SLOW Shipping

[sooprvylyn]

I have hear tell that the best way to get in touch with the people from V4L is to contact them here on the forums. I myself did send 2 separate emails and did not get a response back. When I came on here I got a response from Mark almost immediately.

Keep in mind that V4L is still a small company and I doubt they have that many people in their offices/shipping dept, probably less than 10 people total is my guess. With a company that small everyone has to wear a lot of hats. I'm sure even the president of the company is back in the shipping dept when it is very busy helping get things moving.

Give them a break, they are popular and will grow very quickly and soon enough any issues with shipping or e-mail answering will be solved. In the mean time if you have problems deal with it tastefully here on the forum and via PM to Mark, who is happy to help you with your problem quickly.

I do hope that the peeps over at V4L take note of this issue and will make efforts to offer apologies when things dont go smoothly, its just good business practice, even when it is out of their control.

Its a learning process and IMO I think they do a decent job with their limited staff, albeit just takes a little extra effort to contact them sometimes.

 

[bornagainst]

I have hear tell that the best way to get in touch with the people from V4L is to contact them here on the forums. I myself did send 2 separate emails and did not get a response back. When I came on here I got a response from Mark almost immediately.

Keep in mind that V4L is still a small company and I doubt they have that many people in their offices/shipping dept, probably less than 10 people total is my guess. With a company that small everyone has to wear a lot of hats. I'm sure even the president of the company is back in the shipping dept when it is very busy helping get things moving.

Give them a break, they are popular and will grow very quickly and soon enough any issues with shipping or e-mail answering will be solved. In the mean time if you have problems deal with it tastefully here on the forum and via PM to Mark, who is happy to help you with your problem quickly.

I do hope that the peeps over at V4L take note of this issue and will make efforts to offer apologies when things dont go smoothly, its just good business practice, even when it is out of their control.

Its a learning process and IMO I think they do a decent job with their limited staff, albeit just takes a little extra effort to contact them sometimes.

If I can interject, please DON'T PM us here on the forums.

We need some semblance of order and control, and if you email us, we have a record of things that happen, what needs to happen, and what SHOULD happen. That way, if something goes wrong, we can deal with it quickly.

Believe me, when I get PM's, you never tell me your order number, your real name, your real email....how am I supposed to help?

If you PM us here, we don't have those records, and I have changed my signature to reflect that. We just can't have emails to C/S, PM's to myself and Val, PM's to Mark and emails to Steve. It confuses the heck out of an already pressing system.

I know that you want an answer RIGHT NOW, but we have emails that we answer in queue, by customers who have emailed before you. Please understand that we'll respond in queue.

If you don't recieve a response, it's because you may have responded to your ORDERS email. We answer each and every email that we get, just maybe not in the 2 minutes that a lot of people expect.

Thanks for listening, please understand that I am not upset, just really want to make sure everyone gets treated fairly and in a timely manner.

If people want things to work smoothly, as you say you do, you have to participate a little bit in the process as well.

Ryan

 

[5cardstud]

I got my order ok but was upset they changed the color on my cartos. It all worked out good because they match my Buzz and that was fortunate. The products were great and the freebees too but I'm one guy that expects what I order and it could have turned into an ugly situation. I'm just glad they matched and the products were so darn good. Except for the clove carto. I abhor cloves, reminds me of toothache medicine and don't plan on even trying that one.

 

[Darrigaaz]

The point is I paid $6 for shipping, which is more than it will cost to ship 90ml of liquid. Obviously. I ordered on Sunday, it's now Friday, and the earliest I'll get this is Saturday. <- This part should go to USPS.That's unacceptable by itself. Not unheard of, but still, it's slower than it should be for $6. <- This part should go to USPS. On top of that, when I asked about the issue via emails, I got nothing but excuses. Not one apology. Not one "hey, we had a big sale, we fell behind, orders went out slow, sorry about that." <- They didn't fall behind, orders did not go out slow, nothing to be sorry for. Nothing.. The tunes sure change once it's brought to the forums, but the emails? Yah, cold little 1-line answers that meant squat. If every CS person in the world spent 5 extra minutes with each customer that calls/emails with anything, just to make sure the person felt "special", no business would ever get anything done. At MCI, we had an Average Handling Time of 90 seconds per call or else we got written up. We each had about 300 customers a day to handle.

