log in
register

Am I a “patronizing (sic) so and so”…?

  • Creator
    Topic
  • July 25, 2013 at 5:27 pm #19448
    nemysys

    I took delivery of my new bike a couple of weeks back (MEKK Potenza 5. A fantastic piece of kit – but with the same obvious problem as most of the bikes on sale today.

    White bar tape…!

    And as everyone knows – it gets grubby very quickly.

    So I thought I would have it changed – to red – the bike is black and red.

    Then I thought, what about a bit of bling – matching red brake hoods !

    But brake hoods in red are not easy to find… but a diligent search of the net found a pair at Discount Bicycles (http://www.discountbicycles.co.uk) of Park Hall Rd, Dulwich.

    I eagerly dropped them into the shopping cart, along with some red bar tape.

    But then I thought, just before I flashed the credit card – I’d better check that they reasonably matched in colour. So I sent the following email:

    “Hi Guys

    I have a couple of items in my shopping basket…
    1 x pr One23 Brake Hoods for Shimano 105 – Red
    and
    1 x roll One23 Bar Tape – Red
    Quick question – are these two items the same colour? – the same tone of red?
    Many thanks”

    I received the following message back:

    “Hi. Thank you for your message.
    I am not based in the warehouse and so I can not check. Also I am uncomfortable in giving this sort of subjective advice and so I can only say that in my opinion they are similar.

    Kind regards. Henry Obuabang.

    Sales Dept.”

    I didn’t think that was overly helpful, so I replied:

    “Henry

    That’s not exactly the best customer service is it…?

    Ask somebody in the warehouse…? Walk to the warehouse…?

    Check with the manufacturer…?

    The question is simple – are they the same colour red from the same manufacturer….?

    Or is one a deep pink and the other a maroon… both of which could be classed as red.

    I’m not asking that they are exactly the same pantone colour – but as they are going to be next to each other, they need to be at least as close as possible.

    Rgds
    Customer with money to spend….

    Paul Ashbury”

    The reply came this afternoon:

    “Hi. Thank you for your message.
    Perhaps you may want to shop elsewhere you patronizing so and so

    Kind regards

    Henry Obuabang”

    So my question is – am I a “patronizing so and so”

    Or as a customer – have I a right to reasonable customer service…?

  • Creator
    Topic
Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
1 2
  • Author
    Replies
  • July 26, 2013 at 3:02 pm #749543
    0
    cat1commuter

    I’d go for black bar tape and
    I’d go for black bar tape and hoods.

    July 26, 2013 at 2:24 pm #749541
    0
    Ghedebrav

    In earlier days I used to
    In earlier days I used to work in retail, involving customer emails and so on and I received far more offensive/patronizing/unpleasant emails than yours (with far less justification).

    Their first response was a bit flaky – if they want to do business selling stuff to cyclists, they need to know that we’re quite an exacting bunch, and your question was reasonably worded.

    I think their second response is unacceptable to be honest. Really unprofessional – your reply was moderately peevish, but then their first response wasn’t helpful to you. So yeah, I think you’re in the right here.

    Only bad on your part is printing the name of the individual here – you should probably edit it out of your post.

    July 25, 2013 at 9:23 pm #749539
    0
    davecochrane

    I only have this to
    I only have this to offer….

    July 25, 2013 at 9:19 pm #749537
    0
    billyman

    the customer is always right,
    the customer is always right, that’s something I have been taught from an early age in the service industry, still being rude will not get you anywhere.

    move on, learn your lesson, shop elsewhere.

    July 25, 2013 at 9:10 pm #749535
    0
    spongebob

    Hold on red brake hoods and
    Hold on red brake hoods and red bar tape? He probably thought you were having him on !

    July 25, 2013 at 8:40 pm #749533
    0
    Leviathan

    Rumpo, you are a cunning
    Rumpo, you are a cunning linguist.

    July 25, 2013 at 8:16 pm #749531
    0
    KirinChris

    Oooh, a tarring and
    Oooh, a tarring and feathering…

    First, there is no excuse for the salesperson’s second reply. A customer may be patronising and annoying but unless he has actually been offensive or abusive there is no call for a response like that. It’s unprofessional.

    Having said that I sympathise with the salesperson’s position. Look at the second email you sent to them, you are asking are the two colours “as close as possible” but also are they “the same red”. So which is it, the same, or close ?
    And you suggest that he should ask someone in the warehouse – so he has to transmit your vague and subjective question to a third party and then get a possibly vague and subjective answer, for which you will blame him.

    His first answer was perfectly reasonable and he should have just repeated that to you.

    Finally I think the fact that you’ve apparently left his name on the email trail here is pretty poor form.

    July 25, 2013 at 7:59 pm #749529
    0
    TheHatter

    I’d say more than a little
    I’d say more than a little rude. Would you speak to someone in a shop face to face like that?
    His original reply seemed pretty reasonable to me.

    July 25, 2013 at 7:53 pm #749527
    0
    The Rumpo Kid

    bikeboy76 wrote:The Rumpo Kid

    bikeboy76 wrote:
    The Rumpo Kid wrote:
    (sic)(sic) isn’t necessarily patronising. It just indicates that the error was made by the person being quoted, and not the person using the quotation.

    Your first word should have been capitalized; how does that make you feel?


    Rather smug, as I noticed and corrected it before you got your reply in.

    July 25, 2013 at 7:47 pm #749525
    0
    Stumps

    Timbo13 wrote:Sic is Latin

    Timbo13 wrote:
    Sic is Latin for “thus” but here is shorthand for the full Latin phrase “sic erat scriptum” (thus it was written). It indicates you are quoting from another source verbatim and in the knowledge that it may contain eg spelling or grammatical errors, but that such are not of your own making.

    Hope that helps

    Cheers mate, but its all greek to me #o

    July 25, 2013 at 7:44 pm #749523
    0
    Timbo13

    Sic is Latin for “thus” but
    Sic is Latin for “thus” but here is shorthand for the full Latin phrase “sic erat scriptum” (thus it was written). It indicates you are quoting from another source verbatim and in the knowledge that it may contain eg spelling or grammatical errors, but that such are not of your own making.

    Hope that helps

    July 25, 2013 at 7:41 pm #749521
    0
    Gkam84

    If that had been your reply
    If that had been your reply to me, after me saying I couldn’t really advise you on that.

    My reply wouldn’t have been as nice…..

    You would have been better giving them a call, where you can get your point across without sounding like a rude so and so 😉

    July 25, 2013 at 7:28 pm #749519
    0
    Stumps

    What does (sic) mean by the
    What does (sic) mean by the way ?

    As for your reply, yes from that reply i would say you are a bit patronising.

    But then again none of us are perfect are we 😉

    July 25, 2013 at 7:11 pm #749517
    0
    dave atkinson

    [sic] should really be in
    [sic] should really be in square brackets, not parentheses

    :B

    😀

    July 25, 2013 at 6:58 pm #749515
    0
    Simon E

    I’d echo robert.brady’s
    I’d echo robert.brady’s comment, you probably got what you asked for.

    The warehouse may not even be in the same location.

    If it’s important to you then visit a bricks & mortar shop.

  • Author
    Replies
Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 20 total)
1 2
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.