StillSmart

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-03T20:52:57+00:00

Aidan, your parcel has arrived on 1st December, yes it was late for unknown reasons, but it has arrived. I have no idea why you still think that any of this, which has not been in our area of influence, has anything to do with our customer service, after I have explained the situation in exhausting details.

And yes, we handle shipping on customers' behalf, so if a delivery should get lost or damaged during transport, we'll take care of the postal investigation and insurance claim. I don't know why this is causing you troubles now, we make no secret of how we conduct business, it's all clearly laid out in our terms of service.

As information for others reading this thread:

There is just no way around Austrian Post for us. There is no real competition, like it's in the USA with UPS vs. DHL vs. USPS.

Of course we are not happy if the customer is not happy, but as said, there is nothing we can do about it, we are stuck with Austrian Post, any alternative would add a lot to shipping costs, making it totally unreasonable in most cases.

Nobody else has experienced any problems with the Austrian Postal Service so far, and it's indeed strange that both of Aidan's deliveries were over time. Interestingly the estimated delivery time to Ireland is stated as less than to the UK, so I'll send another inquiry to postal services. My guess is that they should have been shipping direct, but maybe something has changed in their hand-off protocol. I can not promise that we'll get any useful feedback from them, nor can we know if anything will change, but other customers in Ireland have received their parcels in time, so it may not be a general problem after all.

Statistics: Posted by SDeurope — Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:52 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-03T20:15:28+00:00

OK! I started all this and I'm withdrawing from the thread because Michael is getting bent out of shape and is sticking to the line that they're not responsible for our orders once they're collected from them.

One final thought, Michael recently told me, "We take no responsibility for any carrier service, our fulfillment ends with pickup by the carrier, our terms of service make this very clear, shipping and shipping risk is on the customer side." (I checked, it is in their Shipping Policy.)

So, I'm left wondering what happens if an order does go missing. If, as Michael says, SD's responsibility ends when the package is collected from them, then who is entitled to make the insurance claim? how? and how long would it be before replacement goods could be ordered? - without additional cost! As buyers we have no contract with any insurer, yet, according to SD,"shipping and shipping risk is on the customer side"

Anyway, I have most of what I want from SD, in terms of equipment so I'm leaving this to you all to play with

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:15 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-03T06:07:37+00:00

Fair comment Michael I appreciate that your end of things appears to be spot on its merely the carriage that seems to be the area of concern
When I was restoring my old Moto Guzzi in the spring I ordered quite a few batches of parts from a company in Germany. I usually ordered online on a Sunday when I knew what was next needed and would get them by the following Thursday or Friday latest.They use DHL whose online tracking is excellent ...just a thought.
Anyway looking forward to getting the order and i'm sure, like others and Arnie 'I'll be back !'

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:07 am

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-02T22:33:49+00:00

+1 Michael.
You are treading the fine line between cost and service.
I think you have it right.
I'll be back.
Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:33 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-02T18:27:11+00:00

Admiral Toad wrote:
Well according to the tracking info it's on it's way..........I think agree with AM not the best delivery info is it .......

Definitely on its way. The shipping info is coming from the postal system, so we have no influence on that one, and it's not always updated in real-time (I've just checked on a parcel which has been picked up today morning, still showing "electronic info been submitted" or the likes).

But this is really misleading, we are posting in a thread labeled "Poor Customer Service" which in fact has absolutely nothing do do with our (hopefully outstanding) service. As already said, we can't do any better than shipping the same day an order comes in, and we absolutely have no influence on what's happing once deliveries have been picked up. Austrian Post is really not bad, international runtimes of up to a week (and yes, sometimes longer) are not bad for that buck either, so I think we can really leave it at that.

Statistics: Posted by SDeurope — Tue Dec 02, 2014 6:27 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-12-02T17:22:07+00:00

Well according to the tracking info it's on it's way..........I think

agree with AM not the best delivery info is it .......

