Poor customer service

[timgarvey]

I ordered a test kit and requested shipping via the post office. Other than blame the post office, Premium Aquatics just continues to tell me to wait. Here's their email mesage and my reponse. This was after three phone calls on my part.

Hello Tim,
When we received your order, you had chosen US priority mail, which is USPS-postal service. If you ordered after 2'o'clock on Friday the 22nd of November, we did not even get it until Monday morning and then we have 48 hours to get it out, as of our policy. Now using USPS it will take @ 4-5 business days, kinda like normal mail, to get to you. With the Holiday being that week also, it did not help. It will probably be there anytime. If you do not get it by Tuesday, get ahold of us and then we'll see what we can do. There is no way for us to track by USPS, and try calling then for a package to be tracked, it does not work. We tried calling Friday afternoon about 4-5 times and the line was busy. Thanks!

Rob,

This is the 3rd time I've checked with your company on this order. Each time, I'm told to wait with a reference to the slow delivery of the postal service.

This order was placed on 11/18, a Friday. you charged my account the following Monday, 11/21. You emailed me a confirmation of the shipping on 11/22.

Assuming you shipped as stated, 9 delivery days have passed. That's more than enough time for a first class delivery from Indiana to Illinois.

While I understand you are not responsibile for the post office, just a couple of FYI's. The "ship to" address on my invoice does not have a city in the address. Could the package have been returned and shipped at a later date?

I chose your company as a vendor since you advertise and are a sponsor on the "reef central" forum. While I don't hold you responsbile for the post office, I consider my self fortunate to have only invested $14.80 in order to get a true reading on what could be expected from Premium Aquatics in the area of customer service.

Tim

 

[jasonfrey]

Hi Tim,

I'm very sorry about the problems with your order. I would like to address a couple issues. First is USPS is "at your own risk", we clearly state this in the shipping description page:
Priority Mail option is available for small packages* only, PO Boxes, and Alaska & Hawaii. Usually ships within 48 hours. THIS METHOD HAS NO TRACKING! **This option has no insurance available, so itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œat your own riskââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ type of shipping. Although rarely lost or damaged, please consider the risk before picking this service. *Small package is defined as 12x12x12 or smaller, or the Triangle Tube which is approx 36x4x4. If your package is larger we may need to charge additional postage or switch you to UPS. Priority Mail option will not show up online, you'll need to put a note in customer comments to switch to Priority Mail.

Then when you select the ship pull down option you see this message:
Priority Mail - No Insurance - Small Package Only - Ships in 48 hours: We have it in a 3rd place in the policy pages as well.

Basically means we are willing to ship this method for you, if you assume the risk. We have tried to explain that it takes us longer to ship this method, we have no insurance or tracking on this method and we basically only offer for a convenience to our customers that are willing to take the risk. If it's lost, stolen or damaged there is nothing we can do.

So that is basically our USPS policy. If it was UPS, you would of already had a replacement if it was lost or damaged, but we have to yield to the shipping option that you choose.

That said, I looked at your ship address and that appears to be the problem. You didn't enter a city, you put Suite D as the city. So not sure if the post office will figure that address out. If they don't and it's returned to us we will be glad to reship the package for you no charge. Just let us know what the correct address is.

Another option is we would be willing to bend the policy a little and offer you another test kit no charge if you pay the UPS Ground shipping. If we then got the other lost package back we could get you a refund on the test kit price.

thanks

 

[timgarvey]

Here's my most recent reply from Premium Aquatics. Just as an FYI, this particular order was a $9.95 test kit. I saw no need to pay for overnight shipping and/or insurance.

