Not a happy customer!!

[theveganbrewer]

Soooo.... That means customers are entitled to free money and products they don't deserve? I can't stand this mentality of people that think companies are making so much money they can just give stuff away because it shouldn't matter, they make a lot of money. You don't know what their operating costs are and neither do I so we can't say definitively what kind of profits they make. And honestly it doesn't matter. They're not in business to give stuff away and break even on their products as a favor.

I'm not saying customers are entitled to free money they don't deserve, though I prefer saying qualify for. NB states they don't match prices and their prices and offers are subject to change.

What I and a few others are talking about is that policy, and whether or not it is a good idea for a retailer to offer price matching and if they account for the true costs of not matching prices fro a certain period of time. Even though OP didn't qualify for the event, might they have been better served to offer him a GC, or perhaps a $10 dollar card for a future order over $50 as a I'm sorry you don't agree with us but we still want to be your friend type thing?

Certainly some of the most successful retailers in the world use this policy, so it can work.

 

[acidrain]

what if I order another one today and return the one I bought last week

Exactly what my wife would have done.
I wouldn't, but she would... just to prove a point.

 

[mattd2]

Exactly what my wife would have done.
I wouldn't, but she would... just to prove a point.

But would she spend $30 to ship it back to the vendor to get a $20 gift card?

 

[daksin]

The thing is when I asked people I know and respect today about this situation the common theme is: "you've spent hundreds of dollars with this company in the past year, and are planning on spending much much more in the coming years, why not give you the card and keep you comin back." It is a drop in the bucket for them. And I was advertising their business to all of my family trough a wishlist created. I could have chosen AHS or some other vendor but I chose NB. My buying clearly was not important enough for them. So I vented, and have decided to move on to other companies.

I understand your point, and I think EVERYONE agrees that it would have been nice of them to give you that gift card even though your purchase didn't meet the terms of their promotion, but I don't think you're hearing the other side of the argument:

You didn't expect to get this discount, and understand why they didn't give it to you, but you're still going to withhold business from them because they didn't do something for you that would have been above and beyond. That's what "the internet" doesn't understand.

 

[kh54s10]

So does all this make anyone wonder why everything seems to cost so much?

You run a sale that states the limits. Then you are supposed to honor the savings for people who missed by a week, 10 days, 2 weeks ?? before or after the sale. Now say you sold 50 units before the sale and 50 after the sale and all those asked for the credit. At $20 each that has now cost the company $2000. Now multiply that by all the companies that run sales. And who makes up that $2000 -- YOU DO!

 

[kman917]

Look on the bright side, You're getting a really great burner! I got mine a year ago and love it!!!!

 

[acidrain]

But would she spend $30 to ship it back to the vendor to get a $20 gift card?

Probably would fly there and stick it his ass in person.
I love her so much.

 

[J-Pizzel]

I look at it this way- I'm a paramedic and every now and then get discounts at certain restaurants for food (ie Chipotle etc). I get this discount about a third of the time or so because the cashier forgets, doesn't know, etc. When this happens I never remind them, bring it up, or demand it. I have pride in who I am. If they want to give me a discount (give me something for a better deal), sure Ill take it and Ill be damned appreciative. But, I don't always get the extra icing on the cake when I go the bakery but the cake is still worth it, hence my intentions to buy it in the first place. In the end it comes down to class. Class is something you can learn, its not something you can teach.

 

[Airplanedoc]

I've done a good bit of business with NB, The one time they screwed up my order, they happily corrected the problem, No questions asked and shipped my replacement yeast overnight so my brew day would not be messed up. Their Customer service is top notch in my book. I also made a purchase with them a day before the no more free shipping/price adjustment went into effect. Had I ordered a day later I would have saved about $5 on my order. It never crossed my mind to ask for my bill to be adjusted because they changed prices. Just as they would not ask me to send them extra funds had my bill been a few $ more under the new pricing scheme.

My opinion... If you are willing to go elsewhere over this issue, I wouldn't want you as a customer anyway.

 

[mattd2]

I look at it this way- I'm a paramedic and every now and then get discounts at certain restaurants for food (ie Chipotle etc). I get this discount about a third of the time or so because the cashier forgets, doesn't know, etc. When this happens I never remind them, bring it up, or demand it. I have pride in who I am. If they want to give me a discount (give me something for a better deal), sure Ill take it and Ill be damned appreciative. But, I don't always get the extra icing on the cake when I go the bakery but the cake is still worth it, hence my intentions to buy it in the first place. In the end it comes down to class. Class is something you can learn, its not something you can teach.

