I think we are over thinking the actual point here.
The point is, start to talk to your kids about the idea of financial responsibility.
Some parents teaches their kids about money at age 2 or 3! How? Give them chores, reward them, and they can use the $ to buy what they want. As they grow up, you teach them more ideas that relate to the real world.
Again, the point is, teach the next generation a little about financial responsibility - and other things about life.
There are some thing internet buyers need to be aware of:
1) The internet will give you access to more than just storefronts. You will often find your self on websites from manufacturers, industry specific resellers, wholesalers, and many other segments of the market the end consumer doesn't normally deal with.
There's a saying in my business: "You kiss the customer's ass to close a $5 sale. To close a 5 million dollar sale, you tell them to kiss yours." As odd as it sounds to people outside the industry, for those of us in that market, truer words have never been spoken. Business etiquette varies greatly in different segments of the market, not everyone is there to be polite and cater to your every desire. They are there to take the money and to do anything not to lose that money.
Most consumers equate online sales to retail sales and bring those expectations with them. If this company you mention deals primarily to industry, they simply may not share that view. Coarse language is only the tip of the iceberg is some industries. Still, it is the business' job to understand the expectations of their clients and accommodate. I agree, this specific case sounds like unnecessary rudeness more than a clash of business cultures, but be aware, "the customer's always right" line doesn't fly in many industries. Friendly and outgoing businesses always get put on the bottom of the accounts payable stack. They're less likely to make a big deal out these problems and everyone else takes advantage of that. Many sales people are actually trained to assert themselves in a rude and hostile manner to scare off nuisance complaints and avoid frivolous litigation. It sounds contrary to most reasonable expectations, but be prepared to encounter it online.
2) I've seen multi-billion dollar corporations with half-assed websites, and guys running small businesses out of their garage who own the definitive website for their industry. Before making a purchase, try to determine the scale of the business. It's not always obvious. Look for a line card (a link that says "About Us" or "Company History") and read it. Look at available quantities and make a judgment based on how much business you think they do. Are you the type of customer they usually serve?
In the case of the Worm guys, does he sell to home gardeners primarily, or does he service plant nursery chains, waste management companies, pharmaceutical companies, universities, etc...
Regardless of their scale, most companies will still deal with individuals for small sales. However, these small sales may actually cost the company so significantly in time and resources (especially if a complaint arises) that your patronage is not important to them. Again, this doesn't sound like the case here. A large scale company would never use paypal, and if their time actually was valuable, you'd have gotten an impersonal form letter in response detailing exactly what their policy is. Instead you got a very personal e-mail that would only encourage you to respond in a way that takes even more of their time. This is clearly a lack of professionalism on their part. Still, be open to the possibility that some websites barely break even on small sales to the general public. Many of them gain nothing by dealing with you except hopefully a good recommendation.
For example, many years ago, I worked for a manufacturing plant. We sold our product to the public through distribution firms, but in keeping with the company's local tradition, people could always come to our door and buy what the needed directly. The old-timers loved that we still did that and it made us seem more involved in the local community. Yet having people in production drop what their doing (at a $20/hr rate) and tend to a $5 sale was actually a net loss. The good PR was worth it and it generated some much larger orders, but in terms of monetary expense, it was more a charitable service than a division of our business.
Many online sellers use their websites as a front-end for sales to keep their name in industry papers, and to circulate their reputation to a pool of potential hires. This is often done at a loss.
Many people believe they are doing the company a favor by giving them their business. There is an immediate expectation of gratitude. This is not always the case. Still, the whole purpose of offering such services is to build a good reputation, something this company obviously failed to do.
3) Paypal caters to shady businesses. The dispute process is weighted heavily against the consumer as disputes cut into paypal's resources and profits as well. While they are convenient and secure, they also provide a safe haven for con-artists, thieves and bad businesses in general. If there are multiple options for payment, paypal is just there as a convenience to the customers who already have accounts. If that is the only payment option, that's a big red flag, look elsewhere to make your purchase. The one notable exception to this is eBay where virtually everything is sold via paypal.
4) Always use your own courier account. If you don't have one, get one.
Reason One: Practically everyone online these days pads their shipping charges by $3-$4 at least. If you buy 10 things online, you've payed for the account and everything past that is savings.
Reason Two: Your address info is always correct and drop-shipping can be used for gift purchases to save additional money. You can Log your tracking data on all purchases in one place and change the package destination en-route if needed. You can choose to require a signature and have permanent delivery instructions. Basically, you have control over packages without going back to the seller.
