Re: Current discount codes at SSC and other random rumblings - YEAR15 for $20 off
I deal with this stuff fro both sides every single day - and have for 8 years now, running my own business. I sympathize greatly with consumers and put myself in my customers shoes on a regular basis. But sometimes, and lately far too often, some people just cross the line. I'll say that 100% of the time in the past 8 years it's been customers from the US. Unlike customers from other countries, my experience is that many US folks have an overwhelming sense of entitlement and superiority. I don't think I've ever had anyone else from anywhere in the world talk down to me in an email. I think some customers think this puts them in a position of power, but in reality it just pisses me off. While I need the business, getting on someone's bad side is absolutely never (just bloody never) what you should do if you want things to go even remotely close to your way.
This week it's been a seniors nightmare with two 65+ year old customer just giving me nightmare email after nightmare email when I've been nothing but helpful. It's honestly like reading some bi-polar or split personality fantasy. From one email full of praise to another with threats. People can be real strange and really unkind.
Today I get an email from someone I just communicated with at the start of the week (not one of the seniors I mentioned). They were shipped an order during the holidays from Canada to the US which hasn't arrived yet. They emailed me last weekend sayin that because it hadn't arrived they expected me to overnight ship a replacement. Yeah right. I'm going to spend $150 to overnight a $30 order that they paid $5 for shipping on. Why don't these guys understand that there's just a huge amount of mail delays due to bad weather and holidays? Not to mention the time it takes to pass through customs because of the same? So today marked the 15th day and of course it's "ridiculous" - I agree it's been an unusual amount of time, but I'm not the post office and I can't make the package arrive any faster. Already explained that all orders are 100% guaranteed, and I've never had a customer not receive their goods in 8 years - tens of thousands of deliveries. I just can't guarantee they'll arrive in a specific number of days. I feel like I should just refund their purchase and tell them to pound sand, but that would be a little rude. So I'll wait till Monday to reply because honestly, historically, going out of my way by replying on a weekend only gets me in trouble.
Sorry for the rant, but I've been running an online business for eight years and I've been fed up with self-important entitled jagoffs for a long time now. I needed to vent.
Oh, and in SHARP contrast, every single customer I have ever met here via the board has been an absolute pleasure to deal with, including some repeat business and many people I now consider friends here. Great people here on SSF!
