An Excellent Experience

Lately, I have found myself becoming more and more discouraged by the state of affairs in the retail industry. It seems that everytime I go shopping, and it doesn't matter where, I end up having to return things that are missing pieces or broken.

I also have found disappointment in the service category of most companies. If I don't stay ever vigilant to my bills from various utility companies and the like, we end up with charges that are inaccurate. It has gotten to the point that I spend more than an hour a week, resolving issues. What has happened to American businesses?

My latest gripe was with a furniture company. I went to buy Katie a bed at a big furniture company that is nationwide. I picked out the bed that they told me was white. When it arrived, not only was the bed not a pure white, but it also was way too tall for her room, and the dresser arrived with a huge scratch down the top. As if that wasn't enough, when the furniture company came to take the bedroom set back, they put a small hole in Katie's wall that I had just painted 2 months ago. Of course, I also ragged off a 2nd layer of paint with a glaze mixture, so the damage is going to be difficult to correct without totally repainting. Not only did they put the hole in the wall, but they did not tell us that they did it. They just left, and I found the hole a few hours later. The furniture company sent out a representative to assess the damage supposedly, but when the gentleman arrived, he stated that he was a furniture repair person and had no clue why he was sent. I am still waiting on a final response from the furniture company as to how they will resolve the issue.

On to the excellent experience.

I ended up getting Katie's bed at Pottery Barn Kids, on sale, at the same price I paid at the other store. I ordered it over a month ago. Over a month ago, I also got an email saying it was shipped at the same time that another piece I ordered was shipped. One piece arrived, a week later, the bed had not come. I then called customer service, where I got a representative, who said the bed had been shipped and I should be called that week for delivery. One week later, still no call. I called customer service again, who said the person I needed to speak with was on the line, and that I would receive a call in 24 hours. 48 hours later, no call. Finally, I went online and completed a survey about my experience. I immediately got feedback from a representative. She contacted the delivery company (apparently for beds, Pottery Barn contracts delivery with another company in Cincinnati), and arranged for delivery. The bed was delivered on Saturday, and I love it! It matches her room perfectly and the delivery men were very professional and friendly. The customer service representative contacted me again via email today to request a response on how delivery went. When I replied that it went well, and we were very happy with the bed, I got a second reply, that they were giving us $100 for the inconvenience.

I never replied that I deserved to be compensated. I never spoke rudely to customer service, even though frustrated. I used kindness in trying to resolve the matter, and feel greatly rewarded for it.

Kindness does go a long way!! In this case $100.