Unreasonable Sense of Entitlement. The scourge of modern society.

[mongoose33]

You need a clickable button on the order page that says "I"m special, move my order to the front of the queue."

Along with those rocket-powered drones.

 

[Bobby_M]

The snowflake button would be tied directly to the "cancel order and ban my account" feature.

 

[LittleRiver]

Bobby, I've only ordered from you once. I sent you an email in advance, listing the parts I found on your website that I thought would do what I needed. Right away I got an email back from you. I placed the order, and you shipped it right away. Everything worked perfectly. It doesn't get any better than that, and my order was just a small one. I wish everyone was as responsive and helpful as you are! Next time I need hardware, I know where to go.

 

[Kharnynb]

As someone who was a customer service representative for several computer companies for several years, I can safely say that the a-hole % is about equal across ages, sexes and races.

About the only thing you can do is sort out the ones are just naturally abrasive and do have an issue they need help with and the ones that can't/won't/don't need to be helped.

As far as threats, cursing and other things go:
99% of not quite warranty or even not warranty at all stuff, can be handled, at the discretion of the csr....guess just how much chance you have of me saying "sure, we can bend the rules a bit for you" if you just behaved that way?

With friendly and (reasonably) honest talk, you'll usually get what you need/deserve and maybe even a bit more, start on the warpath, and you'll get the exact minimum that the law requires.

 

[Schlenkerla]

People treat others how they want be treated. Gotta give it back to them unless it's a legitimate screw up.

Maybe they just want a free argument.

 

[Bobby_M]

Sometimes the interaction with a customer is so strange that I swear I'm being trolled. Here's another installment.

Customer orders $400+ in merch, we ship it out normally. A day later I get a frantically written email full of scorn and hellfire because the customer discovered via the UPS tracking page that the package had "signature required" listed. It ended with the proclamation that they will never order again because of how unreasonable it is to ship something with shipping required.

1. Our shipping policy page is clear about requiring signatures on order values over $150 (or $100 for apartments).
2. Our order confirmation email reminds customers to read our shipping policy and there's a direct link to it.
3. Our shipping confirmation email BEGs you to read the shipping policy page and it also says in that email that signatures may be required.
4. There are a half a dozen ways to get around having to be home to receive the package in addition to leaving your own signed note on the door. In fact, the customer had already selected one of the options listed on the UPS site:

Delivery Changes

• Pick up at UPS Location

• Deliver on Another Day

• Deliver to Another Address

• Leave with a Neighbor

Despite the crazy tirade I read through, I was still as polite as I could be and pleaded that we can't incur that kind of loss due to a stolen package. He still responded with fire and said "it's not a problem, I won't order again so it' a moot point".

I have to believe they were hoping they could claim it didn't show up to get the goods for free. What is your theory?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Sometimes the interaction with a customer is so strange that I swear I'm being trolled. Here's another installment.

Customer orders $400+ in merch, we ship it out normally. A day later I get a frantically written email full of scorn and hellfire because the customer discovered via the UPS tracking page that the package had "signature required" listed. It ended with the proclamation that they will never order again because of how unreasonable it is to ship something with shipping required.

1. Our shipping policy page is clear about requiring signatures on order values over $150 (or $100 for apartments).
2. Our order confirmation email reminds customers to read our shipping policy and there's a direct link to it.
3. Our shipping confirmation email BEGs you to read the shipping policy page and it also says in that email that signatures may be required.
4. There are a half a dozen ways to get around having to be home to receive the package in addition to leaving your own signed note on the door. In fact, the customer had already selected one of the options listed on the UPS site:

Delivery Changes

• Pick up at UPS Location

• Deliver on Another Day

• Deliver to Another Address

• Leave with a Neighbor

Despite the crazy tirade I read through, I was still as polite as I could be and pleaded that we can't incur that kind of loss due to a stolen package. He still responded with fire and said "it's not a problem, I won't order again so it' a moot point".

I have to believe they were hoping they could claim it didn't show up to get the goods for free. What is your theory?

They're aẞholes who don't care if your business flourishes or dies. They are the ones who are being unreasonable. Probably a millennial who thinks the world revolves around their schedule. Everybody has to flex accordingly, if they don't, they suck, and is not worthy of their business.

Fug'em you don't need the aggravation.

 

[day_trippr]

The simplest answer is the customer is an idiot...

 

[Schlenkerla]

You could also try using FedEx. I got them to deliver two 10 gallon kettles to my local Walgreens. I could pick up anytime they're open and what fits into my schedule.

