The customer is not always right. That’s the mantra practiced by the boss of one crab delivery service, who refused to back down when his driver allegedly got into an accident and delivered one customer’s order late.
Let us tell you a crabby story ahead of the Chinese New Year.
Facebook user Janelle Tan, who claimed she rarely posts on Facebook and is “not the type that would file for a complaint or argue with the staff regardless bad service or lapse in food quality”, nevertheless was compelled to complain on her Facebook page that her order from Big Fatty Crab came at 8.52pm despite her order confirmation stating that the food will arrive between 7pm and 8pm.
She complained over Facebook and left a negative review on the company’s Facebook page. She also took issue with not being informed “beforehand” that the delivery would be late. So far, a normal case of a dissatisfied customer making a complaint. See her Facebook post here for her story, as well as her complaint on Big Fatty Crab’s website:
What was less normal was the reaction of the boss to the complaint. He admitted that the driver was late, but explained that the driver had gotten into an accident on the way to the customer’s place, and was settling the issue; that’s why he was late and couldn’t inform Ms Tan earlier.
He also urged for Ms Tan to show compassion for the delivery driver, saying he worked hard to send the order through the heavy rain and traffic jam.
Interestingly, he then turned the tables on the customer, saying that she shouldn’t have gotten upset after receiving an explanation and apology, and that he would rather protect his staff and lose a customer who “got no heart to feel sorry”.
Here’s his initial reply in full:
While we think the Big Fatty Crab boss’ reply was too direct and definitely not PR-friendly, we do find it refreshing that he protects his staff.
Too often, we see bosses who throw their staff under the bus, whether or not it’s actually their fault, to protect the company image and appease customers.
To see a boss that protects his staff and is willing to offend a customer because of that – it’s not something one sees often in Singapore.
The boss, who remains unnamed, replied to 3 more comments from Ms Tan and her sister Hq Juan. See them here but if you’re like any member of the general public, be warned that after you finish reading the lengthy comments and replies your eyes will glaze over and you will suppress an urge to bang your head on the table.
Here’s a summary: The customers, even more miffed due to the boss’ initial response, complain about poor customer service and the lack of proper follow-up.
The boss starts getting snarky, by saying that he only gives best customer service to those to deserve it, urges them to use common sense and says his crabs are sold out every day, implying that he doesn’t need their patronage. There are indeed quite a few good reviews on his Facebook page.
We don’t know whether to decry his total abandonment of customer service by this point, or applaud his bravery.
Ms Tan received a few supportive responses on her Facebook page:
She also gained a supporter, who criticised the boss for his poor English, on Big Fatty Crab’s Facebook page:
However, some commenters on the crab company’s page also supported the boss and slammed Ms Tan:
Who is in the right here? Was Ms Tan being too demanding, or was the crab boss totally out of line here and against customer service principles, reminiscent of the Western Co. saga? Or is it a bit of both?
We’ll leave it up to you to decide.
Featured image from Big Fatty Crab
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