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Date:         Sat, 6 Jan 2001 00:49:44 -0800
Reply-To:     The Skylight Guy <reid@DCCNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Skylight Guy <reid@DCCNET.COM>
Organization: @Home Network
Subject:      Re: Vendors and shipping
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I agree with Steve and others online. I, too, am a one man operation and I replace my skylights when they are sent broken or somehow get lost in the mail. (I definitely won't use UPS because they will arrive broken at least 95% of the time- no matter how well I wrap them.) I wrap my skylights in plastic and seal it, then in bubble wrap. Then I put it into a 300 lb. crush tested corrigated box I had designed and made.(Yes, it is really expensive). Through Canada / US Post- they arrive safely about 95%- so about 5 out of every 100 or so gets damaged. When my product gets damaged in the mail or it gets lost, I feel terrible because my intention was for the customer to get the skylight right away and in good condition.(It probably has been leaking for weeks by this time!) The money is secondary. I send out another skylight. That's me. I'm sure if I had the volume of sales as some of the online vendors I may not be able to do that...maybe that's why I just stick to skylights. It does bother me that products do get damaged in shipping, especially when we are assured that they won't and we pay good money for the product, the shipping materials and postage. And then no one wants to take responsibility for it. ARGGG! This is probably why the dot com companies are going belly up! (Thank God I never quit my day job!)

By the way Steve, if I need a key, I'll know where to get one! (What I can't figure out is how could they damage a key??@!!!)

Peace!

Trevor Reid

T H E S K Y L I G H T G U Y est.1997 RR6 1501 Smith Road, Gibsons, B.C. zzzzzz\zzzzz_ Canada V0N 1V6 Ph 604 886-4564 |E[__][__]|[_]\\ e-mail: skylight@dccnet.com |skylight | guy|| ............................................ =-(o)------(o)-== http://www.theskylightguy.com Steve Sandlin wrote: > > It seems that no matter what we do as vendors, sometimes the shipper is > going to mess up what we send out. Several weeks ago, I sent some steel > keys to a chap in England for his Bentley, and he emailed me a few days > later. One of the keys was bent. These were packed in a paper envelope, in > a padded envelope about 4x4x6 inches with an additional wrapping of small > bubble wrap inside. There was no damage to the outer envelope that he saw, > though the inner envelope was torn. > > My solution as a vendor was to re-cut the key, second-day air it to him, and > make it right. Yes, I lost a few bucks on that order, but he will send me > more business for my efforts, and continue to recommend me to his friends. > > I am a one-man operation. When there is a problem, I (the owner) is the > person who will solve the problem. In the case of Bus Depot, I think Ron is > who should be contacted, though I understand he is out of town. No matter > how good a business is, the people working for that enterprise will not > necessarily make the same decisions in the same manner as the owner. Don't > bash the business, though, until you've given them ample opportunity to > rectify the problem. Yes, I've screwed up orders, too; if I do it too > frequently, word will justifiably be spread and it will hurt me. Just give > me (or any vendor) the opportunity to solve the problem. We are all human > and most of us know that customer service is the biggest thing we have to > sell. In my case, most any competent locksmith could do what I do, but few > are willing to go to the trouble to stock 75 different key blanks for cars > that can be as much as 50 years old, and they might sell only 1 a year. My > customers come to me because they will be treated right. I think most all > the vendors on this site feel this way. > > Nothing, however is 100% perfect. Just tell us when we make a mistake and > let us try to correct it. I understand the need to vent at times. I did it > recently with Camelback VW when the screwed up an order for me. I called > and got no help, and posted so to the list. I called back after I had > cooled off, spoke to someone with authority, and the problem was rectified > to my satisfaction. Yes, they lost some money due to their mistake, but > THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I'll remember that. > > Just my take on the whole problem. Have a great weekend, everybody. > > Steve Sandlin > Steve's Lock Shoppe > '84 Wolfsburg Westy > '79 Transporter > '00 New Beetle


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