Bad experience with Boardsmith

[NO ChoP!]

I've had terrific experiences with some of our vendors, and I've had a few horrific experiences as well.

I will publicly praise those for their outstanding service.

I will not suggest products from, and will talk privately about those who have failed to provide me with a level of service I believe I deserve.

Unfortunately there are a few of our very own I will never patronize again...

 

[DWSmith]

Since I was named here I will post a transcript with the name and email address removed of the OP. In short, if he had called me I would have walked him through the shopping cart process personally.

If you wanted my business, you would have tried to help me solve my problem, rather than suggesting that I was doing something wrong. I am a smart guy, I did what you said, it didn't work. Perhaps I need to use a particular browser -- who knows?-- but rather than helping me figure this out, you implied that I must be missing something. I'd add that when you say "it works for everyone else," you ignore the possibility that other people have experienced the same problem and haven't bothered to write.

In short, you were condescending rather than helpful, which I think the transcript bears out, and I would venture to say that that taking that sort of tone with customers willing to drop hundreds of dollars on your products can't be good for business.

On Monday, March 17, 2014, David Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
Quite frankly you put words in my mouth, at no time did I tell you to take your business elsewhere. All I said was it seems to work for everyone else. At no time was I rude or unhelpful, quite the opposite, I instructed you where to enter the shipping information. Please share the experience with the forum, I will be happy to publish a transcript of your emails for them to read.

From:
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 9:39 PM
To: David Smith
Subject: Re: Your website doesn't work

Ps I am an active member of kitchen knife forums and have repeated extolled the virtues of your products, which is why I find your unhelpful and, frankly, rude reaction to a potential customer especially galling. I'll be sure to share my experience with that community.

On Monday, March 17, 2014,
What a helpful response. I guess you're asking me to take my business elsewhere.

On Monday, March 17, 2014, David Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
Sure seems to work for everyone else.


-----Original Message-----
From:
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 4:28 PM
To: David Smith
Subject: Re: Your website doesn't work

Yes, but it doesn't work. Nothing happens when you enter the info.

On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 4:26 PM, David Smith <[email protected]>
wrote:
> There is a box on the left of the shopping cart to fill in your zip code.
> This calculates the proper UPS shipping rates.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 4:18 PM
> To: boardsmith .
> Subject: Your website doesn't work
>
> Your website doesn't work! I tried to place an order, but kept
> getting a message saying the order couldn't go through because I
> hadn't selected a shipping method. But there is no way to do this.
>
> I would bet you're losing a lot of business as a result of this faulty
> system. I eventually just gave up.
>

BTW He sent the first email twice from two different originating points.

 

[sachem allison]

Wow, He wrote this

"On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 4:26 PM, David Smith <[email protected]>
wrote:
> There is a box on the left of the shopping cart to fill in your zip code.
> This calculates the proper UPS shipping rates."
>


and you got This out of it.


"From:
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 9:39 PM
To: David Smith
Subject: Re: Your website doesn't work

Ps I am an active member of kitchen knife forums and have repeated extolled the virtues of your products, which is why I find your unhelpful and, frankly, rude reaction to a potential customer especially galling. I'll be sure to share my experience with that community.

On Monday, March 17, 2014,
What a helpful response. I guess you're asking me to take my business elsewhere."

 

[schanop]

I this this is a PEBKAC problem :curse: The very next page during ordering process on theboardsmith.com clearly said:

Shipping
To: Ontario

Please enter your shipping destination and postal code to view domestic shipping rates. International customers - select local pick-up and the exact Priority Mail International rates will be sent to you when the board is ready to ship.

US address would have a shipping charge shown up, but this OP lives in Toronto.

 

[Bill13]

This is where email sucks. You lose all the nuances of the voice and things can get misinterpreted so easily. Whenever things start to go south in an email conversation, I apologize and suggest a phone call to clear things up. If that does not work, then I move on to another business.

 

[JHunter]

Wow, He wrote this

"On Mon, Mar 17, 2014 at 4:26 PM, David Smith <[email protected]>
wrote:
> There is a box on the left of the shopping cart to fill in your zip code.
> This calculates the proper UPS shipping rates."
>


and you got This out of it.


"From:
Sent: Monday, March 17, 2014 9:39 PM
To: David Smith
Subject: Re: Your website doesn't work

Ps I am an active member of kitchen knife forums and have repeated extolled the virtues of your products, which is why I find your unhelpful and, frankly, rude reaction to a potential customer especially galling. I'll be sure to share my experience with that community.

On Monday, March 17, 2014,
What a helpful response. I guess you're asking me to take my business elsewhere."

There is more in between those two in the original thread. Including one that states nothing but "sure seems to work for everyone else "

 

[DWSmith]

That is the entire email exchange with no deletions, except for the OP's name and email address, or additions.

The OP is entitled to his opinions and is free to voice his opinions here on my sub-forum. I realize I am not able to satisfy each and everyone but I try.

 

[erikz]

Well, this seems like a classic case of email miscommunication/misunderstanding.

