Customer Service Question

carrieb · #1 2010-05-15, 12:00pm

I placed an online order May 4th. The company uses UPS for shipping. Payment was made immediately through Pay Pal. After not hearing anything for a week I sent an email on May 11th requesting a status for my order. I received an auto reply the same day.

Yesterday, May 14th, I received an email from Pay Pal stating that I had a credit to my account for an over charge on shipping. I have not heard from this company at all. Its frustrating that I have no information on where my paid order is or if it has shipped. It’s equally disheartening to have been blown off when I took the time to ask.

I believe it is a mark of good customer service to send out notification of shipment. It’s my opinion that sending out shipment notifications is a part of the sales and purchase process. I appreciate it when a vendor sends me notification of shipment of my order. Especially if they include any other relevant information such as the shipping date, shipping method and any tracking or delivery confirmation numbers that may be available.

In the past I spoke with another vendor about this issue. Their response was that if they are spending the time to send out emails about shipments they aren’t processing orders. I appreciated their honesty but I was not impressed with that response.

So I’m curious what other customers and vendors think about this issue? Thanks, CarrieB

likes to make glass stuff · #2 2010-05-15, 2:12pm

I think sending out a "we shipped your order" email is very important. A lot of the smaller vendors disagree, though. I am more likely to re-order from a vendor that sends them than I am from one who doesn't.

Kalera · #3 2010-05-15, 2:31pm

Most shipping programs allow you to automatically email a shipping notification when you print a shipping label; with stamps.com all I have to do is check a box. If a vendor is behind on shipping, the logical thing is to send a bulk email to everyone with an open order letting them know many days behind you are; there's no need to send individual emails.

demcc2 · #4 2010-05-15, 6:43pm

carrie, I haven't run into a vendow that will send out an "auto response" email before. The fact thatpaypal sent you an adjustment in the shipping charges sounds good-but still the vendor should have sent something to you with tracking info. The vendor should have also, at least, responded to your inquiry.

Duane

Kalera · #5 2010-05-15, 6:56pm

Another thought I had was, I don't know about now, but when I was using it the UPS software also had an option to send a shipping notification with tracking number. I can see no reason this feature would have been discontinued, so it's odd that you haven't at least received a shipping notification.

carrieb · #6 2010-05-17, 6:47am

Thanks to everyone who responded with feed back. I appreciated you taking the time. An extra thanks to Kalera for sharing the information about the different shipping software that is out there. Actually I have gotten the automatic shipping notices from both UPS & USPS in the recent past. Hopefully vendors who don't practice shipping notification will give them a try.
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In the meantime I'll be putting in a call to see if I can find out where my order is.

Reenie · #7 2010-05-17, 8:07am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalera
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Most shipping programs allow you to automatically email a shipping notification when you print a shipping label; with stamps.com all I have to do is check a box. If a vendor is behind on shipping, the logical thing is to send a bulk email to everyone with an open order letting them know many days behind you are; there's no need to send individual emails.

Even Zen Cart allows you the option to do this. You have several options that you can select. I just copy and paste the tracking number into one of the emails and send it out as soon as the shipping label prints.
Granted, I have been in such a hurry or swamped that I've forgotten to do this but I usually catch it that day or the next.

That was a big decision in me switching to zen cart because it allowed you more control of what you can do.