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Hello ladies! I am coming out of lurkdom at long last, because I have a bit of a silly dilemma here. I created an account specifically to ask for your opinion on this matter, as it really just rubbed me the wrong way. So...without further ado:
I fell in love with a beauuuutiful wedding gown that makes me swoon. The dress is not so much the (possible) problem in question as much as the company which makes it.
I recently wrote an email to a reputable wedding dress company (which will go unnamed) very politely following up on a phone call that I made to them just last week. In my email, I referenced the content of the conversation that I had with one of the company's owners, and I simply stated that I would like to follow up on the conversation and set the wheels in motion to place an order for the dress.
I hit the "send" button feeling quite happy with myself and simply jittery with excitement over the prospect of communicating directly with the manufacturer regarding the wedding gown of my dreams.
Not an hour later, I anxiously peered into my email inbox and found a rather off-putting response from the vendor. In the email, there was only one word: "Wackadoo."
I was confused and did a bit of an Internet search to discover the meaning of this slang term and found (much to my chagrin) that the term is often used in a derogatory manner. :( Should I be insulted? Should I even bother pursuing a business transaction for my wedding with this vendor? I'm feeling rather put off and quite a bit shocked and embarrassed that I should receive such a response from someone with whom I plan on shelling out a considerable amount of money. :T
Wtf? So unprofessional. Call them and mention the e-mail. They better have a damn good explanation for that...I'd say, though, not to bother doing business with them.
Yea, I would call and want to know what the e-mail was all about. And since I am in Orange County, I am very interested to know what company this is.
I wouldn't totally write them off yet. It sounds like you had a pleasant conversation with the owner over the phone. Call the owner again and explained what happened. This could be a disgruntled, or very studpid, employee who screwed up royally. As a business owner, I know that sometimes I can't answer all emails personally (though I try my best), and if an employee represented my company like that, I would be livid.
@Statutory Grape: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your validating words. I really appreciate your words of support. I didn't realize how much the situation with the vendor had affected me until I found myself sitting here at my desk fretting to the point of crying.
I'm so steamed and taken aback! Surely, if I am to drop $3k on a wedding gown then I ought to be treated with a smidge more respect, right? :( In any case, thank you. I am embarrassed to say this, but I have written a somewhat passive-aggressive email in response to the vendor (below) and I am currently awaiting the vendor's response.
"Hello there,
I'm not quite sure what the term, "wackadoo" means, so I'm a bit pink in the face and confused. Please advise when you have a spare moment.
Take good care,xxxxx"
I thought that was fairly good form considering the circumstances, no?
In any case, I plan on phoning in come Monday and requesting a thorough explanation of just what in the world the co-owner of the company meant by his statement. I'd rather not drop names and/or mudsling, but if this is the way this vendor deems it appropriate for its co-owner to conduct himself, then I'd rather put their name out there so that other brides be informed about their less-than-savory business practices. My money is NOTHING to sniff at, as I've worked so hard to save it all up, and if he thinks that my "paltry" $3k is too little to receive in business then enough is enough and I'll do as you suggested and take my business elsewhere.
Whew! That was quite a rant! >__< My apologies!!
Ha, yes, very good form. I would have called them and bitched, but that's just me--lol! $3k is a LOT of money, so don't settle for anything less than the best in customer service. Remember: they need you more than you need them.
@JenniMichele: Thank you for your support! Yes, I will definitely call in, and if there isn't (at the very least!) an apology of sorts tossed my way (without my begging for or demanding it), then it may be prudent for me to speak up a bit more about this vendor. ;) Thanks oodles for the sisterly-coastal support! :)
@Scottielass: Great advice, and it's definitely always good form to consider things from the other side of the coin. It's quite possible that the co-owner was hammered and decided to zip out something snarky in his email, and I totally wouldn't mind forgiving and forgetting on the spot. Er....well, perhaps an apology would be nice if I could wring one out of them, eh? :)
@Statutory Grape: You are SO darling! Yes, I had to seriously fight the urge to whip out the good ol' rapid-fire sailor-mouth that I so love to wield. :) What's a woman got to do to get a little of that r-e-s-p-e-c-t, right? For sure, I worked so hard to save up that money, and I should darned well be treated with kindness! :) Thanks, again, for boosting my morale and helping to pull me out of my gloomy state!
