I sent a parcel of 2 SS lawn suits last saturday and the customer got it on wednesday BUT with ONE heavy formal dress which is not I made or sent :-/ the invoice attached on the box has her name printed with the right tracking number but it is mentioned ONE 3 pc suit instead of 2 !! she is a first time customer, really nervous and worried since they were for her and her sils eid outfits. I have been trying to follow at the courier head office but they are saying that this is almost impossible that the contents of the box are switched and since I had pasted her address and contact number on the packets i dropped with the office, they told me to wait until the other lady who got her lawn suits instead of her heavy formal dress file a complaint with the company and they will let me know.
We drop the packets labelled with addresses at the counter and take the slip,sometimes we get that tracking number the next day.we dont know who packs them and attaches the invoice on the box/envelope. that’s something beyond our control and no one is to be blamed !
Now she is asking for a refund when I have requested her to wait for a week or two until I hear from the courier company. I rushed with her order and stitching to send it quite in time but this was totally unplanned. yet I feel bad that she doesnt have her order in hands to wear on eid but still do I have to make a refund right away ? I told her I will refund once the 2 weeks time that the courier company gave me to wait to hear from the other side is gone , even then it is not my fault but still I am ready to refund it and get the other dress she got back and sell it off to get my money.
I think it's reasonable to wait for a refund. Maybe her suits will be located as well.
And just a general question, is it only courier companies that work like this? For example, if you send direct with DHL/FedEx (very expensive) who packs the package? You? Or do they do it in front of you?
I think you should give her a refund. Its not your fault or hers. But since you have such a good reputition here, I think its okay to give one customer a refund or maybe if you can, try to make her order again. You have an awesome collection and a good clientele and once you get that "messed up" order back, you can post the pics and someone will buy it from you.
there's another thread on the GS about a lost parcel. i went through all the thread and was amazed to see the arrogant and indifferent attitude of the seller Ms. Shabnam Zahid. i think it's the seller's responsibilty to make up for the lost goods even if it's NOT the seller's fault. i think that lady seriosly needs to learn some business eithics from Proto. just look at how gracefully and humbly Proto is trying to sort this issue out without creating any fuss or being rude to the customer, unlike Miss Zahid.THUMBS UP for you Proto ! you truely are an inspiration for other upcoming home based designers like me :)
IT IS FAIR AND REASONABLE TO ASK THE buyer to wait for about a week in hopes of sorting mixed parcels.....but after that time period it would advisable to issue an refund and sell the dress . you might incur some headaches and a little loss but it is great customer service and I know I would order again with a vendor/designer who accepts responsibility even for something that is not necessarily their fault. MISTAKES/MISHAPS happen but its how we deal with them that characterize us. Excellent customer service can turn a first time buyer into a permanent customer. Please don't think about short term gains but about a long term relationship.
As the buyer in Ms. Zahid it is her attitude that its not my FAULT that is insulting and infuriating. Prototype please show other vendor/designer that profit should not the primary motive .......satisfying the customer is. Yes, a vendor should be fairly compensated and respected but seller responsibility ends when buyer successful receives the goods she/he ordered.
Once again hoping that this matter resolves quickly and amicably.
Do you know who the other parcel went to?...they must have received it as well by now?.Hopefully,they will be in touch with you and let you know,so all this mess can be sorted.After all,they were expecting a heavy suit...not two SS lawns.
I don't understand why the couriers have to attach the labels and give you details next day...surely,they should let you wait and make sure everything is as it should be.
I can understand the lady who ordered an Eid suit getting anxious and asking for a refund because she and her SIL will have nothing to wear,but it's reasonable to ask her to wait awhile.
Unfortunately,the responsibility does lie with the seller somewhat.I can understand it not being your fault,but the buyer placed her faith in you to deliver on time.Sorry,probably not what you want to hear..:(
I have lost two items in transit during my work, and I discovered you can always claim shipping insurance (once you're already paying for it). Thats the best case scenario here. Its really not your fault and if I were int he same place I could understand why its unfair that when you have already incurred a loss and made good on your word to make the outfit on time, to refund to amount. I think its best both you and the client should get on the courier service heads and drive them crazy enough to find the item. It worked for me last time!
Give the refund without any fuss or wait, your customer service will speak volumes, and you will not lose a valuable customer in the process, if and when the dress turns up, sell it off if the customer is not interested.
thanks everyone for your time and input. I am already refunding her money and have just talked to her about it. next time it is 2 rakaat nafl-e-haajat after dropping the parcel because if anything goes wrong, there is no one to blame or claim and it’s just me inthe end who has to refund the money despite all efforts and work Allah mian hee hain jo sub theek se karwa saktay hain company waloan ko aqal day kay.
Xenab I wonder what courier company did you deal with because skynet people have stopped answering to my calls today. i tell them my name and they put me on hold for unlimited time until i hang up ! so i have no hopes in getting any response from them the only way to teach them a lesson is to not to return the dress they sent by mistake so the other lady who sent that dress and the one who was suposed to recieve it slap them in heads for misplacing the parcel !!
stoppit, I have seen TCS packing it infront of me and making me write the address. others, I drop labelled and taped up parcels at office and get the tracking number/details on weight on phone or by email since i work with them regularly. the company i work with doesnt deal with skynet directly. they do it via DHL or APX but DHL is very expensive for europe and APX takes 8-10 working days. so I chose skynet for eid orders which is not as expensive but they deliver quicker than APX !