Reason Three: When you request your account be used for shipping, most sellers assume your are ordering from a business. You are now a potentially lucrative business contact to them rather than a nuisance order. What you order may only be a few dollars right now, but for all they know, it may be the first of many larger orders. The level of service you receive will be much greater. Many sellers will send you free samples of their other products, offer additional discounts, basically anything to get your return business. You may have to call them on the phone to request the change in shipping method, but it's a common practice amongst businesses to require that of their vendors so don't by shy about asking.
In this case, the appropriate action for the business would have been to send an e-mail stating the following:
"We are sorry to hear of this problem with your order. Your business is valuable to us.
As the package was delivered to the address we were provided, we are unable to refund the cost of shipping. However, we recognize the good faith you have showed us in choosing our company. As such, I have been authorized to resend your order at our wholesale cost {estimate here}. Please place order code: XX1234 in the instruction line of your next order and I will apply the discount. We will expedite your order immediately upon it's arrival.
If you have further questions you may contact me via e-mail {address@here} or phone 555-555-5555.
Thank you again for your business,
Name
Notice, the letter is fair and accommodating without using words like "I apologize" or anything that would imply the company was at fault. The company would be out no money, and most customers would be willing to accept those terms. Simply stating that you appreciate the customer's business goes a long way. I've done it 3 times in that short letter.
Still some customers believe they are entitled to be the beneficiary of any and every mistake, regardless of where the fault lies. Many people would harass the business with followup e-mails, trying to negotiate better terms or a refund without returning the product. In one section of the letter I say "I have been authorized..." that implies there is someone else the customer can speak with. Hand the phone off to some one else and have them paraphrase the same letter. The customer may see things from your perspective, or just get frustrated and give up. Either way, problem solved. In some rare circumstances, the customer will persist in calling and writing the company. Even then, don't start name calling, especially not in an e-mail where they'll be armed with a written record of your lack of professionalism. Think what you will about people, but don't say it, it gains you nothing.
In most living rooms, there's a spot that begs for attention—the mantel. Sometimes, to achieve a seasonal new look, all you have to do is spruce up this space. Add fresh flowers; take away some photographs to simplify the arrangement; or swap out artwork to introduce some new color and interest. Check out this seasonal change: http://cheapdecorating.blogspot.com.
I love the idea of reusing and recycling. The bonus is that you're taking a shapely, pure object, like the wine bottle, and elevating it. So many ordinary, everyday objects have a sculptural quality that can really stand out in your home. Prop up a beautiful tray to decorate your backsplash for instance. Thanks for the good ideas! Keep 'em coming!
Steph, I am so sorry to hear that. I really hope that you are able to prove the former employer wrong - if not, then I hope you will seek a lawyer's advice.
It's amazing how employers, especially large ones, think that they can get away with this kind of behavior. It's not just about the lack of benefits - imagine being fined for something like unemployment fraud! It's unconscionable.
Despite my post, i haven't gotten around to making a sourdough starter yet. My to-do list said to get the worm bin started first, and you know how that went.
But I will definitely keep a print of this post in my recipe folder to help me once i grow it!
My best friend does a considerable amount of baking, and when I started making homemade bread a couple months ago, she let me in on a great tip. If you like whole wheat bread but add all purpose flour to lighten the texture, just add wheat gluten. She recommends experimenting with the amount of gluten to get it just right for you, but suggests starting with a couple of tablespoons.
I have been baking my own bread from sourdough starter for a few months now. It took me a couple tries for the starter. I ended up using half a packet of store-bought yeast. The bread makes my apartment smell like heaven!
Thanks for writing this article, hopefully more people will get into it. It's frugal, healthy and I find kneading dough to be very relaxing (and a great arm workout).
I'm so glad you posted this because this happened recently to us. My husband was laid off in October along with several hundred other employees. Just about 2 weeks ago, we received a letter from the unemployment agency that the company claimed he had quit his job. The government was threatening to charge us with unemployment fraud! We sent back copies of some paperwork we had, though we're still waiting to see how this proceeds. If they do decide against us, we'll not only have to pay back the benefits received, but that amount plus four times that amount!
The government really should have some sort of safeguard against companies doing this to their former employees.
This is why I love coming here. You always have good ideas and often times crucial info for things I'm unaware of or just dying to know more about. This is one of those 'dying to know more about' moments. We just bought a second computer and I've been wondering if and how we could get them to work together. This book looks like it would answer these questions. Keep up the good work!
