CSUSA Getting Sloppy?

[Buzzzz4]

I had to order from CSUSA and ordered some Jr. Gent Ballpoints along with the rest. This is what I received. When calling customer service, I got the whoops! our bad we'll send the right ones and we'll pay the postage to send that back. So what they are saying is that if I really really needed these, I'm out of luck and we aren't going to do anything to compensate you for our mistake. What I find funny is that it was double checked for accuracy by Adam, and I still received a rollerball pen when the label clearly says ballpoint.

My question is, would you expect a company to do something extra to make up for the mistake or would you just expect them to send out the right one, and they pay to ship back the wrong item?

 

[Rob73]

Well I know that I would not pay to ship back their mistake. I think it comes down to size of company. A large company I normally don't get anything 'extra' to say... Ooooppsss we screwed up. The standard RMA and that's that.

Smaller places that are still building up I find usually take care of their customers more. Me personally, if I screw something up I always put something extra in just because people remember customer service. I'd rather take a small loss and be remembered as 'taking care' of the customer. Long as you don't make a large amount of mistakes is not really a big deal.

 

[lorbay]

And then it comes down to training, has this shipper been told the differenece between rollerballs and ball points.?????
Lin.

 

[zig613]

Eric...

I have ordered from CSUSA numerous times and have received good service. In fact they have been one of the better vendors that I have dealt with. One time they did mess up an order however, once contacted they promptly corrected the order. As in your case, they agreed to ship the missing product ASAP and paid the shipping for the returned item. Do they owe you something for their mistake? IMHO no. Nobody's perfect (even me!) and mistakes do happen.

Wade

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

SOP has been to replace at no charge and either pay to have the mistake shipped back or if the item is not expensive let you keep the mistake and send the right item out. If I'm not mistaken the kit IS a all point but the refill is a rollerball.

 

[Buzzzz4]

SOP has been to replace at no charge and either pay to have the mistake shipped back or if the item is not expensive let you keep the mistake and send the right item out. If I'm not mistaken the kit IS a all point but the refill is a rollerball.

In the package is an Artisan Rollerball Pen (gold) with the label of a Jr. Gent Ballpoint (Rhodium)


I agree, we are human and make mistakes. Some of us more than others (finger points back at self). Mistakes like this and how they are handled reveal to me how much a business values it's customers.

I've had other vendors do the same with sending the wrong set of components, and treated it much differently with allowing me to keep what was sent and sent other freebies in with the right items. I'm not saying either way is the right way, it's just good to get perspectives.

 

[Richard Gibson]

Do they owe you something extra? No. If they did do something extra, would it build your loyalty to their company. Yes. So evidently, they do not want or need your "loyalty" and they feel they can survive in business on quantity of sales from others. It is purely a business decision on their part and an impersonal reaction to the problem.

My personal feeling is I don't have to shop with a company like that and won't. There are other companies out there and some that cary the same products.

 

[Katsin]

If they get your order wrong too many times they risk losing you as a customer but I wouldn't blame any company for wanting the incorrectly supplied merchandise returned (assuming they paid the return shipping).

 

[Monty]

Eric,
CSUSA is doing exactly what I'd do, even though the mistake was most likely made by their supplier and not CSUSA. The bag is labeled as a BP and the number is the one for the BP. Looks like someone at their supplier messed up and included a RB refill.
Now, This question has come up before, do you check all the kits your personally receive to be sure everything is correct? Would you expect CSUSA to check every kit they receive for accuracy?

 

[Russianwolf]

What's in that baggie isn't a ballpoint kit.

The front section is wrong, the refill is wrong, I don't see a tranny........

Someone stuck the wrong label on the bag.

Heck, looking at the finial, I don't think that's even a Jr. Gent Rollerball, but the Artisan Rollerball.

 

[LandfillLumber]

Did they say sorry even?I get companies that will not even say that and sorry goes a long way.Not a fan of this vendor for a few reasons that are not huge major resons,but perevent me from ordering from them.Thats my two cents.Victor

 

[witz1976]

I think CSUSA did what it was expected, they apologized (which is your interpretation of "whoops, our bad") they are getting out you the correct part and is paying for you to ship the wrong item back.

I know we (as a society) are starting to become use to if and when businesses mess up they owe us something, rather than us happy they they acknowledged the problem and is taking the appropriate steps to fix the issue.

So back to your question Eric, I expect the company to fix the issue. If they decide to give something extra as a oops our bad, then great. However, I do not feel it is something owed to me.