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Tue Dec 02, 2014 5:22 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-30T19:49:50+00:00

I get what you're saying P, I'm a retired Transport Manager myself so I know how it works.

I had no problem with how long it took for the order to arrive it was the fact that we were given to understand it would arrive within a specific timeframe. Not a precise time and date but 3-4 working days, as quoted to my son, by SD customer service, when he enquired about the order he had placed.

In fact, when I placed my order I was unable to find any reference to length of time for delivery. But there was a tracking system and I believed that would tell me when my order would be delivered.....except that it didn't, it went dead for four days!

That's when I discovered that my son had also placed an order and he couldn't get any tracking info for three days either.

The missing orders weren't hiding out in Ireland, Irish postal workers weren't sitting on them, there was no local difficulty, it wasn't, as Michael suggests, "due to your specific location, if the delay is induced by local circumstances."

In fact, the parcels in question weren't in Austria or Ireland, they were in a third country because Austria Post don't ship direct to Ireland. For logistical purposes Ireland is grouped with the UK so anything for Ireland, other than Air Freight, ends up in jolly old Blighty and forwarded from there to Ireland at certain intervals.

If SD told me it wouldn't arrive for 30-31 days I'd be happy with that, as long as it did arrive in 30-31 days!

If the carrier puts "Sent Abroad" on a tracking system most people will expect that order to arrive in the destination country within 48 hours with delivery in the following 24-48 hours. But when that same tracking system shows zero progress for a fourth day I, for one, start to get nervous that the goods have proved too attractive to some cleptomaniac in the transport chain and they've fallen of the back of a lorry! Don't laugh, this happens and, these days, the first sign that something is wrong is when a scanned item stops being scanned because the goods are gone!

Enough of this already. I got one parcel and the other one has arrived in Ireland and should get here in the next few days. At least now I know I can now ring our local sorting office and tell them not to deliver the parcel until Tuesday because I won't be here tomorrow when the postman calls around 11am and he needs a signature for the parcel.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:49 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-30T09:27:06+00:00

Hum? Well I can sort of see both sides.......

I sympathise with Aidan, but at the same time know where Michael comes from as shipping is partly my world (mixed national and international).

Within the EU, unless it's a quite expensive guaranteed/air freight arrangement, it's most likely to be road freight.

Plus you may have used a national postal service, but no way of knowing who will deliver to the receiving end. It's not guaranteed to be the local post office - some of those have contract agreement with commercial shippers.

It only takes a few tiny cracks in the chain to make delays a number of days........

If we are late delivering something that's had the time guarantee premium paid on, then if the delay is our fault, we end up delivering for nothing........

Ireland is a marvellous place but there does seem to be issues with "normal speed" delivery (in both directions), so if it's something you feel is important, I suggest the premium service - just that that often ain't cheap, especially within the EU.......

Statistics: Posted by Phantom — Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:27 am

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-30T08:14:43+00:00

paul wrote:
that seems fare to me,nice one michael, my order took 3-4 working days so was ok .i ordered an element from the usa on tuesday lunchtime and received it thursday afternoon how about that

It's no secret that express shipping costs next to nothing over there. Prices of UPS or DHL can even be lower than USPS in the states, but here in Austria they are completely out of range. I know that if you order something you want to have it as soon as possible, but express shipping at any costs is definitely not what our customers want, considering that the majority of the parcels we ship are in the upper weight range. Austrian Post is a good compromise, they don't rob you blind and usually less than a week throughout Europe is not that bad.

Statistics: Posted by SDeurope — Sun Nov 30, 2014 8:14 am

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-30T02:14:48+00:00

You guys should experience a time in China. There is no such thing as quality control, customer service and the customer is always wrong here. But its also like being on holiday all year long, so one puts up with it.

I have only had one piece of mail in 12 years and that was a new passport. Why it got though I have no clue.

