Caution when dealing with 2nd Childhood Toys and Collectables

[bowspearer]

I've dealt with him several times too and before this I've never had a problem; never imagined in a million years that I would have had a problem with him either. That's why as I said, I'm in disbelief that I would actually have to post this thread, and I genuinely hope that for whatever reason he's just temporarily taken leave of his senses, because what I encountered is the complete opposite of what I've come to expect from him.

It's for that reason I'm recommending people exercise caution with him rather than avoiding him and I truly hope that whatever has caused this on his end, passes soon.

[Trent]

Seems like it escalated really quickly and is strange that in his first reply he stated that he had no liability yet in his second reply offers you a full refund (even if it is complete with attitude.)

That is no way for any business to conduct itself. While I do believe that Bowspearer could have handled his end better with his second reply, this "Kyle" showed a complete lack of understanding of basic customer service.

[bowspearer]

I'm curious Trent, how do you feel I could have handled that second response better, because I feel I handled it pretty well, all things considering. Not picking a fight; genuinely curious.

[Defcon]

I don't really see a problem here. I think both parties could of handled themselves better. Sometimes people are just having a bad day. Not knowing all the facts, just an observation, customer service is a 2 way street, both parties need to act in a thoughtful manner to get the best outcome. Looks like Kyle started off poorly by been really blunt and unhelpful, next though the tone of your message comes across with a hint of accusation. Looks like it just escalated from there.

[bowspearer]

I don't really see a problem here. I think both parties could of handled themselves better. Sometimes people are just having a bad day. Not knowing all the facts, just an observation, customer service is a 2 way street, both parties need to act in a thoughtful manner to get the best outcome. Looks like Kyle started off poorly by been really blunt and unhelpful, next though the tone of your message comes across with a hint of accusation. Looks like it just escalated from there.

I probably should state at this point that that is the entirety of the correspondence between them and I.

As for my initial response, I take your point, however in my defence, he'd not only been unhelpful, but in the process, he'd said something that was completely false - that Popculcha would respond by being unhelpful. Yes I realise that overpromising and underdelivering is refusal's close cousin, but there is a difference there. Also at that point, he'd made no mention that he was making an assumption based on a couple of horror stories where people had experienced over-promising and under-delivering - simply made a vague statement that they would refuse to source a replacement part.

Bear in mind that all I had to go on at that point was him saying that Popculcha would refuse to source a replacement part on one hand, and a phone call I made to Popculcha this morning before sending that response - where their customer service agent was telling me the complete opposite of what he had said to me and making his statement come across as, at best, misinformation.

I honestly don't see how it's possible to handle it any better while covering the facts without stating that what I had been told was false, but then giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Heck I didn't even accuse him of giving me false information - I simply asked why he had made that claim when Popculcha had told me the complete opposite over the phone.Short of saying nothing at all and simply capitulating, I honestly don't see how it's possible to handle that situation without that inference being there.

Having worked in retail myself, I agree that customer interactions are certainly a 2 way street, but I'd also say that as a customer, it's also entirely reasonable that a business will genuinely meet a customer half way when their is a problem. Now maybe it's just me, but when you're being fobbed off and given vague statements which reasonably come across as blatant misinformation, not only is that anything but genuinely meeting the customer half way, but the person making those statements can't be surprised when the nature of them comes back to bite them.

Wouldn't used words like "Really", looking back I used it myself and may pissed people off. The seller might be having a bad day and when you said that is just like telling him off too.

Noted, but by the same token, in that situation, I was the customer and I'd been completely fobbed off and given false information at that point in response to a completely polite and courteous request.

IMHO, if you're in business and you pull stunts like that to reasonable customer requests when there's a problem with something a client has purchased, then you're in no position to be offended when a customer starts getting assertive and standing their ground- not to mention implies that they are less than impressed by being treated with utter contempt by being fobbed off with misinformation.

There's a reason that the old saying is "the customer is always right"....