They would probably be annoyed that it's not dropped off at home. That it's SO inconvenient to obtain it from a secure business with long hours of being open to the public.

IMHO - I would generally say, most people in our hobby don't try pulling scam for free equipment.

 

[schematix]

I have to believe they were hoping they could claim it didn't show up to get the goods for free. What is your theory?

I wouldn’t order to begin with, and certainly not again either if shipments were signature required. Especially at these relatively nominal value.

Unfortunate cost of doing business when you ship. One of the few things I like about amazon is that they will eat that risk. That’s why they’re winning.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I'm a happy customer. Wish I had the brew budget to order more frequently.

 

[Pkrd]

The simplest answer is the customer is an idiot...

You're not supposed to say that out loud.

 

[day_trippr]

lol! I'm too old to maintain that kind of filter

Cheers!

 

[bob1852]

• What is your theory?

I'm surprised the type "moot" and not "mute".

Seriously though, I've been burned by UPS signature policy a few times where they've ended up returning the merchandise because I was never home to sign for it. Once, they actually took my UPS signed note, and left another note saying that they wouldn't accept that as signature.

It was a small town with no porch pirates at all. I was irate. With UPS....not the business I ordered from...

 

[Rodent]

I used to manufacture products used by other businesses who manufacture the end product ordered by their customers. I had 2-3 of these business customers who would claim that 2 out of 3 packages never arrived, even though I had delivery receipt from the shipping company that it was delivered to their shop.

I swapped to a policy of every order, no matter how $ insignificant, required signature for delivery. An amazing thing happened immediately upon my next shipment: I suddenly had zero instances where those customers didn't receive their goods as the shipping company said they did. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[kh54s10]

I'm surprised the type "moot" and not "mute".

Seriously though, I've been burned by UPS signature policy a few times where they've ended up returning the merchandise because I was never home to sign for it. Once, they actually took my UPS signed note, and left another note saying that they wouldn't accept that as signature.

It was a small town with no porch pirates at all. I was irate. With UPS....not the business I ordered from...

You are in a small town with no porch pirates until you get pirated.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Like said earlier, my two Stout kettles MLT & HLT running about $1200 with the extra Tri-clovers. All got dropped to Walgreens. It was no problem to pick it up a few days later.

One time I had a package delivered to Redwing Shoes. Same good experience

Either one is a solution for a required signature. All I had to do is show an ID.

That's FedEx though....

 

[day_trippr]

Given the whole Amazon paradigm I'm not sure having to actually get in the family truckster and drive somewhere to pick something up from web retail is going to be satisfactory for most. It sure doesn't float my boat.

As it is there are times I have to walk ~50 yards and across the street to fetch a package some AMZL nitwit left leaning against our mailbox post. It's not the walk, mind you - it's the "we left this leaning against your mailbox post in plain view of every random passerby and way the eff from your actual house" thing...

Cheers!

 

[bob1852]

You are in a small town with no porch pirates until you get pirated.

Meh.

Number of packages stolen in 10 years: 0

Number of packages returned to sender by UPS, thus causing couple week delays in getting my items: 2

Back to Bobby's question: people are stupid, have unreasonable expectations, and don't read.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Meh.

Number of packages stolen in 10 years: 0

Number of packages returned to sender by UPS, thus causing couple week delays in getting my items: 2

Back to Bobby's question: people are stupid, have unreasonable expectations, and don't read.

My exact sentiments....

I can be at home, have somebody at home to sign, ask for a rental office delivery, or select a convenient pick up location.

Pick something that works for you or buy at brick & mortar.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I wouldn’t order to begin with, and certainly not again either if shipments were signature required. Especially at these relatively nominal value.

Unfortunate cost of doing business when you ship. One of the few things I like about amazon is that they will eat that risk. That’s why they’re winning.

Is Amazon selling 55lbs of Weyermanns Barke Munich, wyeast 3068 and brewtan-b?

Looks like they have one of the three.

 

[lump42]

They're aẞholes who don't care if your business flourishes or dies. They are the ones who are being unreasonable. Probably a millennial who thinks the world revolves around their schedule. Everybody has to flex accordingly, if they don't, they suck, and is not worthy of their business.

Fug'em you don't need the aggravation.

Let's be honest with ourselves generational status has no bearing on whether people are entitled. I come across just as many blue-haired ladies that want to name drop their way into getting their way ("I don't care who your husband/son is...") Or soccer moms that have 4 kids and need something now!! ("Your kids schedules don't effect me...")

