Is it just me?

[AshleyR]

Or do you find that a lot of soapmaking suppliers are not the best at communication/customer service?

I've noticed a serious lack of good customer service with almost all of the suppliers I deal with. One in particular has screwed up something with every single order I've placed (about 10), and others either don't reply to my emails, or do reply but are not very friendly.

I know there are two Canadian suppliers that I've heard "can" be good, if you "get on their good side" and show them you're a serious customer. Why should you have to earn their help/friendliness though? Shouldn't all companies strive to be helpful and friendly to EVERYONE? Customer service is an important part of being in business!

I don't know what it is, but I have ordered TONS of things online (non soap related) and it seems I didn't start having problems like I do now until I started ordering soapmaking supplies! There is ONE company out of about 5 or 6 that I have contacted for supplies that was actually friendly, helpful, communicated quickly, and shipped the order correctly and quickly.

I hate to sound really picky, but what is it with soapmaking suppliers? I'm wondering if it's just my luck, or if others find this too? It's pretty frustrating!

I spend a LOT of money on soap supplies - hundreds every month with these suppliers, and almost all of them ignore my emails, forget to ship part of my order, are just plain unfriendly in their correspondence, and seem to care less whether they get my business or not. It is really frustrating!

 

[rupertspal42]

I understand Ashley, some people are good on way side of the table but not the other and it really does suck. Alot of people who sell goods think that as long as they sell things for cheap and things that not many have that their customer service can be at 75%... some people just don't learn.. *shaking head in dissapproval* All you can do is smile and suggest things and look for better places lmao 8)

 

[dagmar88]

Well Ashley,
they probably all have huge headaches/suffer from permanent confusion from sniffing way to much FO... Spend way to much time on fora to bother answering your emails... Their minds wonder off when they think about all the stuff they sell but haven't used yet & keep dreaming about free soap making time & exiting recipes
Dagmar

 

[rupertspal42]

it's a shame however, probably true! :wink:

 

[Guest]

I agree 100% , does anyone care about customer service anymore ? There are a few online soap suppliers I will not order from anymore . I don't order tons maybe 3 or 4 hundred a month , but it still adds to their bottom line. It isn't just online , even in retail stores , if you have a question you have to hunt somebody down to ask.Then they look at you like you have 2 heads. Clerks chit chat while line ups grow , grrr. I think part of the problem here is that it is very hard to find people to work , so any body will do .. Very frustrating.

 

[rupertspal42]

I'm the same way to.. if you show me no respect.. i.e customer service.. i'm never going to come back.

 

[dagmar88]

Customer services are pretty bad these days; it's not only soap & candle wholesalers...
But I had one pretty bad experience too... ordered some almond oil. Unpacked my box and the whole thing was full of cat hair. I do have cats, but that's just a big no no :? Never bought anything there again.
The online store where I buy all my animal food & stuff is also awfull in customer services. Good food, good prices, but incredibly slow, bad packaging, always loosing stuff or they ran out of what I ordered etc.
Some time ago I bought two cans of paint and forgot to take them with me. Was not getting them back the manager said. According to him, forgotten goods were always placed in a special place, and my cans were not there. So I asked him, wouldn't it be possible if someone made a mistake and put them back where they belong. He said it wasn't. By that time my face was turning pretty red, I wasn't planning on throwing away 30 bugs.
Then I walked around and found the cassiere that helped me the other day She called wait a minute madam, you forgot your paint yesterday; and someone accidantly put them back
I can only say, try to make the best out of the fact customer services are so bad these days and treat your costumers well.

 

[studioalamode]

She called wait a minute madam, you forgot your paint yesterday; and someone accidantly put them back

I had this happen at Wal-mart... I had purchased several sacks of items. When loading up my cart to leave, I accidentally left a bag. When I was unpacking at home about 45 minutues later, I realized I had left the bag there. I immediately went back, and was told that all my items had been restocked. I was so MAD! I said, that is stealing, I paid for those items and those were my items. Funny thing is I had paid by check, and my phone number was on it. After I pointed that out, and showed them my receipt, someone went and "collected" everything I purchased. But I couldn't BELIEVE it!

And, you are right, customer service is lacking almost everywhere you go these days, in person, or on-line. It becoming a plague of sorts. I don't get it.

 

[Tabitha]

I can not tell you how many times the person 8in line in front of me forgot a bag, the checkout girl always takes it, stuffs it under the counter & says they'll be back. Mind you the people are not even in their cars yet. I always leave the line & run out to bring the personback into the store. It hold up th eline but oh well.

 

[carillon]

Few people working in retail or restaurant care about or even know what customer service is anymore. Sometimes online sales are particularly bad because people can hide behind a computer, but in brick and mortar places, as least you can confront them face to face.

Everywhere my husband and I go, it seems we find ourselves saying, "I would fire that person if they worked for me." It's ridiculous. I can't go anywhere without hearing a worker complaining to another worker about their work schedule, whether it's having too many hours, too few hours, or when they're going on break, it's as if that's what matters and not the customer in front of them.

Forget about having groceries bagged and put in your cart too. That's your job now. Does anybody else remember when you checked out the cashier would greet you, often call out to you the prices of things as she rang them up, and then would bag them AND put them in your cart? Now they leave bags on a carousel and start ringing up the next customer, like you better snatch your bags and get the hell out of the store.

I don't know what it takes to change things. All I wonder is, how can it get any worse?