Hahaha, reminds me of when I used to work at KFC. It wasn't company policy but it was acceptable to give staff discount to emergency services (depended on who was working the till though). One night a cop came through the drive through, when he went to pay he started demanding that he get staff discount. The shift manager was on the till at the time and the conversation when something like:
Cop: Why arn't I getting staff discount
Manager: It's not company policy
Cop: BS, I always get it
Manager: Well next time I get a speeding ticket can I get some discount from you on my fine?
Cop: ...
Manager: yeah thats what I thought...

Basically I would give emergency services staff discount most of the time unless the demanded it. Funny thing was most of the time paramedics & fire fighters never asked and it was mostly cops that expected it.

 

[bobbrewedit]

Hahaha, reminds me of when I used to work at KFC. It wasn't company policy but it was acceptable to give staff discount to emergency services (depended on who was working the till though). One night a cop came through the drive through, when he went to pay he started demanding that he get staff discount. The shift manager was on the till at the time and the conversation when something like:
Cop: Why arn't I getting staff discount
Manager: It's not company policy
Cop: BS, I always get it
Manager: Well next time I get a speeding ticket can I get some discount from you on my fine?
Cop: ...
Manager: yeah thats what I thought...

Basically I would give emergency services staff discount most of the time unless the demanded it. Funny thing was most of the time paramedics & fire fighters never asked and it was mostly cops that expected it.

Ugh...now its turned to how evil cops are...its against the policy of a lot of departments to accept gratuities and this is why...not sure what this has to do with NB though. To all of the business owners who agree, they should have kicked him the gift card, I'll send my business your way...to those that think his business is not worth the effort, I wouldn't give you a dime.

I'm not one to hunt for deals, and there is no way I would have even asked for the gift card...BUT, I spend all day trying to go the extra mile at work, and I'm not even in the commercial business...I'll be dipped if ill give my money to a business that thinks its not worth it to do the same.

 

[mattd2]

Ugh...now its turned to how evil cops are...its against the policy of a lot of departments to accept gratuities and this is why...not sure what this has to do with NB though. To all of the business owners who agree, they should have kicked him the gift card, I'll send my business your way...to those that think his business is not worth the effort, I wouldn't give you a dime.

I'm not one to hunt for deals, and there is no way I would have even asked for the gift card...BUT, I spend all day trying to go the extra mile at work, and I'm not even in the commercial business...I'll be dipped if ill give my money to a business that thinks its not worth it to do the same.

What? I never said cops are evil or anything of the sort. My point was that a customer should not expect to get a discount, etc. that is not explisively (sp?) on the table at that point in time.
Look at it this way (not in regards to the above and this has been said already) - would you expect a customer that is trying to find the best deal by $20 to give even a second thought about switching which business they deal with the next time if another one gives them some other discount?
I see there are 2 main types of customers:
those that stick with a company because they know that they can expect a good service, even though that company might not be having a sale when they purchase, and
those that flip between companies getting the best deal possible, even though they might risk a bad experience with a new company

Both are legitimate ways to shop and both have pros and cons and whichever a person chooses is up to them. Just don't go ranting when asking for a discount doesn't end up with you getting a discount. Make your decision and move on.

 

[dfc]

I would have to pay for the shipping back to NB so not worth it. Bottom line, I get items price adjusted all the time when something goes on sale. In fact I just had a bookshelf price adjusted at Target. It is really about the fact that I would have spent way more at NB with the 20$ gift card and the excellent customer service would have continued my business with them. As it stands now it will be taking my business elsewhere. Over the long run NB will lose much more $$ from me than the meager $20 gift card for a purchase which I had known was going to offered on special I would have waited a week for to order. It's all about keeping the customer happy and keeping their business isn't it?

Sometimes stores don't want customers like you. I'm sure they were trying to just get you out the door at Target and that's why you got the price match.

You missed the sale. That's not their fault.

 

[mikeysab]

I recently placed an order with NB when they had their buy one get one free bucket sale. I needed some other stuff too so i made a 105 dollar order. Not a huge order, just some things i needed to replenish. They forgot the bottle of star san. I emailed them about it, told them no rush, no big deal. When the star san came, they threw in a pint glass for the mistake. I didnt ask for it and certainly didn't expect it. Not using them anymore is gonna hurt you more than its gonna hurt them.

