T.V. Bashing Thread

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

I've gotten two calls and one IM about this thread:

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...r-terrible-business-practice.html#post1202159

Sadly, because this is in a regular part of the forum and I am a supplier, I cannot respond at the risk of getting reprimanded. So, I'll handle it here.

The jist of the woman's side of things is true, or at least her version of true.

Now, here's the flip side of things.

Most people know that at one point, I DID accept PayPal and that because ASH.org was using ECF to report suppliers to PayPal to shut them down, I had to refrain from making it public that I accepted payments by PayPal.

Now.

At on point, a woman wanted to order liquids, after contact, we had stated that we only accept PayPal. After much manipulation (which I HATE) I finally caved and agreed to accept her check.

Since it was a bit ago, I forget the alternate method she paid, but she did and we had agreed to return her check, but for some stupid reason we could not find it.

A few months, a few thousand orders, a lot of stress later, we uncover a few checks which should have been in the bank but we set aside to worry about volumes, even though these customers already got their products. So we put them in the bank.

We get an e-mail from the woman who reminded me at that time what I was supposed to do. She was polite and I did feel like a mindless bonehead as I should have remembered what I should have done.

After discussion, we agreed that she had $35 credit and any time she wanted to order, we'll take care of her.

It seems that she tried to get back in touch with us and use her credit during the recent crap storm where:

Our web host had not only our e-mail down, but our entire site down for days.

Because we had no site, Live Help was disabled, but still apparently showed us as being online.

We could not respond to e-mails because again, the host was hosing us on our account.

Well, we've made the switch, we've jumped over the hurdles, we've gotten caught back up on volumes, we're back online everywhere we need to be and our toll free number is functional.

Now I come back and see and hear that there is a bashing thread slamming our service, our company, etc.

I don't expect that we'll please everybody, nor that we will operate a business with a spotless record.

We have issued her a refund and our apology.

But let's also throw some accountability in the mix here.

THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED NOR ESCALATED TO THE DEGREE THAT IT HAS IF THIS WOMAN WOULD HAVE SIMPLY PAID THE WAY EVERYBODY ELSE DID. BUT SHE WANTED TREATMENT ABOVE THE WAY WE HANDLED OUR BUSINESS AT THAT TIME.

 

[BigJimW]

That sounds about right. I kinda figured there was more to the story than what we were hearing. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to loosen up my cowboy hat. It's too tight on my thick head.

- BigBoy

 

[tiempo]

pol·i·cy

1   /ˈpɒl

ə

si/ Show Spelled[pol-uh-see] Show IPA
–noun,plural-cies. 1.a definite course of action adopted for the sake of expediency, facility, etc.: We have a new company policy.


it is a "policy" for a reason......

I will now go place a new order with your company and follow your policy.(Because I really like the results when I do.)

 

[NatureBoy]

Sorry to get OT but ASH.org was reporting sellers that were using Paypal???!?!

That's just downright...... ugghhh, I'm not allowed to use swear words on here, so I won't. But I can assure you I'm not thinking pretty thoughts about those guys.

/OT

 

[critterbug]

As the ol' finacee says, "No good deed goes unpunished."

 

[Sherrick]

Things go wrong in every business. The important thing is not if they go wrong, but how you handle it when they do. Take the high road as much as possible and allow your quality products and service to speak for themselves.

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

lol Tiempo.

It is true. We've had to adopt some policies because if we just nanced about bending our wills to the whims of everybody, nothing would get done and we'd be out of business quick.

But yeah, that thread...man. A lot of hostile people chiming in about everything they don't know anything about. I can appreciate the woman's position, but that whole thread being turned into the next soap opera...pretty pathetic actually.

A mistake is a mistake and a mistake can be fixed and in the end, it has, even though we've lost a customer. It happens. So, we brush ourselves off, keep things in mind and improve.

We don't however, feel that Tasty Vapor is up for a public hanging/flogging/stoning.

If I wanted to screw my business into the ground, I can assure you, it wouldn't be over $35.

I think we provide a pretty good bang for the buck, but we're not above an occasional error. If people think their $15 is going to buy them perfection, I think they may be on the wrong planet.

 

[critterbug]

That's a really good point, Sherrick. I really don't think a stray post is going to make a difference. Doesn't even come close to the number of positives about his juice and service.

And, my last thought on it, thanks for being all open and everything, Mr. TV. Much respect to you. Where's Big Boy's hat so I can tip it?

 

[5cardstud]

As I stated before. I have never recieved anything but good products and service from T V.

 

[BigJimW]

Sorry to get OT but ASH.org was reporting sellers that were using Paypal???!?!

That's just downright...... ugghhh, I'm not allowed to use swear words on here, so I won't. But I can assure you I'm not thinking pretty thoughts about those guys.

/OT

ASH comes in here all the time. I used to preach to people to keep their mouths shut, but unfortunately, few listened.

I know this because a while back, there was an article someone trolled ASH with and they published the link on their front page for an entire day. A very sarcastic article. I posted a link to it in the NEWS section here and ASH removed the link on their website in less than an hour, much to their unpublisized embarassment.

That was great.

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

In the end and to the point, we side stepped outside of our policy to please a customer, it bit us in the ...., and to make matters worse, the woman we thought we were helping is now bashing us on the ECF.

