MY PET CHiCKEN has made me very angry !

[horsejody]

Quote:
That doesn't sound snippy and hateful at all to me. But I've talked to them on the phone before so maybe that's why I am reading this differently. You know the tone of voice makes a huge difference in how this message would be perceived.
When I talked to them they have been so super nice and forthcoming and friendly that I took that message to be an inventive and 'trying to be humorous' way of telling her her options.

That's so true, Karin! One problem with reading something is that it's not the same as speaking to someone and hearing his or her voice. With a voice, you could tell if a message was being delivered with humor or sarcasm. We so often hear of people who get upset after receiving an email that didn't come across the way that the author had intended.

Suzy

I think it was the attempt at humor that ruined the letter. People in customer service should realize that a little bit of humor while you are giving someone bad news can come off sounding condescending. It is very unprofessional and you run the risk of people reading it in a way that you did not intend. It's almost like they are saying, "Sorry, some people are getting theirs. You're not. LOL. Maybe later. Don't blame us! Blame the guy that ordered 14 because he's getting his. LOL." Businesses should realize that disappointing people requires an apology and a resolution (like a definite future ship date, a discount or assurances that the customer would be first on the list next year) and not a note that seems to take the matter lightly. The letter explained the problem, but it does leave the reader wondering if they take it lightly. I have nothing against MPC. I have heard a lot of nice things about them, but they may want to re-evaluate the wording on their customer letters.

A much better way would have been to say something like:

Dear Customer,

We deeply regret that we will be unable to ship your order. Due to an unforseen shortage of the breeds you chose, we have been forced to but those breeds on back order. Other breeds are available if you would like to substitute. Due to the inconvenience this may cause you we are willing to offer a small discount in the amount of $XX. If you would still like to have your original order, we will probably be able to ship the chicks in April. Our supplier feels that they should be available at that time.

Please contact customer service at 800-XXX-XXXX so that we may cancel or process the order as you desire. We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Sincerely,
MPC

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

as someone that has had to deal with customers in most of her career.
I found nothing wrong with the email they sent.
They gave an explanation and offered options.

Just goes to show that you cant make everyone happy.

BTW- being honest, without any humor doesnt make people any happier when they dont hear what they want to.

 

[DarkUnicorn]

However one can argue that they should have a deal set up with whatever hatchery they deal with so that they know they have a set number on hold per breed.

They should also be clear on the site the numbers available per hatch date. Up to date website, ordering programs and counters would be very helpful.

They technically should not be taking orders for items they do not have on hand and that is where the problem starts.

Pre-orders are a tricky subject that is not legal in some states and qusai-legal in others. Availible numbers are to be made clear to the consumer. Like when you go to Toys r Us and buy the preorder videos. Numbered tickets that correlate to the number that each store is getting from the manufacturer that they have locked in.

Trust me I did not even get an e-mail like that from them last year. It's a start but....... Humor is a touchy subject. They need to stick to basics.

 

[serendipity22]

wouldn't all chick orders be pre orders then? Considering that no one knows what is going to hatch until it pops its little head out of the shell.

If a hatchery sets 100 eggs, and lets say that 90 hatch, then lets sex the little buggers, and lets get that 50% sexing that everyone talks about, then that's just 45 females. Well, if the order before takes 15 of them, that just leaves 30, and so on and so forth...

Let's say that they set 100 eggs and only 10 hatch. And out of those 10, 8 are roosters. only 2 are females and alot of customers are ticked off. But I guess that's the hatcheries fault because they were supposed to know that was going to happen?

Give me a break. Mother Nature is a pain when you're trying to count on her.

 

[NYREDS]

Quote:
Just wanted to add that I know of one small hatchery that stopped selling chicks due to problems with unreasonable customers. They now sell only eggs & adult birds.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
I was thinking the same thing! Sandy.
Im not saying things don't happen with the expected hatches Im just saying that they could have and should have worded it differently.

 

[annmarie]

I liked their letter (not the message of course because it's obviously a big disappointment!). I like the fact that they made it personal, and not some lousy impersonal form letter that you usually get in these situations. I understand also that you're upset because it took 2 months for you to hear back from them, but I believe they don't even do chick orders until this time of year? I'm guessing that when you sent your email, it probably went to a person or department that doesn't even exist until chick season begins.

 

[fowltemptress]

Wow, that was sure a lot of fluff to read through to get to the point. I'm not overly concerned with whether the letter sounds pleasant or not, but I do think matters concerning business need to keep to a concise format. The cutie pieness of the letter just left me wondering when the heck they were going to tell me what I needed to know. Very irritating. I'd certainly cancel and deal with someone with better judgment about handling things professionally.

 

[Wifezilla]

How can that message possibly sound "nice"? To me it sounds snippy and hateful.

Seriously???

I'm guessing that when you sent your email, it probably went to a person or department that doesn't even exist until chick season begins.

Exactly. They don't have people sitting around on the clock over the Winter when there is nothing to do.​

 

[Chicken Woman]

They were taking preorders as of 2 months ago. They were asking people to send an email of the chicks they wanted and you would then be at the top of the list.
I got a confirmation email from them that they would have the chicks and would send them out around the first week in March. Otherwise I would have ordered from someone else as I have now done.
I won't attempt to order from them again as they don't have their own chicks and cannot be dependable with their promises. There are now other hatcheries that accept small orders so I think that will hurt their business in the future. I thought they were a hatchery or I would not have ordered from them at all.