Tweet
Okay, I’m FINALLY able to sit down for a bit and vent. These last three weeks have been hell, and are the reason that I haven’t been on the boards much.
The district I work in has 3 showrooms and 6 people when we are staffed. We have 3 managers and 3 new-hires. The two other managers decided to take a few weeks vacation for the holidays, as they haven’t been able to for years. All fine and dandy, until it leaves 4 people trying to keep 3 showrooms open 7 days a week. We’re getting OT but that leaves me as the most senior person in the district. (I’ve been here for two years)
I’m the acting district manager directly supervising three showrooms and have my hands in the cookie jar of six others. Had some beautiful SCs, some generic, some specific.
Now, everyone wants furniture before the holidays. The problem is, don’t come in and expect to get a sofabed for the company three days before Christmas and expect us to get you one! In my immediate district, our trucks have been full since the first week in December. This was just not good enough for many SCs. Cue this, a nearly infinite number of times.
SC: I love this, do you have it in stock?
Me: When do you need it by?
SC: We have company coming for Christmas and we need a sofabed.
Me: The only way you can get it by then is to pick it up from the facility 200 miles away, all of our trucks are completely full until the first week of the new year.
SC: This is ridiculous! Etc. etc.
Now I expected this – but I had people coming in on Christmas weekend that wanted furniture before Christmas. I got into the habit of asking people right off the bat if they needed something by Christmas. If they said they did, I had to inform them that it wasn’t possible. This in itself saved a lot of headaches, because it’s always better for both the salesman and the customer if it can be established quickly if we can meet their needs or not. Customers would walk away annoyed at best, or throw a tantrum at worst.
Cut to a few days before Christmas. There are three instances that stand out in my mind, the culmination of A LOT of suckitude.
Situation the First: I don’t speak to managers (or anyone else, for that matter)
This is happening at my own showroom. A guy ordered two chairs from us back in September and didn’t want to pay the $200 delivery charge (the guy lives WAY outside of our area) so he didn’t pay it. He wanted to pick it up at our warehouse. Okay, not a problem.
He didn’t want to talk to anyone at the showroom regarding picking the furniture up. We have to schedule a pickup the same as any other delivery, and of course the warehouse isn’t going to be able to do anything about it. Nobody made the reservation in the computer, so the warehouse doesn’t know.
I took over as the manager at that showroom around a month ago, so this was still going on. He called and talked to me, furious that the warehouse wasn’t knowing what was going on. It took me a good ten minutes to convince him that yes, the fact that I was the most senior person in the district at the time would allow me to fix his problem (taking 15 seconds in the computer). So finally, after a bunch of circling around, I schedule the guy for a pickup at the warehouse.
Two weeks later, I’m at a different showroom and get a frantic call from the worker at mine. The guy showed up at the door, demanding and screaming that we deliver the piece for free, and that he wants it on Christmas eve. My coworker asks him point blank why he didn’t pick up the piece when HE had scheduled it through us – and his verbatim quote was “It doesn’t matter, I want it before Christmas!” My coworker explains he has three options: Pick it up himself, wait until after the first of the year to get it delivered and pay the shipping, or cancel and we’ll give him a full refund. He doesn’t need either of these options. Coworker says that he will pass the info on to me so I can work out a solution with him: Customer says “I don’t talk to managers. I only talk to owners.”
Keep in mind that a) We’re a national company and the owner is on vacation for a month and wouldn’t give two shits anyway, and b) If he had just wanted to talk to me the entire situation could be resolved in five minutes, and that allows four for customer threats and screaming, maybe 4 and a half if the computer doesn't freeze.
Seeing as how he doesn’t talk to managers, I haven’t been bothered to call him back. He said specifically he doesn’t want to speak to me. So he calls all the other showrooms and wants to speak to someone higher up. Guess who that is, right now? No wonder he doesn’t get anything done if he refuses to talk to managers.
I don’t know what to do with this guy. I’m tempted to just cancel his order completely, refund him all his money, and not give him any other options. This is just the type of guy that no matter what you do, you can’t please. At least, if we give him his money back in full, any legal case he threatens will be thrown out.
Situation the Second: I’m going to sue!
