I usually post at Breaktime, but this issue probably pertains more to woodworking so I thought I would share it here.
A week ago Monday, 1/3, I placed an order on their website for some flipper door hardware, and received an email with an order number. Yesterday I received another email telling me that my order had been entered, and should ship in 48 hours. So I lost over a week.
There was a customer service phone number on the second email so I called it to see what happened, and the answer was absolutely ridiculous. First, the bozo that took the call told me I had the wrong number, because I was calling from Souith Carolina. I tried to tell him that I was calling the number on their email, but he wouldn’t talk with me, except to give me a different number.
So I called the new number and got a new customewr service rep. My billing address is in Texas, but I wanted it shipped to South Carolina. It took the girl a while, but she finally realized that was the problem. The Texas address would normally be handled by the Albuquerque store, but since it was to ship to SC, the North Carolina store had to handle the order. So, at some point, the NM store realized it wasn’t their order, and passed it to NC, apparently by US Mail (probably not, but why else would it take more than a week?). I tried to explain to the girl that the post office and UPS are equipped to ship across state lines, and even across the Mississippi River, but she said they don’t work that way. So after the NC store received tghe order, then they processed it normally and now I have to wait as couple of more days before it arrives.
Absolutely incredible. Unprofessional. Stupid. What difference does it matter if the billing and shipping addresses are different? Isn’t that supposed to be one of the benefits of minternet ordering? She said they would not charge me for the shipping cost, which was nice, but that doesn’t help the week that was lost. Am I upset? You bet I am. Is it a minor issue? Yeah, probably. But it’s their fault and it doesn’t make any sense.
There … now I feel better … thanks.
I’m sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
Replies
The main problem with different mailing and shipping addresses usually is that it can trigger credit card fraud radar. From what you said in your post, that wasn't the particular problem here.
The order handler(s) in Texas are, IMO, the ones who screwed up. As soon as they realized they needed the NC store to fill the order, they should have either called it in or emailed it to the NC people, with a high-priority tag on it.
I don't know much about Woodworkers Supply (their old paper catalog always looked kinda hoakey to me, and expensive too), but it sounds like they don't have a very good system going at all. And, their people (1st guy you mentioned) need some training.
Ahhhhhh, I just took a look at their "About Us" Page. Here's some pertinent information:
Your order was carefully crafted, albeit innocently, to totally confusicate their system. Keep their structure in mind the next time you order from them, I guess.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
For whatever it is worth, I have ordered a lot of stuff from these folks over the years; I have always been amazed with the both the product and woodworking knowledge that the phone staff brought to the task. And they have never managed to screw up an order.
With the new facility, I can only assume you were the innocent victim of the glitches as they try to get the new system working.
Before giving up on them, the next time you order, you might try to do so by phone instead.
But yeah, I know, it's irritating when something so simple gets so messed up .......
They're generally a pretty reliable supplier. Try them again, if they screw up on another order please let us know so that those of us who use them can take note. I don't order that frequently (four or five times a year) so if they're having problems I'd like to know before I place my next order.
When I need something fast, I always order it from Woodworkers Supply. I can almost always have something within 3-4 days. I've never had a problem and order from them at least a half dozen times a year.
Alan & Lynette Mikkelsen, Mountain View Farm, est. 1934, Gardens & Fine Woodworking, St. Ignatius, MT
My experience is the same as yours, Alan. I always order by phone, so they can tell me if everything is in stock."Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." A. Einstein
http://www.albionworks.net
The owner, John Wirth, is my cousin. And I don't get a discount.
But I do get good service, always. I've been a customer for over 20 years, way before he had the Casper, WY or Graham, NC stores. For a little while he had a store and shipping warehouse in NH, also.
To the order takers I'm just a customer, not the owner's cousin, and I always phone my orders, even if I am looking right at the web page when I call.
I'm in NY, but they have shipped me from all three warehouses . . . Albuquerque, Casper, and Graham, depending on what it is I have ordered. Sometimes on a large order with multiple line items, I'll get some from one warehouse, some from another, in separate shipments.