That is totally weird! I'd talk to the owner...maybe it was a disgruntled employee and he/she will give you a discount for your trouble =]
That sounds like spam or something to me. I would def call tomorrow, explain what happened and see what the deal is. It seems incomprehensible to me that a place of business would reply with just one strange word like that!
sounds like bad customer service but I wouldnt write them off as sometimes owners dont know that their employees are giving off bad customer service. I would contact a manager and let it be known.
I'm hoping that the staff member somehow mixed up a personal email with work email and sent off the reply to the wrong address! I hope they make it up to you.
If it's the dress of your dreams I would still do business with them. If you've got the guts to do it I would also turn this into an opportunity to get money off said dress! Really go to town!
Is it possible it was just spam? I've never got spam as a REPLY to a message, but I've certainly got lots of spam emails that just have a few random words in it that make no sense. Maybe their account was hacked?
I'd talk to them and see what they have to say before totally walking away, but obviously this isn't the best sign!
That is such a weird response. I would definitely go with what many of the other posters said and call in. You just never know who actually wrote you the email and it may be an employee that they have had complaints about before. If you are still having problems after the phone call find another store to order the dress from - you definitely dont need added stress. Buying a wedding dress is intimidating because it costs so much and there is a lot to worry about with alterations and other things - you dont want to feel like you are buying it from a place you cant trust. good luck!
Having seen many e-mail correspondence gone awry with BCC, Forwarding, or Reply All... My first instinct was that the recipient meant to forward it on to someone and add their own commentary, and accidentally replied to you instead. However, I hope I'm wrong and I hope my "theory" doesn't offend you. You handled it so much better than I would have. I would have either given them a piece of my mind (which probably wouldn't have been pretty)... or just wrote them off completely. I hope you get an honest answer in reply and not just the company blowing smoke and apologizing over something they actually did do. It might turn out to be a a funny story of "take your child to work day" and maybe you can all have a laugh over it. Hear what they have to say for themselves (don't offer up the spam conclusion) and see what their explanation is. If you feel like you are getting the run around or a false, sugar coated, apology, then you need to take your business elsewhere. You deserve to be treated with respect.
Oh ladies, thank you SO much from the depths of my heart for your supportive responses!
I loved your suggestions and really thought your theories were great; I hadn't even considered the possibility of spam, personal email crossing, or even having the co-owner's little one at the office (a la all your fantastic and helpful posts). It's so great to have such a strong resource of minds coming together to brainstorm, and I have to say that I'm so thrilled ot be a part of the community. I feel so much warmth coming from the 'Bee community and I am seriously grateful to be in such fantastic company! :) Hugs and kisses galore to all of you for making a stressed out newbie feel so welcome!!!! XOXOXO.
On another note: updates!
I received another rather short email from the designer:
"It means fantastic..."
As I'm SO sold on the gown (simple lines, classic uber-fluffy tulle skirt...ballgown of my dreams! *swoon*....perhaps best to be saved for another post!), I've decided to chock this entire email "drama" to a matter of my misinterpretation of the usage of modern (or not so modern?) idioms and slang. I did the proverbial "sleep on it," and I've decided that I'll tuck away my sailor-mouth for another occassion should I ever receive another cheeky email response. In light of my wedding dress "needs," I'll be willing to overlook this one just to avoid getting myself into any more drama, drama, drama! We have quite enough day-to-day drama as is, so I'll do my best to pick my battles. ;) But you know...in the event that this happens, again, I'll definitely look into full on demanding a discount to make up for the emotional duress caused by shoddy customer service!
Cheers, ladies! I'm so happy to have had your amazing support through this event! Thank you so much, again! :D
If you're still going to try to order that dress, I'd be seriously angling for a discount due to the way you were treated.
I'm sorry, but wackadoo does not mean fantastic. I think someone is messing with you.
I wouldn't order from that person. All they wrote back was that "it means fantastic"? I don't think that is really what that word means. And why didn't they write back and answer your question of whether or not you can order the dress?
Their customer service sounds terrible and I would not give them $3K.
I agree with JoJobananas. i have never heard that term in a positive manner. I would be extremely leery about moving forward in a transaction with this company. Be careful! I hope everything works out for you.
Wow, that is incredibly unprofessional. I would put in a call to the company and explain to them the whole situation. It's NOT okay to talk to customers like that, and then to be patronizing on top of that and tell you it means "fantastic" is just incredibly rude. I would absolutely be calling to put in a compliant.
