Yes, it *IS* a can of worms... advice? Suggestions?
01-17-2011, 01:47 PM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Largo FL
Posts: 917
Originally Posted by Vicki W
I would suggest, just emailing the customer and advising them that only part of their order is available (if your website does not tell them) and seeing if they want to have it shipped as two shipments (and occuring two shipping charges) or if they wanted to wait for fabric A and hope that is it available when fabric B comes in.
Sometimes people are buying things to go together and wouldn't want them unless they had them together. I think as long and you communicate honestly with your customers they will understand.
Sometimes people are buying things to go together and wouldn't want them unless they had them together. I think as long and you communicate honestly with your customers they will understand.
01-17-2011, 01:50 PM
#32
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 15,639
Granted, my recent order was in the US, but I got an email that said (paraphrasing) - Your order for fabric B is back-ordered and will not be available until {date}. We generally send orders complete to save our customers on shipping charges. If you want to send fabric A on its own, please let us knwow and we can accommodate you.
I sent them an email back that I was OK to wait.
At my work, we do not charge for back-orders either but I think the charges in the first order might cover the extras later (not sure how that works).
Oh - as for the charge. Since you have a commitment from the customer to buy fabric A which is in stock - I would cut and hold that fabric - then charge for both when they are shipped.
As a customer, I would want to know what is going on. Unless your emails land in the customer's trash, an all bold subject line should get their attention. Something with BACK ORDER in the title.
I sent them an email back that I was OK to wait.
At my work, we do not charge for back-orders either but I think the charges in the first order might cover the extras later (not sure how that works).
Oh - as for the charge. Since you have a commitment from the customer to buy fabric A which is in stock - I would cut and hold that fabric - then charge for both when they are shipped.
As a customer, I would want to know what is going on. Unless your emails land in the customer's trash, an all bold subject line should get their attention. Something with BACK ORDER in the title.
01-17-2011, 04:44 PM
#33
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,688
RE Hancock's of Paducah...
Given their location, I'm betting they prefer bourbon over wine. ;-)
Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
Yes, they certainly are bigger, and I'm not envying them because their headaches are probably bigger than mine too. (Does that entitle them to a BIGGER bottle of wine?) :shock:
01-17-2011, 05:08 PM
#34
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,326
I hate backorders! Not knowing when or if something is coming chaps my knickers! I would much rather receive an email telling me what was out of stock, and asking if I still wanted the remaining order shipped. Period. If they don't answer, just mail what you have with a note saying "sorry, out of stock, we tried to contact you."
01-18-2011, 03:31 AM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 753
I purchase from the US and one shop I purchase from gives the option at checkout to 1) "wait and send it all together", 2) "send what's available now, pay additional shipping on backorder", 3) "cancel any part or all of the order". I usually opt for 'wait' and have always paid when it is all available for shipping. They have always emailed me, told me what is on backorder, with an approximate time when it will be in stock and put the order on hold until complete.
Another shop I ordered from did not have the yardage in stock and send what they had left - without letting me know - just as well I over order. Would not have been a very happy camper if I needed 3 yards and they sent me only 2 1/2!!!
I have to agree with the comments that communication is the key.
Another shop I ordered from did not have the yardage in stock and send what they had left - without letting me know - just as well I over order. Would not have been a very happy camper if I needed 3 yards and they sent me only 2 1/2!!!
I have to agree with the comments that communication is the key.
01-18-2011, 04:26 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Spring Lake, NJ
Posts: 2,458
perhaps if you insert an explanation of your shipping problems on your site so that the customer can be aware of it when ordering.
They can then make the decision of what would best suit them
Just a suggestion.......
They can then make the decision of what would best suit them
Just a suggestion.......
01-18-2011, 04:43 AM
#37
Junior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: West Yorkshire ,England
Posts: 239
As someone who frequently orders from the US I would suggest simply sending an email explaining the situation to the customer and ask for confirmation whether the part of the order that is available should be sent or held in case the back order is delayed or becomes unavailable. Advise that extra postage will apply, thereby giving the customer the option of cancelling or opting for a different fabric. If I have planned my fabrics it would be very frustrating to receive part of an order, only to discover that I was not going to receive the co-ordinating items. This happened to me once here in the UK, when one fabric was sent but the other was discontinued. I would have chosen different fabrics had I known in advance.
01-18-2011, 04:45 AM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,289
Originally Posted by ckcowl
ok, answering from a customer side of view...if i ordered 2 different fabrics from anywhere and nothing came and nothing came i would not be a happy customer. if half of my order was shipped without me knowing what was happening...i would be very upset.
i guess what i'm trying to say is...
COMMUNICATION IS MANDITORY FOR GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE! instead of asking us you should be asking the customer how they would like their order handled.
there have been times when i've ordered on line...waited 2-3 weeks contacted the store to hear...oh sorry one of the fabrics are on back order...so we are holding the order... REALLY!??? without telling me? well one of those fabrics i needed 2 weeks ago...the one on back order was not even one that mattered...but they did not bother contacting me, even sending a simple email so i could tell them that i needed the other fabrics. so i cancelled the whole order (over $300 order) and will not even visit the site on line. had they contacted me i could have told them the fabric i needed right away and made arrangements for the remainder of the order-since they chose to just set it aside with no correspondence i have no time for them... i did receive an email order confirmation a couple days after placing the order...so kept expecting it and stressing over it for over 2 weeks...wondering if the pony express was bringing it.
if you want to keep your international customers happy you need to have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! WHICH MEANS COMMUNICATION!
i guess what i'm trying to say is...
COMMUNICATION IS MANDITORY FOR GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE! instead of asking us you should be asking the customer how they would like their order handled.
there have been times when i've ordered on line...waited 2-3 weeks contacted the store to hear...oh sorry one of the fabrics are on back order...so we are holding the order... REALLY!??? without telling me? well one of those fabrics i needed 2 weeks ago...the one on back order was not even one that mattered...but they did not bother contacting me, even sending a simple email so i could tell them that i needed the other fabrics. so i cancelled the whole order (over $300 order) and will not even visit the site on line. had they contacted me i could have told them the fabric i needed right away and made arrangements for the remainder of the order-since they chose to just set it aside with no correspondence i have no time for them... i did receive an email order confirmation a couple days after placing the order...so kept expecting it and stressing over it for over 2 weeks...wondering if the pony express was bringing it.
if you want to keep your international customers happy you need to have GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! WHICH MEANS COMMUNICATION!
01-18-2011, 05:26 AM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Glenmoore, PA
Posts: 7,941
One of the places I order from (and this is not international) has a block on their order form giving you a choice of: a. send what you have b.hold order till all can be shipped at once c. cancel order if all fabrics are not available. This works for me.
01-18-2011, 05:37 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: PA
Posts: 2,879
I remember a version of this question from earlier. Something about sending yardage in cut pieces to fit in the envelope. I would BE SURE to ask the customer WHEN THEY PLACE THEIR ORDER what their preference would be for shipping - as far as accepting pieces or a complete order. Make a decision as to how this situation would be handled if they DO NOT answer that question. Then write that in the shipping policy, and follow that policy.
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