I always ask the order taker, which warehouse or warehouses have the items, and which will be shipping. And when. They have always come through for me.
And I'll second what someone else said about their people, and it's this: they know their stuff, and often can offer great advice.
BTW, the same can be said for two other places I buy from, where I love to do business because of their people and products . . . Lee Valley and Highland Hardware.
Sorry about your Woodworker's experience. Give them another try sometime.
And regarding your flipper door hardware, I don't know what John is selling, but if you didn't get Accuride, you didn't get the best.
I guess the part that bothers me is that tghere was n o indication on the website that I had to order from a specific location. And I would assume that the order fulfillment process would be transparent to the customer. I didn't have a copy of the catalog, but I remembered their name and that they had a wide variety of products, so I googled and logged in. I can't use the phone and the pc at the same time, and I like to see pictures of what is available so I can make comparisons. That's why I didn't do a phone order.
I too have used Lee Valley and I think they are a super source. Never uswed Highland Hardware. Gene, i appreciate ytour comments, but I think they have burned their bridge with me ... there's too many other suitable sources.
I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.
" think they have burned their bridge with me " It always amazes me when someone puts a company on their poop list for a reason such as this. Obviously, this particular incident was a PITA, but there was no deliberate malfeasance or abuse involved, and the company obviously enjoys a good reputation in general. Don't they get a second chance?! I would use the experience you have to provide some feedback to them, but not as an excuse to cross them off your list completely. Just MHO.
How many times in the next 5 or 10 years are you going to pipe up with this story when someone asks about the company? forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
jaime,I'm with you (again) on this one.This outfit has labored long and hard to build their business. As I said earlier, the people I have dealt with have been uncommonly knowlegeable and helpful, an experience seemingly shared by many others. It would be a shame if one person had one bad experience, and then spent the next 5-10 years bad mouthing the company based on that one time event -- particularly when he has been told by so many others that the experience he had was an anomoly.
How many times in the next 5 or 10 years are you going to pipe up with this story when someone asks about the company?
As often as he wants. Ain't freedom sweet?
FG,
I would not worry too much about WW Supply, they have probably made a conscious decision not to fix this issue at this time. I'll bet they get very few orders from one section of the country to be delivered in another section of country. It is, or can be a very expenisve issue to fix....not the least of which is a hidden universal order number that links the order numbers for the two different divisions...and then synching up inventories to avoid a double count and integrating with the manufacturers automatic replenishment systems.....
I just received a new catalog from WW Supply, in hardback book form. Very nice, and sent to their best customers, it said. I don't buy enough from them to be a best customer, so I'm guessing they sent it to everyone that placed a couple of orders with them. Anyone else get this? I think it's a nice promo.
Yeah, I just got one of those today. I couldn't beleive it, a hardcover catalog! I can't wait to sit down and spend another grand with them.
Actually, my experience with these people has been excellent. I got my Unisaw from them in August with their (or Delta's) free shipping deal. Everything arrived in excellent shape and went together easily(as these things go). I was real sorry to hear about that fella Garry's deal with his Unisaw. That's a pretty serious purchase to have problems with. It sounded like things worked out with him and the companies involved. From the threads I saw, it seems everybody showed up and tried to work things out. I wouldn't think twice about ordering from WWS again(after just a few more payments, lol).
Damn, a hardback cover!
I order from them at least a dozen times a year, not all that small of orders either. The last one was close to a grand.
I better have a new book here by end of next week, or.....or......., hell I dont know........
WTF
Doug
I'll mirror what everyone else said. Woodworkers Supply has always done a great job on every order I've placed with them. Don't let one bad experience keep you from using them. All companies are capable of mistakes, they're run by people like us.
I've ordered a bandsaw, numerous hand power tools, sawblades, etc and have not had any big problems from them. The bandsaw took several weeks to ship, but the price was great and the driver wheeled it into my garage for me. However, I appreciate the rant... no company or anyone else for that matter should ever rest on their laurels(aka "only the paranoid will survive"). Have a good day and I hope that my rant didn't "unhinge" you!!!
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