It was more interesting reading all the comments the article attracted. I think 'diverse' sums them up
Absolutely no need have used the foul language for sure ... but with only one side presented - it is always difficult to know what really happened.
Cheers - John
Vic41 said
11:30 AM Jun 22, 2014
Thanks for the thumbs on this bloke/site Santa, hope the other caravan forums post on it also, this business isn't worth dealing with if that is their attitude.
Some of the comments shown on that site show many of the people making the comments have no idea of what is it is like to use email with limited places you can reply and send in remote places while on the move, so need to reply and ask questions in a short time frame.
It is ok for those sitting in a nice cosy office at work or home, or in a good reception area, but some of those who commented just have no idea of life on the road in remote areas.
-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 22nd of June 2014 11:42:44 AM
Glenelg said
12:18 PM Jun 22, 2014
i see this in Adelaides sunday mail this morning, wot a wanker
milo said
02:15 PM Jun 22, 2014
what ever happened to the old saying the customer is always right??
but even still the business owner has no right to speak to some like that ..
Red Dog said
02:46 PM Jun 22, 2014
Hes a creep
aussietraveller said
03:03 PM Jun 22, 2014
This guy is an absolute moron and will never see any of my money, I think both sides of the argument are there if you read the article as he was given right of response and again made stupid statements and he still has a valuable lesson to learn, how many people does he think one individual can reach in today's era of multi media I just hope he has a second job
johnq said
03:08 PM Jun 22, 2014
Just to be practical for a moment, I wonder if he could give any assurance of delivery time because he doesn't control all of the services involved.
Yes, he was rough in his treatment of a customer.
Isn't going public and personal with this grievance a bit extreme, though? What would be one's goal, the expected pay-out from it?
I ordered a new Garmin on a Thursday evening from a different on-line store (Australian, inter-State) . In between was a long weekend and I received it to my door on the following Tuesday. The store said that 2-3 days was usual for the ordinary courier delivery and priority was available at a few dollars more. Should I have been bent out of shape because the trader couldn't give a more precise estimate and a public holiday extended the delivery time?
I suggest that there is fault on both sides and going to that extent to embarrass the supplier was over the top.
BTW, my Garmin is the current model, it was at a genuinely good discount and the courier got it to my door so cheaply that I wonder how either can continue in business. I was tight enough not to pay the $3 more for priority too.
People, I know that tempers can fray on both sides, but I do worry about where our culture is going that we can be apparently so vindictive at times in seeking public censure, particularly where some reading, reasoning and understanding from us could have avoided the problem in the first place.
We weren't born yesterday and we lived at times where suppliers were few, supplies listed in catalogues you had to order, pay for and hope might arrive in months. That is just the paper catalogue, there was no telling if the ordered items were available, or how long they took. Online stores are a miracle: we see what we are getting and it is damned cheap and fast. Read the conditions, it is not in fine print and lets not pretend that suppliers can do what we ourselves would never promise to do ourselves.
Happywanderer said
03:16 PM Jun 22, 2014
I can understand the customer being upset but I can also understand how he must have been feeling after 6 emails in less than a day. That would drive anyone bonkers. Why didn't she organise her delivery better by asking them to post it to an area she knew she was going to be in the near future without bombarding him with useless questions.
We've all had to do it while on the road and all have been done successfully as far as mine have been concerned.
When you purchase write a note saying you are on the road and this is the address we wish you to send it to as you will be there in about 2 weeks. If you get there and it hasn't arrived, it's not the senders fault but more like Auspost. Wait around for it to arrive.
Simple.
johnq said
03:17 PM Jun 22, 2014
To add, The Courier Mail risks being seen as a tabloid where it uses its privileged position as a major metropolitan newspaper for that.
When it adopted its new layout, The Courier Mail stated emphatically that it would not act as a tabloid, so what is it doing with the large wooden spoon out stirring.
Mr/Ms Ms Editor, TCM,
Find some good investigative journalists please, there are some of them about, .
03_troopy said
03:55 PM Jun 22, 2014
Doesn't matter how frustrated he was, he didn't need to resort to language like that to a customer. And if you send an email and get a prompt reply, but the information isn't what you asked for, why wouldn't you resend the email.. OK 6 times is a lot, but if he was silly enough to respond immediately to each email, and after 6 still couldn't convey the information or a reason why the information wasn't available, more fool him.
Bottom line, the guy's an idiot who has no-one but himself to blame for such bad (well deserved) publicity.. And damn right, I'd be letting everyone I could, know what sort of a jerk the guy is if he sent me a reply like that.
Roving-Dutchy said
03:55 PM Jun 22, 2014
Take care what you say online as defamation actions are becoming more prevalent and are very easy to start and very hard to defend and even if you win a you will most definitely lose, so take care what you say against someone.
Cheers
David
the rocket said
03:59 PM Jun 22, 2014
I have a travel book and put interesting things in it and this is one article that surely has made it to that book and permanently in my caravan.
Vic41 said
04:17 PM Jun 22, 2014
The article with the same info on it was on page 3 of the (WA) Sunday Times today, along with a picture of the couple.
