I get an email from PayPal every time someone places an order. My -usual- practice is to email the customer (the "Buyer" in PayPal parlance) to confirm receipt of the order and to let the customer know that a further email will be sent when the order ships or if there is a backorder or additional shipping charges due. My records show I sent that email to the customer's email address used with his PayPal account. The customer emailed me days later wanting to know where his order is. He signed his email with his nickname, not the name used on his PayPal account. Furthermore, he emailed me from an email account different from the one used with PayPal. So I email him back saying that I cannot find a customer with his nickname in my database and asked him if it could be under a different name. He emailed me back with the correct name (and a third email address which wasn't the PayPal address) but sure enough, there's his order in the backorder file.
I thought I emailed him back to tell him about the backorder status of a part he ordered and that it should be in shortly, but he claims I didn't. One week after placing his order, he places a dispute with PayPal, which freezes the funds in my account. Since his part hadn't arrived yet, I gave him a refund immediately. So what does he do? Jumps onto a popular Triumph Bonneville user board and trashes he claiming I was ignoring him... unprofessional business practices... kidnapping the Lindberg baby... you name it.
After be goaded by other board members to hear from -ahem- "The Horses Mouth", I replied with my side of the story and an apology to the customer asking him to consider giving me a chance to make it up to him. The original thread got locked-out by the Form Moderator, so I created a new one. The wag replies back calling me a liar, even after several others have posted that none of the well known Vendors on the board are known for deception or bad business practices -and- that his response is a bit overboard considering the facts.
I simply cannot guarantee that I will have every part I offer in stock at all times. I do however spend a great deal of time and money doing my best to keep the top sellers in stock. I, like all retailers, are dependent on suppliers to provide us with products. Some times they run out too. I also cannot afford to implement state-of-the-art software with real-time inventory status like JC Whitney & Dennis Kirk, like my complaining customer suggests. I guess what really burns me about this guy is that he didn't even take the time to pick up the phone and call me to ask what was going on. The knee jerk reaction to trash me on a public forum for a snafu that is more than partially his fault is hard for me to understand.
So that was earlier last week. On Thursday my dear friend and fabricator "Hot Rod Mike" stops by to pick up a fender he was going to sandblast form me. He brought along his contractor friend to get me a quote on some renovation work I need. On Friday I drove down to Cincinnati to attend the Easyriders VTwin Expo over the weekend. If you are a fan of high-end Harleys, this show is Mecca. For trade only, all the top manufacturers, distributors and builders were in attendance. And talk about a boost to my ego... apparently my reputation precedes me. I was introduced to several top builders (I won't drop names, but you've seen these guys on the Discovery channel for years... no not the guys from NY) and they knew about me. And had some very nice things to say. Now I've been around high rollers and celebrities all my adult life, and I'm rarely intimidated, but lets just say if you asked those builders about me today, they'd all say how impressed they are with what I've done considering my severe mental retardation.
I was literally walking 6 inches off the ground, until I checked my phone messages back home. My friend Dave left a message saying that Hot Rod Mike had passed away Friday night. Mike suffered badly chronic Asthma, and has been in and out of hospital for years. Apparently he had called 911 for an ambulance and while being loaded in suffered a fatal heart attack. I went back home immediately. I will not eulogize him here other than to say he was master craftsman, a sweetheart of a man and a loving father.Please excuse the blurry photo of Mike and the custom bicycle he & his 14 year old daughter built. Check out the hubless front wheel.
I'll leave you tonight with this thought: Think of those friends dear to you that you haven't spoken to for some time, and call them. In the final analysis, it's all about family and friends. Possessions can be replaced. Wives too, but that's a blog for another day.
posted by RaceDweeb @ 11:11 PM
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