Ok, I've worked in customer service for 3 years- they are not acting professionally and the way they responded to you is NOT ok.
If they are treating you this way now, how are they going to treat you if you have questions after ordering or there's a problem with your dress? Are they just going to continue with their 3-word email replies???
Also, "Wackadoo" doesn't mean "fantastic".
I would take this as a sign that you should find a different person to order your dress through.
Definitely find another place to order the dress. :( They are being d-bags.
Wackadoo can mean whatever you want it to mean, I suppose... but urban dictionary it and you'll see that it most certainly does not mean "fantastic" to most of the population.
Regardless of what the word means, though, I'd be extremely nervous about moving forward with a company that replies to clients in such a short and unprofessional manner. To reply with random simple words and phrases is still just NOT cool, nomatter what their meaning. Their second email should've gone something like this:
"Hello minimini,
Thank you for writing back after what I'm sure was a confusing email from us. We apologize for the confusion. What wackadoo means in the context we meant it was "fantastic!", and what we meant to say was that we look forward to working with you to make your dress dreams a reality.
We look forward to speaking with you soon and apologize again for the confusion.
Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!
Sincerely,
xxxx"
THAT'S a professional email response. NOT "it means fantastic..."
Oh, I would NOT give these people my hard earned money. The original response was shocking, and their "explanation" was even more insulting than calling you a wackadoo.
I agree with @Kaybeewills: What's going to happen if there is a problem with your dress? Do you really feel like you can have a good relationship with these people?
I do not trust these people for a moment. And I'm also in Los Angeles, and would LOVE to know who this vendor is, so I can steer clear of them,
Also, can you post a pic of the dress? Maybe all these clever bees can help you find a similar one from a vendor that isn't an a-hole.
I'm pretty good at sniffing out dresses, minimini...show us what you want, and we'll help ya out!
Uh, no way I'd buy from them, so unprofessional. I'm sorry.
But yes, if you show the hive what you are looking sure I'm sure many people will find you similar dresses!
I wouldn't buy from them. Clearly they don't value you as a potential customer and have horrendous communication skills. Is this a bridal shop you were dealing with, or the actual manufacturer?
Sorry you've been treated like that!
Oh boy! Wow, what a wealth of supportive responses! Thank you so much, ladies, for all your help! :)
Okay, so the general consensus appears to be that the designer (her husband, rather) has been extremely insulting towards me and that the word, "wackadoo," is one which bears a heavily negative connotation. *slaps self on forehead* YIKES.
You're right, gals. This is totally inappropriate. For the designer's husband to have given me such a curt and insulting response is unacceptable and worthy of reporting to the BBB. I'm seriously considering setting up a BBB inquiry and complaint as I type this. I feel as though I've been extremely kind, patient, honest, and sweet in my dealings with this designer, and I'm disappointed that I have to take off my rose-colored glasses to see that what this man has been doing is down right ugly. My senses tell me that he initially zipped off the insulting email with "Wackadoo" and then commenced to backpedal (sans apology) with his second email as soon as he sniffed out the potential for the loss of an extra $3k to warm the company pocketbook.
Ladies, I'm at a loss. :( I really, really, really want this gown, but if my kindness will only earn me such an awful and unreceptive response, then I will have to seriously reconsider. *sigh* I'm finding more and more that navigating through the wedding industry is like setting a fur seal among a sea of sharks. :T
I'm not sure how to discreetly convey to you all the designer with whom I have been communicating (more like an extreme effort to communicate on my part). Their bedside manner is less than stellar, but their products are just fabulous. It's a crying shame that there couldn't be more congruency with regards to product quality and customer service. They are located in the East Coast, and their initals are M.T. I hope that I've implemented an appropriate amount of discretion, dear bees. <3
Thank you ALL, again, for your wonderful support. *hugs hugs hugs* What in the world would a naive girl like me be doing without all of you? Seriously, thank you SO much. :)
this sucks for you! the perfect dress but now it has bad connotations from their lack of professionalism or basic manners! you were so polite to the designer, i would not have been so nice. good luck with your dress hunting
I can't believe they told you that wackadoo meant fantastic. Yeah, right!
I would love to see the original emails you sent to them in this matter!
Definitely file a claim with the BBB. Don't know how far it'll get you, but I think the BBB will be VERY interested in their questionable business "ethics."
Hello, loves. <3 And much love to you all!