Hi Paul -
Perhaps you can help me. I just bought a DVD Player Sony DVP-NS508P and want to convert it to region free. Iwas hoping you could give some advice on how to do this.
The fairest tax method would not be to tax everyone as a single person (because that would harm spouses with disparate incomes), but to allow married people to choose whether they want to file together or as two single people. Then they could pick the method that benefited them the most, and it wouldn't influence their decision to get married.
Thanks for the links! I run a blog about money making and small business, and I'm definitely interested in your first link about blogging gigs! One of my blog posts was featured in my local paper, but alas, it was a volunteer article :)
Because it is a complicated pain in the rear; so complicated it seems that every other Obama nominee can't do theirs correctly (and get off with a slap where heaven help you if you screw up in the same way).
BTW a Goggle search of the terms +I+hate+tax+season
there are a lot of things better and lighter to be an absorbant than kitty litter. kitty litter takes way to long to absorb oil spills and gas spills unless poured directly on it or its thrown on a puddle. buy some spill magic and you wonder why you ever used kitty litter. it absorbs right away and its hazardous materials safe. picks up oils, acids,gas, and many more items and is environmentally safe. as far as the tires i couldn't tell you i have never been or driven in snow but sounds like a great idea.
My wife and I don't know each other's PIN's, so #2 isn't really an issue. As for the GPS, I have learnt the hardway that leaving it out of sight is not enough - it needs to be removed from the car if you want it to be safe.
I am going to go against the grain with the other commenter’s and say I love it, however I agree with the first commenter and would love it a whole lot more if it were a fair tax or flat tax. At least then I can choose to pay taxes when I purchase something rather than the current system of being taxed at both ends.
Why do I love it? I get MY money back! Money that was ripped away from me before I even had the chance to hold it. I worked in sales and had my commission checks were taxed at 45%. I cannot change my deductions to a high enough number that would prevent such robbery. It is disheartening to open a pay stub, look at your earnings of $1,000 and see your net pay out of $550. I need to wait 12 months to see a portion of that $550 to be returned to me without interest, but hey it is getting returned and in one lump sum.
Totalace totally agree with this.. infact Citifinancial even today follows a lending model wheer the customer needs to meet the bank officer face to face before his/her loan is sanctioned.. So it indeed works...
I think we are over thinking the actual point here.
The point is, start to talk to your kids about the idea of financial responsibility.
Some parents teaches their kids about money at age 2 or 3! How? Give them chores, reward them, and they can use the $ to buy what they want. As they grow up, you teach them more ideas that relate to the real world.
Again, the point is, teach the next generation a little about financial responsibility - and other things about life.
There are some thing internet buyers need to be aware of:
1) The internet will give you access to more than just storefronts. You will often find your self on websites from manufacturers, industry specific resellers, wholesalers, and many other segments of the market the end consumer doesn't normally deal with.
There's a saying in my business: "You kiss the customer's ass to close a $5 sale. To close a 5 million dollar sale, you tell them to kiss yours." As odd as it sounds to people outside the industry, for those of us in that market, truer words have never been spoken. Business etiquette varies greatly in different segments of the market, not everyone is there to be polite and cater to your every desire. They are there to take the money and to do anything not to lose that money.
Most consumers equate online sales to retail sales and bring those expectations with them. If this company you mention deals primarily to industry, they simply may not share that view. Coarse language is only the tip of the iceberg is some industries. Still, it is the business' job to understand the expectations of their clients and accommodate. I agree, this specific case sounds like unnecessary rudeness more than a clash of business cultures, but be aware, "the customer's always right" line doesn't fly in many industries. Friendly and outgoing businesses always get put on the bottom of the accounts payable stack. They're less likely to make a big deal out these problems and everyone else takes advantage of that. Many sales people are actually trained to assert themselves in a rude and hostile manner to scare off nuisance complaints and avoid frivolous litigation. It sounds contrary to most reasonable expectations, but be prepared to encounter it online.
2) I've seen multi-billion dollar corporations with half-assed websites, and guys running small businesses out of their garage who own the definitive website for their industry. Before making a purchase, try to determine the scale of the business. It's not always obvious. Look for a line card (a link that says "About Us" or "Company History") and read it. Look at available quantities and make a judgment based on how much business you think they do. Are you the type of customer they usually serve?
In the case of the Worm guys, does he sell to home gardeners primarily, or does he service plant nursery chains, waste management companies, pharmaceutical companies, universities, etc...
