12 Feb 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

Ann Taylor is the 12th one.

Based on previous bad experiences, I always assume that online customer support isn't going to be helpful (either ineffective or grossly delayed), so I rarely try to use it. But it sounds like some companies do it well. I never knew!

12 Feb 2004 | Jacob Walkerr said...

To me, the best thing an online company can do is provide accountability to inquiries made online. At DiscLive we use a package from a company called Inverse Flow to manage all customer service inquiries. When a customer sends an e-mail to us, they automatically receive an e-mail back with a case number and information on how soon they should expect a response. They can also track their inquiry through a website.

Our office manager who handles customer service inquiries is easily able to track open issues, organize customer complaints, and respond to them quickly. We also have great data on how long it takes us to reply to issues, the category and type of issues that are coming up, etc.

I'm always refreshed when I submit an inquiry to a website and receive a trackable case number in return. It means there will be accountability and has almost always meant a prompt response.

13 Feb 2004 | ~bc said...

Surprised: no LL BEAN?

13 Feb 2004 | said...

J.Crew has regularly screwed me on sale items. They're listed as available online, but then I get an email telling me it's sold out. Of course, by the time I hear from them, my second choice is gone, too. Keeping track of inventory is a basic requirement that they can't seem to handle.

13 Feb 2004 | Brad Hurley said...

I had just the opposite experience: we recently ordered some sheets from Garnet Hill, and their online store said that the ones we wanted were out of stock and backordered. Turned out we couldn't order online anyway (since I live in Canada), so when I called them to order over the phone they said, "oh, actually we have three of those left, but once it gets that low we list them as out of stock on our web site."

15 Feb 2004 | Fredrik K.R. Norman said...

My favorite -- by far -- is British tailor Charles Tyrwhitt. Just listen to their guarantee:

We promise that if any Charles Tyrwhitt shirt or product purchased online does not meet with your approval for any reason, you can return it free within three months of the purchase order, washed or unwashed, for an exchange or a full and immediate refund

Now, their shirts are sheer perfection, so I haven't exploited this except for one case of ordering the wrong size, but it's really good to know that in case of a problem, they're there to help you.

08 Mar 2005 | shemale personals said...

thai ladyboy transexual escort travesti shemales transexuals transvestites pictures shemale pics shemale cocktail thai transexuals shemale escorts tgirl trannies transexual transexual personals shemale cocktail absolute shemale tgirls free shemale pictures thai transexuals shemale escorts travesti