Thanks Joanne, you've just fortified our assertion of not stepping outside of policy.

 

[Dooner]

Look the only thing I can tell ya is YOU MAKE GREAT JUICE !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[UberDuper]

This thread is a little uhhh.. outrageous and very uncalled for.

UD.

 

[WhatAClumsyGirl]

I'm glad it's settled...and over with. It gave me a headache to be honest.

Now..lets talk about this cappuchino / caramel / vanilla that one of your people made me....Karl gave me a sample and I ordered my own.

Got it this week...and I cannot put this stuff down !

I'm addicted, dammit...to another flavor !! I had to order another 5v mod box to dedicate to this flavor.

Stop it already < eyeballing that mojihito or whatever its called>

 

[voltaire]

Mr. Tasty Vapor:

I really don't want to wade into the crapstorm, but I just want to point out three things.

1) The thread wasn't a bash thread. Sure, as usual, a few people made some baseless comments that were a bit out of line, but the vast majority were supportive of you and your ethics, and pointed out some of the mitigating technical and personal difficulties you've had recently. Because of that, as a neutral party who's never done business with you, I personally didn't draw any negative conclusions from anything in that thread - I still plan on ordering something from you sooner or later.

2) If you look at it from the complainant's point of view, their frustration and resulting negative words are understandable. They didn't know anything about the mitigating issues you were experiencing - and just like you, they also had some people questioning their integrity and honesty in that thread.

3) As a supplier, you *could* have posted to that thread (before it was closed) in the Review forum, as was noted a couple times. (once by a moderator) I really wish suppliers in general would post more often in the areas that they are allowed to, particularly in situations such as this one.

 

[jebey29]

I understand the response from Geoff on many levels. As a businessman myself i can tell you that in this day and age you must aggressively respond to any and all public and private complaints. If you don't then you run the risk of being yesterdays news.

All i can say is keep making great juice. Your product speaks for and sells itself.

 

[Karl the heretiK]

Oh boy... kinda reminds me of the hoopla from the last time you were asked to disregard one of your policies...

And the sad thing is... if Geoff had stuck to his policy, the only bad thing the lady could say about him is he wouldn't take her alternate form of payment... hardly something anyone else would care about in making the decision to purchase from TV...

Ay Caramba!

 

[JLeigh]

Geoff,

I would like to say something bluntly without getting put through a meat grinder, if I may...

I have ordered from you several times. I wasn't going to order any more because sometimes you really sound like your customers are nothing but a pain in your ..... But then I saw your apology post a few weeks back, so I ordered again.

Now you post this:

In the end and to the point, we side stepped outside of our policy to please a customer, it bit us in the ...., and to make matters worse, the woman we thought we were helping is now bashing us on the ECF.

Thanks Joanne, you've just fortified our assertion of not stepping outside of policy.

You had a customer who you bent the rules for (your choice), then something got screwed up (you admit this), and now you're getting all shirty towards the customer because you had to deal with the inevitable fallout? I don't get it.

I'm quite sure I'll be shredded over this post, but I mean nothing malicious by it. I'm genuinely surprised that you would post something like this considering what happened...

 

[Karl the heretiK]

I'm glad it's settled...and over with. It gave me a headache to be honest.

Now..lets talk about this cappuchino / caramel / vanilla that one of your people made me....Karl gave me a sample and I ordered my own.

Got it this week...and I cannot put this stuff down !

I'm addicted, dammit...to another flavor !! I had to order another 5v mod box to dedicate to this flavor.

Stop it already < eyeballing that mojihito or whatever its called>

Stay tuned, sweetie... Uncle Geoff is mixing me up another custom flave... since you seem to like my mixes so well... BTW, I did send you the Tobacco+Caramel+Vanilla Butternut, didn't I?

 

[Mr. Tasty Vapor]

Geoff,

I would like to say something bluntly without getting put through a meat grinder, if I may...

I have ordered from you several times. I wasn't going to order any more because sometimes you really sound like your customers are nothing but a pain in your ..... But then I saw your apology post a few weeks back, so I ordered again.

Now you post this:



You had a customer who you bent the rules for (your choice), then something got screwed up (you admit this), and now you're getting all shirty towards the customer because you had to deal with the inevitable fallout? I don't get it.

I'm quite sure I'll be shredded over this post, but I mean nothing malicious by it. I'm genuinely surprised that you would post something like this considering what happened...

Nah, no meat grinder necessary mate. Quite honestly, I thought things were as they should be. The mistake was made, the solution was drawn up and agreed on.

Ultimately, my beef is in the most roundabout way possible, being accused of taking the money and running, ignoring e-mails, and outright abandoning someone, when on my end, I'm pulling my hair out over the hurdles I've had to jump over with getting this business up and running and feeling my OWN set of abandonment issues of the treatment I'd been getting with the cruel children I'd paid to host my website.

I'd gone out of my way to let people on this forum know my dilemma.

Sometimes, it's hard dealing with a tirade of someone else's crud when I'm still busy trying to deal with my own pile...

Fair enough?

But, it's all behind me. I'd sent her an e-mail, apologized for my part with no bitterness behind my words and refunded her money. Now it's time to move on, stick to policy, learn from the experience and concentrate on getting things back to the quality, expedience, affordability and service people have come to expect from us.