Dealing with Backorders
"Dealing with Backorders" It's going to happen. If you're
selling on the Internet, there are going to be backorders. As I
write this, I have just finished dealing with a backorder
situation, and steam is still rising from my ears. By now, I
should be used to it. I shouldn't let the little things get to
me. It's not the supplier that I'm upset with. It's the
customer. Let's start from the beginning. A couple of weeks ago,
I handled an order for a Conair Digital Blood Pressure Monitor.
As usual, I emailed the order off to the Conair supplier with
several others. Later that day, I received a phone call from the
Conair supplier. The BP monitor was out of stock, but was
expected within 10 days. Did I want to place the product on
backorder, or cancel the order altogether? Also as usual, I told
the supplier I would get back in touch with them after checking
with the customer. Since the customer was located in Orlando, it
was a local call. I called his house. I identified myself, told
him that I had received his order, and that I was very sorry,
but the product had just run out of stock, and was expected to
be available again in 10 days. I told him I had not yet charged
his credit card, and would cancel the order if he preferred to
go somewhere else. You would have thought I had just told him
that I was planning to strangle his cat. He got upset, and I
could just hear his face turning purple. Small wonder the man
needed a blood pressure monitor. I'll spare you the details. It
came down to this: he thought that I should give him free
shipping for his inconvenience. I stuck to my guns, and politely
told him that I was not willing to do that. He had placed the
order only hours before, and I had not yet charged him. He
finally agreed to wait for the product, but said he would be
watching the calendar. I knew I had a "trouble customer" on my
hands. (Imagine the "Twilight Zone" theme music playing at this
point). A week later, when I got another call from the Conair
distributor saying that the factory shipment had been delayed
further, I braced for impact, and contacted the customer. I'll
spare you the details of that exchange as well. There may be
small children present. I managed to keep calm, although I was
boiling at this point. Again I offered to cancel the order. He
refused, saying that he had waited this long; he might as well
wait it out. The BP Monitor showed up at the distributor two
days ago. They were considerate enough to ship it to the
customer by FedEx 2 Day Air at no extra charge. (My Conair
distributor is great!). It will arrive at the customer's house
today. I was quite happy. Then I checked my email. Another
blistering tirade from our over-pressured friend. I wrote back,
calmly and politely, and told him he could expect his order in a
matter of hours, and I was sorry that he was unsatisfied. I
haven't heard back from him, and probably won't. Now, this may
sound like I'm making it up for effect, but I swear it's true: I
handled another order for the exact same product on the same
day, and the woman who placed the order experienced the same
delay. A couple of hours after receiving the nasty-gram from my
friend above, I got an email from this woman. She thanked me for
my persistence in following up her backorder, and told me she
would definitely be back to shop with the site again. That's
what makes it worth dealing with all this in the first place!
Here are the things that I've learned about backorders during my
time in this business. Internet customers are for the most part
"instant gratification" junkies. They want it NOW. Because of
this, backorder situations must be handled immediately. Don't
wait even a day. Call them, or email them. (A call is usually
appreciated more than an email, but you have to watch your phone
bill). If you think a product might be questionable as far as
stock status, check with the distributor before charging the
customer's card. You get a feel for which items are stocked less
than others after a while. You can always refund the charge, but
it's better if you can tell them you have not charged them yet.
Always offer to cancel. Chances are they won't, because then
they have to go search for the product again and hope they don't
get backordered somewhere else, but the offer to cancel must be
there. It tells them that you are not desperate for the sale,
and gives you the advantage in the conversation. Be nice. Even
if you are grinding your teeth. You can't afford to lose your
grip. You never know when one episode of lost temper will come
back to bite you. Follow up during the backorder period. Send at
least one email saying that you are monitoring the situation,
and are sorry for the delay. That is a great tactic for defusing
an impatient person; at least they know you are thinking about
them. If there is an additional delay, offer to cancel again.
They may actually take you up on it if it's a long delay, but
you don't lose anything if the distributor has not yet shipped.
When you receive word that the product has shipped, inform the
customer. They appreciate that, and again, realize that you are
at least thinking about them. Most people understand backorders,
and will give you no trouble. In fact, most are very
appreciative if you contact them right away. Sometimes, you get
the trouble customers. Deal with them politely, and never lose
your temper. Be the bigger person. I always check my return
emails to these people twice. There are times when I've let some
temper slip in to my writing, and I'm sure to remove it before
clicking the send button. It only ends up helping you in the
long run! Chris Malta WorldWide Brands, Inc. For more
information, visit http://www.YouCanDropship.com