Heaven Costumes

HEAVEN COSTUMES WAS THE EXPERIENCE FROM ***. What a pity I have to give this 'mickey mouse' company even one star.

My telephone conversation today with the owner, Anne, was the sad icing on a very bad cake. After dealing with mostly incompetent staff during the ordering and tracking process, I can see the chain of laughably inadequate customer relations begins right at the top! As a performer, I needed a specific item of costume clothing for NYE to supplement an existing costume. After searching on-line I found a suitable item from HC.

I promptly rang their S.A number to ascertain that the order I wished to place on 28 December would in fact be delivered to me before NYE. The gentleman I spoke with checked my postcode and assured me I would have no problems with delivery in that time period. I paid with card over the phone, was told I would receive tracking information through my email. After receiving no tracking information or delivery the next day, I rang HC again.

This time I spoke with a different person, a female who, after hearing my story and then spending an inordinate amount of time tracking down my order and delivery, told me I had received no tracking information as both my name AND email address had been copied down incorrectly by the gentleman who initially took the order. She also told me according to her records, my order had been delivered. When I asked her WHERE it was delivered to, she told me she would get back to me. More time goes by…….

Another phone call, this time a different female who was considerably more helpful and explained that the first female was relatively new, had got it all wrong and that my order hadn’t been delivered, but had in fact been picked up by the wrong couriers and would not be delivered until after NYE. She apologised profusely. Very upsetting when I was promised a delivery, but not her fault and no point shooting the messenger! I finished by asking for the manager to give me a call first business day after NYE as I wanted to express my displeasure at the standard of service.

Fortunately, I was able to locate a costume shop that was open, within driving distance and had something I could use to get me through the NYE gig. First business day back, no phone call. But hey, my costume shirt was delivered today! Second business day back, no phone call, so again I rang the SA number.

Asked to speak with the manager and to my delight I was put through to the owner Anne Baker. Now I would get some sense from a fellow business owner, someone with a deeper understanding of customer service, someone who is empathetic towards the performance arts, a kindred spirit…… OR NOT! To say I was disappointed in your response Anne, is an understatement. You may have been a business owner for 9+ years, but customer satisfaction in business is everything.

I’m very dissatisfied. Offering to accept the shirt back and give me a refund is great, but as we discussed, I was happy to keep the shirt for future use. What would have been good customer relations at this point would be to discount the shirt $20 that it cost me to hire, due to your company’s failure to honour a business transaction as your staff stated you would. Rather than continue to talk over me on the phone, which is a bully tactic that may work on some customers, try listening to concerns expressed and address them courteously.

Yes, giving a discount of $20 to compensate my hire costs may not be ‘policy’, but you’re the owner and the ‘policy’ maker. Dismissing me and my concerns in the manner you did (thanks also for suggesting I should have checked my costume earlier – certainly a mature and professional comment) may be a tactic you use on people who won’t bite back, but I can assure you I’ll be spreading my comments far and wide after this experience.

Oops, almost forgot. I know you said you would respond if I wrote anything, so I hope by just presenting the facts I’ve left you room to move.