As title says.
I work at a very specialized retail location selling to a specific hobby craft of products
We had one customer phone an order in last week (more that seven days).
I took the order, wrote it out and put it on the pick pile for whomever was picking orders next. I even made a note that the customer asked for haste as they were going to a market show on this upcoming weekend and would like the product before this Friday (today)
That order promptly got lost.
It was found again on Wednesday (my Monday) by me. I vaguely remembered the order and put it at the top of the pile to be picked (I wasn't working on web orders that day.)
Yesterday I was finally working on order picking and I found the order at the bottom of the pile.
I knew it was old so I picked it, packed it and set the order on the desk of the person who processes payments for orders and prints the shipping labels.
Today that customer called and asked for me by name. (Since I gave them my name when I first talked to them, first name only I'm not dumb)
I was on lunch when they called so I called back immediately after my break.
Only to get yelled at that I left their order and now they don't need the product as it's too late for them to use it and how they are very unhappy.
I processed a full refund for them, dug the package out of the mail, wrote off the product as “lost/damaged” reposted it as priority post and sent it to the customer anyhow.
Just as a way to make it up to them. It was only about 40$. But I felt bad. Also the customer is a regular who spends thousands every year with us and I wanted to preserve the client.
Now my boss is throwing a fit and blaming me for the order being delayed. Because the order ended up on the bottom of the stack. Which happened on my day off so I'm not sure how it's my fault..
From the day I took the order on the phone until today I've only worked two shifts where my priority was picking orders. Today and yesterday.
Usually I am front of house doing customer service as I am a product specialist and customers come to consult me and me picking orders is kind of a waste of my time that I only usually do when there are no customers.
My boss is a perpetually lazy man who will do anything to stay off the corporate radar.
This customer sent an email to customer service at head office and corporate wants to know WTF.
Now I am going to have to defend myself to a corporate customer service person.
Heck.
Maybe I should be blamed.
I am the one who suggested to the customer that sending an email complaint was warranted.
I don't know what the solution is here.
I am mostly just venting.
I love my job. I care about the people who shop with us and the community around the hobby the business is focused around. Just not the pay or my management sometimes..