Mt. Pleasant Classical Academy

This week we have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Mark’s FIRST & BRAND-NEW inline speed skate boots.  For the past 6 months he skated on borrowed speed skates and we were very thankful that the one coach had some that fit him.  We wanted to make sure that he did want to do this sport before we sunk $$$$ into speed skates.  Think expensive and a zero, or two.  The boots were ordered back in mid-July when we were in Lincoln, NE at the Inline-Speed Skating Nationals.  That was over 3-months ago.  Finally we were given a tracking number last Friday evening and told the boots were being shipped from CA — ground.  Not the way I would have shipped product to a customer that had been waiting that long.

So we took it in stride using this as a nice lesson in geography too.  When we learned where the boots were being shipped from we brought up MS Streets & Trips, plotted the trucks course, and gauged where the promised boots were every night.  This morning we checked the UPS site again and found that they left MD at 1:36AM, and then shortly after 8am we checked again and learned that they were put on the truck for delivery this morning at 8:06am.

As homeschoolers we know our UPS driver very well, and he us.  He carries big dog biscuits for our two and they can tell us when his truck pulls into our development.  We can set our clock at 10:03am, always goes by at that time and today was no exception. Today we saw the truck speed by…..Mark’s face dropped and we assured him that he would stop on his return path by our home.  He speed by again.   Mark fought back the tears, just like being told Santa would come and then someone messed with the day.

At 12:15pm the UPS truck came back—is this someone’s idea of a cruel joke?—-and brought the package for Mark.  Mark whipped out his Leatherman, opened up the box and found that it only contained the boots.  The two skate bags were not shipped.  Then he exclaimed–THEY ARE SIZE 10.5!!!!!! not the size 10 as stated on our original purchase order.  His feet swim in them, size 10 was pushing it as it was.

I’ve sent the email to cancel the order, to have our $$$$$ returned.  Three month backordered, shipped ground, sent wrong-size, incomplete delivery—-all the wrong things to do for this patient and understanding customer.   The boys are now trying to decide what to order instead.  Oh, and Mark has said that this inline speed skate company should practice mass production, that works and they should try it.  What a lesson in how to not treat a customer, and how to deal with disappointment and dissatisfaction as the customer.