I want to start this post by first saying how much I appreciate each and every order that comes to our store. Without my very valued customers I would not have a business. I appreciate your business and the trust you place in me to fulfill your injector needs.
The number one complaint I receive is NOT about product quality, it is about shipping, specifically delays in shipping. I just want to take a minute to talk about shipping, and be very clear with both my existing customers, as well as my new customers combing my website for the first time about what to expect from me and The Injector Shop team. You can also at any time review the shipping policies for The Injector Shop here.
I just finished up a lengthy conversation with a valued International customer where the customer was demanding to know where their parts were, and they wanted their money back for the UPS International 2 day shipping they paid for on the order. This particular issue was really what spurned me to write this blog post. In this particular case the customer purchased a kit at 4:00 PM on a Thursday afternoon and paid for the 2 day expedited UPS shipping. In their mind the delivery clock was ticking the moment they hit the complete purchase button, so the sale was doomed to fail from the beginning. They had the expectation that the part would be at their door on the following Monday. Well......it didn't, and that's what started the conversation.The biggest problem in this particular case was that the customer did not read the shipping policies that we clearly have on the website.
The first issue was the customer did not allow for any handling time from me. We have a 1 business day handling time that was not taken into account. This customer hit the buy button and I guess just thought that I instantly packaged and handed over the package to UPS. Well it doesn't work that way at all, especially when your purchasing at that late a time in the day.
The second issue that was clear to me after talking this out with the customer was the delivery time frame, and in this case it was a 2 day expedited delivery. This is where I really want to be crystal clear with all my customers, as delivery time frame is not my policy, it is the policy of the carrier. If you buy something from me and pay for expedited delivery this is how it is going to go down. In this purchase we are reviewing the customer paid for 2 day UPS on a Thursday afternoon. The package was given to UPS per policy the next business day, Friday. THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS A DAY!. The day count STARTS when it is received. So 2 days would be to your door on Tuesday. So in this case if the customer needed it on Monday than 1 day shipping should have been purchased. And remember that WEEKENDS DO NOT COUNT AS DAYS IN THE DELIVERY TIME FRAME. That is not my policy, it is the carrier.
Now this sale also had another twist that needs to be discussed for total clarity. There was a holiday in the mix. Monday (today) is Labor Day, and most carriers DO NOT COUNT HOLIDAYS as part of the day count. So now where this customer thought that their package should arrive on Monday, it was actually going to arrive on Wednesday, a full 2 days later than they thought. I can certainly understand their frustration, but it's frustration that should have never surfaced with full understanding of how shipping works. Again, shipping day counts are not part of my policies, nor are they anything that I have any control over.
We were able to talk this through with the customer but the last thing they said to me was "you should really state this in your website". I DO!!! I have all this information and more on my shipping policies page that I gave the link to earlier in this post. I fully expect that if you are purchasing anything from me and having it shipped that you have read the shipping policy. I hide nothing! It is all there for your review. And here is the best part.....if you don't like or approve of my shipping policies than you have the absolute right to leave and buy somewhere else. I want you to buy from me, but you don't have to, that is why I make it CRYSTAL CLEAR what the policy is so you can, as an educated consumer, make up your own mind.
I want to finish this post the same way I started it and that is to thank all my customers for their business and their trust. Shit happens....I know that....which is why I make every attempt to be as clear as possible with not only shipping, but with all we provide. Reach out to me anytime with your questions or feedback!
Cheers,
Scott