Is it so terrible to expect a reply from an email asking about why my product took 3 days to ship (order placed on sunday, shipment notification on late tuesday, package didn't leave till wednesday <- wrong info) to at least get an apology? I guess so since V4L is so perfect and can do no wrong and I'm just nitpicking. Shame on me for criticizing the almighty.

Just to clarify... You ordered on Sunday, so when V4L opened up monday morning, they had to get through FRIDAY evening and SATURDAY all day before they got to your order. Are you suggesting that they get through 2 1/2 days worth of orders in one workday? Or are you suggesting that your order is more important than my order, so you should be processed first even though I ordered Friday evening?

V4L fulfilled their $6 obligation to you. They had your order out the NEXT DAY from when they got it. I've had packages show up that show they paid $5.94 for postage, meaning they had a whole $.06 to spare to pay labor & packing materials.. OMG they must be ripping me off! Maybe you should throw your fit on the USPS site, since they are the ones who are cheating you from having your stuff in a timely manner.

 

[Mabbo]

I am sorry there is a complaint about the shipping, I am one of the lucky ones that live in the same town as V4L and always get my packages the next day, but i feel for those that don't.

Patience is a virtue though, even if it took an extra day for me, I would not care much, not to mention I always have enough stock to last me between orders

Customer services is not only defined by the company you work with, but also defined by its customers. Nasty customers makes for poor customer service.

Faith in V4L to make it right and patience are a winning combo

 

[Sylvie]

I ordered on sunday too, got email/shipped out on tuesday (15) and got items yesterday (17) . I live next state over in MD so personally I think your state's postal service should be the ones getting the wrath in taking so long for package to get to you on this one..

BTW when you make your shipping choice during your order, it clearly states $6.95 is for shipping AND handling.. So in reality that total rate is pretty decent and probably barely covers their cost for supplies that are also associated with shipping packages out (paper and ink for your labels and receipts, bubble wrap, delivery confirmation, etc.)..

 

[Desertfremen]

Yeah, um yeah.... Look I'm sorry but I'm in the nitpicking party. Six dollars for shipping is not a lot. I've paid far more to ship less from other companies and those other companies usually take 2 or 3 business days before they even ship. Most companies I've done business with usually 7-10 turnaround time till I have the package in my hands and they charge far more for shipping. Also once the package is out of their hands they are not responsible for the package. there was also no reason for V4L to apologise since they've done nothing wrong.

Just chill, sit back and relax. When the USPS gods decide that you can have your package you'll get it.

 

[sooprvylyn]

Sorry, just letting people know how I was able to deal with my problem. Of course you first should go to the CS email and wait for a response, and then again the next day if you dont get a response. I would only talk to one of the guys on here as a last resort and of course I make sure to give all pertinent info for them to help me.

I JUST had an issue with 2 no reply emails to CS over a 2 day period, and Mark told me that all emails were caught up. Obviously there is some sort of flaw in the system that allowed my 2 emails to get through the cracks without being answered. As a result of PMing Mark my problem was solved and you just got another decent order from me today.

Another way to get some attention is to voice some concern, politely of course and for good reason, in the forum. They will come to you to set things right. It is their business and a lot of their customers are reading these posts, so it is in their interest to help solve any problems. Thats one of the best things about a forum of this nature.

Sorry to have offered advise without extrapolating, I have a habit of doing that. Of course I dont want to gum up your system, but then you need to have your system work a little better so people don't wonder whats going on. Keep in mind that you are not a brick and mortar store and many of us have had problems ordering from online vendors in the past, its natural to be a bit suspicious when you do business with someone you have no access to.

If I can interject, please DON'T PM us here on the forums.

We need some semblance of order and control, and if you email us, we have a record of things that happen, what needs to happen, and what SHOULD happen. That way, if something goes wrong, we can deal with it quickly.