 

[azamiryou]

Not having the part you need when you need it is a disappointment, to be sure. But I don't think the company "owes" a bonus or letting you keep the wrong item. As already mentioned, it's clearly a business decision: pay for shipping and restocking vs. lose the inventory. The company loses either way, it's just a matter of how much. And how much the company values goodwill is a factor, too.

In this case, I'm a little surprised since the kit's not worth *that* much, and restocking it will take a bit of effort (= time = money): they have to figure out what it really is, check that all parts are present, and re-label it.

 

[Curly]

In this case, I'm a little surprised since the kit's not worth *that* much, and restocking it will take a bit of effort (= time = money): they have to figure out what it really is, check that all parts are present, and re-label it.

CSUSA may want the pen back to show their supplier the problem, so their supplier ensures they put in place precautions are taken to prevent reoccurrence.

Since CSUSA has not sent the replacement yet, there is only an assumption that they are not giving anything as a compensation. There might be a discount coupon or code in the package.

Pete

 

[seamus7227]

The comment before me provides a very valid point!

 

[Curly]

I thank the commentor between me.

Pete

 

[ghostrider]

I once ordered some parachute cord and was sent the wrong color. The seller told me they would send out the right color, and to keep the cord they'd mistakenly sent since it wouldn't be worth the return shipping.

OTOH, I know of a pocket knife manufacture who will often request that product complaints be sent back to them so they can investigate the problem to determine if any changes in production need to be made, and most always back the knife with replacement. This company strives to develop a good relationship with their end line user, even to the point of including us in design sometimes.

I had a knife from Browning (don't know how to put the trademark symbol in here) that lost a single screw. Most companies would have simply sent me a few screws to fix myself, but Browning had me sent back the whole knife, and replaced it with a brand new one. You see, that knife was made in Japan, and Browning probably didn't stock any parts for it, so they just opted to replace it, not wanting to get into parts inventory for a line they only licensed.

Because of this, I can understand them wanting you to send back the kit (show the manufacture). OTOH, it still puts the burden on you to ship something to them, when it really isn't your job. OTOH, if the end line user doesn't help to make things better (in this case by providing the product that is improperly assembled), then I can see how it would make it more difficult to identify and solve the problem.

Since you did not order this kit, I can see no reason for them to require you to send it back, however if it's a request to help them solve the problem on their end, then I that I can understand.

I guess it all depends on how much it's worth to you to help them with this problem. What kind of relationship do you have/want with them. They should send you what you ordered regardless. If you don't feel satisfied, decide what it will take to satisfy you, and then talk to the people in charge to see if they can work to insure your customer loyalty.

 

[IPD_Mr]

My question is, would you expect a company to do something extra to make up for the mistake or would you just expect them to send out the right one, and they pay to ship back the wrong item?

Mistakes happen as nobody is perfect. When a company makes a mistake like the one you have shown us, the company has already lost any profit. They are replacing the product and paying to have the bad or incorrect product returned. What I don't understand is this comment:
So what they are saying is that if I really really needed these, I'm out of luck and we aren't going to do anything to compensate you for our mistake.
Are you saying that you want the replacement by 8:30am the next day? Are you wanting a $100 gift certificate because someone made a mistake and inconvenienced you? What if it was the post office or UPS that mis-routed the package and was delayed by five business days? What would you expect from the company or the shipping company? Have you ever bought something at the department store that was labeled wrong only to find out once you get home? Do you call Target or Wally World up and demand they rush right on over to your house and correct the issue? Or do you drive back to the store at your expense, wait in line and get the item corrected. Do you demand compensation from the clerk for your gas and time? Why would you treat an Internet business differently than you would a local company?

You would be very surprised the number of people we get from our Hardware Co. that needed the product yesterday and they are in a bind. Get to talking to them and you find out they knew that they needed it over a month ago. Instead of two days the priority mail package took three days and they demand compensation.

 

[sbwertz]

Of course, something like this never happens when you are just ordering something for inventory, to "stock up." It's always the one you needed "yesterday."

Murphy's Law!

 

[wolftat]

I don't understand the problem, they made a mistake and are correcting it at their expense. You should try dealing with the company I'm having a problem with right now, over $3000 out of my pocket and just rude emails with empty promises, I would be happy if they gave me the results you received from CSUSA.

 

[Buzzzz4]

We all have our own experiences at different levels. My intention is not to come across as a whiner, but to understand customer expectations. Yes, CSUSA has had great customer service in the past. I was surprised at the giggling I received from customer service when I contacted them about the mistake which probably set off my question and some frustration here. I didn't ask to speak with management as it didn't really bother me until I had thought about it after hanging up the phone.