 

[cpesko]

Just buy another. Can't go wrong with two burners!

 

[wubears71]

NB is great. I take no issue with its position. Its rare that any business retroactively applies promotions to Previous Purchases.

 

[pellis007]

I think we're at this point

 

[GrogNerd]

I think we're at this point

past that point 131 posts ago

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I like turtles.

 

[Markd27]

To all of the business owners who agree, they should have kicked him the gift card, I'll send my business your way...to those that think his business is not worth the effort, I wouldn't give you a dime.

...I'll be dipped if ill give my money to a business that thinks its not worth it to do the same.

All those businesses you now want to support, never even offered this promotion in the first place. Think about it.

 

[JordanThomas]

The thing is when I asked people I know and respect today about this situation the common theme is: "you've spent hundreds of dollars with this company in the past year, and are planning on spending much much more in the coming years, why not give you the card and keep you comin back." It is a drop in the bucket for them. And I was advertising their business to all of my family trough a wishlist created. I could have chosen AHS or some other vendor but I chose NB. My buying clearly was not important enough for them. So I vented, and have decided to move on to other companies.
Blichman products never go on sale or at least from what I have seen they don't. That is why I decided not to wait to buy. Sure enough, one week later NB offers them with a gift card. I would have used the gift card to buy much more stuff with them. Seems like a small price to keep my business. This is just me though, clearly others disagree. Clearly, others are huge fans of NB and don't want someone complaining about a frivolous $20 gift card. I must go back and rethink my whole life, all the decisions I ever made cause I am such a horrible person to think a company would want to keep a customer coming back to buy more. My buying power was not considered enough of a loss for them so they said no. And yeah I'm pissed. So be it!! I'll move on to other companies.
This whole thing has taken on a life of its own, jeesh!

I wanted to point out that by making a wish list and passing it on to friends and relatives, you aren't really advertising NB to your friends and family. That is because you are still the target market of the wish list. Yes, if your family purchases an item, the economic value is coming from them, but it's still related to things you want. That won't keep your family coming back to buy brewing equipment, unless of course they brew and haven't ever heard or used Northern Brewer.

Look, you are probably a great person. I have no way of knowing any differently. Frankly, the way you are discussing this situation reminds me of a lot of people I know (my mom, girlfriend, my best friend's dad, etc). These people tend to try to get things free and cheap whenever they are available, sometimes out of the time they are offered. It's all fine and good, but it tends to annoy me when they do this if I am with them. Why? Because I can sense the hostility from the customer service person and it wastes my time.

I have a really hard time letting things go, as well. As an example, I parked at a meter at 5:15PM one day in the city I live in where meters are only enforced until 5:00, and had been that way since 1997. Well, apparently 2 months ago they changed the enforcement to 6:00PM. I didn't get anything about it in the mail, no warning, just a $20 ticket. Was it my fault? Some would say it was, because there was a sticker on the meter saying it changed (a sticker about 1/2" x 3" explaining 6:00PM enforcement), and some would say it wasn't, as I was operating under the assumption that a 15-year old policy wouldn't change randomly. Anyhow, I called, asked if I could have my ticket voided, and was told that it was in the newspaper (I don't get the newspaper) and they put warnings on cars for 3 weeks after the active date. Moral of the story, I paid the ticket and let it go. But not after venting to everyone in my office.

This reminds me of the guy who posted yesterday about the tap list having craft beers that were local under the "import" section. Yes, the list is completely wrong, but he walked out of the bar because of it. I get his point, but was it worth walking out for? Probably not.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, again. I don't mean to pile on, and understand your point of view, but I think you need to just let it go and move on. It's probably not worth it to never use NB again and to smear their name to people you know and on the internet.

Enjoy your burner!

 

[TyTanium]

Rationality abounds.

If anyone doubts the validity of behavioral economics, this thread is your answer.

 

[Homercidal]

I'd like to point out that those people who are "bashing" the OP aren't doing it because he got upset when NB didn't meet his "no expectations", but because he got upset enough about it that he went on the worlds largest homebrewing forum to rant about it and try to get others to stop buying from NB. For a $20 gift card that he wasn't entitled to.