Believe me, when I get PM's, you never tell me your order number, your real name, your real email....how am I supposed to help?

If you PM us here, we don't have those records, and I have changed my signature to reflect that. We just can't have emails to C/S, PM's to myself and Val, PM's to Mark and emails to Steve. It confuses the heck out of an already pressing system.

I know that you want an answer RIGHT NOW, but we have emails that we answer in queue, by customers who have emailed before you. Please understand that we'll respond in queue.

If you don't recieve a response, it's because you may have responded to your ORDERS email. We answer each and every email that we get, just maybe not in the 2 minutes that a lot of people expect.

Thanks for listening, please understand that I am not upset, just really want to make sure everyone gets treated fairly and in a timely manner.

If people want things to work smoothly, as you say you do, you have to participate a little bit in the process as well.

Ryan

 

[sooprvylyn]

While I agree that V4L is not responsible for shipping issues that arise once the package has left it is still in their best interest to offer apology when things don't go smoothly. Something to the effect of:

We are sorry that you are experiencing a delay in receiving your order. We shipped your item on X day and once it has left our facility we have no control over how quickly the USPS will deliver it.


The OP isn't looking for a freeby or any concession other than a little professional courtesy. The goal of any retailer is to create repeat customers, and sometimes that means having to apologize for things they can't control.

Here is another example: You order a widget online. After your order is placed the company finds that the last widget has been sent to another customer who placed their order moments before you and they need to wait a few days for the new widget shipment to arrive. Well from your viewpoint they should not have to apologize for being out of stock and for the delay when it wasn't their fault that someone elses order came in before yours.

It's not about who is at fault, it is about keeping the customer happy so they keep coming back. Its basic business sense.

Yeah, um yeah.... Look I'm sorry but I'm in the nitpicking party. Six dollars for shipping is not a lot. I've paid far more to ship less from other companies and those other companies usually take 2 or 3 business days before they even ship. Most companies I've done business with usually 7-10 turnaround time till I have the package in my hands and they charge far more for shipping. Also once the package is out of their hands they are not responsible for the package. there was also no reason for V4L to apologise since they've done nothing wrong.

Just chill, sit back and relax. When the USPS gods decide that you can have your package you'll get it.

 

[mixitman]

Finally someone gets my point to this whole thing. I did not come to the forums and say anything until after a few emails to V4L didn't produce anything even close to an apology or explanation. The only thing I got was justification for the long shipping times.

While I agree that V4L is not responsible for shipping issues that arise once the package has left it is still in their best interest to offer apology when things don't go smoothly. Something to the effect of:

We are sorry that you are experiencing a delay in receiving your order. We shipped your item on X day and once it has left our facility we have no control over how quickly the USPS will deliver it.


The OP isn't looking for a freeby or any concession other than a little professional courtesy. The goal of any retailer is to create repeat customers, and sometimes that means having to apologize for things they can't control.

Here is another example: You order a widget online. After your order is placed the company finds that the last widget has been sent to another customer who placed their order moments before you and they need to wait a few days for the new widget shipment to arrive. Well from your viewpoint they should not have to apologize for being out of stock and for the delay when it wasn't their fault that someone elses order came in before yours.

It's not about who is at fault, it is about keeping the customer happy so they keep coming back. Its basic business sense.

 

[sooprvylyn]

Mixit,
I agree with your sentiment about how the issue was handled, and I do believe you are justified in voicing your complaint here. There is not really any easy recourse for an e-consumer other than publicly stating your concern on a related forum in the hopes that the company will see the issue and step up to correct the problem. This is beneficial to both the consumers and the suppliers as it helps give other customers piece of mind that the company takes care of it's customers, or it lets people know if a company is shady.

I cannot comment on your opinion that the shipping charges seemed high to you. Each is entitled to their own opinion, I personally think they are reasonable. If the shipping charges are too high then people will stop ordering and the company will need to correct it to be more in line with waht the market will bear. The free market is a beautiful thing.

