Customer Service Questions

[Janis]

Wanted to see what you all thought:

Customer brought in 5 name doilies for us to mount and frame shortly before Thanksgiving. We offer a 2 week turnaround time, and the scheduled date for the order to be complete was right after Thanksgiving. She wanted them by Thanksgiving if we could get it done, but didn't want to pay the additional fee to guarantee that they were done by then. We had 4 done the day before Thanksgiving, then had a problem with our v-nailer that prevented us from finishing the final one. Called to let her know we had 4, but she didn't want them without the other one since they were for her kids who were all home - didn't want to leave one out which I totally understand. She was very gracious and not upset at all. Me, being a people pleaser, felt frustrated that I was unable to get them ALL done prior as she desired. She's only been a customer since February of this year, not a big spender, and I don't anticipate a huge amount of business from her.

Would you leave things as is? Would you send her a gift certificate on a future frame order with a note apologizing for not getting them all done prior to Thanksgiving even though we hadn't promised that?

What would you do?

 

[UzZx32QU]

NO!

framer

 

[Danimal]

Leave it alone. You met your committment and she was not upset.

No harm, no foul.

 

[Richard Darling]

Seems to me that you didn't give her a false hope of getting them done, that she didn't want them done enough to pay extra, and that you had them almost done before the equipment failure. I see no reason to feel frustrated and no reason to try to make any "peace" with the customer. You did your best and almost delivered early with no extra fee. Good job!

 

[PaulSF]

Never hurts to send her a note thanking her for her business, and enclosing a little gift certificate to induce a speedy return.

 

[danny boy]

Janis, I think you did a fine job working with the customer. You exceeded your objectives and the customer was delighted.
A hand written card of thanks is a very nice touch...

 

[Natalya Murphy]

Don't know that I would send a gift certificate, but a thank-you-for-your-business note is always a nice touch.

Seems to me you already went above and beyond what you promised by having 4 out of 5 done and giving her the option of getting them picked up early. If I was your customer, I would consider that excellent service.

 

[framah]

This is why you need to have a corner vise in the shop as well as the v nailer. You could have finished the job the "old fashioned" way.

You need a vise anyhow because not all mouldings work in a v nailer.

No to the begging for forgiveness. You did just what you said you would, no promise for before Tgiving.

She is happy and thus you should be happy as well!