This is, as the old saying goes, "a bit of a sticky wicket". Direct sellers encounter situations where customers that are dissatisfied for some reason make their feeling known vociferously. If you reply, you come off as a jerk and make the disgruntled customer more angry. If you don't reply, these things live on forever. I believe this is the first time BXpanded has encountered this situation. I have no intention of debating or being involved in a discussion where we argue with anyone in a public forum. Unfortunately, this discussion has progressed to the point that I feel that I really should at least acknowledge what's happened and try to clarify the situation from this point of view.
Don has been a very good customer of ours. He's made several orders and actually owns most of our products. I don't think he would have placed numerous orders had he been disappointed in our products or our level of service. We really appreciate him and all of our customers.
Don's snow plow was damaged slightly in shipping. The tube that a skid shoe shaft slides into, was flattened slightly at the end. I've attached the picture he sent to me. He emailed and asked for suggestions. I mistakenly thought he would prefer to avoid the hassle and delay of a UPS damage claim. In an honest effort to help, I suggested to Don, that we could send him a tapered tool that could allow him to straighten the bent end of the tube in about 5 minutes. Don didn't take me up on my offer, but he went ahead and made the repair with what tools he had on hand. The tube was repaired, but it left him with the feeling that I was taking advantage of him.
Shipping damage happens occasionally. If it didn't, carriers would not have the complex systems in place to deal with damage. UPS claims require that the customer be contacted for an inspection of the damage. That usually happens in 2-3 days. Next, a pick up is scheduled and the item is returned to the seller for repair. We would have repaired the item and shipped it back. Total time for the inspection and shipping back and forth would have been about 2 weeks. The repair would take minutes. BXpanded would have been reimbursed for expenses so there was certainly no reason for us to avoid filing a claim.
The shipping company had obviously dropped the blade from a considerable elevation onto a hard surface and had done the damage. Although BXpanded had done nothing wrong and I had done nothing but try to help, Don's frustrations were boiling over and his feelings were that the whole situation was our fault. I even offered to replace the blade or to accept a return.
To the best of my knowledge, I never failed to return Don's call.
Don has not contacted me about a problem with the blade slipping. This thread is the first I've heard of it. There must be some unusual circumstance involved, as it doesn't seem to be a frequent problem when the attachment system is correctly installed. I am always more than glad to help and I'm sure Don's problem can be remedied.
To the best of my knowledge we have a very good reputation for customer service. I own the company. I make it a point to answer the phone and the emails. It is important to me that when someone calls, they get the person that can best give them the information they need. I have several email addresses that forward to me most weekends and evenings. I have calls transferred to different phones so I can try to be accessible to folks that need me for whatever reason. With all the shuffling, I'm sure I lose a voicemail or email occasionally. I occasionally get voicemails and I can't decipher the phone number. I sometimes don't have necessary information at hand. I do return calls. I do occasionally take weekends off.
I'd like to thank Don for his past orders and I truly regret that he is not happy at this point.
I would also like to thank all the great friends and customers at TractorByNet and wish all a very Merry Christmas.
Harry Clearman
BXpanded
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