 

[JHunter]

That is the entire email exchange with no deletions, except for the OP's name and email address, or additions.

The OP is entitled to his opinions and is free to voice his opinions here on my sub-forum. I realize I am not able to satisfy each and everyone but I try.

I was referring to the post I quoted not showing the entire email you posted and how it can make it read different is all. No one will win in the case of someone having what they felt was a poor customer service experience

 

[schanop]

Checked again, it's my own PEBKAC, :spankarse:

There's no local pick up option any where to be selected. Now I can see both sides of this argument.

Shipping
To: Ontario

Please enter your shipping destination and postal code to view domestic shipping rates. International customers - select local pick-up and the exact Priority Mail International rates will be sent to you when the board is ready to ship.

 

[Anton]

It's a common situation in any office -- especially for those in the communications industry: You communicate something (quite clearly, you think). The person with whom you're communicating receives the information (quite clearly, they think). And neither one of you is right.

Fact is, there is very often a big gap between what is intended and received. The "evolution" of "communications" technology, namely e-mail and text messages, is baiting us with apparent connectivity, only to lead us down a path of confusion, frustration and the belief that we have actually communicated at all.

Of course, all communication, even in its purest, face-to-face and focused form, falls prey to the imperfections of emotion, situation, distraction and interpretation. So we're talking about a matter of degree here. But the big question is: Are we aware of the limitations of the communication methods we're using? And do we correct for them?


My .02

 

[dannynyc]

Checked again, it's my own PEBKAC, :spankarse:

There's no local pick up option any where to be selected. Now I can see both sides of this argument.

I'm sure no one cares, but I actually attempted to have this sent to the US, also using a US billing address (I may have erroneously entered the shipping address as Ontario at first, but I tried at least 5 times with the correct US shipping address). It just wouldn't work. And I did see the second page, which asked me to enter the shipping address, which I did, because I'm not a complete idiot. I still got an error message.

Even if I was a complete idiot, or internet novice, would that justify the way I was spoken to? Not in my opinion.

That said, as the OP, I propose we put this one to bed.

 

[schanop]

My apologies to both sides. I did totally miss US shipping address in the first post.

 

[JDA_NC]

Even if I was a complete idiot, or internet novice, would that justify the way I was spoken to? Not in my opinion.

Treat others how you want to be treated (is what I've always been taught). Your original e-mail's tone was probably the rudest of the entire exchange. Instead of explaining your issue with his website, you told him 'factually' that his website doesn't work -- and that because of it you gave up on ordering something from him -- and that he's probably losing a lot of business because of it.

You could have just wrote him telling him what you were interested in ordering, what the issue was with the website, and where you were trying to get it sent to. Boom. Problem solved. No need to get so upset over the small things in life...

 

[dannynyc]

Treat others how you want to be treated (is what I've always been taught). Your original e-mail's tone was probably the rudest of the entire exchange. Instead of explaining your issue with his website, you told him 'factually' that his website doesn't work -- and that because of it you gave up on ordering something from him -- and that he's probably losing a lot of business because of it.

You could have just wrote him telling him what you were interested in ordering, what the issue was with the website, and where you were trying to get it sent to. Boom. Problem solved. No need to get so upset over the small things in life...

Really, you think it's rude to tell a vendor they may be losing business because their website doesn't let orders go through? Don't you think that's something a vendor might want to know?

 

[ThEoRy]

So instead of starting your communication with David with something like, "I'm having trouble placing an order" You start by immediately attacking him with, "Your website doesn't work!"


I just went through the process on David's site just to see the whole thing through and like he said it works for everyone else. Sounds like that time someone tried to purchase a Bill Burke knife that was in their shopping cart for over a day or so then when they finally hit "purchase" they were shocked and angered with the vendor that the item was no longer available. User error.

It sounds to me like YOU made a mistake, blamed someone else like a child does, attacked the vendor privately then publicly WITHOUT disclosing your very rude private attack as if to seem like you were some innocent victim. Like I said earlier there are 2 sides to every story.

Why couldn't you just call the guy?

 

[dannynyc]

What exactly was the mistake that I made? I entered all the information that I was asked to and it didn't work. And does the fact that it worked for you mean that it worked for "everyone"?

And are you seriously telling me that I am acting like a child? I will be an adult and not respond to that comment.

 

[ThEoRy]

What exactly was the mistake that I made? I entered all the information that I was asked to and it didn't work. And does the fact that it worked for you mean that it worked for "everyone"?

And are you seriously telling me that I am acting like a child? I will be an adult and not respond to that comment.

Who knows what the mistake you made was if you can't even say? And yes, that is exactly how children act. Blame everyone else and throw a tantrum. Would you care to comment on my assessment of your original exchange to David and why you began with an attack instead of a query or why you didn't just call the guy up and place the order by phone?

 

[Ucmd]

I am really surprised at the direction this thread is taking. Nothing productive will come from this. Will mods Please end this thread.

 

[dannynyc]

It's kind of bizarre that I am engaging with you, a total stranger, having to explain my interaction with the vendor. Suffice to say that I don't think my email was rude, even if it was rather direct. And my point is that after I pointed out the process was not working for me (however I said it), the vendor made no effort to resolve the situation. Again, how is the onus on the customer?

