Customer Service

[TreasuresForAQueen]

Hi everyone, I know its been awhile since I last posted but I've come across an issue that I would love some advice on. For the past month, I have had a customer who has been placing a lot of items on reserve. She will buy an item she has on reserve and then buy 2 or 3 items she didn't put on reserve instead of buying only the items on reserve. Finally I told her that she could only have 10 things on reserve and only for a month at which point she would either have to buy it or take it off reserve. These guidelines are posted in my shop policies. Some of her items hit the month make are I convoed her to ask if she was still interested. She said yes but to take all the others off reserve. I thanked her for understanding that I can't tie up that much of my inventory for such long periods of time. But then she starts questioning 2 other items placed on reserve by 2 other customers, why they were allowed to have their items on reserve for longer than a month. I told her that both items were custom orders and that prior arrangements had been made with the customers. She starts going on about how much she has purchased from me and what a wonderful customer she is, that I shouldn't make her take items off reserve. I only asked if she was still interested and probably would have left the items on reserve for her if she had just said that she was still interested. So now I've possibly lost a very good customer. Am I wrong in placing these restrictions on reserved items? Honestly, she has been a very troublesome customer but I have tried to go above and beyond to accommodate her. Am I in the wrong here, am I being the unreasonable one?

[BebeAndKay]

No! And Hello old friend!

That is ridiculous. She thinks because she buys a fair amount that she can just hoard things til she decides? Nowhere on earth in a b&m would that ever happen! That would be like going into a clothing store where there's only one of each item, grabbing an armfull, and asking the clerk to hold them for a month. You would be lucky to get 24 hours.

I only reserve for 24-48 hours, you less prior arrangements are made (they don't get paid til next week), but have never extended it beyond 10 days at MOST, and that was because they were very sweet :-(. Don't question yourself. You did nothing wrong.

And buying a lot doesn't automatically make a good customer, if they're tying up inventory that other potential buyers, especially those just finding your shop, would buy, but cannot. Sometimes the hassle makes it not worth it.

[Former_Member]

I agree with Corrine. By the way, I like your new Avi Corrine!

[SomeKindOfPretty]

I agree with Corrine and Jenn. It does not make you a bad shop owner to not want to tie up your inventory. You can't make money when no one is buying reserved listings. I can't believe you are holding it for a month.

I have a few show regulars that buy a few items from me each market, but I spend A LOT of time talking with them and they only buy a couple of pieces. So just because they are regulars, doesn't make them a wonderful customer.

[Former_Member]

Everyone else said just what I would.

[TreasuresForAQueen]

Thank you guys for the reassurance. Losing the revenue she brought in made me question myself. When I worked at B&M retail stores, out policy was usually 24 hours. I think I am going to reconsider the length of reserve time. I am always happy to work with a customer if there extenuating circumstances but there wasn't any in this case. Thanks for always listening and offering honest opinions.