I don't believe we can compare an online shopping experience to a brick and mortar store. I can see what I am getting at the store, bring it home and return it the same day.

With an online experience I am trusting that the person packing my order who represents the company is paying attention to what they are packing. They should know their product as they are an agent for the company. If there is a problem with an order then it should be handled at a minimum in a professional way. (I am sorry to hear some companies can't even do that).

Because I have been inconvenienced by a company, I would think twice about using that company again based on how they handle the problem. I dont expect a $100 compensation or something crazy like that, but free shipping on my next order would go a long way. In this day and age with people scrambling for business, customer support and keeping loyalty should be key.

 

[Sam@CSUSA]

May I first say, we are sorry for any inconveniences or heart ache that may have befallen anyone who has ever received an incorrect or mislabeled item from CSUSA.
In this specific instance the mistake made was an in-house labeling error not a manufacturer error. We strive to make sure products are labeled correctly before being put into inventory but occasionally mistakes happen. When an order is "double checked for accuracy" the label on the item is checked against the part number on the invoice not the label against the contents of the bag. We assume the parts in the bag are correct since the product was checked before becoming available inventory for orders. Sometimes however, the ball gets dropped and a return/replacement is necessary. When this happens, our customer service reps are trained to discern the value of the items shipped and decide if the items are worth having returned. When it is our mistake, we will gladly send out a return label so no shipping costs are incurred on your end. With any return/replacement that may be necessary, we strive to give you a resolution that will be acceptable and satisfactory to you. If you ever feel the resolution is unacceptable, please let us know so we can correct this immediately.
Once again we are sorry for any inconvenience caused. Please continue to let us know of any errors so we can strive to better our methods of ensuring shipment of correct inventory and quality customer service.

 

[Buzzzz4]

Thanks Sam, it was an annoyance but nothing more than that. End of the world or heart ache, no. I appreciate your response and knowing the problem was heard goes a long way.

 

[Texatdurango]

Well, as usual I have a different take on this situation as most........ Does Eric deserve some sort of compensation other than CSUSA paying the return postage.... OF COURSE HE DOES!

Even being retired my time is still worth something! And I don't know about the price of gas where everyone else lives but around here it's outrageous and for me to take my time wrapping up the wrong kit, hopping in the car and driving several miles to the post office then standing in a line waiting to mail the kit back IS WORTH SOMETHING TO ME!

I wouldn't expect a $100 gift certificate or any thing else BUT at least CSUSA could have done is to just say........"Oops, our mistake, we'll have the correct kit out in a jiffy AND just keep the kit you have"

For those thinking this is a bit much, it has happened to me many, many times in the past with CSUSA!

Either there is a new policy OR Eric just got hold of the wrong person when he called. If it were me I would call back and suggest me just keeping the kit rather than wasting my time and gasoline returning the kit.... unless of course they wanted to pay a little extra for my time and gas as well!

 

[Bree]

Tell them what you want. They may or may not do it for you. I got ****ed at Lee Valley for being closed on Victoria Day and no prominently announcing that their stores would be closed. I ended up driving 200 miles for nothing.

The information was hidden away on an hours page as one item in a list. They were technically correct but they didn't seem to want to make the Canadian holidays more prominent on their website so I took my $700+ order over to Crafts USA and told them that I wanted them to match Lee Valley's prices which were better. Crafts USA did match, they made me feel like I made their day by letting them satisfy my offer, and they scored the $$$.

I don't want either company to lose $$$ because of me with unrealistic requests. But I want them to ask "How high?", if I ask them to jump. Crafts USA did and Lee Valley didn't. I sent my vote on service with my $$$.
:wink::wink::wink:

 

[hewunch]

If your experience is like the on I had recently with CSUSA you will get free shipping on your next order

 

[Monty]

.....Even being retired my time is still worth something! And I don't know about the price of gas where everyone else lives but around here it's outrageous and for me to take my time wrapping up the wrong kit, hopping in the car and driving several miles to the post office then standing in a line waiting to mail the kit back IS WORTH SOMETHING TO ME!.....

Who drives to the post office to mail a package any more?
I either issue a pick up request online or put it in my mail box and the carrier will pick it up when they make their deliveries.

 

[ToddMR]

I personally think its up to the individual that is impacted to make up their mind as to what is fair to them. As we can all see the opinions on this is very different from person to person for the most part. I think it is good that CSUSA is correcting it without issues and I also think its good for Eric to get some feedback. I hope it works out good for both of parties involved. It sucks when you get the wrong thing, I have been there a couple times but don't think I ever had "bad" service at least. Just my 2 cents total.