Regardless of their scale, most companies will still deal with individuals for small sales. However, these small sales may actually cost the company so significantly in time and resources (especially if a complaint arises) that your patronage is not important to them. Again, this doesn't sound like the case here. A large scale company would never use paypal, and if their time actually was valuable, you'd have gotten an impersonal form letter in response detailing exactly what their policy is. Instead you got a very personal e-mail that would only encourage you to respond in a way that takes even more of their time. This is clearly a lack of professionalism on their part. Still, be open to the possibility that some websites barely break even on small sales to the general public. Many of them gain nothing by dealing with you except hopefully a good recommendation.
For example, many years ago, I worked for a manufacturing plant. We sold our product to the public through distribution firms, but in keeping with the company's local tradition, people could always come to our door and buy what the needed directly. The old-timers loved that we still did that and it made us seem more involved in the local community. Yet having people in production drop what their doing (at a $20/hr rate) and tend to a $5 sale was actually a net loss. The good PR was worth it and it generated some much larger orders, but in terms of monetary expense, it was more a charitable service than a division of our business.
Many online sellers use their websites as a front-end for sales to keep their name in industry papers, and to circulate their reputation to a pool of potential hires. This is often done at a loss.
Many people believe they are doing the company a favor by giving them their business. There is an immediate expectation of gratitude. This is not always the case. Still, the whole purpose of offering such services is to build a good reputation, something this company obviously failed to do.
3) Paypal caters to shady businesses. The dispute process is weighted heavily against the consumer as disputes cut into paypal's resources and profits as well. While they are convenient and secure, they also provide a safe haven for con-artists, thieves and bad businesses in general. If there are multiple options for payment, paypal is just there as a convenience to the customers who already have accounts. If that is the only payment option, that's a big red flag, look elsewhere to make your purchase. The one notable exception to this is eBay where virtually everything is sold via paypal.
4) Always use your own courier account. If you don't have one, get one.
Reason One: Practically everyone online these days pads their shipping charges by $3-$4 at least. If you buy 10 things online, you've payed for the account and everything past that is savings.
Reason Two: Your address info is always correct and drop-shipping can be used for gift purchases to save additional money. You can Log your tracking data on all purchases in one place and change the package destination en-route if needed. You can choose to require a signature and have permanent delivery instructions. Basically, you have control over packages without going back to the seller.
Reason Three: When you request your account be used for shipping, most sellers assume your are ordering from a business. You are now a potentially lucrative business contact to them rather than a nuisance order. What you order may only be a few dollars right now, but for all they know, it may be the first of many larger orders. The level of service you receive will be much greater. Many sellers will send you free samples of their other products, offer additional discounts, basically anything to get your return business. You may have to call them on the phone to request the change in shipping method, but it's a common practice amongst businesses to require that of their vendors so don't by shy about asking.
In this case, the appropriate action for the business would have been to send an e-mail stating the following:
Notice, the letter is fair and accommodating without using words like "I apologize" or anything that would imply the company was at fault. The company would be out no money, and most customers would be willing to accept those terms. Simply stating that you appreciate the customer's business goes a long way. I've done it 3 times in that short letter.
Still some customers believe they are entitled to be the beneficiary of any and every mistake, regardless of where the fault lies. Many people would harass the business with followup e-mails, trying to negotiate better terms or a refund without returning the product. In one section of the letter I say "I have been authorized..." that implies there is someone else the customer can speak with. Hand the phone off to some one else and have them paraphrase the same letter. The customer may see things from your perspective, or just get frustrated and give up. Either way, problem solved. In some rare circumstances, the customer will persist in calling and writing the company. Even then, don't start name calling, especially not in an e-mail where they'll be armed with a written record of your lack of professionalism. Think what you will about people, but don't say it, it gains you nothing.
In most living rooms, there's a spot that begs for attention—the mantel. Sometimes, to achieve a seasonal new look, all you have to do is spruce up this space. Add fresh flowers; take away some photographs to simplify the arrangement; or swap out artwork to introduce some new color and interest. Check out this seasonal change: http://cheapdecorating.blogspot.com.
I love the idea of reusing and recycling. The bonus is that you're taking a shapely, pure object, like the wine bottle, and elevating it. So many ordinary, everyday objects have a sculptural quality that can really stand out in your home. Prop up a beautiful tray to decorate your backsplash for instance. Thanks for the good ideas! Keep 'em coming!
Steph, I am so sorry to hear that. I really hope that you are able to prove the former employer wrong - if not, then I hope you will seek a lawyer's advice.
