How to keep your customers

Let's face it, customer service is damn near an abstract concept anymore. From employees who just don't care to call centers on the other side of the planet, if you have a problem or concern, good luck.

And that is why I am writing this post. I want to share two stories of customer service that I have experienced over the last 5 months.

Experience #1) December 2008 I placed an order for some good cigars. The order included two boxes of cigars. The first box arrived in about a week. But no sign of the second box and no e-mail, call, or note in the package that the second box was backordered. To date, the second box still hasn't arrived. I have tried contacting the company I ordered from to very little satisfaction. I e-mailed them and never got a response. I called their 800 number and got a recording to leave a message and they would contact me. I left two or three messages and was never called back. Finally, I got ahold of a live body. I was informed that the second box was on back order and he would check to see what its status was and for me to call the next day. I called the next day to ask what had been found out only to be told, "It is on backorder, just be patient."


Experience #2) I placed an order March 31, 2009 with Uplanders Warehouse. The order included a shirt and upland hunting chaps. The shirt was shipped from the supplier and arrived in 48 hours. The chaps were on backorder. How did the folks at Uplanders handle the backorder? I received an e-mail FROM THE OWNER on April 2nd, to let me know that the shirt was shipped and the chaps were backorderd, but should ship the next week. April 7th, I received another e-mail from the owners wife that the chaps were still back ordered but would be going out as soon as they arrived to their facility. But because I had to wait for them, they would refund my shipping back to me. What is this? Its only been a week? I was speechless. 3 days later I am heading down the road for a training day with Omar, and my phone rings. It's the owner of Uplanders, Jared Tanner. He has some disappointing news: the chaps still haven't arrived from the manufacturer. Jared apologized multiple times that he was sorry this hadn't been taken care of. I assured him, I understood and was thankful to be kept in the loop. Then, Jared almost caused me to have an accident. He offered to upgrade my order from the chaps I had ordered to a different brand. Now, some companys may offer this option, but not when the upgrade is to a product that costs $10-$30 more, when the original product was only $30, and at NO ADDITIONAL COST. I was blown away. But, I told Jared about my concern that the other brands wouldn't fit, as I had already been down that road. He asked if I happend to know the measuerments and he would check the products. I told him the information and he said he would call back in a couple minutes. Five minutes later, the phone rings again, Jared had check the measurements and confirmed my concern, the others wouldn't fit. So he offered me a refund if I wanted, but I said I would just wait until the chaps came in. Fast forward 9 days, and I get two e-mails. The first is the shipping confirmation and the second from Jared to also tell me the chaps had shipped.

Which company has the better customer service? Which company am I going back to? Which company is getting a link in the sidebar?

Easy question, right?

Fast forward to today (Thursday), the chaps arrived and I have already worn them to the field.

Also in the packege, is the newest edition to my truck.


So, my good friends, go get yourself some gear and support a good company. And when you place your order, don't forget to use their UDonate program. It is simple. When you checkout, check a box for either Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, or Ruffed Grouse Society and Uplanders Warehouse will donate 2% of your total purchase to your selected conservation group. This doesn't add anything to your total cost, it is simply something that Jared and his wife feel passionatly enough about to make it a priority.

Also, Jared's blog, JT's Upland Blog, is going to the blogroll. Give it a read.