I knew I'd be here....



Michael calls me and says he talked to Roo and Andrew yesterday and he ordered an HKS exhaust that was (sposedly) in stock.

The first I had heard of this transaction is when Michael mentioned it to me this morning - there is no record of it in the system, nothing pending, no notes anywhere. I explain to Michael that likely it was an oversight - we have an HKS exhaust here, but it is reserved ( and already paid for) by another customer several weeks ago. I ask him to call me back in a few minutes, let me see what I can find out.

Unfortunately Roo is not in the office today, but from what I can gather, he mistakenly relayed the exhaust he saw as an "instock" piece. When Michael called back I explained this to him very politely, apologized, and said that we had a Fujitsubo and a Weldina exhaust in stock - He cuts me off with a gruff " not interested in any of those, I want the HKS, and your guy Roo told me I'd have it in 5 days and why wasn't I notified"

I tried to explain again that I had nothing to notify anyone of - There were no records in the system, no charges against this customer, no notes on the account - nothing. This is the FIRST I have heard of this order. I explain again that likely it was a mistake and apologize for Roo and our business. Michael then gets ugly, telling me we need to get our sh/t together, and its bullsh/t that he wasn't notified and what kind of business are we running, etc etc..

This is about 15-20 minutes into the call - I explain I can have Roo call him tomomrrow to apologize if thats what he needs, but as of now, what more can I do? There are no charges against you, no exhaust to sell you, no transaction to date. I would like to sell you parts but I don't have them to sell! Again Michael says " I should have been notified, Roo said you had it, I'm sposed to have it in 5 days, etc etc" I apologize again and ask what he would like me to do to resolve it - Nothing specific, other than why didnt we notify him

I couldn't see this going anywhere else, so I said - "Michael I would be happy to get you this exhaust if you are interested. Please place an order via the website and when they are back in stock we can get you one off the next shipment. Thanks!" and hung up the phone.

I didn't "hang up" on the customer - I politely spent the better part of 1/2 hour explaining that there was miscommunication and apologizing profusely. I don't know what more I could have done. The customer did not have a resolution in mind, did not want compensation, did not want to order the part from me.

I am sorry you felt as if you were hung up on, but I explained time and time again it was a mistake, and that if you desired, to call Roo back in the morning and then he could apologize to you also.

Our customers are our focus - you guys are the only reason we are here. In cases like this where there is miscommunication, all we can do is try to set things straight. We apologize for the inconvenience this might have caused you, and do our best to relay accurate information.


Richard Schroeck Jr.
Bulletproof Automotive
Phone: 310.327.4676
Fax: 310.765.4794

 

So when he first placed the order for the exhaust like a week ago what did you guys do with his order info? Write it on the bottom of your shoes with chalk? No ones going to call and place an order and not give the person on the other end somesort of info on who he is, where it wants it shipped, how he's paying for it, and so fourth. At that point, its the retailers obligation to enter that order info into their database, system, books, a post it - whatever and keep it on file JUST IN CASE SOMETHING like would happen. Mistakes are mistakes, and we all make them, but to keep someone waiting and then tell them we dont have your order, I can see how the customer was angry and "ugly" I would be too. There's no excuse for it not being in the system or any notes around, as whomevver took the order, I'm sure realized he screwed up sometime after when he couldnt ship out the system, so HE should have called the customer back asap to explain why annd THEN OFFER him other options, not after the fact. I'm sorry, but I'm siding with the customer on this one and I have no doubt he was pissed, but whether it took 15min, 30min, or even 1hr on the phone with you, that's your obligation as a retailer to keep the situtation cool and collect, and work it out the best you can - YOU NEVER end the conversation with a hang up. If you wanted to keep everything civiil and keep him a custome, I'm sure you could have come up with a way to mmake good on this mistake. Offer him a little one time discount, something free on the side, a freakin t-shirt anything to say "hey we're sorry". Sometimes words aren't enough, it takes a little action! Let this be a lesson learned!