Theory, I don't really care what you think about me, and I really think your insults are unbecoming and unworthy of this forum.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, but I think the facts speak for themselves.

 

[dannynyc]

I am really surprised at the direction this thread is taking. Nothing productive will come from this. Will mods Please end this thread.

Amen.

 

[andre s]

It's a common situation in any office -- especially for those in the communications industry: You communicate something (quite clearly, you think). The person with whom you're communicating receives the information (quite clearly, they think). And neither one of you is right.

Fact is, there is very often a big gap between what is intended and received. The "evolution" of "communications" technology, namely e-mail and text messages, is baiting us with apparent connectivity, only to lead us down a path of confusion, frustration and the belief that we have actually communicated at all.

Of course, all communication, even in its purest, face-to-face and focused form, falls prey to the imperfections of emotion, situation, distraction and interpretation. So we're talking about a matter of degree here. But the big question is: Are we aware of the limitations of the communication methods we're using? And do we correct for them?


My .02

+1
in my (especially work) experience, most people read emails in their worst "possible" tone. some have admitted to me that emails ending without a "thanks" puts them off. I've personally found it most helpful to assume that others have good intentions because they usually do. And, even when they don't, there usually aren't many downsides to taking the high road. In fact, it usually helps move past difficult situations...which is great, if that's your goal. I suppose some people just prefer having the drama go on and on...
Not me. I'm boring that way


thanks

 

[MowgFace]

I am really surprised at the direction this thread is taking. Nothing productive will come from this. Will mods Please end this thread.

Personally i dont think closing the thread is fair to the forum. The OP had his chance to rant/vent. People should have their chance to respond.

On that note, i think that people are ignoring the part of the forum rules Dave had mentioned to be respectful and objective.

 

[DevinT]

The OP requested that it be shut down.

Hoss

 

[dannynyc]

I feel like we're only one step away from someone calling someone a nazi.

I'm sure people here are capable of disagreeing with me without resort to personal insults.

 

[ThEoRy]

It's kind of bizarre that I am engaging with you, a total stranger, having to explain my interaction with the vendor. Suffice to say that I don't think my email was rude, even if it was rather direct. And my point is that after I pointed out the process was not working for me (however I said it), the vendor made no effort to resolve the situation. Again, how is the onus on the customer?

Theory, I don't really care what you think about me, and I really think your insults are unbecoming and unworthy of this forum.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, but I think the facts speak for themselves.

You find it bizarre that you're interacting with a total stranger when you post on a message board with a bunch of total strangers?
I was merely pointing out how this looks from the outside once the exchange was made public. (however I said it)

 

[Pachowder]

That's because after BS shared the transcript, the tide turned. Now, we have two sides to a story and people can make what they want from it. I am neutral here. I have a boardsmith board and love it. I also understand some people expect certain levels of customer service. I didn't see anything bad in Dave's email but the OP did. His choice. Being an adult, I wouldn't let one post like this effect if I were to purchase from BS again. Not sure of my point but this is the internet...

The OP requested that it be shut down.

Hoss

 

[jamaster14]

A balance of information is a good thing. If we did that there would have to be 1000 positive reviews for every negative one so there would be a fair representation of the vendor. There is no vendor here or elsewhere that can meet all of the expectations of all of the customers.

Negative reviews do have an effect on vendors, sometimes it's the only thing that we hear.

Small business get bogged down with trying to make everyone happy. If a guy could just make things and sell them, it would be easy to be in business. The making of things is the easy part, managing everything else is the hard part.

Negative reviews are intended to drum up support for the offended person, somehow asking for everyone to take sides and support that by their own experiences. I also like to be a competitive arguer, I want there to be a clear winner and looser for every argument. Usually, both sides are both right and wrong.

I am not opposed to your posts, I just wish that there was a better solution.

Hoss

I think negative reviews only damage a vendor if they respond to them in negative ways. There are tons of Yelp reviews where the vendor/owner/manager/chef/etc will just argue and bash the person back and forth, when simply trying to help the person (even if they are wrong) can usually resolve it faster and lead to a positive review from that same poster. on the flip side ive seen similar negative review where the vendor has come back, offered to try again.. offered to correct the problem, ship a replacement, give a coupon, etc... i find these are the places that get the best reviews and have people who were initially upset coming back as repeat customers.

i know personally ive given an initial bad review, had the person respond to me in a very professional manner, only to edit or follow up on my initial negative review with a positive one. not everyones issues can be solved, but good customer service is to TRY and resolve everyones problems. arguing or telling the customer how wrong they are likely isnt going to promote more business.

i know im willing to pay and pay a ton more for good customer service, and willing to pass on places with poor service.

 

[DevinT]

Most of the time we react to things and then realize that we over reacted.

Hoss

 

[Pachowder]

Devin,

If you sent me a free knife I would over react but I bet I would realize I didn't over react enough

Most of the time we react to things and then realize that we over reacted.

Hoss