Why do we put up with terrible service

jmp21677 · Dec 1, 2018

I can't hold my tongue anymore. We all spend ridiculous amounts of money on this hobby and 9 out 10 suppliers have horrible service. There are the good and very good (BRS and Battle corals) and then there is the majority! I recently purchased coral and the supplier mentioned they were giving away a pack during this "sale" and listed the guidelines. I'm assuming things may not have gone the best and no one can seem to figure out who actually won. The list of possible contestants was very small. Now, it could have gone out I suppose? I also ordered a full tank set up last week from waterbox. Site didn't mention anything about delayed shipping so I ordered a 1500 set up. That's a fairly large sum! It's glass and crummy wood. My card was charged so the tank must be on its way. No company charges more than a day or two prior to shipping unless it's live goods etc. I know it's xmas and there is a good chance sales are up.... but it's not my job as a consumer to double check that their website is accurate.... so I'm sure it's on a truck heading to rainy WA, right? Wrong! Sounds like they are waiting on their next delivery in about two weeks. This is terrible service and I just can't understand why it's acceptable. We will destroy certain vendors for minor issues and let others do whatever they want. Someone fill me in!

GoVols · Dec 1, 2018

Feel your pain.

Only deal with companies and vendors that I fully trust. Sales or freebies are not deciding factors for me.

One good thing about Reef 2 Reef is being able to weed out the good ones from the other's.
A quick pm to a friend that you know on R2R, that's dealt with that vendor, will tell the truth.

Sorry to hear that about your Waterbox and hope they are able help you out.

Tastee · Dec 1, 2018

We must be lucky down here in Australia. Our LFS fit very clearly in one of two boxes mostly (nearly always IMHO). 1) budget outfits, good to buy goldfish, some FW tropical and misc. essentials. 2) SW outfits, know their stuff, sell quality hardware, consumables and animals. Good for serious FW hobbyists as well.

We don’t do a lot of shipping over here, so don’t have as much of that complication.

jmp21677 · Dec 1, 2018

The hard part is that it's not typically a quality issue. I'm not usually one to complain about pricing either. If I don't like the price I just don't buy it. Some pricing is crazy! But if someone sees the value... great!

Rpc07 · Dec 1, 2018

Just to add another positive, I’ve never had a bad experience with Saltwateraquarium.com and I’ve had some stuff come in damaged/ broken and it was taken care of immediately.

If I were in your shoes with water box I would cancel my order and look else where.

GoldeneyeRet · Dec 1, 2018

I'm in the middle of a new build/upgrade. I built my previous tank in the 90's , and customer service was outstanding. I re did it in about 2013, and customer service was okay.

Currently I am experiencing very poor customer service from many vendors. I think it's a product of a growing
Hobby and a change in consumer habits. I fear Poor service is here to stay. Not just in our hobby, but everywhere.

jmp21677 · Dec 1, 2018

I work for a very large retailer and if our service was anywhere close to what I see regularly.... we should be fired. Good to hear about saltwateraquariums.com

dantimdad · Dec 1, 2018

GoldeneyeRet said:
I'm in the middle of a new build/upgrade. I built my previous tank in the 90's , and customer service was outstanding. I re did it in about 2013, and customer service was okay.

Currently I am experiencing very poor customer service from many vendors. I think it's a product of a growing
Hobby and a change in consumer habits. I fear Poor service is here to stay. Not just in our hobby, but everywhere.

Agreed. Vendors were hungry in the 90s and before. They NEEDED each customer. Now, most of them just don't give a rip if they lose one or a dozen. They play the odds.

I agree with OP that BRS cares about every single customer. I don't give praise often but I will every time for them.

PapaWhisky · Dec 1, 2018

I ordered a Waterbox 100.3 earlier this year and received excellent service with them. Sorry to hear about your experience.

ca1ore · Dec 1, 2018

While I’d judge e-commerce/online ordering to be a net positive overall, it has removed many of the traditional barriers to entry ..... and often barriers to competency. When just about anyone with access to the internet and a garage can start a business, you get crappy products and crappy service. More important now than ever to do your due diligence on the places you patronize.

I’d also suggest, having both worked in retail and consulted to retailers, that the customer is often the problem - poor communication, unrealistic expectations, irrational behavior, etc. Just sayin.

User1 · Dec 1, 2018

ca1ore said:
I’d also suggest, having both worked in retail and consulted to retailers, that the customer is often the problem - poor communication, unrealistic expectations, irrational behavior, etc. Just sayin.

I was actually going to say this very thing. Especially the unrealistic expectations bit.

saltyhog · Dec 1, 2018

Agreed Ca1ore (and not saying it is a factor in this case) we are an "Amazon Prime", I want it and I want it now society.

ca1ore · Dec 1, 2018

saltyhog said:
Agreed Ca1ore (and not saying it is a factor in this case) we are an "Amazon Prime", I want it and I want it now society.

Yes, true.

jmp21677 · Dec 1, 2018

I don't disagree with the expectation piece. I also don't like getting charged for a tank that won't ship for weeks. If it's a custom deal, sure. But not in this case.

Rpc07 · Dec 1, 2018

I definitely get what you guys are saying about unreal expectations from customers but in the OP’s situation I feel he has every right to be upset. He’s being charged for a product that isn’t in stock and won’t be for weeks. A little common curtesy or advanced warning goes a long way in this scenario.

Buckeye Hydro · Dec 3, 2018

We've been in the biz for 20+ years and have a reputation for stellar customer service.

jmp21677 · Dec 3, 2018

I'm sure there are several suppliers here that are great. I've dealt with several of them! That's why it's so frustrating when you come across one that doesn't value the customer quite the same

Mical · Dec 3, 2018

Not to hijack this thread but some vendors policies state "if it has been exposed to water it's not returnable" - so how do you test a pump, skimmer, etc... without exposing it to water? I have this go-around multiple times w/vendors and most times they realize the situation. BRS and Marine Depot are excellent when it comes down to individual situations. But I found Saltwateraquarium.com wanting mfg make the call. IE: Apex ATK not working as advertised - " contact Neptune Systems" (patented excuse #41 - blow off customer to mfgr) I did contact Neptune and they were shocked that SaltwaterAquarium.com wouldn't handle the issue. Do SA is a very last go to for ANYTHING

ibob991 · Dec 3, 2018

Rpc07 said:
Just to add another positive, I’ve never had a bad experience with Saltwateraquarium.com and I’ve had some stuff come in damaged/ broken and it was taken care of immediately. If I were in your shoes with water box I would cancel my order and look else where.

Quoted directly from their site: The Average Transit Time for our Free Shipping program is 2.3 days. Order from us, trust us to get your stuff FAST & FREE. All Orders placed before 1 PM EST ship Same Day. Meaning your tracking will actually work the same day as your order. We don't just print labels and let orders sit like some of our competitors. If you want your stuff fast and hate paying for shipping, shop with us!

Order placed @ 12:30 and is still sitting in the shop waiting to be shipped.

Never had any luck ordering from them and don't do much business with them because it's just one disappointment after another. I won't even go into the red sea screen kit fiasco..........