It would be very hard for the "owner" of the business to claim defamation after admitting to the language and even calling the people by swearwords in his response to the Sunday Times.
If anyone could claim defamation it would be the couple IMHO, not that they could probably afford the legal costs.
This idiot has left us in no doubt, he doesn't want gray nomads as customers, I'm sure most of us will be only too happy to oblige.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/oz-best-buys-owner-gordon-akman-calls-perth-grandmother-a-stupid-c-for-asking-shipping-questions/story-fnii5thq-1226962407613#itm=taus|home|content5_most-popular|3|MP_Courier-Mail|homepage|homepage&itmt=1403399325085#itm=taus|home|content5_most-popular|3|MP_Courier-Mail|homepage|homepage&itmt=1403399325272
Gday...
It was more interesting reading all the comments the article attracted. I think 'diverse' sums them up
Absolutely no need have used the foul language for sure ... but with only one side presented - it is always difficult to know what really happened.
Cheers - John
Thanks for the thumbs on this bloke/site Santa, hope the other caravan forums post on it also, this business isn't worth dealing with if that is their attitude.
Some of the comments shown on that site show many of the people making the comments have no idea of what is it is like to use email with limited places you can reply and send in remote places while on the move, so need to reply and ask questions in a short time frame.
It is ok for those sitting in a nice cosy office at work or home, or in a good reception area, but some of those who commented just have no idea of life on the road in remote areas.
-- Edited by Vic41 on Sunday 22nd of June 2014 11:42:44 AM
i see this in Adelaides sunday mail this morning, wot a wanker
but even still the business owner has no right to speak to some like that ..
Yes, he was rough in his treatment of a customer.
Isn't going public and personal with this grievance a bit extreme, though? What would be one's goal, the expected pay-out from it?
I ordered a new Garmin on a Thursday evening from a different on-line store (Australian, inter-State) . In between was a long weekend and I received it to my door on the following Tuesday. The store said that 2-3 days was usual for the ordinary courier delivery and priority was available at a few dollars more. Should I have been bent out of shape because the trader couldn't give a more precise estimate and a public holiday extended the delivery time?
I suggest that there is fault on both sides and going to that extent to embarrass the supplier was over the top.
BTW, my Garmin is the current model, it was at a genuinely good discount and the courier got it to my door so cheaply that I wonder how either can continue in business. I was tight enough not to pay the $3 more for priority too.
People, I know that tempers can fray on both sides, but I do worry about where our culture is going that we can be apparently so vindictive at times in seeking public censure, particularly where some reading, reasoning and understanding from us could have avoided the problem in the first place.
We weren't born yesterday and we lived at times where suppliers were few, supplies listed in catalogues you had to order, pay for and hope might arrive in months. That is just the paper catalogue, there was no telling if the ordered items were available, or how long they took. Online stores are a miracle: we see what we are getting and it is damned cheap and fast. Read the conditions, it is not in fine print and lets not pretend that suppliers can do what we ourselves would never promise to do ourselves.
We've all had to do it while on the road and all have been done successfully as far as mine have been concerned.
When you purchase write a note saying you are on the road and this is the address we wish you to send it to as you will be there in about 2 weeks. If you get there and it hasn't arrived, it's not the senders fault but more like Auspost. Wait around for it to arrive.
Simple.
When it adopted its new layout, The Courier Mail stated emphatically that it would not act as a tabloid, so what is it doing with the large wooden spoon out stirring.
Mr/Ms Ms Editor, TCM,
Find some good investigative journalists please, there are some of them about, .
Bottom line, the guy's an idiot who has no-one but himself to blame for such bad (well deserved) publicity.. And damn right, I'd be letting everyone I could, know what sort of a jerk the guy is if he sent me a reply like that.
Cheers
David
I have a travel book and put interesting things in it and this is one article that surely has made it to that book and permanently in my caravan.
The article with the same info on it was on page 3 of the (WA) Sunday Times today, along with a picture of the couple.
It would be very hard for the "owner" of the business to claim defamation after admitting to the language and even calling the people by swearwords in his response to the Sunday Times.
If anyone could claim defamation it would be the couple IMHO, not that they could probably afford the legal costs.
Today's update on this saga...
http://www.news.com.au/national/western-australia/oz-best-buys-owner-gordon-akman-apologises-for-calling-customer-a-stupid-c/story-fnii5thn-1226962931753?utm_source=News&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&net_sub_uid=5159709
Aussie Paul.
I wonder if his apology was genuine or whether it was prompted by his business interests or perhaps the risk of defamation actions against him.
Anyway the recipients of his abuse are happy they got an apology...
-- Edited by Vic41 on Monday 23rd of June 2014 12:40:19 PM
Possible the wording of her emails might have been a bit rude Bryan, but without seeing them hard to tell.
Not a very sensible way of answering her or the media though for someone in business.
I assume she must have approached the media in the first place for them to find out about it etc.
I wonder if she provided all the emails for them to peruse or just the offensive reply?
I can't see the incident not affecting his business in some quarters, although quality cheap priced products will always draw customers.
His swearing is inexcusable but it would be nice to have both sides of the story but then again when do we ever get both sides.