Last Friday I ordered a printed T shirt online from www.garmentprinting.co.uk
I have encountered poor customer service before – I’m sure we all have. But have you ever seen a company willing to record such a shocking attitude towards their customer in writing?
My experience when ordering a printed T Shirt online last week surely takes the biscuit.
First an email chronology to set the scene:
11:04 – my online request for a quote is acknowledged
11:09 – confirmation that same day service can be achieved
11:38 – quote received
11:57 – order acknowledged and invoice for “Printing x 1 GD31 – Mens Polo Shirt” received
12:33 – link to approve design & artwork received
12:40 – acknowledgement of my approval received
12:54 – email received providing details of where and when to collect my order
All very good up until this point. Then things took a turn for the worse.
Enter Garment Printing’s Gavin Drake (@garmentprinting on Twitter).
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:12 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Visual Proof – Jon Weedon – Order Ref: GP 5262
To: Garment Printing <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Hi there
I just noticed from the visual this is a crew neck. I’m sure I ordered a polo! Is it too late to change?
Jon
Sent from my iPhone
From: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Visual Proof – Jon Weedon – Order Ref: GP 5262
To: Jon Weedon
I stated that we only has the ability to do tshirts in the quote and in the emails
Thats all we can do, so sorry you missed this bit of info and yes its already gone to process and print
Sorry
Gavin Drake
Garment Printing
http://www.garmentprinting.co.uk
A “Print This Print That” Company
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 2:20 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Visual Proof – Jon Weedon – Order Ref: GP 5262
To: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
No worries I missed that as I’m on my iPhone. All good,
Jon
Sent from my iPhone
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 2:51 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Visual Proof – Jon Weedon – Order Ref: GP 5262
To: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Hi Gavin
Now that I’m back at my PC I have checked all of the emails including the quote and cannot see any mention of T shirt versus Polo. Am I missing something?
Jon
From: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 2:54 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Visual Proof – Jon Weedon – Order Ref: GP 5262
To: Jon Weedon
look at original quote
Gavin Drake
Garment Printing
http://www.garmentprinting.co.uk
A “Print This Print That” Company
From: Garment Printing <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 2:56 PM
Subject: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Jon Weedon
I sent you this at the very beginning before any quote
Hello Jon Weedon,
We can supply a tshirt today, printed in our Kingston Print House
Can you collect from there.
Otherwise its £20 for the top + same day delivery
Many thanks,
Garment Printing
www.garmentprinting.co.uk
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 3:38 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Garment Printing <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Ah I see. Very subtle! Not exactly “I stated that we only has the ability to do tshirts in the quote and in the emails” is it?
May I suggest next time you spell it out with a bit more clarity rather than seeking to blame your customers for missing the info.
Anyway, thanks for getting this done so quickly.
Jon
From: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 3:42
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Jon Weedon
OK
look at your quote.
its says £25 (black tshirt)
I think it was clear and thanks for your feedback
Gavin Drake
Garment Printing
http://www.garmentprinting.co.uk
A “Print This Print That” Company
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 4:08 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
You are missing the point here.
A t shirt to most people is a generic term that could include a crew neck, V neck, polo whatever. I’m not really interested in whether you think your communication was clear – the fact that as a customer I am saying it was not clear should be all you need to concern yourself with so you can avoid future misunderstandings.
Anyway, your attitude alone is such that I will not be using your services again.
Shame because I am genuinely happy with everything else you guys have done for me today.
Regards,
Jon
From: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 4:15 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Jon Weedon
are you having a bad day?
Gavin Drake
Garment Printing
http://www.garmentprinting.co.uk
A “Print This Print That” Company
From: Jon Weedon
Date: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 at 5:09 PM
Subject: Re: Garment Printing – Jon Weedon – Ref: GP 5262�
To: Garment Printing – Sales Team <sales.team@garmentprinting.co.uk>
Yes actually. Got to Mark’s and the T shirt was not ready. Have to go back in half an hour. Still, no doubt that does not warrant an apology either.
All the best,
Jon
By the time I got back from my second visit to Garment Printing’s local agent I guess Gavin had gone home for the weekend as the communication ceased.
“are you having a bad day?” – can you believe that?
Impressive. Simply impressive.
Mike Klein
@mike – in a funny way, the magnitude of the inappropriateness kind of took the sting out of the situation – it was so bad, disbelief quickly turned to amusement…
Very brave in a world were bad customer experience travel fast – thanks for the warning.
Annler
@annler – agreed! you’d think an online business in particular would be a little more careful!
great exchange. credit for being polite and patient early doors. i would have lost it
@adam – I didn’t want to make a fuss before the order was completed as I needed the shirt for a party that night. I suspect if I had lost it earlier in the day I’d have had to go to the Black Eyed Peas themed party as a ageing hippy…
Great story Jon 🙂 Did you get your “T-shirt” in the end? Any spelling mistakes on it (wouldn’t surprise me)???
@Oli I was very happy with the T-shirt – just what I had ordered (apart from the fact it was a crew neck and not a polo). Hard to misspell “Boom Boom Pow” 😉
Great Story – Really enjoy your blog.
Thanks Fiona, much appreciated!