Tammi's World

Cancel Christmas???

I almost ruined Christmas yesterday. For not just ONE family, but two....

Talk about going into a panic......

See, I have this one dealer that called and asked for a bit of a favor. The owner and her manager really wanted to buy some beds for their kids. BUT...money is tight (as we all know) so they were looking for a deal.

Now, I have to be honest. I don't really give much away. I can't. Business is Business, Friendship is Friendship. It's how I was brought up....

But sometimes you have to spend money to make money. This particular store has REALLY done some great things this year. All based on our relationship. I figured I could do THIS much for them.

So I arranged for some discount pricing. They ordered the beds and we got everything scheduled for delivery to be yesterday. Plenty of time before Christmas.

Late in the morning my phone rang. I saw it was this dealer on the caller id. When I answered all I heard was crying.

Seems when they entered the order they set it up for those products to ship COD. Which means the driver couldn't leave them without getting a check.

That wasn't what was set up. There was no way in hell those women could do that. They were COUNTING on the 30 day grace period.

Those beds were the only real presents they had for their kids.

This was looking more and more like a disaster.....

So......I call my credit department. They are all at lunch. Shit.

I can't hold a truck up for an hour on the HOPES that we can work this out. So I tell the customer they have to let the truck leave but I *PROMISE* everything will get straightened out and the beds will be delivered tomorrow (today).

Then just hoped I hadn't made a liar out of myself.

Finally FINALLY I got a call back. As I explained the situation I got nothin'....no response. Silence.

Then, what I heard next was WORSE than silence. "What do you want ME to do about it? They have to pay to get the product. Period."

Shit.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

So I start dancin'. Beggin'. Pleadin'. I was so sweet I was makin' my teeth hurt.

Nothin'.

Damn......

Finally, after being transferred and switched and put on hold.....I found a reasonable human being.

Who got it.

We released the orders and the beds will deliver this morning.

Christmas wasn't ruined after all.

But damn....it was a close call.....

Posted by Tammi at December 18, 2007 07:12 AM | TrackBack