 

[satb813]

wow, whine...it's NOT v4l...USPS is to blame. i have absolutely NEVER had a problem with them and i've put in quite a few orders. if something was wrong it was corrected asap. if they didn't get the emails, they didn't get them. you can always call...their # is on the cards they send and on the website. i'm sorry, but this has my hackles up. guys/gals @ v4l...you're awesome and please keep up what you're doing. i TOTALLY appreciate all you do. mwa.

p.s. the shipping cost??? really??? look at their juice/cartos prices...can't compare. awesome flavor and great value. you are my go to for everything.

 

[sooprvylyn]

I dont think you get it. Neither I nor the poster blames V4L about the shipping situation, at least not entirely(I dont at all). We are just stating the necessity for companies to keep customers happy by voicing regret when an order has some issue, whatever the cause of that issue. Is it thier fault, no I dont think so. All I am saying is that with so many people out there, and many who have never ordered online before, they are more likely to boost customer satisfaction by simply stating their regret for the problem, no matter who is at fault, and assuring them that the order is on the way.

Terse repsonses like the one the OP got when recieved in writing do not infer any of the other communication that we get when communicating in person(like body language, tone, cantor etc). This makes it very easy for the recipient of the response to interperet it in a lot of different ways. Granted the guys at V4L may have been busy trying to get through emails or some other factor may have prompted the short matter of fact response. This is why words like "sorry" convey concern for the customer and help to reassure them that they are dealing with a standup company.

Also there is a reason for the saying "the customer is always right." There is too much money to be made on repeat customers to worry about who is at fault, especially with something like this. The best course is to just say sorry and reassure them that their problem has your attention.

Would I have complained about the OP's situation were I in his place? I doubt it but maybe. Keep in mind that many people are not used to ordering things online and so a lot of this is unfamilliar territory for them. It's better to reassure those people when they voice concern than it is to berate them.

 

[satb813]

no harm, no foul, but...maybe it would be better to drive to chicago and just pick it up. just sayins all...

 

[sooprvylyn]

Id also like to state that I do support V4L and hope that their company prospers. I only offer a point of view that many people share about customer service.

So far they have been pretty good with me, and I will remain a customer as long as they are.

 

[sooprvylyn]

yeah, lemme get on the road from Los Angeles now, I should get there by Monday some time

 

[vaporgalinfla]

Mixit - I would be bothered is someone didn't reply to my email too. That said, I'm wondering why you've emailed them a few times? If your order was placed on Sunday and shipped on Tuesday, that's less than 48 hours turnaround time!

As others have noted, once it's at the post office, it's beyond V4L's (well any company's) control. Whenever I place an order, I just look at the tracking number on USPS's site. Typically, from Chicago to Southeast Florida, I have my package in two days. Once or twice, USPS messed up and my package took longer. I know this isn't V4L's fault - the blame is with USPS.

I hope you receive your package soon! Have you checked USPS's site tonight to see if there is an update on your tracking #?

 

[satb813]

you know what, i'm really sorry that was rude. i do apologize. i just get upset when it's obviously not the merchants fault. although, i normally am not a merchant cheerleader. again, sorry.

 

[Banershka]

The point is I paid $6 for shipping, which is more than it will cost to ship 90ml of liquid. Obviously. I ordered on Sunday, it's now Friday, and the earliest I'll get this is Saturday. That's unacceptable by itself. Not unheard of, but still, it's slower than it should be for $6. On top of that, when I asked about the issue via emails, I got nothing but excuses. Not one apology. Not one "hey, we had a big sale, we fell behind, orders went out slow, sorry about that." Nothing.. The tunes sure change once it's brought to the forums, but the emails? Yah, cold little 1-line answers that meant squat.

Is it so terrible to expect a reply from an email asking about why my product took 3 days to ship (order placed on sunday, shipment notification on late tuesday, package didn't leave till wednesday) to at least get an apology? I guess so since V4L is so perfect and can do no wrong and I'm just nitpicking. Shame on me for criticizing the almighty.

Let me think.............I placed my order on Friday and got my conformation on Tuesday?
My order arrived on Wednesday, what do you usually pay for snappy shipping?

PS The OP must be having nicotine withdrawls.

 

[satb813]

truce????