Statistics: Posted by RumJohn — Sun Nov 30, 2014 2:14 am

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-29T23:58:28+00:00

Seems very fair to me too.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sat Nov 29, 2014 11:58 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-29T19:57:58+00:00

that seems fare to me,nice one michael, my order took 3-4 working days so was ok .i ordered an element from the usa on tuesday lunchtime and received it thursday afternoon how about that

Statistics: Posted by paul — Sat Nov 29, 2014 7:57 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-29T14:59:04+00:00

Dear aidanmac,

We take customer feedback very seriously, and I've already apologized to you and your son for the circumstances of your son's present to you not having arrived in time, and though I completely understand your disappointment, there was nothing we could do about it.

As already written to you and your son by e-mail, it really is not our fault, as we can not do any better than shipping the same day an order comes in, which was the case with both yours and your son's orders.

We can not guarantee shipping times and we have never stated that we do. There must have been a misunderstanding, we did not change any claim of delivery, because the message about the estimated delivery time in our shop check-out has always been "Usually within 7 working days" right from the beginning, which is not specific to a certain country but a carrier statement for all destinations within the European Union. Austrian Post tells a usual delivery time of 3-4 working days after pick-up to Ireland, which is a none-binding value from practical experience. If it takes longer as in your case, there may be an unusual problem during delivery (which could happen to any shipping service), or it may be due to your specific location, if the delay is induced by local circumstances.

We have already taken a look, but can not offer any other shipping service that does better or faster at reasonable costs. Shipping from Austria is indeed quite expensive, and considering that we are mostly dealing with heavy parcels, well known express services are pretty much out of question due to really high costs involved. Austrian Post is generally very reliable, has standard transport insurance included without surcharge, offers reasonable shipping times, and although considered expensive they are the best we can get here in our country.

All we can promise is to strive for the very best customer service possible. As a sign to propitiate you and your son I have issued free shipping vouchers for both of you for your next orders, if you decide to give us another chance.

Greetings,

Michael

Statistics: Posted by SDeurope — Sat Nov 29, 2014 2:59 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-29T13:57:57+00:00

I am glad that SDE have been proactive and used this experience to revise their estimated delivery times to Ireland so that prospective customers will have a more realistic delivery date.

Statistics: Posted by YHB — Sat Nov 29, 2014 1:57 pm

Re: Poor Customer Service

2014-11-29T12:08:10+00:00

I never expect anyone to just blindly agree with me on anything. My problem was that, as a member of this forum, I posted a complaint about a supplier who expects to make money from our members among others. As such I had no expectation that anyone would simply agree with me, in fact I expected that SD might post a reply that they would look into why deliveries to Ireland were taking so long, but I didn't expect to be contradicted or slated by fellow members for posting my particular complaint.

Suppliers are absolutely responsible for the success or failure of the carrier and/or delivery method they use and if they're not held to account they will continue providing shoddy service.

When poor service is encountered it should be posted publicly to put pressure on the supplier to do better and in this case to push SD into putting pressure on their carrier to improve the delivery service to Ireland.

I'm genuinely happy for those of you in the UK who will get good service because your orders travel direct from Austria, in this case, to UK, whereas Irish orders are being sent by the cheapest route through another country unnecessarily delaying the delivery.

But when you posted, "... the whims of Irish baggage handlers who appear to have taken 4 days to transfer the parcel from One postal company to another.", you added insult to injury because I had already researched and posted that the parcel did not arrive into Ireland for four(4) days after it was recorded as having been sent abroad. It turns out it was sitting in a warehouse in England where they don't bother too much about Irish mail.

As an aside, StillDragon have now amended their earlier claim of delivery within 3-4 working days to say that deliveries to Ireland all be completed "within 7 working days", that's a double up!

BTW Brian, I thought the old 'blame the Paddies for everything' attitude was long gone and particularly sorry to hear it from you.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sat Nov 29, 2014 12:08 pm