It's amazing how employers, especially large ones, think that they can get away with this kind of behavior. It's not just about the lack of benefits - imagine being fined for something like unemployment fraud! It's unconscionable.
Despite my post, i haven't gotten around to making a sourdough starter yet. My to-do list said to get the worm bin started first, and you know how that went.
But I will definitely keep a print of this post in my recipe folder to help me once i grow it!
I blog at www.shopliftingwithpermission.com.
My best friend does a considerable amount of baking, and when I started making homemade bread a couple months ago, she let me in on a great tip. If you like whole wheat bread but add all purpose flour to lighten the texture, just add wheat gluten. She recommends experimenting with the amount of gluten to get it just right for you, but suggests starting with a couple of tablespoons.
I have been baking my own bread from sourdough starter for a few months now. It took me a couple tries for the starter. I ended up using half a packet of store-bought yeast. The bread makes my apartment smell like heaven!
Thanks for writing this article, hopefully more people will get into it. It's frugal, healthy and I find kneading dough to be very relaxing (and a great arm workout).
I'm so glad you posted this because this happened recently to us. My husband was laid off in October along with several hundred other employees. Just about 2 weeks ago, we received a letter from the unemployment agency that the company claimed he had quit his job. The government was threatening to charge us with unemployment fraud! We sent back copies of some paperwork we had, though we're still waiting to see how this proceeds. If they do decide against us, we'll not only have to pay back the benefits received, but that amount plus four times that amount!
The government really should have some sort of safeguard against companies doing this to their former employees.
This is why I love coming here. You always have good ideas and often times crucial info for things I'm unaware of or just dying to know more about. This is one of those 'dying to know more about' moments. We just bought a second computer and I've been wondering if and how we could get them to work together. This book looks like it would answer these questions. Keep up the good work!
Enyone knows how can i unlock my dvd toshiba SD-580EKE to region free?
It's too bad. I hope I never have too deal with a selfish employer.
Thanks,
Nate
Hi Paul -
Perhaps you can help me. I just bought a DVD Player Sony DVP-NS508P and want to convert it to region free. Iwas hoping you could give some advice on how to do this.
The fairest tax method would not be to tax everyone as a single person (because that would harm spouses with disparate incomes), but to allow married people to choose whether they want to file together or as two single people. Then they could pick the method that benefited them the most, and it wouldn't influence their decision to get married.
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
A book like this
Is surely a "must"
I'd like to win one!
Oh, I didn't know it had been linked! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments!
Thanks for the links! I run a blog about money making and small business, and I'm definitely interested in your first link about blogging gigs! One of my blog posts was featured in my local paper, but alas, it was a volunteer article :)
Because it is a complicated pain in the rear; so complicated it seems that every other Obama nominee can't do theirs correctly (and get off with a slap where heaven help you if you screw up in the same way).
BTW a Goggle search of the terms +I+hate+tax+season
produces 348,000 hits.
I've would love to win this book to network my current home office.
there are a lot of things better and lighter to be an absorbant than kitty litter. kitty litter takes way to long to absorb oil spills and gas spills unless poured directly on it or its thrown on a puddle. buy some spill magic and you wonder why you ever used kitty litter. it absorbs right away and its hazardous materials safe. picks up oils, acids,gas, and many more items and is environmentally safe. as far as the tires i couldn't tell you i have never been or driven in snow but sounds like a great idea.
My wife and I don't know each other's PIN's, so #2 isn't really an issue. As for the GPS, I have learnt the hardway that leaving it out of sight is not enough - it needs to be removed from the car if you want it to be safe.
Personally, I take two of the big capsules each day. I buy xylitol mints at a local natural/organic grocery.
Catherine Shaffer
Wise Bread Contributor
I am going to go against the grain with the other commenter’s and say I love it, however I agree with the first commenter and would love it a whole lot more if it were a fair tax or flat tax. At least then I can choose to pay taxes when I purchase something rather than the current system of being taxed at both ends.
Why do I love it? I get MY money back! Money that was ripped away from me before I even had the chance to hold it. I worked in sales and had my commission checks were taxed at 45%. I cannot change my deductions to a high enough number that would prevent such robbery. It is disheartening to open a pay stub, look at your earnings of $1,000 and see your net pay out of $550. I need to wait 12 months to see a portion of that $550 to be returned to me without interest, but hey it is getting returned and in one lump sum.
Totalace totally agree with this.. infact Citifinancial even today follows a lending model wheer the customer needs to meet the bank officer face to face before his/her loan is sanctioned.. So it indeed works...