No Extra Charge for the Scorpion

Back in September (on the 11th to be precise) I ordered these shoes for H:

The company's website makes a pretty big deal about how the shoes are "custom ordered" (these aren't the "Design Your Own" ones - just a regular off the rack design) so they charge your card immediately, rather than when the product is shipped, which seems a little spurious to me, but they're cute shoes, so I was willing to deal.  They also explain rather carefully that it takes some time for the shoes to make their way from China to Connecticut to me.  Approximately 12 days, according to the timeline they lay out.  Again, not nearly as satisfying as ordering a pair of See Kai Run shoes from Zappos and getting them the next day, but  I've heard good things about these shoes, so I was willing to give them a shot.

So, last Thursday, October 2, it occurred to me that not I only hadn't I gotten the shoes, but I hadn't even gotten a shipping notice email, despite the fact that when I ordered the shoes the website indicated they the would ship on September 18.  A check of the order status on the website showed a DHL tracking number which revealed this enlightening information "Shipment Acknowledged  - 9/11/08."  In other words they generated an electronic shipping number the day I ordered the shoes and that was it.

Somewhat irate from having spent a week with a very sick child, I went back to the website to inquire about the order status using their Live Chat thing.  I was warned that it might take a "few moments" to get to me, since they might be assisting someone else. Ten minutes later no one had acknowledged, much less helped, me so I moved on to email. Five minutes after that I'd dashed off a slightly irritated email to their customer service department.

Here's where it gets weird. The next morning I'd gotten a reply - they were very sorry for the delay, blah blah blah, the shoes hadn't yet shipped from China, blah blah blah.  To make it up to me, I should go back to the website, check their selection of "Ships Next Day" shoes (apparently they have some stock in a warehouse in Connecticut) and tell them which pair I want. They'll overnight these shoes to me. Now, being a self-avowed children's shoe junkie, I'm always happy to get another pair of shoes, but this seemed like an extremely odd response, customer service-wise.  What I was expecting was a credit - for at least half the cost, if not the full cost, of the shoes.  What I got was a pair of shoes I didn't order delivered two days before the pair of shoes I did order.

As for the shoes themselves, they're nice. This is the mea culpa pair:

They're well made, good looking and from all accounts quite comfortable. ("H, do you like your new shoes?" "YES!") That said, I doubt I'll be ordering from them again. It was way too much hassle, even with their quick response to my complaint.  To me, good customer service means owning your mistakes, which this company did, but great customer service means your customers never have to chase you down to get you to do it. 

Comments

[Allison]

That's a pretty great response. Definitely weird, but hey! Two pairs of shoes for the price of one? Not bad. And it's good you did finally get the other shoes, even though it took forever. They are cute! But after this post I don't think I'll be buying shoes from them...

[Ann]

Those are cute shoes, but, yeah, that's pretty ridiculous they didn't let you know about the delay with the first pair. But I have to tell you, as a mother of a child who's about to start walking, I've found your discussions of where to find baby shoes to be very helpful!

[Bridget]

Wait - Zappos has See Kai Run? I paid half again the cost of the shoes for shipping on shoes that I won't see for 4 more days and I could have done Zappos? Arg.

Good to know about Preschoolians - I've been contemplating a pair of them. Those are cute though...

[Veronica]

I bought three pairs of preschoolians mary janes for my daughter... I would also agree and say pass. You can get See Kai Runs, Puddlejumpers, WeeSqueaks, or even Pedipeds for about the same price (where I bought them anyway). My daughter couldn't even walk yet when I bought them, but I thought the width inserts were cool so I "had" to get them. Too bad the velcro wouldn't even stay so they kept falling off of her feet! Needless to say I returned them. I bought one pair at a store and two online, so I had to fight to get my shipping cost back which luckily only took one phone call. Not a fan of the preschoolians at all. Also, I was wondering... has anyone bought See Kai Runs that have a little tiny hole in the back of the shoe? I just got some tennis shoes from Zappos today and they are pink and white. On the very back of the shoe it looked like there was black ink, but upon closer inspection I realized it is a little hole the size of a toothpick that goes all the way through on each shoe! I bought the Gwendolyn tennis shoes and I can't find them in a six ANYWHERE... I even got Zappos last pair (which were ridiculously overpriced for discontinued shoes... unfortunately I "had" to have these shoes and I do love them). Anyway, I was wondering if this hole is normal? I've only had one other pair of See Kai Run shoes which were sandals and it didn't have those little holes!