Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (0)

The Furniture Drama Continues
June 2, 2008

The container that inspired the rant in my blog entitled "Baby Furniture Is Made Overseas, Like It Or Not" has arrived.  Much of the furniture has already gone out the door.  Unfortunately (but not surprisingly), several of the pieces are not perfect.  In many situations, these imperfections could be overlooked by consumers.  When we are referring to expectant mothers who have been waiting 4 months for a place for their baby to sleep, well, that's a different story.

I have one customer who has given up.  She is done with it and, despite the imperfections, she is going to live with the piece she has.  I can assure you that the flaw in the piece, though, will haunt her for some time.  I would love to send her a replacement but I can't blame her for not wanting moving men messing up the nursery after her baby is here.  The potential replacement would take several more weeks to get and at that point, the nursery will be inhabited by a sweet baby boy.  The customer loses, the store loses, and the manufacturer loses.

Another customer is awaiting a replacement piece.  I have definitely not heard the last of this.  I expect that I will be checking on this piece at least twice a week until it ships (and then I'll have to check on it daily).  I then have to send my delivery guys out to swap the piece for her.  The customer is not pleased with the whole situation.  The customer loses, the store loses, and the manufacturer loses.

A completely different customer is awaiting parts for a piece.  This customer's baby is already here.  Guess who loses here?  The moral of the story is not that everyone looses on container orders.  The moral of the story is don't pre-sell products that are coming from overseas.  The manufacturer cannot guarantee the product arrival date to you anymore than you can guarantee the product arrival date to the customer.  

There are only two reasons why I spend so much time harping on this particular subject.  First, it's relevant both to me and to other retailers.  We've all been here and we've all fealt the pressures of consumers with time constraints.  Second, and more importantly, I would like this experience to be a lesson to us all.  Sometimes you should focus more on what you have than what you want to have.  What you have is within your control and what you want to have is often in the control of someone else.

It reminds me of the serenity prayer, a prayer that I've needed desperately lately.  Wise words, indeed.

God, grant me the Serenity
To accept the things I cannot change,
The Courage to change
The things I can,
And the Wisdom 
To know the difference.

Posted by Kelly Nelson on June 2, 2008 | Comments (0)