This was at a different showroom. Drivers went to deliver a piece, and couldn’t find the address. Called the customer and she gave them instructions. Drivers got to her gate, and called her to get her to buzz them in. No answer. Corporate calls her. No answer. Showroom calls her. No answer. Drivers wait a few more minutes, try a few more times, then turn around and leave.
She calls me, and the first words out of her mouth are “I’m going to file a lawsuit and there’s nothing that can be done about that.” Okay…well, after lots of talk, she said she had her phone on all day, and that the drivers never showed up. So it’s our word against hers…and we have three pieces of documentation that say we tried to call her and there was no answer. Maybe she was just in an area with bad reception.
So she ends with “I’m marching down to the courthouse first thing on Monday morning and filing suit against you for as much as I can get!” Yeah, you do that lady.
She actually DID go to the courthouse on Monday, which was, of course, closed for Christmas. Called me back yesterday and chewed me out for not letting her know that the court was closed! I asked her literally how was it possibly my fault or my responsibility that the court was closed? She hung up, and I haven’t heard from her since.
Situation the Third: We’re so unprepared!
I worked on the 23rd, and had someone come in that wanted a sofabed that night. He wanted me to sell him the model off the floor (a big no-no) and was then furious when we couldn’t do it.
SC: This is the worst customer service I’ve ever heard of!
Me: How long have you known that your company was going to be coming?
SC: A few weeks, why?
Me: Well, most people didn’t wait until the last minute to get items as large as furniture. You might be able to find an air mattress at Target or Walmart, but even they ran out about a week ago.
SC: If your trucks have been full for three weeks then you must be horribly ill-prepared!
Me: Sir, you’re shopping the day before Christmas Eve for a piece of furniture you’ve known you would need for a few weeks, and I’m the one who’s unprepared?
Guy turned around and walked out without another word, his face a scowl and a very deep red. Maybe it was harsh, but I had a fever of 102, I hadn’t kept any food down for almost three days, and had that conversation a dozen times that day.
I finally told all the showrooms in the district to put a sign on the door that said there would be no delivery until after January 4th. I am now their new god.
Conclusion: If they ever offer me a district manager job, no amount of pay-raise could make me accept. And I have another three days of this…
The district I work in has 3 showrooms and 6 people when we are staffed. We have 3 managers and 3 new-hires. The two other managers decided to take a few weeks vacation for the holidays, as they haven’t been able to for years. All fine and dandy, until it leaves 4 people trying to keep 3 showrooms open 7 days a week. We’re getting OT but that leaves me as the most senior person in the district. (I’ve been here for two years)
I’m the acting district manager directly supervising three showrooms and have my hands in the cookie jar of six others. Had some beautiful SCs, some generic, some specific.
Now, everyone wants furniture before the holidays. The problem is, don’t come in and expect to get a sofabed for the company three days before Christmas and expect us to get you one! In my immediate district, our trucks have been full since the first week in December. This was just not good enough for many SCs. Cue this, a nearly infinite number of times.
SC: I love this, do you have it in stock?
Me: When do you need it by?
SC: We have company coming for Christmas and we need a sofabed.
Me: The only way you can get it by then is to pick it up from the facility 200 miles away, all of our trucks are completely full until the first week of the new year.
SC: This is ridiculous! Etc. etc.
Now I expected this – but I had people coming in on Christmas weekend that wanted furniture before Christmas. I got into the habit of asking people right off the bat if they needed something by Christmas. If they said they did, I had to inform them that it wasn’t possible. This in itself saved a lot of headaches, because it’s always better for both the salesman and the customer if it can be established quickly if we can meet their needs or not. Customers would walk away annoyed at best, or throw a tantrum at worst.
Cut to a few days before Christmas. There are three instances that stand out in my mind, the culmination of A LOT of suckitude.
Situation the First: I don’t speak to managers (or anyone else, for that matter)
This is happening at my own showroom. A guy ordered two chairs from us back in September and didn’t want to pay the $200 delivery charge (the guy lives WAY outside of our area) so he didn’t pay it. He wanted to pick it up at our warehouse. Okay, not a problem.
He didn’t want to talk to anyone at the showroom regarding picking the furniture up. We have to schedule a pickup the same as any other delivery, and of course the warehouse isn’t going to be able to do anything about it. Nobody made the reservation in the computer, so the warehouse doesn’t know.
