By Suebee
SOLUTIONS: YOUR ORGANIZED LIVING STORE
Their mission is to create a positive, organized and inspiring place to shop & work. While making an exchange, at the new Newmarket location, on Sept 14th, the sales associate handed me a pen to fill out the required paperwork. I removed my yellow leather wallet from of my purse to pay the difference and noticed that my fingers were covered in blue ink. Imagine how alarmed I was to notice that I had gotten ink on my wallet. My wallet was less than three months old.
Their first solution: discount my $24.00 purchase. This does not equal the amount I need to spend to replace my wallet.
Their second solution: a $50.00 in store gift certificate. There is nothing in the store that I needed or wanted. All I wanted was my wallet replaced!
Their third solution: After a week they decided to have the wallet professionally cleaned.
Their fourth and final solution (after two weeks): The wallet could not be cleaned. I was to be given the purchase price of the wallet. My predicament was this — I purchased the wallet in June while visiting an outlet shopping mall in Atlanta, GA. I was able to prove this by providing the original receipt. I paid $29.99 plus tax (USD). To replace the wallet locally, it will cost me $65.00 plus tax for a total of $73.45. The difference is $39.63. So, unless I add another $39.63, I cannot replace my wallet.
Their response to me: They can’t believe I am making such a fuss over an old wallet. It is not their fault that the pen leaked. We are being more than fair by giving you what you paid. My response to them: My wallet is not old. It was your pen. Your sales associate handed me the leaky pen. All I want is my wallet replaced. I am very angry and feel that I have been treated unfairly. I do not feel that Solutions is honoring their mission statement. Many phone calls were made, including to the owner of the company. You would think that when a customer takes his or her dissatisfaction this far, regardless how small, that the owner would surely take this matter seriously. Boy was I disappointed! He was told that I was not happy with this settlement and that the story would be made public. His answer was “Go ahead. I don’t care!” So, here I am letting you know.
Does this sound like a positive and inspiring place to shop?
Say What says...
Wow. Really, wow. Someone remind me next time I step on gum in a store, the store should buy me a new pair of shoes. Ridiculous.
Sara says...
you were already there making an exchange??? I think we all know what kind of person we’re dealing with here.
You are the reason that HONEST consumers have to pay more and more and more everyday.
They are in no way responsible for your crusty old wallet.
You disgust me.
Ashley says...
Are you serious? Do you honestly believe that the associate INTENTIONALLY handed you a leaky pen?! Come on, this is absolutely ridiculous.
I agree 100% with Say What, if you step on gum should the store replace your shoes? Of course not! They did not make you have your wallet near the pen or intentionally give you a leaky pen.
They were MORE than generous by offering you a $50 in store gift certificate. That’s your problem that you weren’t able to use it.
This review has nothing to do with Solutions customer service.
Joyce says...
Ok, first of all, the wallet cost $29.99 (+ tax). That is what you paid and it’s only fair that you get the same amount in return. If you had purchased the wallet in Paris - would you have asked for airfare as well!?!?!?!?
And in all honesty, it’s a $30.00 wallet. I’m sure you can find something just as nice at Wal-Mart or Sears.
You sound like one of those people who’s always looking for an opportunity to squeeze a few cents. Get a life.
pinky says...
I wouldn’t have given you a dime, and banned you from the store!
They would have been going above and beyond to offer you fair market value of your now USED wallet, half or less what you paid for it.
Jenn says...
I cannot believe that you are complaining about such great customer service. They were so unbelievably fair about it all and this is how ungrateful you are? It is NOT their fault that YOU used a leaky pen.
This is the funniest story ever. It sounds like you are praising them for great customer service, but you aren’t.
You sound miserable and it is making us all laugh!
Jenn says...
Also, I live no where near there, but I might just have to find the store phone number and give them a call and let them know how ridiculous we all think YOU are and how wonderful their customer service sounds.
LA22 says...
Ugh…it was people like you that I HATED while working customer service. Get over yourself. If your aim was to make this store sound horrible you failed miserably. It sounds like they go out of their way to make customers happy. Can’t say I blame the the owner of the store for not caring if you go to “the press”. All you succeeded in doing was making them look good, and yourself an idiot.
julieG says...
Why does boo even post this crap?
Wow says...
I feel so bad for the poor people working at this store to have to deal with you. How in the world is it the store’s fault that you used a leaky pen? Do you think the sales people thoroughly inspect each pen to ensure they’re not leaking before handing them to customers? Seriously? I bet the owner of the company was thrilled that you offered to go to the press. It’s great publicity for them, showing how willing they are to find not one but FOUR solutions for such a stupid complaint. And it makes you look rediculous.
Ashley says...
Ahahaha.. I totally sympathize that your wallet was ruined and you wanted them to do something about it. However they did everything in their power to fix the situation and make you happy and you REFUSED to budge!
Do you think companies care if a person who made one purchase (and a return) come back to shop there? Not if every time they visit the store they demand $100 in free products because of something so insignificant.
nscouponchick says...
