as is the case with almost any purchase, there’s never a guarantee that something won’t go wrong. to me, one of the best litmus tests of customer service isn’t in how a business treats customers in the ‘good’ times, but how it works together with customers when there’s a problem.
i had purchased a vintage vinyl record purse from TamedRaven a short while back and shared a review about how i was quite happy with my purchase. i used the bag the same evening that i received it, using it to store my wallet and phone for a quick supermarket run and visiting a friend’s house after that.
i completely did not expect to return home to find that the strap had completely frayed, and agonised quite a bit over whether i should reach out to the brand for this, especially since the unfortunate timing did not look so good – the review had just gone up the day before.
eventually, i decided to send a photo to the owner Kris to just let her know in case, and to ask for recommendations on how to fix it on my end. Kris was very apologetic and sent over not just detailed instructions on how to properly seal the frayed strap and reattach it, but also an offer to make me another one at no charge, since she had also been working on a new improved pattern for these purses.
i didn’t want to impose to that extent and told Kris that i would let her know how things go with my self-repair attempts first, or as an alternative that i would pay for the replacement. Kris counter-proposed a happy medium instead, that i agree to let her send me the replacement for free and instead just cover the cost of shipping, which i felt was fair.
i wanted to still show some support for the brand nevertheless, and asked Kris if i could also order this cute little Skulls and Bats goth enamel pin (in black and white) to be bundled together with the shipping for my replacement bag.
all throughout the process, Kris was very communicative and helpful – she shared with me the various options she had for the records in stock, as well as photos of fabric for the bag liner, and was more than happy to tailor it to my preferences. i greatly respected how Kris was open to receive such feedback so that she could fix it for everyone in the future, and how determined she was to make things right, though truth be told i also felt a little embarrassed that she ended up going to so much trouble on my account!
and as for the previous bag, i was able to follow Kris’ helpful instructions to cut the frayed strap clean and hold the edge over a flame (briefly) to seal it. the durable material used for the strap proved surprisingly impervious to my regular home needles though, so i ended up purchasing some elephant glue to stick the strap back in place. i wouldn’t trust the glue with the same weight that i would put in a regular bag, though it currently works as a statement piece carrier for light items like my mask, tissue and little bottle of hand sanitiser.
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this review is of a product that i had purchased at regular price with my own money, and a replacement sent for free by the brand (with me covering shipping costs). i wasn’t asked to review this as a condition of receipt and didn’t receive any incentives for writing this. i’m not affiliated with TamedRaven, and as always, all opinions remain my own.
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