Below, you will find my copy and pasted version of the email chain with the designer. I've decided to give them one last chance. I am the hopeful type who truly likes to give others the benefit of the doubt before completely writing them off, and I've opted for one final extension of the olive branch. I'm really trying to be forgiving and to play nice, but I'm just really astounded by the rudeness with which I've been treated. There's also the problem of having to obtain my dream gown from them. UGH. Okay, so I've modified any dead-giveaway names or anything that might be a bit too personal, but otherwise, what you see is in its original format. I do hope this helps! Do you think, perhaps, that the messages were curt on account of his using the iPhone? :T
XXXXX xxxx <xxxx@me.com>
Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 7:14 PM
To: "XXX@gmail.com" <XXX@gmail.com>
Wackadoo.
Sent from my iPhone
On Aug 14, 2010, at 9:58 PM, XXX@gmail.com wrote:
> > Name: XXXX Phone: XXXXXXXXXX Email: XXX@gmail.com Message: Dear Sir or Madame,I have recently met an become engaged to a fantastic man who I am so happy to call my dear fiance. :) A few weekends ago, I went gown shopping, and I had the absolute pleasure of falling in love with the "Wallis" gown from your most current collection. It is SO exquisite! I am writing, because my wedding is most likely not going to take place for at least 3 years. I'd love to put down a deposit in order to hold the fabric until the date of our wedding (when it has been set) draws a bit nearer. On the phone, David was so kind to have roughly quoted a ballpark figure of somewhere around $3200-ish for the Wallis gown with buttons down the back in addition to a custom length. If I may, I would love to put down a deposit to also kind of secure the pricing just in case market fluctuations affect the price at a later point.If you wouldn't mind giving me a jingle sometime so that I may provide you with a card number to cover the deposit costs, that would be fantastic. I may be reached on my cell phone at XXXXXXXXXX. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my email! All the best, Emily
XXXX <XXX@gmail.com>
Sat, Aug 14, 2010 at 11:05 PM
To: XXXXX xxxx <xxxx@me.com>
Hello there,
I'm not quite sure what the term, "wackadoo," means, so I'm a bit pink in the face and confused. Please advise when you have a spare moment.
Take good care,Emily
XXXXX xxxx <xxxx@me.com>
Sun, Aug 15, 2010 at 3:23 AM
To: XXXX <XXX@gmail.com>
It means fantastic.....
[Quoted text hidden]
To: XXXXX <xxxx@me.com>
Hello there,
Thanks oodles for clarifying! I'm so sheepish to admit that I am just horrid with expressions and idioms and am embarrassed as an American-born individual to admit that I ran around the house in search of a dictionary and was quite winded. Thank you, again, and I am so pleased to be working with you to secure the dress of my dreams. As soon as I tried on the gowns designed by XXXXXX, I instantly fell in love and knew that I had to have a dress by MT to wear to my future wedding. She really knows how to best flatter the female form!
Again, many thanks and I do look forward to doing business with you all!
All the very best,Emily
Okay dear. Definitely file your complaint with the BBB, and call this pathetic excuse for a business tomorrow morning to complain about the way you've been treated. I couldn't care less if the email was sent via iPhone or trained pigeon. It was completely, utterly, unacceptable. My guess is that an employee really did write you off as someone unworthy of their time due to the fact that you told them your wedding is three years away. I truly believe they insulted you on purpose. It needs to be dealt with.
That aside, I am sure just about EVERYONE here can vouch for me when I say that shopping, much less putting deposits down, for dresses this early on in the game is not the best idea. There's nothing wrong with poking around here and there but I really would not seriously shop until you get to at least the 1-year-left mark. You WILL fall in love with other dresses, and if you're already committed to one, you're gonna have the always dreaded "dress regret" you'll see soooo many bees posting on here all the time.
Please understand that I'm not saying you did *anything* wrong, or in any way deserved to be insulted, but I just wanted to point that out to you because it is just one more reason on top of many that you should file your complaints and then drop this company entirely from your dress search, since it's not the best idea to be searching so early anyway. So sorry you had to deal with this!! Hugs to you!
Oh hell no. They're full of B.S. I bet you can find just as good of a dress if not better within the next 2+ years without dealing with their crap. You got time and money on your side. I wouldn't give them a dime. I agree with littlemissmango that you'll be able to find something love equally. Or, have it recreated by SOMEONE ELSE, locally.
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