Dear Ms Massenet,
What you see above is my attempt to buy a few things from your website in the last 24 hours.
Yesterday happened to be Boxing day, first day of the after-holiday sale, so I’m not surprised you had loads of work.
Neither should be you, since Boxing day is always superbusy in British commerce.
But, apparently, you did not consider this detail in advance, and did not upgrade the number of people at work or the maintenance on your website or whatever’s necessary to face the augmented business.
Through the years, I’ve been a defender of your site against friends and myself: you sent emails to alert about the arrival of something one wanted so much that one had signed up to be alerted on arrival, and the emails were sent when the dress was already sold out; your customer service replied to emails so painfully slowly that most of the time the information provided was useless, since the size one wanted had meanwhile become unavailable; you had all the downsides of an Italian service, and the prices of a British one.
Nonetheless, I stuck with you.
I bought less and less from you – being costantly let down is a game I do not particularly like to participate in – but I never really gave up on you.
Until today.
The first time, yesterday, that your website told me «unfortunately, there has been a problem authorizing your credit card», I called American Express inquiring. They told me they had authorized the purchase. So I called your customer (dis)service. And here comes my first question: what’s the point of having a number where the person answering can just say that she’s not able to fix whatever your problem is, that she will have to have somebody from customer service calling you back? What’s the point of not connecting customer service to the telephone number one calls to speak to customer service?
Anyway. I try again filling in my details, and again. Nothing. «Unfortunately», it states.
I email you, and get an automatic reply in which you promise a real one within 24 hours.
Comes this morning. My shopping basket is still there. Minus the boots: my size has meanwhile sold out, and your so-called customer service still hasn’t called back. I try again, all details for the card are checked and correct. «Unfortunately», and so on.
I call American Express. They tell me they have authorized the purchase every time I filled in my card details and tried to give you my money: five times. They ask me if I meant to spend that money five times. I tell them I would have been ok with just one.
So I call you back (isn’t this the point in all dysfunctional relationships? When one says «I’ll call you back» and doesn’t, the other one keeps trying.)
This time I’m told I will be connected to somebody from customer service. And – guess what – while on hold, the line convienently drops (which is a very smart way to get rid of the burden of complaining customers on a busy day.)
Since my first email got no real reply, I try a second one. Here we go automatic again. I must be the most unfortunate customer ever.
I call you again, thinking this is the last chance I’m giving you: insisting on giving you my money when you so clearly do not want it seems so unfair.
I’m in the mood to give business advice for free, so I tell the lady on the phone that maybe you should give priority to somebody who has spent the last 24 hours trying to give you her money.
I’m told everyone in every department is taken, «Can I have your telephone number so that somebody from customer service can call you back» leads to «somebody at Complaints can call you back» leads to «You cannot speak to anyone in charge» leads to: you know what? There’s MyTheresa and LuisaViaRoma and L’IndeLePalais. There’s a whole world of on line shops. Unfortunately.
[Since you guys asked for real time updates: We're on the third day now, still no reply to my emails, no phone calls either. Looks like NAP is really trying hard to win the award for worst customer service]
[Fourth day. Unanswered emails are now three, and counting.]
se perdi quel bustier, gli facciamo causa.
silver lining: magari mi convinco a vestire menopeggio (scippo di link)
ho aggiornato, ché avevo trascurato le due email.
Dear Ms Soncini, please kindly note that Boxing day in Uk is today, dec 28 th.
Then, if i can, I’d suggest a crash course for your english…
Sincerely
FMP
Dear Mr Pensabene, while waiting for you to teach me (I’m always keen to learn), I’m glad to inform you that Boxing Day is indeed on the 26th.
But you do have a point for your confusion: when Boxing day falls on the weekend, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday.
This, though, does not stop the 26th, the official Boxing day, from being the first day for sale in shops, as you would have undoubtedly found out had you visited Harrods or similar on Saturday.
Thanking you for your kind attention, I hope you’ll come back and visit us soon
Dear Madam, I’m no more confused than you, i fear
Boxing Day cannot be on a Saturday or Sunday, those days being the officially recognised days of worship (jewish or cristian), so traditionally it was the next working day of the week following Christmas Day,
“As 26th falls on a Saturday, the Boxing Day bank holiday is on 28 December.
http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/CUSTOMS/questions/bankholidays.html”
Here in Milano we have a similar situation…official boxing day will be jan 2nd but yesterday V Giornate’s Coin was a puttanaio
Regards
FMP
Dear Sir, I quite like the most defining traits in boys: their inability to say «I’m sorry, I realise I’ve said a puttanata», and their total lack of competence in shopping related matters.
So, while I’m glad for your link, that confirms what I had patiently explained you, and I realize that it is your twisted way to say «I’m sorry», I have to point out that in Milan not only you do not have a Boxing day (January 2nd? What is it, your mother’s birthday, which makes you consider it a bank holiday?), neither you do have a tradition of sale starting the day after Christmas. Technically called, Boxing day.
Hope everything is clear, now, but I do accept that you will have to say something more so that you can go to your friends and claim you had the last word and are indeed a real macho man.
So go ahead, say whatever you like about the calendar, and I promise not to (furtherly) point out you’re talking nonsense.
Have a very merry new year, with all the bank holidays you can get. And please don’t forget the crash course you promised me.
Ma sì, è chiaro: per “boxing” lui intende lo sgomitare ai saldi!