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but that's bogus IMO. I've ordered from a few different online homebrew stores including NB and have always gotten great service from them all. If Austin had done the same thing trust me we all would have jumped on the OP just the same. Why? Because we all have gotten great service from him too.

I think that is the main point of this thread. One customer with entitlement issues wants to disparage a seller because he did not get a gift card that he didn't qualify for, even after claiming that he didn't expect them to, comes here to try and lose them business.

But as you can see, almost everybody here has gotten great service from NB and most other major online sellers.

2 years ago I bought a CD at a concert for a band I really liked. Cost me $10. On the ride home I notice on the package that is says not only can you make copies and give to your friends, but you can download the album for FREE off the internet. Did I get mad for having to pay for a disc at the concert? No. I totally enjoyed the band and $10 seemed like a great deal to me when I bought it. I didn't call up the band and ask for a refund and I didn't go on their facebok page and complain like a

Ok, no namecalling, but really, you all can figure out how I feel about trying to damage their good name in a public forum as a form of vengeance.

 

[kh54s10]

I think that is the main point of this thread. One customer with entitlement issues wants to disparage a seller because he did not get a gift card that he didn't qualify for, even after claiming that he didn't expect them to, comes here to try and lose them business.

This is the gist of the whole argument.

NB does not have a policy to offer incentives beyond the stated period. The incentive ad did state that it was a limited time offer! The OP asked and was denied. That should have been the end of the story!

 

[shutupjojo]

I'd like to point out that those people who are "bashing" the OP aren't doing it because he got upset when NB didn't meet his "no expectations", but because he got upset enough about it that he went on the worlds largest homebrewing forum to rant about it and try to get others to stop buying from NB. For a $20 gift card that he wasn't entitled to.

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but that's bogus IMO. I've ordered from a few different online homebrew stores including NB and have always gotten great service from them all. If Austin had done the same thing trust me we all would have jumped on the OP just the same. Why? Because we all have gotten great service from him too.

I think that is the main point of this thread. One customer with entitlement issues wants to disparage a seller because he did not get a gift card that he didn't qualify for, even after claiming that he didn't expect them to, comes here to try and lose them business.

But as you can see, almost everybody here has gotten great service from NB and most other major online sellers.

2 years ago I bought a CD at a concert for a band I really liked. Cost me $10. On the ride home I notice on the package that is says not only can you make copies and give to your friends, but you can download the album for FREE off the internet. Did I get mad for having to pay for a disc at the concert? No. I totally enjoyed the band and $10 seemed like a great deal to me when I bought it. I didn't call up the band and ask for a refund and I didn't go on their facebok page and complain like a

Ok, no namecalling, but really, you all can figure out how I feel about trying to damage their good name in a public forum as a form of vengeance.

Couldn't have said it any better.

 

[Gunpowder]

I understand that you're upset, and I probably would be too... But let's save the boycotting for when it's warranted (like what Autozone did to that poor guy... they lost my business!)

 

[Billy-Klubb]

well brosnuff, I'm not losing any sleep over your $20 issue. I've always had great service from NB and I'll keep ordering and shopping there. trick or treat.

 

[Toga]

Wow this thread got big in a hurry.

The fact the OP posted this because he was not given a promotional item available for a ONE day promo on a item purchased prior to the promotional period is ridiculous. Nothing like attempting to make a company look bad when they did nothing wrong. If the company was in indeed in the wrong such as sent you a defective item and would not make good on it or just took your money and ran warrants informing the public. However the ops case does not fall into the justifiable category. Individuals who post complaints in public places such as web forums or review sites that are not warranted should be hung, drawn, and quartered

The op's post warrants some name calling :rockin:

 

[KarstMonkey]

I understand that you're upset, and I probably would be too... But let's save the boycotting for when it's warranted (like what Autozone did to that poor guy... they lost my business!)

Agree with you that this isn't worth a boycott! I also walk away from this thread with thoughts of having two of these burners... And another beer!

 

[mattd2]

...Anyhow, I called, asked if I could have my ticket voided, and was told that it was in the newspaper (I don't get the newspaper) and they put warnings on cars for 3 weeks after the active date. Moral of the story, I paid the ticket and let it go. But not after venting to everyone in my office...

The difference between your case and the OP is by you ranting to your office you probably made the 6pm time aware to more people and saved them the same head ache. OP rant did nothing for anyone else.