Out Of State, Out Of Mind, Part 2

Geography, Online, Retail, Stupid, Tennessee, USA | Right | December 29, 2014

(I manage a customer service department for a company that sells aftermarket automotive accessories. We need to confirm a shipping address to ship a product to a customer because the address that the customer entered during the online checkout process isn’t coming up as valid in our system. We called the customer for verification.)

Customer: “Hello?”

Rep: “Yes, ma’am, this is [Rep] from [Company], and we need to verify your shipping address because, unfortunately, it’s not coming up as valid.”

Customer: “Umm, what do y’all have down?”

Rep: *reads off the address*

Customer: “Yeah, that’s it.”

(We had already Googled the zip code provided and have now figured out the problem. The customer put in the state as Iowa but, to our disbelief, the address and zip code link her to Ohio.)

Rep: “Ma’am, according to your zip code, you’re in Ohio and not Iowa.”

Customer: “Oh, no, that can’t be right. I’ve lived in Iowa for ten years at least. Who are you to tell me where I do and don’t live, anyway? I just want my stuff shipped! THIS IS A CHRISTMAS PRESENT AND YOU WILL RUIN MY CHRISTMAS IF I DON’T GET IT!”

(We have since pulled up Google Maps and located her residence to be certain. We are positive that she really lives in Ohio and not Iowa since the address is still matching our search results, and at this point, everyone in the office is listening since the rep has graciously put her on speakerphone.)

Rep: “Okay, ma’am, just to double-check…” *proceeds to describe the customer’s residence to the customer*

Customer: “Wow, that’s exactly what my house looks like. Y’all are some smart people! Where are y’all located?”

Rep: “Our office is in Tennessee, and where do you live again?”

Customer: “IOWA! Gosh, what is so hard to understand about that?”

Rep: “I’m sorry, ma’am. We’ve got this worked out and we are shipping your package today, to Iowa.”

(But really, we shipped to her confirmed address in Ohio. The rep finished up the phone call and hung up. We shipped the package, and a few days later we called to confirm that the customer received her package. She did, in Ohio, according to the UPS tracking number.)

This story is part of our online shopping roundup!