable. But that's not the case.

I thought you were buying them for someone living in the U.K. to have. Why would they be delivered to your door?

As a former shop owner, you are what we call a nightmare customer. I bet she rolls her eyes every time your name appears in her inbox.

Oops sorry one of my tabs has gone mad.

You sound delightful to deal with.

My name has appeared in her inbox three times once when I first enquired about her stock again arranging for the other party to have a look and finally (once the other party had confirmed) to request details needed for an international bank transfer, after my calling up to pay by card hadn't worked.

I do wonder how many sales she loses though

If she sells unique goods, I suspect the answer is zero.

Can you not just phone her again and pay by card?
I don't really get the drama

Is she the shop owner? It sounds like she is, in which case she is unlikely to be interested in complaints from a difficult customer. Even if you've been ever so polite to her face, this is still a tricky transaction that she is not enjoying. She doesn't have to deal with you at all unless she is desperate for your money.

It's not so much a complaint as I don't expect her do anything for me personally. I just wondered whether it was unreasonable to tell her that I found x, y, z unprofessional. Apparently it is unreasonable.

Bottom line is that if you want the items, and email her telling her that you find her behaviour unprofessional, she wouldn't be unreasonable in telling you to get lost. I certainly would.

You said in your original post that the items were expensive.

I dont understand why you'd put something on sale if you need to order it specially. Surely you use a sale to get rid of stock you already have that you cant sell at the original price. Odd.

Your point being, Tom?

I don't think anything is to be gained from you emailing to tell her she's unprofessional. I think she's pissed you off and you just want to have a go at her. She probably thinks you're quite hard work,

Just buy your items and be done with it, you don't need to be sending her personal emails critiquing her ability to run her business.

Since you haven’t mentioned online presence.

She has a shop. She wants customers who walk in, look, pay, job done

She doesn’t want an online shop and hassle.

Why not just transfer the money to the person who is in the U.K. and ask them to nip down and pay?

You said in your original post that the items were expensive. Then when challenged you said later that she wasn’t holding expensive items. I’m just really confused. Also the lady sounds like she could have a learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

OP, of course good customer service is important regardless of whether the shop sells expensive or cheap items.

As a customer you sound like hard work.

I imagine she thought she was doing you a favour by holding onto these items for you at the sale price whilst you and your friend decided whether you wanted them or not. You have no idea if there was interest in these items from other prospective purchasers. If she read this thread, I think she will wonder why on earth she bothered.

Being courteous works both ways. I wonder if your snooty attitude coming across in your post also came across in your emails and telephone calls.

Wow why is the OP getting such a hard time??

I agree with you op. If you went to Harrods you would expect a certain level of customer service! I don’t expect anything less just because it’s an independent shop. I would be annoyed I was spending a lot of money and someone couldn’t even send a spellchecked email. It is unprofessional!

And back to your AIBU because that’s what you came here for...

YANBU as a customer to give feedback of your experience, however I would do it after you have received your items.

Some of the replies you’ve got on here are bloody odd 😂

Wow why is the OP getting such a hard time??

I agree with you op. If you went to Harrods you would expect a certain level of customer service! I don’t expect anything less just because it’s an independent shop. I would be annoyed I was spending a lot of money and someone couldn’t even send a spellchecked email. It is unprofessional!

And back to your AIBU because that’s what you came here for...

YANBU as a customer to give feedback of your experience, however I would do it after you have received your items.

Some of the replies you’ve got on here are bloody odd 😂

Get a life OP- Jesus I wouldn’t want you within 500 yards of any shop I owned/ worked for. You could take your business with you