Customer Servivce?

As a business owner in RL (and of course in SL), I've learned over the years that it is ALWAYS better to err on the side of the customer. Givng this person the item they are asking for costs you only the one item, but not giving it to them could cost you hundreds of future sales. Sure there are going to be people every now and then who take advantage of you for doing the right thing, but in the long run, these are a very small minority. The benefits of making sure every customer is 100% satisfied far outweigh the minor damage caused by the occasional rip-off artist.

Word of mouth is the best advertising there is, and it cuts in both directions. A happy customer will tell a few people about you; an unhappy customer will tell EVERYONE about you. Why take the chance of making a customer upset? The cost of making this customer happy are very small and the potential benefits are large, whereas the cost of not making him/her happy could be gigantic. I repeat, why take the chance?

To give you a real world example, one of my sales reps a couple of years ago had customer who lost a fishing knife which he had purchased just a few weeks earlier. Apparently, the guy dropped it off the side of his boat and it sank to the bottom of Lake Erie. Now, our guarantee covers every product we sell forever against damage, wear and tear, abuse, performance issues, etc. In short, we do everything possible to make sure that when a customer purchases our product they will enjoy it for the rest of their lives. The only thing the guarantee does not and cannot cover of course is loss. Technically, in order to have the guarantee, the customer has to have the product. So, when the customer called the sales rep to replace the product he fully expected he would have to pay for it. The rep however, knowing that exceeding customer expectations is always the best policy, went ahead and gave the guy a new one for free. Needless to say the customer was thrilled. He was so happy in fact, that exactly one week later he purchased $1400 worth of additional products.

The original item cost $59. When the rep replaced it free, we obviously took that as a loss in the immediate short term. Needless to say, however, the happiness given to that customer was worth far more than that, and it paid off for us big time in return.

The opposite also holds true. Just the other night, my girlfriend and I were driving back from our Thanksgiving visit with the family. We had been on the road for 6 hours and we stopped to find a bathroom. We made our way into a restaurant and expected that we could just walk in and use the facilities. We wewre immediatle stopped by a hostess who said, "That's for customers only!"

I replied, "Well, I might become a customer if you become nice enough to help us out. She really has to go."

The hostess snapped back, "Might or will?"

Trying hard not to lose my temper I said, "Well, if you want us to EVER become customers here, you might start by being nice enough to help us out here. It's just the bathroom."

At that point, she motioned over to some guy, who I assume was the owner, and said in a fairly negative tone, "They wanna use the bathroom."

His response was, "Those bathrooms cost me money. Buy anything and you can use it. It's no big deal; it's just a $2 slice of pizza."

The slice of pizza may not have been a big deal, but the principle certainly was. Needless to say we did not buy this man's pizza. We left angry and used the bathroom at the gas station across the street. Had they been nice, we very well may have stayed to eat after stopping to use the bathroom. But, since they were so rude, we will NEVER eat there, we are telling all our friends and coworkers never to eat there, and I'm writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper to find out if he's iterested in doing a story on the least friendly business in town. (See what I mean about how unhappy customers tell everyone about it?)

While I'm on the subject, If anyone here is ever in the Southern Tier, NY area, do not eat at Aiello's Ristorante in Whitney Point.

Anyway, Sensual, my suggestion is that you take care of that customer. The potential benefits far outweigh the small cost.

I made no comparison between the two. I said that I have had items disappear from my inventory, stop working, etc... I still don't understand why you won't replace it, if in fact you haven't. If it does feel like he is totally scamming you, then ok, we all have to trust our judgement - but if someone comes to me and explains a situation and tells me the item had disappeared, I would replace it. I have had items disappear that I had no clue until I saw one again who actually made it. The principle of the matter in the end is the negative effect of arguing over not replaceing it outweighs any risks to actually just giving them another copy, even if it was purchased months ago.

Yup you are right and I usually do, as I said this particular case is a little off the wall... like I said no record of him purchasing anything from me EVER, he has not came to Le Cadre (only place I sell this item) in at least the past month... I try very hard to take care of my customers, and I have relaced several items before and gone out of my way to even customize my orignal items to thier likings... this case here just gives me bad vibes, and either way I see it I am screwed... not financially, cus as many have said it costs nothing to replace an item... but screwed in other ways if you know what I mean... being taken advantage of.

This is kinda along the path of what Sensual is asking. What do you do with a customer that purchased an item from you that is no transfer and then they decide they want to switch accounts, like to an alt, and they want you to give a new version of the item to the alt? What do you do in that situation? Is it really the designer or builder's responsibility to give the alt the item? I'm just curious to know what other people that sell items in SL think.