I'm sorry that you have not received your order yet, but you did use USPS and it states on our web-site - "At Your Own Risk!" We are trying our best to get this situation settled and to make you happy, but there is no reason to be upset with us. You are the one that used USPS and we held up our policy about the shipping out times, but when it comes to USPS, it has no insurance and is at your own risk. We are sending out the same product via UPS for overnight delivery. If there are any more problems, please e-mail

 

[eclecticvibe]

If you don't see the need to pay for the UPS service with insurance, I fail to see why you hold us responsible when we ship the package without insurance. UPS is a 1 day delivery to you in Illinois for standard ground packages, and all UPS packages come with full insurance and door to door tracking. The postal service will not even begin to look for a package until 30 days after the package has been sent. Please let us know how you expect us to handle this situation to make it right by you. I think that Jason's offer to send another test kit, free of charge--you pay shipping, is more than gracious. If this seems unacceptable, please offer us another alternative to consider.

 

[Highlander]

I've always used UPS ground with Premium, if ordered by noon, I always have it the next afternoon.

Guess the lesson to be learned is not to trust the USPS.
There's a reason why all the private sector companies are taking their business

 

[cwegescheide]

Maybe a suggestion might be to have some sort of rudimentary address validation routine when people order stuff thru the web?? I'd imagine if you have a savy person on the payroll you could get something setup fairly easily. Depending on how much trouble you have with customers incorrectly entering their address thru your website.. Might be more trouble than its worth if you only have a few people that screw it up!!

 

[Jasonanatal]

Timgarvey, I completely understand your fustration and really have nothing more to offer then sympathy. I find it absolutely disgraceful for a company to beat around the bush over a test kit. As you said before at least you only invested $14 and change. I would try ordering from PetSolutions.com I have received broken bulbs and they have been replaced within two days. They stand by their shipments.

 

[jasonfrey]

Jasonanatal, that is not really fair to say we are not standing behind our shipment. If I gave you a choice. You can ship UPS Ground for $8.00 and we will back it up 100%, full insurance, tracking and ship the same day. Or if you want to risk it, we can ship USPS without insurance for say $4.00 but it has no tracking or insurance. You pickup USPS and then something goes wrong.

Who is at fault? Who choose to gamble with there shipment to save money? I don't understand why people don't get "at your own risk". We hate using USPS to ship packages, customers ask us to use them even though it's "at there own risk" and then something like this happens and they don't understand why they can't file a claim?

We are one of the most customer friendly companies you'll find and we bend over backwards for our customers. I'm really lost on this point. It's like going to Las Vegas and placing a bet. You loose and you don't think it's fair they took your chips away.

Due to these problems, we have removed USPS from our website. We'll still use them if a customer asks, but we'll have to get a little letter detailed so they can 100% understand what they are doing before using it.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonfrey, when making a purchase with a business you shouldn't have to have to choose between a shipping method that the company stands behind and a shipping method that is at the customers risk. People come to you and pay for a service. In my opinion if they wanted to gamble they could go to a casino! If your company provides a shipping method that is negligable then maybe the company should reconsider the current relationship with that shipping carrier. Customer should come first because the customers opinion and recommendation is what drivers a companies financial success. I personally stand behind my decision to not do business with a company that neglects their customer, gives them the run around or causes any undue stress in a world that already provides that for free! These people are in the Aquarium hobby because it is something that they enjoy and relaxes them and gives them some piece of mind in this world. They should have to worry if what they pay for will reach them. Owning a Marine Aquarium is enough work as it is without adding on a companies incompetence to do business the right way.

 

[jasonfrey]

Thank you for your opinion. Obviously we view things a little different. We do offer customers a secure choice for shipping, that is UPS. So basically you are saying we should not accomadate a customer that is not wanting to use them and wants to use a cheaper service.

We did not give the customer a runaround. USPS policy is 30 days before they will even check into the situation. We did offer to replace the test kit FREE if they pay the UPS shipping, which is what they would of had to pay in the first place.

We will redo our shipping options and other customer options. We have always tried to give our customers a lot of extra choices and some being at there own risk, but the big point being "it's there choice". Most customers I thought enjoyed the extra flexibility and it's rare to have problems like these.

In this day and age though I guess this type of options can't be possible anymore.

Thank You again for your opinion, whether we agree or not, we always like to hear from other people and we'll adjust our policy accordingly.

