MauiShirts Blog

It is amazing to me how many people simply do not read the simple, but important information that is on the top of ALL pages of the web site as well as on the bottom area of all pages of the web site. Believe it or not, the web site is over 2,500 pages deep. That?s at least 2,500 times the same information can be accessed. Yet, it simply goes unread and unheeded.

I know if I were buying something I would like to know how to return it or exchange it. I would also like to know how much it?s going to cost to get it to me. And, most importantly, I would like to know if it is in stock now. Two of these can be found on the top of all web pages. There is even a line of copy that says “Click here for answers to your questions”. But, people simply don?t take the time to read. I spend a great deal of time answering email about this information. Time I should be spending doing more important things. Like packing and shipping your orders.

Then there is a nice purple copy, outlined box on the bottom area of ALL pages that says if you are having a wedding or need matching outfits. It says, “Please furnish a specific date when you need your order in your hands”. Hardly any one offers up this most important information.

Then there comes the story of two customers who placed two separate orders. Both orders were for the same wedding. One order was filled and shipped. A Federal Express tracking number was sent to the customer when one of the orders shipped. The second order could not be filled. The items became temporarily out of stock for the second order. Neither person mentioned that the two orders were for the same wedding. There is a Comments Section in the order form for this sort of information. Neither person offered a date when they needed the items in their hands. One of the customers called two days after the orders were submitted. The inquiry was why the second order had not shipped. An email was sent to the second order telling the customer that the items were temporarily out of stock.

Everywhere on the web site there is information about “refresh your browser often to see updates”. It’s there on hundreds of drop-down menu selections. That would be the F5 key for REFRESH if you did not know. There is a scrolling box that says this sort of thing on the front page. This information is also on the Shipping & Handling and General Information page.

The web site is updated every day throughout the day to reflect inventory, returns and exchanges. This is an important fact: It is simply impossible, not to mention unfeasible, to have on-hand stock of every print, in every color, in every size, in every style all of the time. My goodness, there are hundreds of prints. I would think that this piece of information would entice some preliminary checking.

A customer, in panic, canceled their order that had not shipped and wanted MauiShirts to pay the shipping charges back to Maui for the order that had already shipped. The contention was that when the order was placed the drop-down menu of selections said it was in stock. Again, logic did not prevail here. I know if I were having a wedding and was placing an order on-line for such an important event, I would check to see if what I was ordering was, indeed, in stock. I mean, these thing are made in very limited quantities. MauiShirts does not sell items made in foreign lands where they make thousands of them. When a dress print is made in X-Small through 2X, the entire full count could be less than 20 pieces! These are hand made items.

And, would you believe, there is a toll-free number on the bottom area of all pages. Hmm. A phone call. Too much to ask? But, don?t worry, MauiShirts.com will come to the rescue and make this all happen to the good. If there is anything at all to be said about MauiShirts is that we are passionate about shipping the customer?s orders so they get their apparel on time all of the time. We will do whatever it takes to make it happen.

One order of this on-going story, was canceled and refunded immediately. What madness. Had either person mentioned that the two orders were related or placed one single order for their wedding, (logic does not prevail here), the whole transaction would have been easier to deal with. Nothing would have been shipped in the first place. An email would have been fired off with the information that something was not in stock. We might have even made a phone call to the customer. Well, in our endeavor to help these customers we offered alternate prints and we will contact the factory to see if we can narrow the time frame for delivery for the out of stock items. Now the transaction will take much of our time checking when the out of stock items will be in stock. People at the factory will have to stop what they are doing to locate the fabric and determine when it is in line for replenishment. Will it be available in time? Is it in stock? The canceled order will need to be reprocessed if different prints are found or the out of stock items can be had in time. MauiShirts had to pay the merchant bank fees for the captured transaction that was canceled. Alternate choices may need to be selected. What should have been an easy transaction now turns into a quagmire of confusion and time consuming work. All because a few moments of time was not taken to read the information that was readily available.

Have no fear. It will all be made to happen. MauiShirts.com is passionate about fulfilling all orders.

Adrienne Uncategorized