Two months ago I decided to go to a store where I knew they could have the model of a pair of sneakers that I have always liked for their design, quality and comfort. If I had to define them in one word, I would say that they are simply "cool", with the added condition that I rarely see them in the shop window, which makes me forget about them for a good while until I see them again, usually by chance.
The last time I saw them was five years ago, but I couldn't buy them because they didn't have my size. And I understand this because, sometimes, if you also wear a size as common as 41 - 42 and you look for a model that is in short supply, it is normal that you find it in another size, such as, for example, 44, which has nothing to do with it.
I assure you that I have once gone into a shop after seeing them in the window and asked if they had my size, with the expected response of "sorry, we only have size 43 or 44 left." If I continue asking if they will have it in the near future, given the model, they neither confirm nor deny it, so I can stay as I was. And the same thing always happens to me, I leave the shop upset, wondering if I will ever be able to buy them on order.
The expectation of purchase
Well, the other day I luckily saw them on the loose sizes rack of a store specializing in sportswear.
I called the clerk and he told me that the model was a 44... Oh, I was almost right! But he was going to ask his colleague if there were any pairs in size 42 left in the warehouse. Ten minutes of continuous waiting without knowing if yes, no or maybe next week a model from the previous collection that includes this model will arrive because... When I just looked up at that moment and saw it arrive with a certain confidence, which invited me to think that there was some possibility. I had to wait a few more minutes, because a girl approached him, who was undoubtedly also looking for it, asking him some questions that diverted him to another section, making the wait last five more minutes.
When it finally arrives again, it tells me that it does indeed have them, but not in the store warehouse but in the central warehouse and that the discount for single sizes was on the model in the size I had seen, 44, and that if I wanted them in 42 they would have to formalize the purchase through their online platform and, logically, I would have to pay for them in advance and then send them to the address I suggested.
As you can imagine, I was not able to try on the size 42 and had to settle for trying on the size 44 to get an idea. In short, I had to trust in the good will of the shop assistant and the desire to have them again, convincing me that I would have no problem with the 42 and that I could always return them.
They assured me that it would take between 3 and 4 days to arrive at home and that I could check the status of the order through the digital number that was displayed on the purchase receipt. And that they would notify me one day before delivery by SMS to confirm that there would be someone to pick it up the next day.
Since the store was not in my usual residence, I asked if there was any problem in sending it to another city and he assured me there was not.
Logistics process for delivering sports shoes
The complaint: the delivery
Days went by and to my surprise, when I checked the status of the order, on the fifth day it said "in delivery", on the sixth the same, on the seventh...on the ninth the same...I began to wonder what was happening, if they had been misplaced, lost or damaged.
I called the central office but they didn't give me a convincing answer, just that they were going to check with the logistics operator to see what was happening and that they would call me. I also decided to call the store to tell them what was happening, explaining that it was not up to them, that it was a transport issue and that they were going to call the central office.
Two more days passed without receiving any call or text message that they would be delivered the next day.
I called the central office and the store again, this time submitting a written complaint. Despite all their goodwill, they replied that they were looking into what had happened and would call me back.
The truth is that I had already given them up for lost or misplaced, I didn't know what to think.
The solution to the complaint
Finally, after twelve days, a neighbour handed me a delivery notice that he had seen on the floor of my entrance hall and that the delivery company had left indicating the pick-up point at a partner store.
I promise you that I have a mailbox, but I imagine that the man would be in a hurry. I have no doubt at all that this job requires effort, that delivery is very complicated and sometimes even difficult and tedious due to traffic, stops, parking, traffic lights, traffic jams, hold-ups, etc.
I wonder what would have happened if the clerk, instead of assuring me that it would be delivered in three or four days, had told me it would be delivered in nine or ten days. Or if, when checking the status of the order on the website, instead of reading the same "in delivery" message for several days, there had been some other message added, such as "in delivery", "delivery in city", "delivery in town", etc. Or if they had notified me the day before that the next day would be delivered, etc.
In short, if you give advance notice of a longer delivery time at the time of purchase, kuwait whatsapp contact number the customer will trust your word and will not mind waiting a few more days, avoiding a whole series of confusing situations that they will appreciate and value for a future purchase.
Respect the delivery deadline or increase it if you cannot meet it
Respond to complaints in a decisive manner
Provide correct notification during the different stages of delivery.
As you can see, a complaint about a problem provides an opportunity for improvement. Correct follow-up and effective management of problems can help us grow, expanding our technical resources and conceiving the relationship with customers from a more commercial perspective. If you add to this an appropriate handling of conflicts that may arise, working with positive language and different negotiation techniques, you will end up with a 10/10 customer service.
If all this seems cumbersome and difficult to implement, it is because you need a global vision of commercial management, including not only sales, as is usual, but also collections and customer service. Luckily, at Femxa we have training that meets exactly these criteria. Access the Complaints and Claims Management course and see how its syllabus can solve your concerns.