Customers are important too..

Customer service is paramount to building a reputation in any business. Without it the phone won't ring. The majority of my business is from recommendation. So if I do not provide a great product and service then it means no business. I am always staggered the number of times I pick up orders after other companies have been in front of the customer and have not listened to what they want and had no time to sit and listen. I sell and fit blinds.
It doesn't take much to be interested in what someone has to say. Their bad service is my gain so hope it carries on.

Poor customer service can run a company into the ground eventually. - Bad reputation will dry up any recurring or incoming revenue quicker than anything.

I personally would've complained and escalated.
Sometimes, a business needs this to learn where their weaknesses are and correct them.

I thought about it a few times, long and hard. Nothing would have made me feel better at the time after the way they handled the order. Truth be told, in the end I put it down to experience and left it that way. At some point in time the wheel will turn and they will get their just desserts. I'm too much of a "non-confrontational" person I guess.

As i frequently say - what the eye cant see the chef gets away with ..... Steve has no idea

Makes a mental note to bring her own coffee perculator with. lol.

I forgot about this thread. It seems Clive aka Garde is starring here as well (lol, feel like we are speaking the same language now) But what actually happen Dreamraven? Did you buy the goods?

I did, and I am happy with what I got. Went with Company A, and got my pencils and my erasers. Went to another store on the way home, I got the elusive 9B, spray that fixes the graphite to the paper and an A3 sketchpad. I have three sketches done and am going frame hunting this weekend. (touch wood it goes well lol).

Company B are just a little too self assured I think. The sales rep told me that there is no such thing as a 9B, or anything past a 6B. I just get the feeling that, if either they hired proper sales execs with an thorough knowledge about stationary, or just trained them better and not just focus on making a sell, things would go a lot better for them.

I worked in a sales environment, and had to order stock etc. The attitude I had with my customers and the sales execs I ordered from was on a completely different level than company B. I guess there are fine lines between what a customer can and cannot get away with, but that doesn't mean a rep has to resemble a bowl of sauerkraut.