Question to Business Owners

[VoldtaEngler]

So i decided to google our business name and found a site that had one of our customers bad mouthing us because we shipped her dreads to her old address in which her friend is now forwarding them to her to her new one. I tried explaing our past couple months were difficult and we misplaced her new address with the recent move but she doesnt care and now it seems theres a million and one people joining forceds with her telling everybody we are a rip off company?! even though our reviews on our website and feebay feedback are in perfect standing this one person is bothering me mentally. Can this hurt business tremendously because she doesnt think people make mistakes now and then?

[sunkarma]

Yes and No. Where is it listed? There is this one site called "badbusinessbureau.com" that is actually now getting sued because they let people (ehm..customers) post things that cannot be validated. Sure, a biz owner can go and reply...but that is AFTER the damage is done.
I had this one woman order something from me..I sent it to her (which she signed for) and she claimed she never got it...even went to the BBB in her state. When I presented them with proof, they shut up..but this woman even went to the POLICE in her area saying I jipped her...and then went to this board online.
Talk about having NOTHING ELSE to do..(rolls eyes)
So it depends...if you have to google it to find it, I would say, NO.
Are you a member of bizrate.com and all those places? They help with traffic and allow the good custie's to say lovely things....

Sun

[Buster Friendly]

two schools of thought on this...

...one is 'there's no such thing as bad publicity'... if folks hear about you through an unfavorable source, but go check you out for themselves, and you seem to be straight up, and ethical then they'll probably make up their own minds about doing business with you.

I worked for a company that was notoriously unethical, even more so than the stories that were public (none of which could be verified though...pity. although what is public, and verifiable should be more than enough to convince anyone to not do any business with them)
and these folks were only worried that folks would stop talking about them at all, reveling in their bad mouthings for the most part... they played ever detractor out to be some nut, and just fed more bullshit to the willing...

...the other school of thought is that you should do everything you can to appease this woman, giving her credits, freebies, free shipping ect... let it gnaw at you mind, and generally freakout about it...

I dunno, you appologized right? did you offer to reimburse her for shipping? if so most right thinking folks would let it go at that... if this woman just needs to fixate on you guys then let it go, she'll make herself so obnoxious that no one will listen to her eventually. this happens all the time.

most of your customers are happy right? you can only please so many people, so much of the time....


good luck, and great for you for running such an excellent biz!

[VoldtaEngler]

two schools of thought on this...

...one is 'there's no such thing as bad publicity'... if folks hear about you through an unfavorable source, but go check you out for themselves, and you seem to be straight up, and ethical then they'll probably make up their own minds about doing business with you.

I worked for a company that was notoriously unethical, even more so than the stories that were public (none of which could be verified though...pity. although what is public, and verifiable should be more than enough to convince anyone to not do any business with them)
and these folks were only worried that folks would stop talking about them at all, reveling in their bad mouthings for the most part... they played ever detractor out to be some nut, and just fed more bullshit to the willing...

...the other school of thought is that you should do everything you can to appease this woman, giving her credits, freebies, free shipping ect... let it gnaw at you mind, and generally freakout about it...

I dunno, you appologized right? did you offer to reimburse her for shipping? if so most right thinking folks would let it go at that... if this woman just needs to fixate on you guys then let it go, she'll make herself so obnoxious that no one will listen to her eventually. this happens all the time.

most of your customers are happy right? you can only please so many people, so much of the time....


good luck, and great for you for running such an excellent biz!

yea i apoligized.. but fuck that im not paying for shipping to another house...ya i know i SHOULD but seeing as it was already shipped and she has been giving us problems since the beginning (a week after she ordered she was asking "where are my dreads? i ordered last week! this is horrible service" and we answered that it takes about 4 weeks to GET to your order because of so many orders! we are only two people and each set takes about 8 hours. but i will check out the above sites and whatnot.. thanks for the advice

[Buster Friendly]

yeah, at this point it's probably pretty moot... she's gonna bad mouth ya, no matter what you do...

...but since this isn't a chronic problem for you guys, I totally wouldn't worry.

[sunkarma]

I wouldn't go overboard. Take buster's advice. I tried that once...did no good.
If people are NICE about things, I usually do more for them, give them freebies, etc.
It's the 'you can't attract flies with vinegar' theory.
If they already are salty about the transaction..no matter how much you kiss ass and send them, they will remain that way...so let it be.