Most Patient customer of the year?

[bigway 4]

People often come to these forums and lay their complaints for all to see. Im doing it a bit different and going to rag on myself and the experience one of my customers has received this past few months.

I am suprised he has not posted it in the forums, well not suprised but a lesser person would have.

He has had a shit experience ordering through me. Really shit. I personally would be super pissed if I was him.


So he ordered a smart reserve from me, never knowing who i was. He got his smart reserve just as ordered and as fast as possible.
He then comes back and orders a Canopy. Shortly after he changes it to a newer material canopy. A couple of months down the track after waiting on a 9 week delivery period he asks about hsi canopy, I find out the status and then am told his colours are not available, a couple of months after he ordered it.
So i tell him his colours are not available and we need to change it.
About this time he also then orders a container off me during my busssiest ever time. For some reason I just plain forgot to place the order for the container.
A month later I realise this and let him know, we then order it that day.

So a couple of months later his canopy arrives (today) way overdue..... Its the wrong bloddy colour, wrong pattern. I never changed the patetrn when he changed from original material to new material.

His container should be arriving soon as well, way late.

To top it off he also ordered a large optimum and that still can not be released from PD, he ordered this many months ago.

Now I have to reorder his canopy for him.


This guy has had the worst customer service i could imagine and he has been as polite and understanding as anyone could be in this situation and I am very grateful.

Of course there is alot of factors that go into making all these mistakes and his delays that i am not going to get into as I am not trying to defend myself.

I just wanted to share the terrible experience of one of my customers with you all that think you got it bad when your canopy has been a month late before or a few weeks late. This guy has had everything go pear shapped and he has kept his cool.

I have sold more gear this year than I ever have before and this one customer got the bad end of the stick. I know you read the forums and I wanted to say Thank You for not turning on me and not making it harder than it needs to be. Every now and then in life things go so good that something somewhere has to go wrong and I think you got that lucky card. Last year I had a similar customer where everything went wrong as well. I guess it must happen to all dealers at some point and I just wanted to share my customers horror story to give those of you that have purchased elsewhere and had to wait a bit longer than usual another persons experience to reflect on and realize that your problems right now are not as bad as this guy is dealing with. Also in my guest book my customers leave such great feedback and in these forums I have alot of customers thank me for gear, So i thought it was only right that I even it out a bit and share one of my screw ups with you. It is not entirely my fault but it is entirely my responsibility.




How many sales do I lose this month cause of this post i wonder.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[humbled1 0]

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...I am suprised he has not posted it in the forums, well not suprised but a lesser person would have.

He has had a shit experience ordering through me. Really shit. I personally would be super pissed if I was him...

I do appreciate the spirit in which this thread was started but to some degree you are saying people that have legitimate complaints that post here are "less than" people who just suffer in silence.

Obviously I will never need to do business with you but after reading this thread what I take away from it is you really like customers that you forget about and give cruddy service to but don't complain.

Guess if I was in your shoes I would feel the same way.

Good luck with that

"Tell ya the truth, I don't think this is a brains kind of operation."

[mrbiceps 0]

hope this guy got a discount for all the messing around.

[bigway 4]

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Quote

...I am suprised he has not posted it in the forums, well not suprised but a lesser person would have.

He has had a shit experience ordering through me. Really shit. I personally would be super pissed if I was him...

I do appreciate the spirit in which this thread was started but to some degree you are saying people that have legitimate complaints that post here are "less than" people who just suffer in silence.

Obviously I will never need to do business with you but after reading this thread what I take away from it is you really like customers that you forget about and give cruddy service to but don't complain.

Guess if I was in your shoes I would feel the same way.

Good luck with that

Sorry to hear you guess that is what I think.

What I was meaning by what you quoted me on was that some people come here and rag on business's right when a problem confronts them rather than say phone the dealer, manufacturer up and find a resoltuion that works for them.

I have no problem with someone experiencing terrible customer service and then coming to these forums to tell us all about it.

An example, His wrong colour canopy was delivered today, instead of coming straight to the forums and bitching about it he got in touch with me instnatly for us to resolve it. Now a 'lesser' person might and has been known to come straight to the forums and bitch and moan about before actually speaking to their dealer or manufacturer and seeing what can be done about it.

I am real sorry you have read alot more into what I wrote than what I actually wrote. Trying to guess what I think and how i feel to then tell me that I like customers that forget about cruddy service is pathetic. I never said that, I never even impllied that. Hell, if i wanted him or anyone to forget about it then I would not have posted a thread on the subject of myself letting a customer down. That is not exactly what you do when you want people to forget about it. And who the hell said anything about anyone 'suffering in silence'?? Jesus christ you are a drama queen. Do you just make this shit up? Again, there is alot to the story that you dont know, maybe it works for him not having his gear yet, maybe he does not need it until next season? What do you know. Please dont sit there making shit up and telling me what I think. Sheesh. Wish i had magic powers like that to know what someone on the other side of the world i have never met is thinking because they said 'lesser'. Either you know my thoughts before i do or you some sort of superhuman who knows how i feel about everything.