 

[ren-lathe]

Lets take this from another perspective. You have two orders. One for a corian slimline The other for a Statesman inn Amboyna Burl. In your haste to get these two pens out (the postman is waiting impatiently) you put the wrong labels on three days later you get two phone calls one wanting his statesman. The other wanting his slimline, do you tell the guy that ordered the slim line "I will ship it right out but keep the expensive pen because I made a mistake. Maybe you would but probably not.Remember CraftUSA, Penn State, etc are in business to make a profit. I have had breakage from them one time in the past. They shipped a replacement the next day priority. They did not want the item back but I sent them an E-mail with a picture of the pieces.

 

[Buzzzz4]

Lets take this from another perspective. You have two orders. One for a corian slimline The other for a Statesman inn Amboyna Burl. In your haste to get these two pens out (the postman is waiting impatiently) you put the wrong labels on three days later you get two phone calls one wanting his statesman. The other wanting his slimline, do you tell the guy that ordered the slim line "I will ship it right out but keep the expensive pen because I made a mistake. Maybe you would but probably not.Remember CraftUSA, Penn State, etc are in business to make a profit. I have had breakage from them one time in the past. They shipped a replacement the next day priority. They did not want the item back but I sent them an E-mail with a picture of the pieces.

You are right, I would not have the customer keep the high end pen. However, I would treat the customer in the way I would like to be treated. A sincere apology would be first, and an offer of something for his next order like free shipping or an amount off. It was my mistake, and I wouldn't expect the customer to be ok with the mistake. I would also ship out the correct pen the fastest method reasonable.

Update: I received notice this evening that the correct components were shipped today in regular USPS mail. This does add to my annoyance as I paid for Priority Mail on my first shipment.

 

[CREID]

I'm taking a contract law class right now. As for needing them right away, you really should make that part of your order, in writing. If you didn't need them right away, then what Rob73 about sums it up. CSUSA being a large company and making the offer to pay the postage back is actually very good, some large companies (even tho it's their responsibility) will try to get you to pay the return freight, and you would be surprised how many people will dip into their pocket to do just that. So Kudos to CSUSA for doing the right thing. One more thing, in our economics class we learn that CSUSA itself doesn't make mistakes, it's the individual that made the mistake. Sounds to me like they did the right thing. I know we all get a little upset when these things happen, but we all make mistakes (well you all, I never do) because we are human and that's how we learn.
Curt

 

[CREID]

I personally think its up to the individual that is impacted to make up their mind as to what is fair to them.

As we can all see the opinions on this is very different from person to person for the most part.

I think it is good that CSUSA is correcting it without issues and I also think its good for Eric to get some feedback. I hope it works out good for both of parties involved. It sucks when you get the wrong thing, I have been there a couple times but don't think I ever had "bad" service at least. Just my 2 cents total.

You are very correct here, there are as many opinions as there are people. Might I make a suggestion? If something like this is going to be a hardship, upset you, or maybe downright make you angry. Before you place an order with any online company, ask them for their policies in writing and choose your vendors based on what they offer. I think you will find that most reputable companies have a policy and will happily give it to you in writing. Also, if noone, or the company you prefer, doesn't have a policy that you like, talk to them and set up an agreement with them. It may cost you a little more but you will get the compensation you negotiated.:handshake:
Curt

 

[jaywood1207]

Tell them what you want. They may or may not do it for you. I got ****ed at Lee Valley for being closed on Victoria Day and no prominently announcing that their stores would be closed. I ended up driving 200 miles for nothing.

The information was hidden away on an hours page as one item in a list. They were technically correct but they didn't seem to want to make the Canadian holidays more prominent on their website so I took my $700+ order over to Crafts USA and told them that I wanted them to match Lee Valley's prices which were better. Crafts USA did match, they made me feel like I made their day by letting them satisfy my offer, and they scored the $$$.

