Iwan Ries Disappointing Service

[fishingandpipes]

I can also add to this.
I ordered during the sale as well. One of the cans arrived with a broken seal and was totally dried out, it was an SG flake that would have had to have been sitting around awhile to get that crumbly.
After a lot of fumbling around on the phone they decided I could ship it back to them (I'd pay for that) and then once they received it they'd send another. Every other place I've ordered from just ships a new can. Heck, Smokingpipes shipped me a broken-sealed can and just added an extra can to the original order - they had no use for a can with a broken seal.
They also let me place an order for an item that was not in stock.

 

[onepyrotec]

Thanks for sharing that crappy service with us. I'm a customer service oriented type of person.
Not to hijack the post, but recently I had TWO unrelated & non-tobacco web purchases go bad and replaced those purchases with other companies. Not sure how I picked them, but BOTH the replacement companies actually called me after my questions to be sure no more problems...and BOTH companies offered discounts just for my headaches that they had nothing to do with. I.R. won't go broke without your money, and it seems they don't care. Someone else will be more than happy to fill their shoes for you guaranteed.

 

[drwatson]

I have not ordered from them in awhile. They used to be one of my top spots to shop. I think they may have some new blood over there or something, cause the last time I called them the guy (younger) was kinda rude. Acted like I was putting him out or something. They always used to be overly helpful and a pleasure to talk to as well!

 

[ravkesef]

l think you miss the point, Adam. The issue is not with the order being lost--it's with the response I received over the phone and the failure to respond to email. When you get written communications, the polite and decent thing is to respond to it. Not to respond is rude, at the very least, and if that is their approach, then so be it. Like you I have been doing business with this company for some time, the last time just over a month ago. Will I let one unpleasant experience keep me from doing business with a firm? If that firm does not regard my communications as being worthy of a response, it certainly would keep me from going there again. There are other merchants on the Internet who understand the meaning of customer service and a polite response. They will get my business. As for making the matter public, there was no intent to direct the activities of others. What you and anyone else choose to do is your business. I was venting to my friends, something that is my right to do, and sharing with them an experience I had. If you choose to buy or not buy from them, that's your choice, just as it is when someone tells me that they've received excellent service from a retailer.On this forum we often share experiences we've had, and that's all I was doing. In this case, not only was the experience less than positive, it reflected a "go-to-hell" attitude on the part of the retailer.

 

[phil67]

I completely agree with you ravesef. There is no excuse whatsoever to be ignored by a retailer. I live in Chicago and used to be a steady customer of theirs back in the 70's and was always treated well. However, making a purchase in person or via the Internet should in no way make any difference. A customer is a customer... PERIOD. Every pipe/tobacco retailer that I've dealt with online has always first, apologized when there was an issue with an order and secondly, always did their best to resolve the matter with the least bit of inconvenience to me. Evidently Iwan Ries feels that customer service does not apply to those who purchase from them via the Internet.

 

[wyfbane]

I, well can't, order from them (WA resident). I completely agree that you got crap service. I further agree that tinner got crap service.
I ALSO agree with the point Adam is making. You two got crap service. Did you write to the company before putting them on blast on a very well travelled pipe forum? There is more than one path to express dissatisfaction and some are better than others.
I only post on here at all because it reminds me of when CI first took over P&C and the transition was... well, less than smooth...
Poor Russ was doing his best answering questions and quelling the horde, but there were a TON of fair weather customers on here blasting the crap out of his site without giving them time to transition.
Again, you are right in that you have been wronged. You should absolutely call or write someone in management to see about getting it dealt with.
I just offer that there are likely 15+ good people who do offer good customer service trying to make their living there too.

 

[onepyrotec]

wyfbane - Did you write to the company before putting them on blast on a very well travelled pipe forum?

Yes he did send an email that went ignored.

ravkesef - The issue is not with the order being lost--it's with the response I received over the phone and the failure to respond to email.

In this case, IMHO, the blast was earned.

 

[wyfbane]

Fair enough. Burn the place down.
>=D
lol

 

[torque]

warren wrote:

I would follow that up with a note or call to the owners or CEO. I will not tolerate being treated indifferently or rudely by a clerk or other minion.

Yeah, who do those little minions think they are anyway? You make sure they know their place and that they better not step out of it. Give 'em hell son and make sure they don't forget who their betters are!!!!!!!!
@ravkesef
Did they actually tell you to "Drop Dead" or is that just a little hyperbole to illustrate how the situation made you feel? Either way, it sounds like they showed zero interest in retaining your business and to me that is indicative of a problem. Unfortunately a lot of businesses don't take appropriate action until there has been a large enough erosion of their customer base. If the situation had happened to me I don't think I would react any differently than you have. My next order would go somewhere else and I wouldn't look back.
Now what might change my mind is if they (within a semi-reasonable time frame) did eventually answer my email with an explanation of the delay. Something like, "hey, we had a huge sale and things really got backed up, we didn't expect this level of response to our promotion and are terribly sorry for the delay in addressing your concerns". I would probably give them a second chance in a case like that.