Maybe you think you have some talent at reading more into a post than what the poster is saying and guessing how they feel inside their head, but in this case you are wrong as what you have described is not me at all. Good luck with your special powers.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[bigway 4]

He has been offered a discount on future purchases that mean I will be paying for a percentage of his next order. He had already been given a very large discount to begin with and he understands that. maybe that is why he has been so good about it all.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Blink 0]

Cudos to you Bigway!

I've never bought anything from you but wouldn't hesitate in the slightest.

I've read some of your previous posts and can attest that you do your very best for your customers.

It's good to know that some people do realize that everyone is human, and we all make mistakes.

Keep up the good work.

[bigway 4]

Cheers mate but being applauded for stuffing up a customers entire season of skydiving is not something I really want to accept.

I am glad that this customer has a few rigs or I would really be in the shit. Being in the shit to me is not a matter of discounting him, giving freebies away or shit like that, being in the shit to me means the guy is stuffed without his gear. Im just glad that is not the situation. Cause nothing would make that situation better.

For those of you newbies buying your first piece of kit, if your gear is a week late, dont get mad at your dealer, dont rush out to make him look bad, cause i guarantee he feels like shit for letting you down.

At least this customer knows that he will never have to pay anything close to retail price again. His skydiving just got a hell of alot cheaper.


To the other dealers- I dont know about you guys but this year is a drag. So many things being late on delivery, so many things not yet released but sold months ago, this is not a fun year in the industry.

I have to say, it must be bloody hard being a customer purchasing your first custom made rig. it is surely one of the most single expensive purchases you will make in your life time. Being a customer can not be easy.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[fmmobley 0]

I feel it is refreshing for a vendor to publicly apologize and acknowledge that a customer has suffered a bit. How many vendors would do that. The fact is, no company can deliver perfect service all the time, there are things out of their control.

I was on the other end, and got great customer service when I bought my canopy from you guys and recommend you often.

I will continue to recommend you.

... Marion

[popsjumper 2]

Damn! Somebody that will man-up to a screw-up.
Now THAT'S different!
You be 'da man!

Now...don't screw up again....ever.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[kelpdiver 2]

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To the other dealers- I dont know about you guys but this year is a drag. So many things being late on delivery, so many things not yet released but sold months ago, this is not a fun year in the industry.

It's rough when you're putting together your first rig. I waited several months for a Smart reserve in '05 because Aerodyne (SA) had decided to take on a big military contract and all others got pushed.

It's much easier when you already have a rig - you just keep using it, and don't commit to selling it until the replacement arrives.

I look forward to the ZPX experience in a few weeks.

[fred 0]

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He has been offered a discount on future purchases that mean I will be paying for a percentage of his next order. He had already been given a very large discount to begin with and he understands that. maybe that is why he has been so good about it all.

It seems to me that it was his current order that was screwed up, repeatedly, by you and your suppliers. So offering him a discount on future orders is completely self-serving.

[danielcroft 2]

No one should wonder why dealers/manufacturers don't come on dz.com and admit when they screw up.

[bigway 4]

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No one should wonder why dealers/manufacturers don't come on dz.com and admit when they screw up.

Yeah no shit right?
Im suprised I have not been as flamed as I thought I would be.
I was having a bad day when i posted this thread. I wanted to vent. (I had just found out my mother had a stroke that day)

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

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... It is not entirely my fault but it is entirely my responsibility.




How many sales do I lose this month cause of this post i wonder.

First off, sorry to hear about your mother. I hope the stroke wasn't too severe, and that she has a good recovery.

I was always taught that customer service isn't about never making mistakes. It is about owning responsibility for the ones you make, and correcting or making amends for them.

This guy just had the bad luck of catching several of them.

You could have hidden the fact that you mislaid the order and just blamed the manufacturer for the delay...

But you didn't.

You could have blamed the manufacturer for the color pattern screwup...

But you didn't.

You were the one who kept communications open, and made sure the customer knew what was going on. (owning responsibility)
You are offering a discount on future purchases. (making amends).

If you weren't so far away, I'd feel very comfortable ordering from you. Based on what I've heard about you on here, but more what I've heard from you.
You don't try to hide your mistakes. You don't blame others for them. You probably don't make anywhere near as many as your posts imply.

Everyone screws up. Not everyone has the balls to admit it and make it right.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo