Earlier this month, my brother-in-law ordered a glow-in-the-dark football from Baden Sports as a Christmas gift for one of my boys.
When the package arrived this week, my wife opened it to find a glow-in-the-dark soccer ball rather than the football that was ordered. She compared the product received to the packing slip and confirmed the mistake.
Right away, she sent an email to Baden Sports’ online customer service department informing them of the discrepancy. Ten minutes later she received an email from Tam Nguyen, a customer service representative at Baden Sports, apologizing for the mistake.
After a brief email conversation, Tam picked up the phone and called my wife. Instead of following the company procedure to exchange a product that involved shipping labels, returns, and delays, Tam was surprisingly willing to agree with my wife’s suggestion to donate the soccer ball to the Denver City Mission in lieu of going to the trouble of shipping the ball back.
Tam said that Baden Sports often donates its products to worthy charities during the year, so—although a bit unconventional when dealing with a fulfillment error—he was open to the idea of simply donating the soccer ball.
Now compare this experience with a typical online product exchange. Unless you’re thinking about Zappos or L.L.Bean, chances are you endured paperwork, delays, and perhaps an indifferent—or worse—customer service rep.
Congratulations to Tam and Baden Sports for making decisions in favor of their customers…while also making a child’s Christmas wish come true.
