The past week and today has been so crazy for us here at work. On one hand we celebrated that we had very potential clients for the kids furniture while on the other, we were greatly disappointed by one client and by one supplier. Stay with me as I vent out please.
A couple walked in last week, Wednesday and the lady introduced herself to me and explained that we had earlier communicated with her regarding a pink bunk bed. Bunk beds are hot cakes and we had sold out the pink model she wanted but had another that she agreed to take. After consulting amongst themselves,they promised that the husband would come back to make the payment on Thursday and actually drew for us a map to their house for delivery on Saturday. On Thursday, I went to our warehouse and we put aside the items they had selected((it sounds quite easy but it took u)s 4 hours and organised for transport for Saturday morning. As we wound up, the client's husband called and without apology he jokingly said he decided to continue window shopping but would come and do the payment later in the day. At that point, I knew we had lost the deal and wished he had just admitted it or he felt shy to tell me they changed their minds.
As I wallowed in my disappointment after all that hard work and time, another client walked into the shop and purchased a bed and wardrobe. As I was still at the warehouse , we removed the items and loaded the items into our car and were ready for delivery on Friday morning.
After the delivery on Friday early morning, I went to the shop and a client amazingly wanted the same bunk bed we had set aside for clients who went missing in action (by the way the wife didn't return my call or sms on Friday when I tried to reach her). The new client purchased the same bunk bed and my beloved helped deliver the bed to the client's home on Saturday Morning only to find that the supplier was so greedy for money that instead of saying he didn't have the pink bed we wanted, he sprayed a blue bunk bed with pink paint in such an obvious and rushed manner.
Long story short the client and ourselves were unhappy with the bed and so Sunday, my beloved and baby gal were at the client's house selecting other items to replace the bunk bed. We settled for a study table and bed and we to the warehouse, picked the items and delivered them same evening and got home about 8p.m.. The agreement was today Monday, our technician would go and set up the items.
I had a Monday morning meeting in town and as I got there, the client called and said they had changed their minds and she would explain. They wanted a bunk bed instead of a bed and study table. Please note we already had delivered the items. She was apologetic and willing to pay for the transport. After my morning meeting I called and she said her mum had said ......yeah so I called the warehouse and organised for transport to bring the new blue bunk bed as we in the shop had to close the shop and go dismantle the other bunk bed , pack it and have it ready to be delivered back to the warehouse before mounting the new bunk bed. Am not sure what I can call all that, but to say that I have only returned to our shop at 4.30p.m. but have told myself that I shall not sweat about having been closed the whole day.
For us our clients come first. We want to sell quality things and want the client happy and if it means repeating the whole scenario again(which I hope won't happen again) and get fatigued and drained, we shall do so at the cost of making our clients satisfied. I am thankful because the client is and has been very patient with us and commends us for being professional. I am also thankful for my family who have stood by me, even when we have had to visit the client houses at odd hours just to ensure that all is well.
As of now am fatigued , looking forward to a great and relaxing weekend and waiting to hear what the supplier has to say for himself..because he should have simply notified us that he did not have the pink beds, instead of putting something that was not presentable. Anyways you learn that not everyone is like us. This is the world of business.
A couple walked in last week, Wednesday and the lady introduced herself to me and explained that we had earlier communicated with her regarding a pink bunk bed. Bunk beds are hot cakes and we had sold out the pink model she wanted but had another that she agreed to take. After consulting amongst themselves,they promised that the husband would come back to make the payment on Thursday and actually drew for us a map to their house for delivery on Saturday. On Thursday, I went to our warehouse and we put aside the items they had selected((it sounds quite easy but it took u)s 4 hours and organised for transport for Saturday morning. As we wound up, the client's husband called and without apology he jokingly said he decided to continue window shopping but would come and do the payment later in the day. At that point, I knew we had lost the deal and wished he had just admitted it or he felt shy to tell me they changed their minds.
As I wallowed in my disappointment after all that hard work and time, another client walked into the shop and purchased a bed and wardrobe. As I was still at the warehouse , we removed the items and loaded the items into our car and were ready for delivery on Friday morning.
After the delivery on Friday early morning, I went to the shop and a client amazingly wanted the same bunk bed we had set aside for clients who went missing in action (by the way the wife didn't return my call or sms on Friday when I tried to reach her). The new client purchased the same bunk bed and my beloved helped deliver the bed to the client's home on Saturday Morning only to find that the supplier was so greedy for money that instead of saying he didn't have the pink bed we wanted, he sprayed a blue bunk bed with pink paint in such an obvious and rushed manner.
Long story short the client and ourselves were unhappy with the bed and so Sunday, my beloved and baby gal were at the client's house selecting other items to replace the bunk bed. We settled for a study table and bed and we to the warehouse, picked the items and delivered them same evening and got home about 8p.m.. The agreement was today Monday, our technician would go and set up the items.
I had a Monday morning meeting in town and as I got there, the client called and said they had changed their minds and she would explain. They wanted a bunk bed instead of a bed and study table. Please note we already had delivered the items. She was apologetic and willing to pay for the transport. After my morning meeting I called and she said her mum had said ......yeah so I called the warehouse and organised for transport to bring the new blue bunk bed as we in the shop had to close the shop and go dismantle the other bunk bed , pack it and have it ready to be delivered back to the warehouse before mounting the new bunk bed. Am not sure what I can call all that, but to say that I have only returned to our shop at 4.30p.m. but have told myself that I shall not sweat about having been closed the whole day.
For us our clients come first. We want to sell quality things and want the client happy and if it means repeating the whole scenario again(which I hope won't happen again) and get fatigued and drained, we shall do so at the cost of making our clients satisfied. I am thankful because the client is and has been very patient with us and commends us for being professional. I am also thankful for my family who have stood by me, even when we have had to visit the client houses at odd hours just to ensure that all is well.
As of now am fatigued , looking forward to a great and relaxing weekend and waiting to hear what the supplier has to say for himself..because he should have simply notified us that he did not have the pink beds, instead of putting something that was not presentable. Anyways you learn that not everyone is like us. This is the world of business.
Comments