**Edited...I should really learn to type slower...***

Sensual, as Chosen pointed out you have several possible scenarios:

1. The person really did pay for the merchandise and lost it - in which case if you replace it they will continue to be a customer and might buy other things from you. So you win by replacing it.

2. The person really did pay for the merchandise and lost it - in which case if you replace it they will be so happy that you replaced it that they will tell all their friends to buy from you. So you win by replacing it.

3. The person actually bought the item from someone else but thought they bought it from you. By replacing it you make them happy because they are not dishonest, just not too organized. They will probably buy something from you again and may tell all their friends to buy from you. So you win by replacing it.

4. The person is completely dishonest and is trying to scam you out of free merchandise. By replacing it you show good will and decency despite their dishonesty. So you win by replacing it because if they are such an asshat - at least they can't run around SL telling all their friends about how you ripped them off.

People who steal are the real losers - don't ever feel like your a fool because someone pulled one over on you when you had the best intentions and honor. It's their shame not yours.

Very good points and very helpful, ty all for your responses.

In the case of an alt I'd say tough on the customer. If they want to switch accounts, there are a number of downsides to consider, and one of those is the transfer of items. They'll just have to buy again. No transfer means you bought it under that license. There is no get out clause for 'well, its still me really'.

If I wanted to kill Kris Ritter off and reinvent myself you can bet your ass the Lindens aren't gonna waive the $100 island transfer fee from me to me even if it's the same damned credit card!

and so it swings my way...

Since you have been so specific as to leave no doubt, I will not bother with the veil - its full of holes anyway.

But the player did get a replacement or her money back. They ALL do.

I suspect that you have no idea the number of this exact request I receive - it is no trivial number. You also probably do not realize that I am constantly in IMs with players and ALWAYS fix them, give upgrades or refunds for purchase mistakes - IF they have the objects to trade in.

Another fact that you miss is that merchants really have no way at all to protect themselves from anyone saying at any time, "its gone", "I did not get it". The only way to combat fraud is to be thorough. Was I rude? Do I ever turn anyone away and say "too bad"? No, I may have been slow with 8 other IMs going and It takes me a moment to search through purchase history and verify that they bought what they said they did.

Furthermore, if it turns out that they did buy something and swear that it is not in inventory it must be bug reported. This process takes time and is best done while I can ask the user questions.

Oh bother! so sorry you had to take some of your precious time and actually communicate with me to get what you want.

The most of your "machinations" was me asking to search inventory, when you purchased it, if the server was under heavy load when you did, digging down and finding the purchase and then giving you what you needed.

I was also logging the exact time, location, vending machine key and then wrapping all this up in a bug report so Linden can track a lost inventory transfer.

The truth of it is that your inventory is not my responsibility - or is your anger - but I take my time to get to the bottom of it because I have made a choice to provide good service.

I am running a business and treating everyone the same regardless of who they are, when and where they ask me for whatever they ask me for. And there are many... many people out there who know that I treat you all with respect and make every effort to give you what you need. Can I get a show of hands?

Alas, there will always be people who find that they are upset about things, regardless of the outcome or what you actually did for them. To them it is always the merchants fault. Can't do a whole lot for those folks past just treating them right and giving them what they need and are entitled to.

*raises hand* I remember when I was a noob... and as one of my most embarrasing moments in SL, I purchased a vagina... I had IMed Green because mine wasn't responding and I didn't know how to work it or what I was doing wrong... he responded and asked some questions, then he tped me to his location... well come to find out I wasn't even wearing it... it was no longer in my inventory... but it was only moments after the purchase of my vagina.. Green Fate was very kind, he gave me a new one..and even showed me how to attach it properly and work it... a couple days later I got an email saying... Your vagina has been returned to you bla bla from Phantasie Isle Beach Club... Yup! You guessed it for 2 days my pussy was on the ground at Phantasie Isle lol... I then explained to Green what had happen and we laughed it off

Simply put, I have 4 Resources to track sales if their name doesnt come up on either one I cannot verify they ever purchased.

However, if I note they have purchased the Item I will give them the Item they purchased and if it was an Immediate action and they are still at the vendor I will come to the vendor and fix it as well as giving them thier purchased Item.

This happend Last evening when I found out a Script had went screwy also found out that a vendor that was made on a late night binge had the wrong pricing information. Which allowed me to go back through my history to the date the vendor was placed and refund anyone that had overpaid. Unfortunately no one else had purchased from that vendor due to the price was so high.