 

[torque]

wyfbane wrote:

Poor Russ was doing his best answering questions and quelling the horde

I think that's kind of the point that's being made though. As I recall, Russ busted his ass keeping the lines of communication open during that transition period. I've moved and re-opened a DC before and I know what the man was going through during that time because I've been there and went through it. He still managed to address customer concerns even in the midst of that whirlwind.
The issue being discussed here isn't the same and the two aren't correlative. The issue being discussed here is one of simple neglect in customer communication.

 

[warren]

Torque: Testy! Testy! Employees in a servile environment are most likely not interested in the health of the company. A good employee is one who understands that their paycheck contains a bit of every transaction they participate in. If all the employees are successful at this, the business enjoys a chance at being fiscally healthy. Without professional employees no business has a chance at success as all transactions will eventually cease. "Knowing one's place" should certainly not be equated with being treated in a servile manner.
I want business owners to be successful and employ many more people. I want certain big,businesses to be wildly successful because my retirement plan maybe invested in them.
"Knowing one's place" and what is expected of one, as a link in the economic food chain, is paramount to the success of a business. The importance of the person who actually interacts with the customer in retail cannot be over emphasized. All employees must be fully cognizant of "their place" and their importance. If they cannot perform to expectations . . . "their place" will most likely change to the unemployment line. Hopefully, the termination will be a learning experience for the former employee.

 

[crazypipe]

Thanks for the heads-up, there are a lot of company's out there today like that.

I just move on, and never order anything from them again. sometimes it's the people who work there, they don't know how to fix anything and don't care ::

 

[mso489]

No one should take too much crap, and I wouldn't suggest they do. I am mindful, though, and do not want to

be the cause of individuals getting canned unless they are downright crooked. So I would gladly advise an owner

or manager of a problem in their shop, and describe it generically. I would avoid to the degree possible naming

or identifying the problem person (as if the boss wouldn't know right away). I would hope the whole shop would

get a review and training. I can't know whose spouse just left them, or who is coming down with the flu and isn't

doing well in one instance. I don't need to be stroked and preened. I just don't want to be abused, or worse, cheated.

But it is way kinder to register a legitimate complaint than to just walk away and never come back, if you have the time.

 

[warren]

Mike: Well said!

 

[daveinlax]

An outstanding store with a Chicago attitude - either you get it or you don't - it's the way things are and often times that doesn't translate well to venues other than face-to-face interaction.

Yeah and compared to other big city shops I've been to Chuck, Kevin and crew are warm and fuzzy. I think Kevin was in charge of the online and mail order but it's really a full time job they have never done a good at. Their site has never reflected their vast inventory. 8O

 

[escioe]

Chuck is one of the nicest guys in the business. I remember walking in there at 19, smoking a Peterson, and Chuck asked to see the pipe. He asked me where I got it, said it was a nice piece, and then buffed it up himself on the wheel. I was just a kid, but he always made me feel welcome. Lots of the others, too, some of whom may have left by now. There was one guy who taught writing at one of the colleges downtown, and he'd just work there on Saturday, which is usually when I went.
I'm not sure I've ever had a pleasant dealing with Kevin though. He was never very friendly to my college cohort who'd go and buy day passes to sit in their lounge a couple times a quarter. I've worked in customer service before, and I certainly don't expect anyone to wipe my ass for me, but I do expect folks to be friendly, and he hardly ever was.

 

[torque]

Torque: Testy! Testy!

Testy? LOL, not at all.
Amused by someone that would refer to an employee of a retail establishment as a "servile minion"? Absolutely. Most of those folks bust their humps for very little pay and don't deserve to be demeaned in such a manner.
We all have "customers" of one sort or another in our professional lives, whether they be internal or external. Just because I service mine from a desk in business attire instead of a stock apron doesn't make me better than those individuals that do. Just my opinion.

 

[escioe]

I'm with torque on that one.

 

[cortezattic]

Thanks for the heads-up, ravkesef. I find it interesting that no one from IRC has responded in this thread.

Any business can be caught in the switches by a technical SNAFU, but how they respond and make amends is what is important.

 

[warren]

Torque: My apologies. I was not fully sentient when I wrote earlier. Further, I compounded my error by not rereading my earlier missive prior to responding. At least you laughed as opposed to getting testy. So sorry!