I am a self-employed technical consultant. Earlier this month I had a short-term consulting gig and found myself in need of a technical reference book to help me craft a solution for the client. On 4/15, I ordered this book from Barnes & Noble (.com). A week later, I received a map of Scotland in the mail. At first I was amused, imagining some old married couple on a vacation of a lifetime walking around Scotland with "Wireshark Network Analysis" under one of their arms. I called and the problem was corrected. Or so I thought. One of the reasons the call took so long is that the rep was getting "priority shipping" authorized so that the correct product would arrive right away (I mentioned that this was a short-term engagement, no?). Another week later and it is still bouncing around the United States at a leisurely pace, because B&N shipped it the absolute cheapest budget rate they possibly could. I contact them and informed them that the need for this product was time-sensitive and suggested strongly that they offer some kind of compensation. They flatly refused, saying they had done their part by sending the correct item the second time. Here is the full text of their e-mail:
"Dear SMV,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the shipping status of your Barnes
& Noble order #XXXXXX.
We apologize you did not receive the correct item. Your replacement
shipped on 4/25 via Standard Delivery, which will be delivered by the
U.S. Postal Service. This shipping method usually takes 2-6 business
days after the shipping date to arrive. We anticipate delivery of your
order on or around 5/3. Unfortunately additional compensation is not
available as the order has been replaced.
If your package has not been received by the expected date, we ask that
you contact your local post office to determine if the package is being
held or delayed there. If your local post office does not have your
package, kindly contact us for further assistance.
Visit www.bn.com and click on the options that appear in the upper
right-hand corner to view information about your order.
We look forward to your next visit.
Sincerely,
Kathryn
Customer Service Representative
Barnes & Noble
http://www.bn.com/"
So that's it - not "we're sorry we didn't ship this priority as promised." Not "we're sorry to have wasted so much of your valuable - otherwise billable - time." Just "... Additional compensation is not available as the order has been replaced." Notice that they say additional compensation.in fact, no compensation was ever offered at all, unless you consider finally shipping the item you ordered to be "compensation."
If you need something urgently - or if you just need an online book seller to send the item that you actually place an order for, look elsewhere. Barnes & Noble doesn't give a rat's rear end one way or the other. Order a $100 book? Here's a $8 map. Not happy with that? We'll "compensate" you by sending the correct item by snail. And don't bother us with wanting any kind of discount or anything. We really just don't care. Oh, and "we look forward to your next visit."
What a bunch of loser clowns, eh?
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