I took over as the manager at that showroom around a month ago, so this was still going on. He called and talked to me, furious that the warehouse wasn’t knowing what was going on. It took me a good ten minutes to convince him that yes, the fact that I was the most senior person in the district at the time would allow me to fix his problem (taking 15 seconds in the computer). So finally, after a bunch of circling around, I schedule the guy for a pickup at the warehouse.
Two weeks later, I’m at a different showroom and get a frantic call from the worker at mine. The guy showed up at the door, demanding and screaming that we deliver the piece for free, and that he wants it on Christmas eve. My coworker asks him point blank why he didn’t pick up the piece when HE had scheduled it through us – and his verbatim quote was “It doesn’t matter, I want it before Christmas!” My coworker explains he has three options: Pick it up himself, wait until after the first of the year to get it delivered and pay the shipping, or cancel and we’ll give him a full refund. He doesn’t need either of these options. Coworker says that he will pass the info on to me so I can work out a solution with him: Customer says “I don’t talk to managers. I only talk to owners.”
Keep in mind that a) We’re a national company and the owner is on vacation for a month and wouldn’t give two shits anyway, and b) If he had just wanted to talk to me the entire situation could be resolved in five minutes, and that allows four for customer threats and screaming, maybe 4 and a half if the computer doesn't freeze.
Seeing as how he doesn’t talk to managers, I haven’t been bothered to call him back. He said specifically he doesn’t want to speak to me. So he calls all the other showrooms and wants to speak to someone higher up. Guess who that is, right now? No wonder he doesn’t get anything done if he refuses to talk to managers.
I don’t know what to do with this guy. I’m tempted to just cancel his order completely, refund him all his money, and not give him any other options. This is just the type of guy that no matter what you do, you can’t please. At least, if we give him his money back in full, any legal case he threatens will be thrown out.
Situation the Second: I’m going to sue!
This was at a different showroom. Drivers went to deliver a piece, and couldn’t find the address. Called the customer and she gave them instructions. Drivers got to her gate, and called her to get her to buzz them in. No answer. Corporate calls her. No answer. Showroom calls her. No answer. Drivers wait a few more minutes, try a few more times, then turn around and leave.
She calls me, and the first words out of her mouth are “I’m going to file a lawsuit and there’s nothing that can be done about that.” Okay…well, after lots of talk, she said she had her phone on all day, and that the drivers never showed up. So it’s our word against hers…and we have three pieces of documentation that say we tried to call her and there was no answer. Maybe she was just in an area with bad reception.
So she ends with “I’m marching down to the courthouse first thing on Monday morning and filing suit against you for as much as I can get!” Yeah, you do that lady.
She actually DID go to the courthouse on Monday, which was, of course, closed for Christmas. Called me back yesterday and chewed me out for not letting her know that the court was closed! I asked her literally how was it possibly my fault or my responsibility that the court was closed? She hung up, and I haven’t heard from her since.
Situation the Third: We’re so unprepared!
I worked on the 23rd, and had someone come in that wanted a sofabed that night. He wanted me to sell him the model off the floor (a big no-no) and was then furious when we couldn’t do it.
SC: This is the worst customer service I’ve ever heard of!
Me: How long have you known that your company was going to be coming?
SC: A few weeks, why?
Me: Well, most people didn’t wait until the last minute to get items as large as furniture. You might be able to find an air mattress at Target or Walmart, but even they ran out about a week ago.
SC: If your trucks have been full for three weeks then you must be horribly ill-prepared!
Me: Sir, you’re shopping the day before Christmas Eve for a piece of furniture you’ve known you would need for a few weeks, and I’m the one who’s unprepared?
Guy turned around and walked out without another word, his face a scowl and a very deep red. Maybe it was harsh, but I had a fever of 102, I hadn’t kept any food down for almost three days, and had that conversation a dozen times that day.
I finally told all the showrooms in the district to put a sign on the door that said there would be no delivery until after January 4th. I am now their new god.
Conclusion: If they ever offer me a district manager job, no amount of pay-raise could make me accept. And I have another three days of this…
That's priceless, the woman going to the courthouse on Christmas, then blasting you for it. 
Comment