 

[Jasonanatal]

Jasonfrey, your welcome.

 

[dkh0331]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6230496#post6230496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jasonfrey


We will redo our shipping options and other customer options. We have always tried to give our customers a lot of extra choices and some being at there own risk, but the big point being "it's there choice". Most customers I thought enjoyed the extra flexibility and it's rare to have problems like these.

I wouldn't change a thing. PA is by far the best online store in the industry, and frankly, I can't think of another online store in any industry that can match their level of CS.

David

 

[fussoverthis]

Jason,
I think you guys did all you could. Unfortunately you just can't please everyone and some people seem to think it fun to ridicule others. That said - it seems like the guy who bought the test kit only signed up on here to complain about this, seeing his post count.

FWIW, my spending with Premium Aquatics has probably totaled around $1000 since beginning this hobby, with just a few high-dollar items like LR and lighting. They have always delivered (pardon the pun) when it comes to customer service.

Thanks, PA!

Melissa

 

[Jasonanatal]

Melissa, I will give it a shot in ordering something to see for myself.

 

[crash519]

I think the key thing in this entire issue is the customers inability to enter their own address correctly. That in itself, should take the blame off PA. It's not their business to insure the customer knows where they live or want the shipment delivered. It sounds like PA went above and beyond to me.

 

[comatose]

I'm sorry, but i have to agree with PA and fussoverthis on this one, pretty much all of us have sent a shipment of something out to somebody if it be from ebay or personal things we sold.
if i sent it insured and the post office lost it or broke it then i file a claim and give the money back to the customer or give them a new product when I get the money from the post office from the claim,
if the customer refused insurance then that is the customers fault, why do i have to lose money for someone elseââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s mistake.
when are people going to start to take responsibility for their own actions.
yea the product was only 9.95 but what if it was 149.95 should a company lose that much money because of you refusing insurance or something the post office did? Go after the people who was really at fault, the post office !!

You should not be in here giving PA a bad rap when they did everything correctly, you should be in the ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œVender experiences forumââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ giving the Post office a bad rap.

 

[timgarvey]

Here's the bottom line.....

1. not many posts because I'm smart enough to know I've got more to learn by reading as regards to this hobby

2. As for ustomer service, I think each of us is entitled to our own expectations. My post is to advise others of how PA's standard does not match mine. I think it's reasonable not expect some to insure a $14 purchase for $8.

3. I personally have 5 websites in my business. Even though I've a novice, they are pretty much idiot proof as to addresses. ( yes, that's me calling me an idiot) If you don't enter something, you get an error message. If you enter conflicting info such as city,state,zip, you get an error message.

4. I work in a field on 100% commission and am entirely dependant on the goodwill of my customers for future business. I know of what I speak.

5. I purchased this test kit at a LFS. Paid $3 more plus and hour roundtrip from my office. The exact same kit on my postage meter is 3.2 oz or $1.06 in postage. I was charged $4.85 by PA or $3.79 more for someone to adddress the package. If the USPO is truly at an "at your risk" option, why is PA marking up 4 times the postage cost?

 

[jasonfrey]

Hi,

I already said my point and apolgized for the problem. I had to respond to your last comment about postage though.

You selected Priority Mail, that is why it's 4.85. You didn't pick 1st class mail which might of been 1.xx postage. So that's not fair to try to make it sound like we overcharged you on the postage.

thanks

 

[JRPhd]

"My post is to advise others of how PA's standard does not match mine."
- Fair enough. With that, PA has met and exceeded my standards. I am only a loyal customer when treated like one. If that stops, I move on. I've been given no reason to go elsewhere. Oh, and you forgot the c in customer :idea:
J

 

[adpgibso]

Whoever wants to complain that it's Premium Aquatics fault that YOU chose to ship it USPS (cheapo) and then come on here and try to make the company sound bad just seems plain ignorrant to me

I've dealth with this company a few times already and have no problems at all, but I guess when you try to make special circumstances of yourself...that is just what you become