Today I took time-off from work and left office at about 4.30 p.m. I had underestimated the time that it would take to count the total number of records for the project I have mentioned in my very last post. I had hoped to get the counting done by end of today's work day. Since there is no life and death issue for not completing it by today, I decided I need a break, and go for double bass lessons.
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When I reached there, MC from the double bass section was trying out the double bass padded bags that the supplier had delivered. Padded bags are in short, covers to cover the double basses, and they are padded. Those were tailor made. However, for goodness sake, they were just fitting, and too tight at the bottom such that we could not fully zip the double bass.
Lessons learnt:
1) Insist on getting the supplier to get someone down to measure it (We actually measured ourselves, and the supplier seemed to have not given extra allowance for the measurements, and have made it tight fitting. We just measure the double bass. How were we to know that we have to factor in the allowances in our measurements
2) The morale of the story: Be more careful when you tailor-made things. Especially if the supplier and its personnel are not sufficiently service-oriented. (in this case, the supplier is S**WIN) Such a supplier would be likely to fault the buyer for giving the measurements (claiming that they followed strictly on the measurements) but it did not turn out as well as it should.
When we asked what could happen if the padded bags did not fit perfectly, but could only fit a little too tightly. The delivery person said we had tailor-made them and had to accept them. He said that there was little the supplier could do to amend.
3) Exercise caution if you are buying things tailor-made by S**WIN.
4) Do not be too resigned to your poor fate of getting imperfectly fitted items. Insist that you would not accept the goods. I think we were lured to think that since we had tailor-made them and had to accept them because they were made specially for us, and now they did not fit, we had to take it no matter what, and accept it.
I think this must have been one big mistake on my part. For I made the decision to accept the items, seven of them! Sigh. I have to face the consequences. For after much reflection when the delivery man left, it had proved to be a bad idea.
If you are experienced with this thing about making an order for tailor-made items and the items just did not turn out the way you had wanted to, but under pressure, you had accepted the items, how could you back-track and deal with the situation so that it would be in your favour?
Please advise.
(Update: Please click here.)
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It was quite disruptive during the double bass sectionals because the percussion section had their practice in the same room as the double bass section. I felt I was losing focus during the sectionals because of the sound from the percussion. Furthermore, the double bass section had booked the room. I should have been more assertive and invited them out of the room since we are the rightful user. I guess I could not bear to, since I could imagine it would be a chore to move four timpani sets out the rehearsal room. But after suffering the disruptiveness of having some other instruments playing their own thing during the double bass sectionals, I shall learn to be more assertive. Sigh, assertiveness seems to be badly needed, especially for today.
I gave up on using the temporary double bass that I had used during the last rehearsal. I used it for today's sectional and I sounded bad on that temporary double bass partly because I was not used to it, and partly because I have gotten to love the tone of my regular orchestra's double bass.
Orchestra rehearsal today had been satisfying. Furthermore, after the sectional, I decided to use my regular orchestra's double bass for the orchestra rehearsal. The end pin was still short, but I managed to pull out a short length of it so that it would not be too short for my playing. But it was still short for comfort playing. Nevermind, I prefer the sound of the regular double bass.
We played the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, and also the Butterfly Lovers Concerto. Please do support our playing at our upcoming concerts (in late July, and in early September this year). Details shall be posted when I have gotten them. Thanks in advance.
6 comments:
though the measurements were not taken by them, they should have an idea of the approximate size, being stockists themselves. this is sad and again evident of the difference in how some shops run their show.
since i am no expert in legality but i have some common sense, i think your case would be weak as the measurements were supplied by your side, and you have accepted the goods.
to save the situation, albeit in a sad way, perhaps you could offer to pay for alteration, ie. hopefully there is enough material.
again, i reiterate, this is not a good way of doing business. we have never left our customers stranded, though many customers do take advantage of our goodwill. well, life is never fair.
I agree with Mistipurple. But remember an unsatisfied customer is more likely to complain to other customers than satisfied customers complimenting to others.
What I guess you can do is offer a small payment for alteration - so at least the padded bags can be used. But with a firm tone to express displease - reasons being their unclear instructions as experienced sellers; and their unprofessional way of handling this situation.
However, S**WIN is quite a big supplier, so they might not be taken in. But this is what I would do lah. A suggestion only.
Anyway, I've never had a good impression of S**WIN. This case has further reinforced my poor impression of them.
Sigh, I think I have to accept all that poor service from the supplier of the double bass padded bags??
But I actually drew properly that I did not include the measurement up to the end-pin in my measurement plans. And I highlighted that I only measured the double bass (the instrument itself) and the supplier needs to give allowances! In black and white in the email and in the measurement plans sent to them. Maybe they can't read, or they are not thoughtful enough.
And the delivery man claimed that we should measure up to the end-pin. Yes, we did not. But I suppose if the supplier had been more experienced and thoughtful, they would have saw that we have not measured up to the end-pin, and would have asked us to remeasure.
Ok, I do give allowance for less experienced supplier if they could be more service-oriented and have tried to deal with our concern. But unfortunately the supplier was not.
Or should I just infer that never send just a delivery man to deliver goods. Supplier should send staff who are service-oriented and has greater power of responding to customer's needs to do the delivery. I believe in the long run, such suppliers will have a steady pool of loyal customers.
I really feel like asking our organisation to boy-cott S**WIN, for all its tailor-made stuff, at least.
ah. if your email stated that you did not include the allowances, you have a case. you can indeed get back to them on this.
but, again, they should have known better, being major stockists.
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