I also rewarded the individual for helping locate an error in my system. (Rewarded does not mean I give out cash. There are other methods of reward so scammers don't get any wise ideas)

Merchants aren't stupid and neither are scammers. I have noted lately a rash of 1$ purchases going on where someone walks in a store and tries to pay several vendors 1$ to see if it will give them anything. Believe me I take note of these names and put them on a list and keep that information ready. No I wont list the names here as that is not my responsibility. In some cases its a broke newbie trying to see what they can get. But you will know a scammer.

There are several tools at a Merchants disposal to eleviate this situations you just need to ask what they are and how to use them properly.

Shadow

I tend to be on the giving side more often then not. Like you, sensual, i recieve hundreds of transactions over a course of a week and it gets a bit hard due to a poor sales tracking API.

What i've done to rectify a tad, is simply make players "pay into" the objects for sale, and have a script record the name, time, and money spent, then simply have it email me the transaction.... at least this way i can keep an outside database of records in case a question were to arise.

This however, can still be very cumbersome for the store clerk/manager whatever you want to call yourself... because if you have well over a few hundred transactions per week, it get's awfuly tedious sifting through transactions months ago -- especially if you don't know it down to the month/week/day of sale.

As a quick sidenote, i'm currently working on a windows application called ADEPS (Automated Data Entry Polling System). Bascially, it'll retrieve emails from objects, parse the information, and throw it all neatly into a database allowing you to puruse through it in a quick and fashionable manner by Customer, Product, Location, etc.

Makes me wonder if any other SLers would be interested in something like this other then me.

--Water

If you go into the website and under my account, transaction history it goes pretty far back, my vendors also email and instant message me each sale, the tracking of sales are very well kept on my side, not the best but decent.

My vending machines email the transactions formatted as simple XML, and it is then processed by a web application. I made it for internal use by my girlfriend and I, but yeah there is definitely interest in the concept- managing a lot of transactions gets very cumbersome. I also believe that Adam Zaius' vending machine system does something similar.

Sensual is not known for her customer service skills I'm still waiting on fixed versions of dances I bought a month ago. Needless to say she has lost any of my future business

Its just a game so why not make a friend rather than creating hard feelings? Give the item and make it no copy, no transfer so you are not supplying more than one person.

fixed version for dances? I didnt know any of my dances were broken... how can they break?

Ding ding ding ding ding!

This is why:

- All cars I sell are copy/no transfer, instead of transfer/no copy
- I keep a record of every car sold in a local Excel spreadsheet

So if someone loses a car they bought from me (and since they're copyable, this is rare), I can replace it for them without a second thought.

a car is different... but an animated hot tub? lol

In their profile, do they list as being at least as old as when they claim to have gotten the item?

Don't knock on Cereal's cars. They are top quality and then some, not simple boxes with a script.

I generally give the benefit of the doubt, and replacements. I'd rather have all my customers happy than worry that some petty twerp willing to commit fraud for the grand total of the equvalent of as much as (gasp) four or five bucks USD!!!! might get a freebie. But realistically, that fraud-committing poophead ain't gonna be buying my stuff anyhow, so I'm not out a sale if I give the freebie anyway.

As far as the question of whether I'd give a copy of a no-trans item to a customer's alt . . . that's situational. The first thing that came to mind was what if someone were switching accounts entirely -- to get a better name or whatever -- and they had one of my pet Snow Bugs. I'd make sure that person could take their pet with them to their new account, because it's one-of-a-kind and people get attached to pets. Other than a case like that, I'd likely tell em to go buy a new whatever it was.

I was NOT Insulting his cars, a car is much easier to lose is what I was saying. Geesh...

Ferran and I tend to err on the side of customer service also. I will do what I can to verify the sale, etc. first. But I had the experience of having a favorite outfit disappear out of my inventory in the first few months I was in SL, so I have some empathy with those kinds of problems.

Good customer service pays more in the long run then losing a few items to rip off artists costs.

Surreal

I completely agree with erring on the side of the customer.

This points out how desperately we need better persistant logging of transactions. I love that LL added downloadable daily excel files to the account history page on the website, but since it doesn't show item names it's fairly useless. If they could get that to show item names, and make them downloadable in weekly or montly increments that would be wonderful and would make these kinds of situations less cause for nail biting.

Actually I think what Sensual was trying to say is that people don't typically drive hot tubs across sim borders at 100+ MPH.

Although now that the idea has spawned, surely someone will try it. Huns?