[drifand]

Is kind of bad luck, I am pretty sure if you have bought and opened in front of him, things could be different.

I remember buying toys from a regular store and I would and in fact he would open it for me to check. (I am not a MISB) so any defects he would change it immediately rather than letting me go and coming back.

I say he might have been "trying" to just brush you off, but seeing that he couldn't he offered what he could do next. Its not the best customer service but unfortunately they do happen. If anything, he just lost you as a customer as I don't see how you would carry on buying from him, unless you willing to forgive and forget.

Oh and the "customer is always right" thing, I been burnt very badly before and I advise to approach wisely as even consumer protection can't do things sometimes.

[bowspearer]

Honestly, the bad luck in terms of the HT Batman isn't the problem here - realistically even if he'd contacted Popculcha and Popculcha had contacted Hot Toys (I'm guessing through Ikon Collectables as they're the distributor iirc), there was still the chance that Hot Toys wouldn't have had spare heads in stock. While I'd be lying if I said I'd be happy with that outcome, had it happened I would have been disappointed, but would have also felt that he'd given it a shot. The old Kyle would have too - "the old Kyle" being the operative term.

The fact is that it's really sad when someone who is a seller who you've know for years and could never have believed in a million years would have acted this way, does just that. I've accepted there's no real way out of this without losing out in some manner or another; I just think it's worth putting out there that he's changed and if this is anything to go by, people aren't going to get the same experience they once had with him.

I truly hope that changes though, because what I experienced today was so radically out of character for him and I genuinely hope that whatever it was that caused it is not only temporary, but resolves itself sooner rather than later.

[Defcon]

I honestly don't see how it's possible to handle it any better while covering the facts without stating that what I had been told was false, but then giving someone the benefit of the doubt. Heck I didn't even accuse him of giving me false information - I simply asked why he had made that claim when Popculcha had told me the complete opposite over the phone.Short of saying nothing at all and simply capitulating, I honestly don't see how it's possible to handle that situation without that inference being there.

Yeah he could and should of just given more information in his first response. He should of been assertive from the beginning. Its probably going to be a learning experience for him, on how to handle things in the future.

[drifand]

I'm curious Trent, how do you feel I could have handled that second response better, because I feel I handled it pretty well, all things considering. Not picking a fight; genuinely curious.

Wouldn't used words like "Really", looking back I used it myself and may pissed people off. The seller might be having a bad day and when you said that is just like telling him off too.

[Trent]

Really, popcultcha wont source replacement parts from hot Toys? Then why is it that I was just on the phone to Popculcha and when I spoke to a gentleman named Toby, I was told by him that they would try and source replacement parts from Hot Toys? In fact the only reason that they would not deal directly with me is that as they are a retail store and do not operate as a distributor, they will only deal with the customer who bought it from them directly - in this case, that would be you.

The tone of this paragraph is clearly inflammatory. Whether you meant it to be or not, it was bound to incite a heated response, which you got. In my job, I have to deal with the public quite a bit. And if they get put through to me, odds are they are upset. The worst thing I can do in that situation is get emotional myself. No matter how loud, sarcastic or angry they are the best thing I can do is keep my voice calm and steady while relaying to them the facts that more often then not make them . While they seldom end the conversation happy, at least (most times) a mutual respect and understanding can be reached and my position made clear (Not to mention if I told them where to go, and GOD have I wanted to sometimes, my job would be in serious jeopardy). If I was to get emotional back at them, the situation will spiral out of control very quickly and we will actually go backwards instead of making progress.

In your case I would have stated the facts without the accusatory overtones and asked again politely to have a replacement sent out and go from there. Having an e-argument and smashing the keyboard as you type isn't going to end well. Basically you have to be the bigger man. He loses in the end. Here you are warning us about him and no doubt this will affect his business. So revenge is yours.

And I'm not having a dig, I too sometimes lose it at people that are arseholes and it feels really good. But sometimes the cost outweighs the benefits