Hello Everyone
As the new year comes to a close I want to give you the Winner of The Worst Service in The World for 2014 Award.
This award goes to a company in Hollywood, California. Their web site is: www.911caviar.com. They also go by
the name Gourmet Direct International. We have caviar one time a year plus some other treats for our Christmas
Eve dinner with family and friends. This year I order my gourmet items from this company and chose the overnight
FedEx delivery. The next day we had not received the order so Priscilla checked the tracking number and it said it was in
transit. It never came as promised. The next day it still had not come so Priscilla called FedEx. They said the order missed the plane because of mechanical problems. The next day FedEx informed us they had returned the order to the Gourmet Direct International. We assume it had spoiled by then as it was in an ice pack. Priscilla called the company and reported this and asked they refund our credit card. The person on the phone was very rude and said, “The customer always right…NO…customer always wrong and hung up.
I returned from the UK on Saturday from a client seminar and wrote them another note asking for the credit and informing them I would contact American Express to have the charge disputed if they did not process the credit. Never heard a word from them and had American Express reverse the charge this morning. American Express wins one of the awards for excellent service. I love their customer service.
I looked on the internet for reviews of this company which I should have done before I placed my order. Here is a review from a customer that is exactly the way my wife’s call was handled;
“Ordered caviar for overnight delivery, very expensive item with a $35 charge for overnight shipping. Checked in with 911caviar 2 days after purchase, and a very rude man (wouldn’t give his name) said the package hadn’t been shipped yet.
When I asked why it hadn’t been shipped yet, he said it was going out “today” — already late. My credit card had already been charged the day I ordered (not upon shipping), which is bad business practice. Then when I asked to speak with a supervisor, the guy hung up on me.
The company also goes under the name Gourmet Direct International, so I suggest avoiding them as well. I sent an email to get a credit back on my card, but never heard back, and no credit has been posted. I stopped payment with my bank and filed a fraud alert.”
Their website is excellent….Their service is dismal. Be careful who is handling customer service for your organization….Merry Christmas….Lee
PS: I am offering a 45% bulk discount on my new book TIME MANAGEMENT MAGIC…How To Get More Done Every Day. For orders contact me at: Lee@LeeCockerell.com. List Price is 22.95. Discount price is 12.63 plus H&F for 12 copies or more. The book will be on Amazon in the next week or so for pre-orders.
Lee,
The internet gives even a small business the ability to compete with the biggest of big companies. Unfortunately, many small business owners don’t understand what is required to successfully compete with those companies.
As you have discovered, it’s prudent to do research before dealing with a new company on the internet. There are many sites that host reviews but I’ve found the easiest way to research a company is to Google them.
Caveat Emptor!
Merry Christmas, Lee
Armand Girard
P.S. I just pre-ordered your new book on Amazon. Looking forward to reading it.