Here’s the situation… my husband and I ordered two Astria Envy Fireplaces (InnovativeInnovative Hearth Products) from our builder back in August. That’s over 13 weeks ago, we have been given a number of shipping dates. Here’s what we have been told:
Today: “Astria has informed him that the fireplaces will not go into production until Thanksgiving week.”
On October 26th: “The 2 fireplaces requested by the customer were ordered on 8/25 with a ship date of 6 weeks per the manufacturer. On 9/21 we requested an update on the fireplaces and were told a production date of 9/28 and then 2 mores to receive them.”
“On 10/12 we were told the units were to ship in 1 week. When we had not received the units on 10/19 we called to check an update. At that time we were told the production date was pushed until 11/1 and they would be shipped after production. The units are still on order and we are still anticipating installing those units as they are the ones requested by the customer.”
To understand the situation more fully my response in email to the marketing department (as that was the only address on their website) was as follows, “Our home closing is now being held up with these two fireplaces that my husband absolutely loves. My concern is that we are now being told these two fireplaces will go into production the week of Thanksgiving. If this is not true, please tell us now so we can find something else so we can close and get into our home before Christmas, we have already now missed Thanksgiving.
“We really do not want to wait again to simply be told to wait again without a realistic production and shipping date that we can really trust.”
“Could you please let me know the reality of actually getting this product? My concern is that the factory is really wanting to discontinue them but does not want to say to dealers and is stringing them and therefore us along. We have now waited 13 weeks still do not have a shipping date. This is taking longer than to build our house!”
Of importance is that the vendor’s website does not have a customer service phone number or email address. So what did I do? Most likely the same thing that your customers would do, I turned to social media. I posted a nice private Facebook note to the vendor, I posted publically and nicely on their Facebook wall, I searched on Twitter to find them and then hashtagged all over the place to try to get their attention. Customers who get frustrated would most likely not be as nice as I have been with my communication.
I am hopeful that the factory and customer service department, that I know that they must have, will respond back to me.
Now, here’s the takeaway… are you personally making it hard on your own customers to find you, get an answer, or ask a question? Have you removed phone numbers and emails from your website hoping to not be bothered. Are you not engaged in social media? Most customers will look to Facebook first and then Twitter if they are really connected. If they don’t get satisfaction, they will go to Google+ and Yelp to write a review.
Well, I have to say from my perspective, the longer this vendor waits to respond the worse the reviews are that I will post online about their product and deliverability. Are you frustrating your own customers with the same inability to contact you to resolve a problem?
Check back on Wednesday for more about social media being the new customer service portal. Friday this week may just end up being the day for my candid review of the Astria Envy Fireplace by Innovative Hearth Products.