They were MORE than generous in offering you a 50 dollar gift card! It’s not like they handed you a leaky pen on purpose! Honestly, I think you need to get over it.
Oh, and BTW, we are just about at par with US right now.
Joe says...
I am surprised but absolutely LOVING the comments on this post.
Sometimes, maturity does reign on this board!
Financial Trouble? says...
Everyone seems to be really hung up on 3 things here…1)Fault, 2)Replacement and 3)Customer Satisfaction.
1) If I was wearing shitty old Crocs and I stepped in gum in a store, ya I probably wouldn’t care either. If you wanna talk extreams tho, what if someone “accidentally” spat a wad of tobacco onto your brand new Manolo Blahnik’s? Would you still not care then? Yeah it wasn’t anyone’s Fault but it happened, and it happened in a store and it resulted in an upset.
2)There was an offer of a $50.00 gift certificate given. OK. thanks…but does this store even sell leather wallets? When a loss occurs… the aim is replacement “VALUE”, not cost. Again if we look at extremes what if this wallet was a an 80 year old family heirloom. The replacement cost would be nothing…but the replacement value would be through the roof!!! Always always always replacement value people. If the wallet only cost $29.99 but will cost $73.45 to replace…you give $73.45. If you detect something fishy in the matter…don’t give her anymoney at all then, go buy the wallet yourself and just give her the item actual item. come on tho, your a gigantic corporation, what’s $73.45 over the cost of losing a member of your target market. Way to alienate a person who over the years would have easily generated a profit that would far exceed $73.45.
3)Customer satisfaction has nothing to do with being fair. The goal is always to “Delight” customers (look it up, it is an actual service marketing principle). When you delight customers you get market share, you generate people willing to promote your company and they spend more money in your store. It cost $0.10 to retain a customer and $1.00 to replace a customer (again a marketing principle), by this principle Solutions (a member of big business might I add) fought over $73.45 to which mathematically it will cost them $734.50 to replace her as a customer, all over spilt milk.
To finish off. Everyone keeps saying that she is fighting over pennys and making a big deal out of nothing…turn the table tho, this company is doing the exact same thing to her. If you’re a business scrounging over $73 buck…wow…shareholders better start selling because obviously they are in some financial trouble.
Joe's BFF says...
I was wondering what the comments would be as I was reading the initial post because I was so confused. I agree Joe, definitely enjoyed reading the comments and agree with each one.
Daver says...
Everyone seems to be really hung up on 3 things here…1)Fault, 2)Replacement and 3)Customer Satisfaction.
1) If I was wearing shitty old Crocs and I stepped in gum in a store, ya I probably wouldn’t care either. If you wanna talk extreams tho, what if someone “accidentally” spat a wad of tobacco onto your brand new Manolo Blahnik’s? Would you still not care then? Yeah it wasn’t anyone’s Fault but it happened, and it happened in a store and it resulted in an upset.
2)There was an offer of a $50.00 gift certificate given. OK. thanks…but does this store even sell leather wallets? When a loss occurs… the aim is replacement “VALUE”, not cost. Again if we look at extremes what if this wallet was a an 80 year old family heirloom. The replacement cost would be nothing…but the replacement value would be through the roof!!! Always always always replacement value people. If the wallet only cost $29.99 but will cost $73.45 to replace…you give $73.45. If you detect something fishy in the matter…don’t give her anymoney at all then, go buy the wallet yourself and just give her the item actual item. come on tho, your a gigantic corporation, what’s $73.45 over the cost of losing a member of your target market. Way to alienate a person who over the years would have easily generated a profit that would far exceed $73.45.
3)Customer satisfaction has nothing to do with being fair. The goal is always to “Delight” customers (look it up, it is an actual service marketing principle). When you delight customers you get market share, you generate people willing to promote your company and they spend more money in your store. It cost $0.10 to retain a customer and $1.00 to replace a customer (again a marketing principle), by this principle Solutions (a member of big business might I add) fought over $73.45 to which mathematically it will cost them $734.50 to replace her as a customer, all over spilt milk.
To finish off. Everyone keeps saying that she is fighting over pennys and making a big deal out of nothing…turn the table tho, this company is doing the exact same thing to her. If you’re a business scrounging over $73 buck…wow…shareholders better start selling because obviously they are in some financial trouble.
Ozandaxl says...
Seems to me accidents happen and using an item makes it subject to “wear and tear” which includes accidentally getting ink on it in a store.
I can understand that it’s disappointing when it happened but it didn’t destroy the wallet or make it unusable or less serviceable in any way so I don’t see it as a loss or damage that requires the wallet to be replaced.
A $50 gift certificate in store seems very fair to me.
Daver says...
I don’t think most people will purchase a wallet because its serviceable……if they did there would be no variation in what a wallet is. Things have aesthetic value to them and permanently staining something that has aesthetic value with ink equals unusable! at least in my mind. I do see your point and would agree if we were talking about a wrench here….but maybe I consider a wallet more like a pair of pants or jacket instead of just a device or container.
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