Not that they're aren't' plenty of entitled millennial, but every generation had it's 'lazy' counterculture monikers; flappers, dirty greasers, lazy hippies, slackers X'ers, entitled millennial, unaware Gen Z's... It's an issue of age group not generation. The elders will always believe the youth are lazy because the elders have made it easier for their own children and scorn them for it. These entitled kids get to ride a bus...Back in my day, we walked to school, up hills both ways, in a blinding blizzard, 120F heatwave, and mud up to their knees. [end useless rant]

Either way I've never known it to help throwing a giant fit at any industry, except the telecoms. If they're not shipping to a place of business how many big orders we're they really going to order? Good riddance.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Let's be honest with ourselves generational status has no bearing on whether people are entitled. I come across just as many blue-haired ladies that want to name drop their way into getting their way ("I don't care who your husband/son is...") Or soccer moms that have 4 kids and need something now!! ("Your kids schedules don't effect me...")

Not that they're aren't' plenty of entitled millennial, but every generation had it's 'lazy' counterculture monikers; flappers, dirty greasers, lazy hippies, slackers X'ers, entitled millennial, unaware Gen Z's... It's an issue of age group not generation. The elders will always believe the youth are lazy because the elders have made it easier for their own children and scorn them for it. These entitled kids get to ride a bus...Back in my day, we walked to school, up hills both ways, in a blinding blizzard, 120F heatwave, and mud up to their knees. [end useless rant]

Either way I've never known it to help throwing a giant fit at any industry, except the telecoms. If they're not shipping to a place of business how many big orders we're they really going to order? Good riddance.

You may be right that it may not be generationally related.

My perspective is that those technically literate (in this situation) don't want any kind of 1:1 social interaction. Then object to such requirement.

My point in case is people like this ^^^^^ who only text verses call. They get pissed about lack of response. They don't escalate communication properly. Like making a call

This ******* probably wouldn't act that way on a phone call. They hide behind a keyboard and act all indignant. Feck them, buy shãt from Amazon. Don't contact a website and expect the same exact terms and conditions as a large multi-million dollar online seller.

Regardless - people who don't read the policy on the website have nobody else to blame but themselves.

 

[madscientist451]

You think mail order customers are an entitled bunch?
Try working in the criminal justice field. People who commit crimes are the least worthy of getting anything and demand the most.
And I keep saying I want to cut back on alcohol....

 

[dwhite60]

Technology has introduced a level of anonymity that allows people to be jerks without fear of reprisal.

Sending an email, a bad review online, a call from their cell phone, all hide who the person is. These allow people to say things they would never dare say to your face. No chance of recognizing them in passing in a dark alley at night.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[kh54s10]

The requirement of a signature, Then a comparison of an outfit like Brewhardware to Amazon is just out there. One is a multi billion dollar operation, A bank of lawyers working on insurance that will cover any loss by porch pirates. etc. The other has a small margin of profit. A few $1000 thefts by porch pirates and the profit for the year is gone......

That isn't even comparing apples to oranges. It is more like comparing apples to water buffalo.

 

[Bobby_M]

$15,000

That's how much I personally lost last year to fraud and package theft. Why me personally? Because I am a single owner business and that's just how it works. If we didn't have that signature policy, that number would be at least double. Anyone that thinks a small family owned business should (or could) take on that kind of liability is out of touch and is definitely helping to accelerate making Amazon the only place to buy anything.

What I explained to Mr. Entitled is that if the package was marked as delivered by UPS and he claimed it wasn't there when he got home, we'd have a major problem. He would demand that I reship it or refund (or he'd call the credit card company and cause me a further expense). If you ordered $400 worth of merch and it wasn't on the porch when you got home, that's exactly what everyone expects right?

As I said, UPS and other carriers offer free services to ensure you can get your package with the least additional stress as possible.

 

[Bobby_M]

I wouldn’t order to begin with, and certainly not again either if shipments were signature required. Especially at these relatively nominal value.

Unfortunate cost of doing business when you ship. One of the few things I like about amazon is that they will eat that risk. That’s why they’re winning.

I hope there's nothing in my product catalog that you may need in the future. No soup for you!

 

[schematix]

I hope there's nothing in my product catalog that you may need in the future. No soup for you!

I’ve had enough issues with stuff I’ve bought from you and didn’t get satisfactory resolution that you don’t have to worry about any more business from me.

 

[downzero]

I hope there's nothing in my product catalog that you may need in the future. No soup for you!

And you call your customers entitled?