Why are vendors so horrible with email?

[liaerfbv]

I'm just venting... but I'm so frustrated with several PS vendors that make it impossible to work with them BY NOT RETURNING EMAILS. I'm so sick of excuses being made for lack of response via email. I work full-time. Often, I cannot say - hey let me step outside for 10 minutes to call this vendor to get a quote for a project, or to follow up on whatever I'm working on. I want to be able to shoot off a quick email and get a reply within 48 hours. Don't these companies realize they are losing business like this? There are several vendors that I would love to work with, but I cannot get a response via email and I'm just not going to chase you down to buy something from you! I think it's completely unacceptable in today's business world. Every time I see someone in RT tell a new poster "oh you have to call so and so because they are horrible with email" I cringe. I'm not giving my business to someone who cannot reply to an email, I don't care how amazing their work is.

Ok, rant over -- is it Friday yet???

 

[Maisie]

And breathe.......

I know how you feel. I've waited weeks to hear back from vendors before. I can't really keep ringing them either because I'm in England and it would be expensive. You just need to find a vendor you like and stick with them

 

[recordaras]

I feel you - I'm having a pretty rough day, and I would love nothing more than to get a reply to one of the two emails I sent out yesterday to get my mind off of things... However, at the same time I tend to always try and give small businesses a break, because it's really hard to be one nowadays. And the more staff they bring on, the higher their overhead, and the higher our total cost will be in the end.

 

[OreoRosies86]

Ummmmmmm yup.

It's like pulling teeth. Why I have no idea. A vendor has had my money for 8 days now. I sent a gentle email reminder a week ago asking when the stone would ship, no reply. I sent another message this morning asking yet again when my item would ship to be told "So sorry, that item is unavailable."

To which I immediately requested a refund. That was 2 hours ago. Nothing.

I'm about to hit the @$&!%# roof.

 

[Maisie]

Ummmmmmm yup.

It's like pulling teeth. Why I have no idea. A vendor has had my money for 8 days now. I sent a gentle email reminder a week ago asking when the stone would ship, no reply. I sent another message this morning asking yet again when my item would ship to be told "So sorry, that item is unavailable."

To which I immediately requested a refund. That was 2 hours ago. Nothing.

I'm about to hit the @$&!%# roof.

Oh dear. That would really annoy me too!

 

[m-2-b]

I found that there can be problems w/ computer glitches/server issues on certain websites. When I requested a quote directly from a certain vendor's website recently, I got no response. I later emailed the vendor from my email account--there have been no problems w/ communication since then.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I finally just called after 4 hours of unanswered emails for my refund, which since I paid by cc, could keep my funds tied up for an additional 30 days. This has honestly just been so frustrating and emotional. I could cry

 

[Maisie]

I finally just called after 4 hours of unanswered emails for my refund, which since I paid by cc, could keep my funds tied up for an additional 30 days. This has honestly just been so frustrating and emotional. I could cry

Have they processed your refund now?

 

[OreoRosies86]

I finally just called after 4 hours of unanswered emails for my refund, which since I paid by cc, could keep my funds tied up for an additional 30 days. This has honestly just been so frustrating and emotional. I could cry

Have they processed your refund now?

It was done via Paypal, so my money will be in limbo until the powers that be credit it back to my account

 

[Laila619]

I know, it's so frustrating. It's happened to me with multiple vendors.

 

[Maisie]

I finally just called after 4 hours of unanswered emails for my refund, which since I paid by cc, could keep my funds tied up for an additional 30 days. This has honestly just been so frustrating and emotional. I could cry

Have they processed your refund now?

It was done via Paypal, so my money will be in limbo until the powers that be credit it back to my account

I normally get paypal refunds within a few days but that was to my debit card. Hopefully it won't take too long and you can find another diamond

 

[OreoRosies86]

Thanks! Not a diamond purchase, but still a good chunk of change for unanswered emails

 

[Maisie]

Oops sorry! Well whatever it was, I hope you can find it with another vendor who will look after you better than the last one!

 

[Indylady]

Thanks! Not a diamond purchase, but still a good chunk of change for unanswered emails

Who is the vendor? That's really frustrating.

 

[liaerfbv]

Thanks! Not a diamond purchase, but still a good chunk of change for unanswered emails

That's ridiculous!! I'm so sorry that happened to you! Did they acknowledge the error on their part at least?

 

[OreoRosies86]

I don't feel comfortable outing the vendor in question, but it was a highly recommended company on numerous jewelry boards. I have no idea what happened. The woman who helped me in the early stages of the project was so nice. Then when it was time to purchase, she dropped off the face of the earth. Days would go by, I'd follow up again and she would say "I was JUST about to get back to you!" I'd ask another question, silence. For days. The day after I purchased, I sent an email asking for a shipping ETA. No response. After 8 days of having my money, I email her AGAIN to see when/if the item has shipped and am informed that the product I requested.... doesn't exist. I ask a question immediately after that and was again met with hours of non reply. At this point I'm borderline angry and I just want a refund, so I email her again to please just refund my purchase. Hours go by, no answer. I call them in person and politely but firmly explain the situation to whoever has answered the phone. There is no apology, no follow up, no nothing. "Ok, we'll refund you." That's it.

I will never ever give them my business again.

 

[chrono]

Elliot,
I'm sorry to hear this and I hope you'll feel comfortable outing the vendor at some point in time. Even if it is a vendor I've had a good experience with in the past, this is something I (and I'm sure many others) would like to know so that I am aware this might happen to me too. No flames on my end, that's for sure.

 

[Karl_K]

My fellow trade members are going to kill me for this but not naming names and not posting bad to neutral reviews will not improve the situation.

 

[movie zombie]

not revealing the vendor's name means someone else will have to go through the same, Elliot.

 

[OreoRosies86]

I probably will talk about it later. Perhaps when I do post the final result (whenever that may be) but not now when emotions are running high.

 

[madelise]

I feel like vendors who don't do well with email/internet (and they don't have to.. I don't judge people/companies for not wanting to do the email thing), just shouldn't. Sometimes, as a customer, it feels insulting to be ignored. I start wondering if someone had told them to not work with me, or if I sounded stupid, or whatever insert paranoia here. I've learned from PS that Yekutiel doesn't do so well with email, so I didn't expect amazing email replies. He was still rather decent, and communicated with me via phone and some app to show me videos. But if someone was even slower or worse at emails? They should take their email completely off their website and just force customers to call them during business hours.

It's how FI handles one of his businesses. And I agree with it. Not everyone has all the time in the world to handle their day work plus all the emails you get overnight after business hours. And if they cant.. They just shouldn't have it as an option.

Saves people from complaining about being ignored or bad customer service blah blah.

 

[arkieb1]

Perhaps you need to phone them. Brian Gavin can be sketchy with emails, Leslie frequently is but she is much better on the phone. Adam from OWD is also difficult to get via email and wonderful on the phone. It totally sucks when you live in a different time zone....

 

[pregcurious]

I'm sorry this happened to you.

In my personal experience,I've found that emails are no indication of the quality of the product.