I really don't thinmk Tinywargames is getting this.
Understand, I don't think they did anything malicious or intentional in nature at all!
But that kind of makes my point. The fact that they just posted that they "always refund customers" and "have no record of the customer above". Well…so either you're calling that customer a liar, or you simply lost track of this customer's record.
Either way, it's not a good look.
See, this is one of my biggest pet peeves with some online vendors. You may indeed have 5,000 happy customers, but 5,001 isn't happy. I don't doubt that you strive to offer the best in customer service.
But therein lies the problem doesn't it? He's not the only customer to report that parts of orders went unfilled and that communication was lacking, misleading or confusing.
SOMEBODY at the company said that the items were shipping out that day, when clearly they were not. SOMEBODY at the company said they would be issuing the refund, and then it never was issued. The customer asked for tracking numbers and got silence. You could have easily replied saying that no tracking numbers had been generated yet, but this is a definite date they will be.
See, this isn't about a company or individual making an honest error. Honest errors happen, because we're not perfect, companies or consumers.
But when you see a string of problems with the same order, and a string of incorrect communications, or things promised in communications that don't happen, or certain inquiries like tracking numbers that get completely ignored, that's more than just an honest mistake.
It's DISORGANIZATION. I wish more owners of more companies would take some sort of business course in the importance of being organized, both in the physical store sense and in the digital and online sense.
There are only so many reaons that these kinds of communications blackouts and failures to meet promises happen. One is that one or two people try to do too many things in the company on their own and it overwhelms them.
Another is that the owners are simply not diligent or organized with keeping on top of customer emails as they are received.
Now I'm not saying that what happened here is the norm with Tinywargames. I have never shopped there so I can't give any critique either way.
But I do know that as a consumer I've seen far, far too many online miniature companies who displayed horrendously bad commuication habits and horrendously bad performance with keeping track of incomplete orders, back order, and refunds.
Can't tell you how many times I've placed miniature orders, only to get a part of the order, and then the entire thing went into an absolute black hole. Communication STOPPED. It was as if the order was complete! Meanwhile they got the money for the entire orer. Nothing happened for weeks and even months before finally I emailed them to politely asked what happend to the rest of my order.
Then suddenly, they looked it up and went OHHHHHH, here it is! Oh yes, we don't have the other items in stock, you can wait for them to arrive here or we can give you a refund.
That is not good customer service. Yes, they were responsive. But it took the customer months later to shake them out of their stupor? Not a good look. Why is it up to the customer to poke the company with a stick months after an order is placed to get that company to realize that the order isn't complete?
If you have orders that cannot be completed, you NEED A SYSTEM FOR KEEPING TRACK of those orders. I don't care if it's Post It Notes on a bulletin board or push pins on a cork board, or an app on your phone. SOMETHING. And for orders that might require partial or total refunds? Again, you NEED A WAY to keep track of those particular situations.
They CAN'T just go into a black hole "because the entire team had to do inventory that week" or "we were short a person and we had to prepare for a trade show that week." or "we don't check our email except for a couple days a week."
Nope, none of those things fly.