 

Why would you still have someones exhaust that had been paid for weeks ago in your warehouse? Do people really pay for something to reserve it and have it not shipped out? Also why was there no record of his order?

 

i had a unpleasant experience with them also about a year ago. i ordered an exhaust from them that had to be special ordered. then about the time its due they tell me its discontinued and i was calling like once a week to check when it was getting close to time. this is all after 3 1/2 months sice i first placed an order. i was irate but all you can do is get your money back and do buisiness else where. they said they called me but they didnt, so some sevices where not good but hey everyone makes mistakes. i do
all in all ill give them (ROO AND BEN) another chance to earn my business. they carry all the stuff i like just a mtter of time and everything should work good in their direction.
peace

 

Richard you know you are completly lying to try to save Bulletproof's business. The phone conversation was less than 5 mins...you bearly even let me speak or ask questions and kept offering all kinds of other products like I didn't know what I want. Then you proceeded to hang up the phone on me in the middle of my question to you. I never got loud or cursed at you, I was sitting here at work on the phone with you in a cubical with tons of people working around me. You can say all you want but I just needed to let people know how rude a comstomer was treated @ Bulletproof.

 

*go gets popcorn*

 

This customer never placed an order weeks ago - he tried to place one yesterday. The person he "placed" the order with yesterday is not here on thursdays - Since there was no record in the system, there was nothing to notify anyone of. Its likely on a pile on Roo's desk. The order was placed ~ 3pm last night, so we are talking a total of 4 "work" hours after the order was "placed" and I let him know we don't have the exhaust. Why should I have to get verbally abused? it was a simple mistake.

I offered him a deal on either of the other exhausts we had in stock, or to be put on the waiting list for the HKS . I said I we were sorry. We don't have any T-Shirts or anything or I wouldve offered him one. Bottom line is though, there was no money taken, no refund issued, no "damages" per se - just simple miscommunication that was resolved to the customer within 1/2 day.


As far as why I have the other customers exhaust, he is waiting on some other parts to come in, and wants them bundled together to save on shipping overseas.



-EDIT-
Michael, I can see you aren't happy, and won't be. There is no pleasing some people.. The exhaust is backorded from HKS USA. Perhaps another vendor has one "in-stock" that they can offer you. We do not have this item in stock, and don't anticipate it for 6+ weeks. We are sorry for any inconvenience this caused you.

 

Agreed 110%. If you guys make notes, how can you not make a note that the exhaust is sold. Right as he pulled up the inventory, he should have seen that 0 were in stock. I don't know what kind of systems you're using, but as soon as the customer makes a purchase the item is consider sold and should be cleared. You guys just don't understand what it feels like for us customers to wait, told that there is an ETA on our order, then find out that the item is not in stock or some other reason. Why get defective service, do we pay defective money?

 

^^^^^ As other have said there is always two sides to a story and I'm sure he did get a little irrate. However, fact remains you should never hang up on a customer even if you said sorry goodbye that is never the correct way. Second as someone stated earlier regardless if he placed the order 2 weeks ago 2 hours ago or whatever you have to keep regards in your system somehow someway. Do you always have people's order on a post-it or what? Makes no sense to not have it in the system and you never explained why. That to me is the most important thing here. If you were polite fine, a simple mistake fine, but not having a record of the order? Not fine

 

Also, I made sure my brother and his peoplez know how you guys treat customers. He has a '04 350Z...the Zer's.

 

haha

 

....sounds like this whole topic just needs to go away......

 

There's been a lot of vendor bashing recently, maybe we need a sub-forum for that?

 

by virtue of the fact that Roo had zero records of his correspondence with Micheal is an indication of poor customer service...

the fact that Roo had no knowledge that the current HKS exhaust on the floor was reserved is also poor customer service...

thus Micheal is quite correct in saying that you guys need to get your crap together imho.

 

I wonder how many other people they've sold the sold exhaust to... I agree on the bad organization the order should be put in the system as soon as it is made and sold items should be cleared from inventory. Maybe its a tactic used to get more orders because who will order when told they have to wait 6+ weeks for one to come in.. Hmm