- Posts tagged shopping
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My mother-in-law loved this store....
...and so we dropped by when we were in Rome last Easter. I remember her whenever I use the bag (which now holds gift-wrapping tissue.)
- Posted from Toronto, Canada
Customer service woes (part 2): make it as easy as Google.
A month ago, I blogged about my experience with my long-time bank. Some recent customer service glitches in retail:
- Was looking for an art book for a birthday gift, one that is apparently out of print. I was *ahem* a little late for mail-order shopping, so I popped down to the AGO to see if they had it. It was a Henry Moore tome, and I figured that they might have a copy given their large HM collection. No luck. I DM'd a local Toronto independent bookshop that I have corresponded with via Twitter in the past. No response. I then came across another local art and rare book shop on Queen E that had an online catalog and found that they had a copy, so I shot off an email asking if they could set it aside for me and that I'd pick it up within two days. No response. I was downtown a couple of days later and decided to drop by said art-book store and sure enough...they had it set aside with my email tucked in the front cover (although it took them ten minutes to actually locate the book they'd "set aside".) Too bad they didn't bother to respond to me in the first place, telling me that they had it.
- I popped into a local branch of a small appliance retail and repair chain. They had just opened in my neighborhood a few months ago and I had a couple of things I needed help with. My robot vacuum's battery was kaput so I took it in to ask if they could replace it. I got a call back a week later saying that they were unable to get the part. I picked it up, did a cursory Google search, found an online shop based in Montreal, ordered the battery on Thursday and it arrived on Monday. It was a breeze to install and my baby is up and running.
- At the same store, I asked for help replacing a couple of parts for my KitchenAid Stand Mixer (a thumb screw to hold attachments in place and a flat beater.) They needed the model number so when I returned to pick up the robot, I left the model number and description of the two parts with the manager. He called me back two days later and asked me to come in and show him the parts on a diagram. I returned and the manager wasn't there, and there was no record of my interaction with him. I had neglected to bring the model number of the machine with me so I couldn't point out the parts I wanted. I proposed that I just call back with the info and leave a deposit over the phone with a credit card. No-can-do....no orders can be placed by phone. Gah! So once again, Google was my friend. I found PartSelect.ca, was easily able to identify the pieces I needed and ordered them yesterday. Last night, I got notification of shipment and they are out for delivery to me today.
I could go on. While I would really like to support local businesses, I get frustrated when even the simplest things are forgotten or not allowed. Returning emails. Paying by phone. Keeping records of communication with customers.
Some organizations manage to combine online and in-person customer service. The Toronto Public Library is one. They have a terrific system-wide online hold system and wonderful branch staff when you need to deal with a live person. Best Buy lets you shop and order online for pickup at a local store, which means less time waiting for live help. You just drop by Customer Service and pay for the item that is ready and waiting for you. Chapters Indigo lets you search for items online and find out which stores in your areas have it in stock. You can also order items online from within their stores. My local used bookstore lets me bring my dog in when I browse and answers phone queries, setting aside books when they have what you're looking for. But as online businesses become more customer-centric, local operations are going to lose out if they don't excel at customer service, including communication and ease of shopping.
A little relationship marketing story.
Want to renegotiate my mortgage. Voice messages to my @td_canada branch haven't been returned, so may renegotiate myself to a new bank.
@jannie_b Hi there, sorry we haven't been responsive - can you DM me info about the branch? Thx for your patience Jannie! ^EB
Amazon.ca reduces minimum order for free shipping to $25!
Amazon.ca has just announced $25 Super Saver Shipping! That is, you get free shipping with an order over $25. It's about time....the differential between the US and Canadian minimum requirements for super saver shipping had become irritating with the Canadian dollar so high.
I've put up some recommended books here so this is the time to take advantage of this great deal.
School Supply Lust: the pencil case
Blog housekeeping.
I've done a bit of interior decorating to take advantage of some new features offered by Posterous, my blogging platform. Other than the new colour and design template, you'll notice some tabs at the top of the first post that lead you to new pages. My blog posts will continue to appear here.
Links I Love is just that: a list of sites that I subscribe to in my feed reader (I use Google Reader) and that may be of interest to my readers. They are categorized by topic, although many of them fall into multiple categories.
Twitter Feed shows my recent tweets (@jannie_b) on the Twitter micro-blogging platform. It takes you out of my blog so you'll need to use your Back button to return.
Shop with me is my amazon.ca e-store with some recommendations for books and music. Full disclosure: I get a small commission from purchases through this page. There is a link back to my blog on that page.
It's listed as a body bag on the Piquadro site (Italian)....
....but I like to call it a man-bag.
Z got one of these when we were in Italy, and I assured him that it will change his life. Every time he leaves the house it's a scramble to assemble all his stuff: glasses (sometimes two pair as he can't seem to get the hang of progressives), cellphone, keys, wallet, ipod, work ID badge, etc. And you don't need to ask where much of this stuff ends up if he's wearing a suit, doesn't want bulges, and is out with me for the evening or whatever.
His new little bag is black, with a strap that can be either worn across the body or just over the shoulder. I picked up a little something similar for myself from Nannini in a nice summery cream leather. Perhaps I need to wait for the 24th of May, or am I horribly outdated?
