Dear Chucktown7
We are certainly sorry your experience with our store was less than stellar. We know any poor customer experience will always run counter to our service objectives. I feel we owe you an apology on several fronts. First of all, it is clear from your review, that you feel and felt your crib issue was not our priority. We should have communicated just how important this issue was to us from the outset. It really was one of our top priority issues of November and December. For not communicating that to you we are very sorry. Second, we obviously did not clearly set expectations about the time frame with which this large manufacturer can accomplish the requested parts replacements. Often parts are readily available to ship but occasionally there is great delay if the part is not directly on hand/in stock. We should have been much more demonstrative in explaining this to you.
To the specifics regarding your crib order and part replacement, I wanted to address what our records show. Your crib was received in our store exactly 22 days after your order was placed on October 2nd. Upon your reporting the minor finish issue on the headboard in early November, after you and your family put the crib together, we ordered a replacement.
The finish issue with the headboard was significant, in that it was not up to the standard of production expected by us of this manufacturer and by you as the end user. The headboard, however was not structurally damaged and was in use throughout the entire timeframe. We requested a replacement for the headboard immediately and were informed by the manufacture that the production date on the replacement would be late December. In an attempt to expedite the replacement, the manufacturer agreed to strip the finish from another alternatively finished headboard and refinish it to match your crib. That headboard that was stripped, refinished and shipped within two to three weeks. The headboard was received by our store and inspected before attempting the exchange and found to have another issue with the finish; it had drip marks on the top edge. A second replacement was ordered in the beginning of December and was received early January. This headboard was sent to your home by our staff and installed as a replacement to the headboard you were currently using.
With respect to your comments about our staff member conversation with your mother, this is very distressing to us. I was not directly privy to this conversation and cannot comment on the veracity of it, however, I will say that the description is far beyond the behavior ever exhibited in my presence. Our staff is instructed to be as courteous as possible to everyone and any failure to do so is just inexcusable. To your specific concern about the “request to speak to the owner”; Baby Furniture Plus Kids, is a corporation and several of the majority shareholders do live in Florida. I, as Vice President, am the highest ranking officer that is involved in daily operations of our stores. Our staff IS instructed to refer these requests to me when necessary, and I did speak with both you and your father about this order during this time frame. I am sorry, again, that you felt we failed to adequately address your needs by not providing you access to another shareholder.
We will do everything in our power to continue to work on reinforcing positive outcomes for our customer service issues through continued education of our staff This review will now become part of our training. In reality, although this review is harsh and somewhat inaccurate, we feel every criticism allows us to learn where we can improve. It makes us a better store and more attuned to potential pitfalls in our daily operations.
Our best wishes with your newest family member
Thanks
Philip Fairey
Vice President Operations
Baby Furniture Plus Kids
803-788-5880
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