Okay…remember this recent rant?

Well, I decided to open a PayPal dispute. I couldn’t get in touch with the company, via phone, because their voice mailbox is/was full. How do you run a business, but don’t check/clear your voicemail messages? I was already getting nowhere with emails.  Everything else I ordered (from every other handmade company) has arrived, and I’m still waiting for some spray leave-in and body lotion from this company.

PayPal disputes seem to always make folks “do right”, and that’s a shame. So, get this:  Remember, the company has NO shipping policy on their site. When I talked to the owner, I was given a two-week shipping policy. HOWEVAH, the owner promised to get my order out “right away”, and send me an email THE SAME DAY.  Nevah heard from her.

Now, since it’s clear that she was in the wrong, instead of just saying “My apologies”, and sending the tracking number. She replies with “…according to our policy, your order is not late…”, and includes the tracking number.  Oh, and she mentioned that she had a really bad computer virus.  Whuh?

See that’s what makes me upset with folks. When they mess up, they have a hard time admitting it, and moving on. They always wanna imply that YOU missed something, so they won’t have to take all the blame. I’m telling you, this kind of stuff gives CLEAR insight into what’s wrong with relationships – business, work, personal, etc.

My mistake? I should have ordered from one of her resellers, or not at all.

A Nappy Girl

Enter the Product Giveaway Contest! Deadline for entries is Friday, October 30th, 2009. Don’t miss it!

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

Enter the Product Giveaway Contest! Deadline for entries is Friday, October 30th, 2009. Don’t miss it!

Or,  am I about to fall off the wagon? I’m supposed to be done with trying new products. I have my staples and my regimen down. I’ve not had a product purchasing binge,  in over a year. I’m doing good.  That may change.

Here’s what I’m thinking I need to get, from Darcy’s Botanicals:

• Natural Coils Curling Jelly.  I can  see this working for two-strand twists. I can see it very clearly, too.
• Deep Conditioning Mask. When I was down-deep–and-dirty in my over-the-top  need to buy every product made for natural hair,  conditioners were on the top of my list. I conditioners. This one looks delectable. My hair is salivating.
• Herbal Leave-In Conditioning Spritz: Nothing like a good dose of moisture, for parched tresses. Spray leave-ins are great for daily, weightless conditioning. They contain water…the best “moisturizer” for naptural hair.

So, what do I do?  Do I give in to my desire to have these products in my possession? I’ve been good, for over a year, right?

I am not a product junkie. No…no…no.

A Nappy Girl

Many atheists  to clown on Christians…and many are some of the unhappiest, unstable people you’d ever wanna meet.

When I asked you, “Are you engaged?”, why did your MOTHER reply with, “Well, we think he’s going to ask”. “Think”? What is that?  If your mother doesn’t have the wisdom and protective instincts to not set you up for profound disappointment, have enough sense on your own to wait until the guy asks you, before you start acting like you’ve been asked. Nothing wrong with looking at wedding dresses, but don’t get all worked up over the expectation of a proposal, that may not be coming. I’m just sayin’…

Sickness will make you humble. When you’re on your back, dying, and you’re depending on others to medicate you, clean you up, feed you and…talk to you, it changes things. Oh, how it changes things.

God is the ONLY one we can’t make it without.  We may think we can’t make it without others, and others may try to make us think we can’t make it without them…but we can. Oh, but we can.  It may hurt us, and we may grieve, but we will get through it, with the strength of the Lord and the power of HIS might.

A Nappy Girl

I don’t have time to blog. I don’t. So, rather than try to talk about one thing, I’ll hit a bunch of stuff, and hopefully you’ll get what I’m going for. Here goes…

I don’t like “church”. I’m breathing hard, as I write this, because I know it’s bad for a Christian to say they don’t like “church”. But I don’t. I find it often boring, irrelevant, drab, and full of “sick” folks…who THINK they’re so much more “well” than sinners, but they’re not. I know I’m a complete mess, without Jesus — and even with Him, I know I’m prone to “falling off the wagon”, if I don’t stay close and prayerful. We’re so easily “scared” by folks who don’t know God. We can’t seem to “get” that we’re just LIKE THEM, without Jesus, and some of us, with Jesus.  I need The Good Shepherd. Everyday. The Body of Christ has not progressed, while the world is getting sicker, by the second.

President Obama better have nerves of steel, cuz folks are looking to make him go mad — all the scrutiny and nitpicking. It was mentioned on another site about how Obama’s association with Jeremiah Wright almost ruined his political career, yet John McCain’s association with John Hagee never was a serious issue. Yeah…we shall overcome SOMEDAY, but that day ain’t here. Watch your back, Barack. The haters are growing in number, and in hatred — AND many ”evangelicals” are just as hateful.

Why? Why does a man kill his wife, five children, and them himself, over the loss of a job? Then, names his murdered wife as the one who came up with the plan to kill everybody. Since the beginning of time, women have been used as “scapegoats”, when the bottoms fall out of men’s lives — Heck, it started with Adam, remember? He told God (instead of taking responsibility for his own actions), “The woman You gave to be with me, gave me the fruit…” For some reason, I don’t believe Lupoe’s claim. But, we’ll never know, will we?

Now, before folks start talking to me about the “pressure”, let me just say this: We are growing folks, who can NOT take pressure, hardship or misfortune.  I’m so sick and tired of reading about men, killing women/wives/children, because they lost their jobs, or the IRS was closing in, or the sky was falling, or whatever. Can you imagine Lupoe’s children’s thoughts, when daddy was pulling the trigger? How horrific to think that parents are not a refuge for their children. Selah.

We need The Lord, y’all. Too many “church goers”, and very few disciples/worshippers. We prefer “the rituals and traditions of man”, rather than spiritual intimacy with The Most High One.

A Nappy Girl