I don't want either company to lose $$$ because of me with unrealistic requests. But I want them to ask "How high?", if I ask them to jump. Crafts USA did and Lee Valley didn't. I sent my vote on service with my $$$.
:wink::wink::wink:

Very interesting comment. Very very few Americans are aware of Canadian holidays but most Canadians are aware of the American holidays. Did you check the store hours and holiday schedule before or after you did the drive. Really in this situation I don't think it is Lee Valley's fault and they can't be blamed for it and you didn't get ******* by them. I'm not sure if there are any retail stores that have primarily walk in business and not mail order in Canada or the US that update their websites to announce closures for regular holidays but I could be wrong. Just my .02 worth which is about .025 American right now. :biggrin:

 

[moke]

Eric,
I own a business that does a fair amount of mail order business. In the beginning we used to compensate people that had a problem, by giving them apologizing, correcting the problem and ALWAYS giving them some extras as compensation. I have owned the business for 21 years now. Just in the last three years, we have stopped giving the extras. We still apologize and correct the problem as quickly as possible, but no more extras. We have a good percentage of repeat customers, and some times the same people kept calling complaining we left something out, IMHO this was to gain freebees. It really was fairly obvious. We still have some of that, but it has declined sharply since we stopped giving extras.

I hate the idea of changing any policy for the 2% that play this game, but I also hate being taken over a barrel too.

I am in no way saying that you were looking to score some free-bees, that is obviously not the case, but maybe it could explain why they do not give extras away.

 

[Haynie]

Granted I am new around here and maybe this is acceptable here but before the internet we took our problems to the company. If you felt wronged you called or went down and TALKED to the people. You did not go down to the supermarket get on a soapbox and start professing your anger for a minor error. Yes, mislabeling was a minor error. Sounds like you sat there, stewed, and then let your rage out in a very public, and almost permanent venue. I am curious why you did not call and talk to a manager in place of complaining here?

 

[Andrew_K99]

My answer to the original question is NO. I'd only expect the fix their error as quickly as possible.

If a customer returned a pen to you with a faulty refill would you give them a freebie?

AK

 

[Buzzzz4]

Granted I am new around here and maybe this is acceptable here but before the internet we took our problems to the company. If you felt wronged you called or went down and TALKED to the people. You did not go down to the supermarket get on a soapbox and start professing your anger for a minor error. Yes, mislabeling was a minor error. Sounds like you sat there, stewed, and then let your rage out in a very public, and almost permanent venue. I am curious why you did not call and talk to a manager in place of complaining here?

First off I think you misread my original posting as a rage. IMHO quite a strong word to use. I don't feel that was my intent. I posted an example (yes, I was frustrated after I had called the company). I then posted a question about how others would like or expect a company to respond to their mistake.

I feel as though I have gotten the pulse of how others would expect a company to respond. I can't say as I agree with the majority, but I tend to have different view points and am quite often misunderstood anyway.

I treat others as I would like to be treated which may be a naieve point of view. If I make a mistake, I go out of my way to correct it and ensure the customer is pleasantly surprised with the result. I can see that this is not always good business sense as I have seen in some of the responses which I can respect and understand. Mistakes happen as we are all fallen people, but it's how we handle them that makes a difference.

 

[terryf]

One more thing, in our economics class we learn that CSUSA itself doesn't make mistakes, it's the individual that made the mistake.

That sounds ludicrous!! Very true that the individual makes the mistake but a registered business must surely take responsibilty for the actions of its representatives.

Kinda like saying the Federal Government is not responsible or accountable when one of its agents crosses the line. Who do you sue, the government or the agent?

Without the employees, there is no company and vice versa.

With regards to the original question, I think that CSUSA have more than honoured their end of the deal.

 

[skiprat]

I've never had anything but 'very good' service from CSUSA. If they updated their international shipping calculation thingy so that I didn't have to wait a day for an emailed final cost then they would be in the 'great' catagory and not just 'very good' . :wink:
I'm not sure how many times I've ordered from them, maybe two dozen, but there has only been one minor error. I was sent the correct stuff straight away ( their cost ) and told to keep the stuff they already sent.

I also believe that CSUSA have been a great 'silent sponsor' of IAP in the past during our birthday bashes and we shouldn't be too hasty to point out minor mistakes.
Let's remember that CSUSA was around and quietly supplying us a large variety of stuff long before we had so many 'in house' vendors:wink:

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

I've never had anything but 'very good' service from CSUSA. If they updated their international shipping calculation thingy so that I didn't have to wait a day for an emailed final cost then they would be in the 'great' category and not just 'very good' . :wink:
I'm not sure how many times I've ordered from them, maybe two dozen, but there has only been one minor error. I was sent the correct stuff straight away ( their cost ) and told to keep the stuff they already sent.

I also believe that CSUSA have been a great 'silent sponsor' of IAP in the past during our birthday bashes and we shouldn't be too hasty to point out minor mistakes.
Let's remember that CSUSA was around and quietly supplying us a large variety of stuff long before we had so many 'in house' vendors

:wink:

I agree whole heartily!!!Well stated>​