A few months ago I thought I would treat myself to a set of fibre samples from a UK based online shop. Kind of like the US based Phatfiber. I placed my order and waited with anticipation for the samples to arrive. They came really promptly and I was so excited to receive them that I opened the plastic envelope in the car. So, and this has bearing later, I opened an intact mailer in a confined, self limiting space.
I looked at what came and took a photo, but I felt kind of flat and cheated as I had
Three. Small. Samples.
Nothing else, not even a penny chew, a thank you tag or a smiley face on the invoice/remittance note
I took the purchase to knit night. Friends there saw what came and were as underwhelmed as I had been. We chatted and after I came home, I confirmed what had been pointed out to me - that there was a guarantee of 5 samples per this package. I politely mailed the vendor and was asked:
'Had your parcel been tampered with when you received it? We are
pretty careful about checking every bag has 5 samples from different
dyers.
I will put another 2 samples in the post for you tomorrow.'
Apart from the salutation, that was it. Not a whisper of an apology and what I felt was a faint accusation of me trying to rip the vendor off. I even went and checked in the car in case I had somehow misplaced two fibre samples or they had sprung out when I opened the mailer.
I did get another two samples, but again, no additional customer service. I've never been contacted to ask if I got the replacements and there was no extra for my inconvenience, no offer of a discount on a future purchase. Nothing to encourage me to look on this as a blip.
I won't say what I think of the samples as my whole interaction has been tainted by this experience. I won't be repeating this purchase and I have to remind myself that the dyers provided their wares in good faith and I shouldn't let this colour what I think of their work
See, said it was a whnge!
