I’ve often raved about a particular product, from this company. It’s listed on my products page, and I really it. But, the customer service is…terrible.

First off, this sista took WAY too long to get up and running, in the cyberworld…for whatever reason. “Coming Soon” should mean that…not a year or more later. Don’t put a site up, until you’re ready to launch (within a reasonable time). I let that go, because I could order the product elsewhere.

I ordered two products from this company, a week ago, and while I did receive a confirmation from PayPal, I never received any kind of update. Plus, there is no shipping policy on her site. So, you order…and wait. Let customers know when they can expect shipment of their products.

I sent two email inquiries, and got no response. If I email you about my order, I expect you to email me back…and soon.  I finally called the number listed on my PayPal receipt. A woman answered the phone, with “Hello”. No mention of the company name, whatsoever. I asked, ‘Is this *company name*?” She apologizes and puts the owner on the line. Very unprofessional. Your business phone is for…business. When customers call, they should be greeted with the business name.

I explained that I was waiting for the status of my order. The sista apologizes, and gives the classic, “I’ve been out of town and haven’t had a chance to check my email” excuse. I’ve heard that a lot. I don’t like that, either. Just because you’re not in town doesn’t mean your business goes out of town with you. You’re still taking orders, right? So, you have to continue to do business. Either send auto responses, letting your customers know you’re unavailable, when you plan to return, and when their orders will be shipped, or close the shop till you return. That’s business. Good business.

Have a backup plan in place, to notifiy your customers, should anything happen to you…accident, family emergency, etc.  When the owner of Afroveda made a recent trip to Ghana, she posted the info on her site, closed the shop during her absence, informed customers when the shop would reopen, and when orders would go out (for those who ordered right before the shop closing). That’s what you do, when you wanna protect your customer base and not turn away new business.

The final straw? She stated that normal turnaround time is 2 weeks (why isn’t that on her site?), but she promised that my order would go out right away, and I would receive an email from her with the details…the SAME day I called. I never got the email. I usually order the product from another online source, and I’ve experienced great customer service. I just figured I’d get the same level of service, from the owner, especially since it’s more expensive to order direct.

Never promise something and don’t deliver. There’s no greater turnoff. If you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you can’t do it, then don’t say you will.

Everybody wants to be an entrepreneur, but everybody doesn’t want to do what they need to do, to be successful. It’s work.  It’s more than a notion.  People have high expectations, and they have choices. I haven’t started my soap business yet, because I’m too busy with weddings…right now.  I can’t do everything, and do it all well. I just can’t.  Neither can anyone else.

I hope I get my order soon.

A Nappy Girl

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