Breaking Up is (Not so) Hard to Do

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" inquired Mr. Ginley. I had just walked in the door after having breakfast with my son.

Before I could reply, he held my brand new coffee maker aloft. It was still in the manufacturer's box.

"The good new is, it arrived this morning. The bad news is..."

He shook the box, and the tinkling sound of glass shards could be heard.

"Where is the outer box?" I asked Mr. Ginley. "You know, the one they shipped it in."

"This IS the box they shipped it in," he replied. He turned it around, and sure enough, there was the shipping label.

"You mean to tell me that I order a CD, and they package it in a box the size of a microwave and pack it with air-filled pillows, but I order a coffee maker with a glass carafe, and they just pull it off the shelf, slap a label on it, toss it in the truck, and dump it on my doorstep?"

Yep. Grrr.

I went to the computer and filed my request for a refund from that BIG COMPANY which sells all that stuff online but whom shall remain nameless. (But their name is the same as a major rain forest.)

To my surprise, I was charged $1.00 for the privilege of returning my broken item. Even though I explained that it arrived that way.

A few days later, when my refund was processed, I was not surprised to learn that the $1.00 fee had not been returned. On the advice of a friend, I went to their Facebook page and aired my displeasure.

I figured I would at least get a "gee, we're sorry for the inconvenience."

What I got was deleted from their Facebook page.

So, off I went to Target and did what I should have done in the first place. I bought my coffee maker and transported it to its destination the old-fashioned way. And, guess what? It arrived safe and sound.

There are three takeaways from my experience. First, when my Prime Membership comes up next time, I will be declining it. Second, I will be doing a lot less buying from these guys. And third, I no longer believe this company is the savior of retail.

When a company starts to take its customers for granted, it's headed for a downward slide. Maybe not right away, but it's inevitable.

No company is bigger than the customers who support it. Yet, it's a lesson so many companies have had to learn. Some get it and adapt. Others never do, and they disappear over time. They will blame it on fickle consumers, lack of loyalty, blah blah blah. But the real reason is that most folks will not shout their displeasure from the rooftop. They will just quietly take their business elsewhere.

I am learning there are many things I can do without.

And a lot of them come from the you-know-where.