How far does Customer Service go?

I have a couple questions about how some of you handle situations that arise when you sell corals amongst others reefers. I had a situation in which USPS damaged a package that I sent Overnight mail. This does include $100 insurance. You can see where the package was damaged in the one side of the box. I went to the PO and they are taking the stance of "how do we know it's our fault." I know that I packaged the item well and that I shipped many other packages the same way and have had no issues. So the fellow reefer says that most everything survived through the wreckage. I want to know how far customer service should extend on my part. I tried filing a claim with the PO and they don't want to hear of it. Also, the quote I got from the PO was lower than the actual postage by $5.05. I also threw a freebie zoa in there too. So, what would you do?

I have another senario where the package was delivered a day late. It was supposed to be overnight. I have gotten a refund for the postage and am going to return it to the buyer. But, this person says that one of the zoas came unattached during shipping and they reglued it on upon arrival. Now they say it is missing in their tank somewhere and want me to replace it. It did arrive and was alive. Now that they reglued it and it is missing, how does that make me responsible? They also said that the other zoas were doing good, but are now not looking so well and want me to replace them. This was a week and a half ago.

I sent each person photos of the corals before I shipped them. So, I know and they knew that they were healthy. Any advise as for a response to these people?

Thanks

 

Well, the first one is really kind of up to you, but I would take care of it for the customer (refund or whatever), then continue to go after PO.
The second one. Do you have any sort of guarantee? How about having them send a water sample? Have you seen pics of the "not doing so good ones"? I personally wouldn't cover their failed frag attempt either on that one.
Really the only advice I could give you is to stop using USPS all together. I won't even use them for simple letter's anymore. There's a reason they are going under, and it's by their own failboat hands.

 

Well I think if you advertise overnight delivery and its a day late then thats on you. As far as a guarantee do you have anything formal or is this just a trade?

 

I have my own business and here is what I would do...

First of all if the USPS is late it isn't the customers fault so you will have to take care of them and make them happy. This will insure a repeat customer...

Second I would drop USPS asap... I swear they lose packages all the time. It is a ***** to get them to take care of it in a timely matter..

Third. The guarantee to deliver your product to your customers is between you and them. They shouldn't have to suffer it isn't their fault. You will have to fight with USPS about the damage and ins.

I know this sucks big time. I have lost money on several orders making customers happy. In the long run they come back and spend more money in my store.

UPS is REALLY good about refunding money. They might be a little more to overnight a package, but your time is worth more then the extra you pay for good service.

FEDEX is used a lot by some businesses but I haven't used them so I can not say if they are or aren't.

 

I cant tell you what most other online places do. They guarantee it arrives alive, and DONT take responsiblity for damage/ done by they Post Office [they also ship fedex or UPS] or late delivery. Then once you put it in your tank the guarantee is gone. plus you have to relpy there is a problem with in hour or two of delivery.
that being said, I dont think you are responsible either way. How important of customer are they? but i would start to put thing into writing...

 

I asked them what type of delivery they wanted. USPS overnight. I got a shipping quote from USPS online. I shipped it USPS overnight. So, I think there I did my part. It was USPS that dropped the ball and didn't deliver it on time. I think that falls on them for responsibility. They are willing to give back the postage, so I am giving it to the buyer. As far as his failed attempt at reattaching and now it is "lost" in his tank. I think that makes him responsible. I have attached many frags in my tank for them to come off and missing, only for me to find a colony a couple months later. So, I am really not feeling replacing this. :-/ I do not advertise any type of guaruntee. I just sold them via the internet and contacted them in regards to shipping.

 

When the items first arrived. He resecured the one and put them both in his tank. It is now a week and a half later and the one has been MIA for a while and the other is now not looking so good. I don't know this person at all. Just someone who purchased these zoas from me online. I am giving him his overnight postage back that he paid for and the PO didn't deliver on time. As far as the MIA, we loose stuff all the time in our tanks, which later resurface as a colony or never resurface. And, after a week and a half the other zoas aren't doing well - I say that is his water problem, not my zoa problem.

I am not running a business. I was just doing some cleaning in my tank to make room for stuff I would rather have.

 

My responses are based on my habit of being an eBay seller for misc things.

I always use USPS and find them to be far more reliable than UPS and extraordinarily more reliable than FedEx. Not as easy to deal with, but I have to deal with them far less often.

I strongly believe this changes based on geographic location.

hope some of that helped.

 

Well, I have consulted the PO on both cases and all I got was $15.00 shipping from the one that was delivered late. What do I tell these people without sounding *issy?

I feel bad coming off as I am saying you can't glue worth a crap and it isn't my problem. Or, its been over a week and they are doing bad, that's your problem.

And, for the other guy. I hate saying that it wasn't damaged when I shipped it and the PO won't do anything about it, when they are the ones that crushed the side of it.

Sounds crappy. I'm MAD!!!:-X

 

Well if they stuck it in the tank. TOO bad. I would just end it now. If he was willing to reattach the frag and put it in his/her tank then they weren't
that concerned with the frag. How do you control their gluing job? You don't.

If they keep bothering you email them advising that once they put the frags in the tank it is out of your hands.