Some weeks ago, I ordered an item online from Future Shop's online store, futureshop.ca. The item I ordered was listed in their regional weekly flyer as "on sale", and the sale caught my eye since I was in the market for that item. The item was listed as out of stock at futureshop.ca, although the Future Shop stores in Mississauga had stock.
I must confess: I was lazy. I didn't need the item immediately so I put the order through for ground shipment from futureshop.ca, instead of opting for in-store pick-up which would have fulfilled my order as soon as I could get to the nearest store that had stock — but I probably would have walked out of the store with something else I didn't need. :-) Anyway, I reasoned that futureshop.ca would not be out of stock for very long since the item was available in their stores nearby.
Today, I checked my online order status for the Nth time, and the item is still listed as out of stock for futureshop.ca. But, I queried the stock for each of the 4 stores in my area, and each and every one of them lists the item as available in store. If I walked into a store today to buy the item, I'd get it, but I would be paying full price. That's not what I want to do.
I figured: Enough of this waiting for Future Shop! Let me just change my existing order to be fulfilled by in-store pick-up, and I'll drive down to the nearest store and be done with it!
I searched the futureshop.ca site for a way to change my order details. I discovered that I could change many things about my order's billing, shipping, and payment details. Yet, the one thing I could not find — because it doesn't exist — is a way to tell their online system that I wanted to switch my unfulfilled order to be fulfilled by in-store pick-up instead of ground shipping. I thought the lack of the ability to change that one detail was overlooked by the site developers. When a system fails, I like to try and get a human being to help.
Thus I called Future Shop Customer Service. Helping customers buy stuff is supposed to be their job. I thought once I pointed out that Future Shop stores had ample stock then Customer Service would offer: "Yes sir, you are correct: We are showing stock in all of our stores in your area. Would you like to change your order to be an in-store pick-up? Our online system doesn't offer that option, but I am empowered to exercise flexibility on the company's behalf and would be happy to assist you in changing it so that you will be a satisfied customer. Just let me know which store you'd like to pick up from, and it will be done."
Well, that I am now blogging about this matter clearly indicates that didn't quite happen. :-)
Instead, I got the run-around. Something like, how the stores are run independently -- What do you mean indepedently? I didn't know they were franchised? -- No, no, sir, not franchised, our stores are corporate-owned, but what I mean is Future Shop has a policy to run each store or region's stock independently of the online store, and I am powerless to now change how your order is fulfilled, and nor can our stores redirect their stock to fulfill your order, and we cannot guarantee that you can get the same price in the store.
Customer Service also had the audacity to point out that I initially had the opportunity when I placed the order to decide whether to go for shipping or an in-stock pick-up. Oh, so it was my fault! But, I had no idea at the time that my decision was to be carved in stone.
The best they can do is to tell me, in 2 business days' time, when they expect their online store to get this item restocked. Lame.
Future Shop's strict policies on store stock vs. online stock, and having no flexibility to change an order's fulfillment method after the fact - despite nothing having been shipped - are questionable practices, and I don't see the business sense at all.
Future Shop needs to get a clue and read The Cluetrain Manifesto.
Update, 08-Oct-2007:
I just got another automated email from futureshop.ca:
I wonder if "we are making every attempt" would include redirecting stock from one of their local stores (still well-stocked, see image below), or else allowing me to opt for in-store pick-up? But, judging from my conversation with Customer Service, the wording "every attempt" sounds to me like nothing but B.S., and it's not like I am asking them to part the waters to get me my item.
Update, 10-Oct-2007:
Eureka! Finally, today, a promising email from Future Shop:
I wonder if emailing them a link to my blog had anything to do with it? Hmm... ;-)
3 comments:
In all fairness, as a former manager of a retail store, I feel I should point out a couple of things you should at least acknowledge:
Firstly, more than likely, your "Customer Service representative" was just a grunt, with a rule book as her guide that lets her know what she is allowed to authorized, which is, in all honesty, probably very little. When answering a question, the first instruction of an employee is to quote procedure, and to be aware that 85% of customers will grumble, but take it. Were you making an angry customer of yourself, demanding to speak to a manager, or calling a head office, trust me, there would have been a much quicker result, that would have probably been in your favour. But only managers have the power to override policy, and the drones are told never to use independent decision making.
Secondly, there is an innate lack of logic in assuming that options are available to you that are not expressly shown. Obviously, you did not look into all available options when you ordered, and if you did, you would have been aware of your limitations, and made an informed decision. To hold the store responsible for your lack of thoroughness is a little ridiculous, and unrealistic.
In today's society, we've been hammered over the head with the caveat "The customer is always right", which, in a practical sense, is bullshit. The uninformed are never the correct ones, and really, the only axiom we should attribute to this antiquated idea is that the customer always deserves respect and politeness, but rewriting a rulebook for each situation is impractical.
And if this was bad business sense, then obviously places like Future Shop and BestBuy would be in danger of going out of business.
Somehow, I don't think they're worried.
That being said, I hope you get your stuff!
Those are some good points, and I agree on the grunt & rule book point. In an ideal world, customer service people *should* be more empowered to satisfy customers, and to put anybody with zero decision making ability on the phone to deal with customer *problems* is idiocy.
My main issue is with the policies themselves, in terms of how rigid they are and how little they make sense. Somebody else in the organization consciously made a decision that "our order fulfillment must behave such-and-such", and that made it into the grunt's rule-book. The person who *wrote* the rule needs a clue the most.
I think the worst part is that the organization has refused to learn (or to indicate that it will try to learn) from the ordeal.
I think that's the key to good customer service--actually taking the time to learn.
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