Customer Service...

 

Getting lousy customer service sucks.  Having a business ignore you after making a purchase really sucks.  Having that same business tell you that your order will be shipped on a specific date and then finding out they don't even have the item in stock sucks ass.

I ordered a guitar last week.  No, not an Emerald.  Not even an acoustic guitar; a solid body electric.  A brand new model being offered with new technology pickups.  Well, a classic rock 'n roll model guitar with the new pickups.

These are hard to find in the US right now.  But, having a "super shopper" in the family (no, not me), Joan found a music shop that showed they had two in stock in Reverb (a music equipment sales site).  I asked about it through Reverb, and they offered me a 10% discount.  I looked around and couldn't find this model, in this color, with these pickups, in stock, anywhere else.

I ordered it and received an email saying it would be shipped "right away.  The business is in Wisconsin, and their initials are: Cream City Music.

After a few days and no word on shipping, I contacted them.  "That guitar will ship out on Monday."  A week since I ordered it.  Monday came and went, no contact from them.  This morning, I was pissed.  I finally got someone to respond honestly and found out they never had the guitar in stock.  They blamed Gibson/Epiphone, the holidays, Covid... and had nothing to say when I told them that the guitar manufacturer, the holidays, and Covid didn't falsely advertise that they had two in stock.  I demanded (and got) an immediate refund.

A couple hours later, I got a call from the owner of the business... he was very apologetic and said the problem was "100% our fault."  Turns out he seems to be very sorry and said that this is not they way they do business... a problem on top of a problem that got missed by several of his people.  By the end of the conversation, we were talking like a couple of friends.  He finally said, "I know you feel we let you down, but I will make you a "screaming hot deal" on that color we have in stock" (my second choice, Joan's first choice)... please tell me what else I can do to make this right.  I said I'd think about it.  I had no intentions of thinking about it.

Joan heard most of the conversation.  For some reason, she found it possible to believe it was an honest mistake more than I did.  She encouraged me to take him up on his offer.  I texted him an inquiry for the guitar, plus a couple other things I wanted to go with it and overnight shipping, and to have him "shoot me a price."

He called while I was in the shower; Joan answered my phone.  She made the deal.  This will be Joan's second guitar... no, she doesn't play.  The deal was good but not "screaming hot" in my opinion.  They had the one on display and one other one new in a box.  They are shipping the new one.  Joan is happy.  I'll reserve judgement.  For the record, they do have the blue in stock (the owner went out on the sales floor while he and I were on the phone); the red that I wanted (and that their ad on Reverb said was in stock) turned out to NOT be in stock.

The owner had one of the employees (the one who blamed Gibson/Epiphone, Covid, and the holidays) send me an apology.  Less than sincere.  If that had come first, I absolutely would not have given them a second chance.

As a former business owner, I am very aware that the customer isn't always right... but, the customer always deserves honest dealings.  This place has a 99% satisfaction rating with a bunch of 5 star reviews.  Apparently, they are treating some people right.  I just checked that Reverb ad... yep, they are still showing one of the red model in stock.  What is that smell?  Oh, it's bullshit.  I can't believe they didn't correct that ad, especially after the heated discussion today.  Well, yeah, I do believe they didn't correct the ad.  They got one sale from me - they won't get another.