Do you know,proto,it's possible Skynet have taken more orders than they can cope with because they are offering special cheaper rates for ramzan..my cousin sent my clothes this week and she said they were cheaper than PakPost...and they guaranteed four days delivery.
Is there a ramadan offer? They are totally bay imaan seriously. The guy at counter never mentioned it and i paid regular shipping for all 4 parcels i sent that day. Allah poochhayn unko...
Is there a ramadan offer? They are totally bay imaan seriously. The guy at counter never mentioned it and i paid regular shipping for all 4 parcels i sent that day. Allah poochhayn unko...
Oh yes there is,just for the month of ramzan though.I don't know what she paid but she said it was cheaper than usual.How much per kilo did you pay may I ask??...
yar i ve sent aparcel from skynet and they were charging me more coz they were saying we have alot of parcels so eid ky dinu may hum ziada charge krty hain....allah kry mera parcel pohnch jai khairyat sy......
@ holy moly, Prototype said she has already agreed to a refund and worked it out with customers......this is so unlike Shabanam Zahid of silk affair who has left me to rot.....while she has moved on with her business.....I am out of substantial money and no dresses in my possession.....once a parcel is lost especially if it is not trackable very difficult to find out......
^ Well some ppl are just mean and i never understood why customers keep going back to them despite their bad customer service.
Just like the cynosure or i dont know how you spell it in liberty, the guy sitting on table has very bad attitude towards customers but my
friend likes going back to them, i told her i wud never buy from a shop having such an attitude, but she goes back there everyday to see if
can find something suitable. When i am paying that amount even the tiniest, i am expecting good customer service, if you can't provide that, i am sorry i am not going to die naked without your cloths, there are dozens other shops.
OMG I ship via Skynet as well and I wasnt told about the offer as well. I started using Skynet Since January because my clients thought I was charging too much for shipping (DHL and FedEx are simply crazy expensive), and I usually have this guy come and pick up the packages everyday from the workshop. He also sends the tracking number on request only, but I havent faced any issues with SkyNet ever, which is a good thing I guess.
The package that was lost was because of TCS, and that too when it was being sent to Islamabad. It only takes 24 hours to deliver the package, but my client called me up after a week asking why I haven’t sent the outfit yet, so I got in touch with the guys at TCS, and yes it took forever to get in touch with an office in Sargodah (I have no idea why) which was holding the outfit. The good news was we found the outfit, the bad news was that while checking the item (it had a lot of heavy metal brooches on the work) they managed to make a very large tear on the side, so I had to make the outfit all over again and I only had a week to do it. It was a nightmare, but you have to keep calling various offices to find someone willing to help you in this issue.
Also apply for shipping insurance, because of they lose a large bridal order ever (which they wont hopefully), Its going to be a very heavy loss to bear. Its always better to be safe than sorry:)
Here is very strong suggestion that I think should become standard when shipping parcels anywhere:
PLEASE INCLUDE AN INVOICE INSIDE PARCEL WITH a detailed info about the dresses included. Also there should be address of receipent and sender on every single dress. Yes, could be handwritten or computer generated but this valuable information in case the shipping labels get mixed or ripped off. There are have 2 recent cases of these mishaps. According to United States Postal Service if there was an invoice inside package with recipient and sender address matter could be solved very easily.
2nd thing that absolutely should be done is take a picture of the content of box......4 dresses then picture should have all 4 dresses.....the invoice and picture come in very handy for insurance claims.
Again every packet should have an invoice (something I did not get from my last failed transaction) and dresses should have sender and recipient address. Take a couple of pictures of dresses inside box (good idea to send recipient these pics as wells for records)......then if a claim needs to be filed it can be easily done so.
Designers please make this part of your protocol for shipping. It will help things immensely. Again designers the responsibility falls on your shoulders to make sure that the client receives their shipment successfully. Unlike exhibition where the exchange is immediate.......cash for dresses.......the buyer is taking more of a risk when they make full payment.
You know... the issue with Skynet that I have just come to realise is that because you just drop it off and they pack it and put their own invoice in... they write whatever they want. So recently I had 4 outfits sent by SkyNet.. 3 casuals and 1 one formal. But their packing slip said 2 ladies casual dresses... obviously to avoid a custom's hold up. To be honest, if I did not receive it, I don't think I can hold the sender accountable because I chose Skynet over direct DHL (again not a cheaper version through another company but "real" DHL).
Another problem for vendors with international shipping is that if they put the REAL value of the outfit on the package (so they can claim appropriate insurance if it's lost), it will inevitably be subject to customs charges, which can be quite high if the outfit is in hundreds of £ or $. Customers complain if this happens, so the vendors usually put a less value on the package but then if it's lost the customer's still hold them accountable for the full cost even if they only get meagre compensation.
I don't understand. Customer's don't want to pay more for shipping (even though it's justified) and they don't want to pay custom's charges, but they are quite happy to hold the vendor fully accountable if anything goes wrong.
I think vendors should put some terms and conditions at the beginning on an order. Making it clear that choosing a cheaper shipper over DHL/FEDEX or even TCS (where it's packed in your presence) means that the package passes through other hands before being packed, for which the vendor cannot take responsibility for. And secondly that if they do not allow the vendor to put the full outfit amount for insurance, they understand that they can only claim the declared value if it's lost.
I know why this doesn't happen - vendors don't want to put people off buying and hope for the best and that they can cover the cost of the odd lost outfit. But I do think customer's need to acknowledge some accountability.
Allah mian hee hain jo sub theek se karwa saktay hain company waloan ko aqal day kay.
