Current Events > The DUmpster
diet soda primitive pans Omaha Steaks; a stretchy
franksolich:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x45715
Oh my.
--- Quote ---Tab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 05:15 PM
Original message
What is up with Omaha Steaks?
I've ordered from them maybe 8 times over the last 20 years - not a lot, but every once in a while.
I was given a $75 gift card for Christmas, and remembered it and decided to place an order.
I got back an email that said the following:
-----------------------------------
Thank you for considering OmahaSteaks.com, INC. for your gourmet food
purchases. We strive to please our customers with exceptional products
and service.
Our objective is 100% satisfaction. In researching our files, we find
that you have been less than satisfied with the majority of your
purchases.
Based on our concern for your satisfaction, we feel it is in your best
interest to locate a new supplier for gourmet foods.
We deeply regret our inability to meet your needs. Thank you for your
past patronage.
Sincerely,
OmahaSteaks.com, INC.
--------------------------------------
To my knowledge, I only complained once. Everything else has always been great. A little overpriced, but great. Perhaps they don't know about my other orders (different addresses and different emails over the years), but to place one order and have an issue with it and they were gracious enough to fix it, but now I can't order from them any more?
I wrote them back relatively nicely, explained I have ordered far more than they have thought, and certainly not complained on a "majority" of the orders - only one to my knowledge - and asked them to either kindly ship the order, or refund the money to the person who gave us the gift card. They're happy to accept the money, but apparently you can only take advantage of their 100% satisfaction guarantee only once. I guess that's how they keep it at 100%.
We'll see what they say.
--- End quote ---
Okay, folks, this is a good example of a stretchy, where a primitive stretches things more than the elastic on the subway cat's underpanties.
The diet soda primitive probably complained about every order he ever got from Omaha Steaks.
The diet soda primitive says it's been only one time, but primitives have short-term memories.
And the diet soda primitive doesn't want to admit he's complained many times in hopes of getting some sort of gift-certificate from Omaha Steaks, for good customer relations. The diet soda primitive's gotten a few of these, but because of repetitious complaining, Omaha Steaks finally caught on to his "trick."
franksolich bets this is the real story.
Anyway.
--- Quote ---Phentex Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 05:50 PM
Response to Original message
1. Wow! That's pretty shocking...especially now when you'd think they'd really need the business. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone being refused based on past history. I like your response, though, and I'm curious as to how they respond.
We had trouble with a gift order from Harry & David. They did not stand by their guarantee in any way. It was suprising since they tout it all the time.
--- End quote ---
But the deal is, Omaha Steaks doesn't need the "business" of customers who have to be placated with free gift certificates; they lose money, and have to lay off employees, and we all know how hard it is, finding a job in this Bush economy, the worst economy since the Walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
Isn't Harry & David a primitive favorite, like Ben & Jerry's?
--- Quote ---Tab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 06:09 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. They just wrote back
They said that under the circumstances they will ship my order, however they cannot guarantee it in any way.
I don't remember what I originally complained about but it was a legitimate complaint (I'm not a complainer by nature, so it needs to be a real problem) and I've ordered many times from them and as far as I can recall only had one complaint. I wrote them back and said thanks, but I was curious how many complaints they thought I had put in. To my knowledge it's only the one.
Personally I've thought they always tried to have a top-end customer service record. Apparently they do that only by discarding anyone who has a complaint.
Not a problem - there are many other places to order from.
--- End quote ---
Another stretchy; this "legitimate complaint" and "not a complainer by nature" nonsense.
As for "many other places to order from," well, none are as good as Omaha Steaks, and so the diet soda primitive blew it, never again fated to enjoy the best of the best.
--- Quote ---Tab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 07:09 PM
Response to Original message
3. Now they wrote back again
I thanked them for sending the product (trying to hold back any snarky comments) but said, just out of curiousity, how many complaints have they received from me? Because in 20 years of ordering - occasionally, grant you - not constantly - I could think of only one occasion when I complained (and I don't complain lightly).
They wrote back and said it wasn't the number of complaints, but that last time I was unhappy with everything in the order. Remember the original time they said I complained about the "majority" of my orders. Now it's just one order they mucked up.
Well, I did honestly complain. For the premium price they charge, I should be happy when I receive the order. Apparently you can only take them up on their satisfaction guarantee once in a lifetime.
I don't know if the company is hard-pressed for cash or what, but they're rewriting the rules on what I understood customer satisfaction should be. It's not like I abuse it and complain about every order. It was one single order, it was a well-deserved complaint, the only complaint in 20 years and apparently it's my fault.
Anyway, I'll get my food and shop elsewhere for gourmet stuff from this point forward.
--- End quote ---
More stretchy; the elastic's about to break.
The diet soda primitive didn't "hold back" any "snarky comments."
By the way, franksolich is intensely curious--who can afford to buy premium-priced mail-order steaks in this terrible Bush economy, the worst economy since the Siege of Troy?
--- Quote ---hippywife Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 08:20 PM
Response to Reply #3
4. America's Test Kitchens gave them a "not recommended" so I wouldn't be too concerned about it. If you're gonna spend that much money on meat local, grassfed and finished is a highly superior product anyway.
--- End quote ---
Hmmm. The hippowife needs reminded this "America's Test Kitchens" is not the Good Housekeeping seal of approval or Consumer's Reports or the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture), all of which have said Omaha Steaks are sans peer, primer uber alles, the ne plus ultra, of steaks.
--- Quote ---sandnsea Donating Member (1000+ posts) Tue Jun-17-08 11:38 PM
Response to Original message
5. I complained to both my local grocery stores
Holy criminy, I better shut up or I might get banned.
I had heard of this with phone companies, just telling people to hit the highway rather than work to fix problems. But when this flippant attitude gets to Omaha Steaks, yikes!
--- End quote ---
It looks likely American business is coming around to reality.
In ordinary cases, fortunately 99.9% of cases, the customer is always right.
But if the customer's a primitive, the customer is always wrong, which is right on the money.
Some people just aren't worth dealing with; they cost more than what they buy.
JohnnyReb:
....and at the bottom of said e-mail was this.
P.S. We have applied the $75 Christmas gift card to your long overdue bill.
Airwolf:
--- Quote from: JohnnyReb on June 18, 2008, 12:09:46 PM ---....and at the bottom of said e-mail was this.
P.S. We have applied the $75 Christmas gift card to your long overdue bill.
--- End quote ---
LOL.
vlad335:
Reminds me of a lefty I used to work with. She has since retired but I heard a story from another co-worker of how she was incensed by an excellent local bakery. She went in there to complain and the owner basically threw her out and told her never to come back again. Apparently she had been going there for years and complained about every single order and they had enough and snapped. This is the best bakery in the area and everything i have ever bought from them has been excellent BTW.
I have no problem believing this story about her as it fits in with everything else I have heard. I work with many middle aged women and they like to get together at local restaurants periodically. They have deliberately excluded her and kept their plans secret in fear that she would go along. The couple times she was included she did the same thing in every restaurant. Order something, call the waitress back and change the order, eat a good portion of the meal, them complain that she didn't get what she ordered and raise such a ruckus ( Loudly demand to see the manager, etc.) that everyone was completely embarrassed. Everyone concluded that this was all for one purpose and that was to get the meal for free.
Concerning the bakery, last I heard she retained a lawyer and is going right after them. What's sad is she will probably get something out of it.
Hmmm.. I wonder where the poster TAB is located?
RobJohnson:
The deal is with Omaha, you can cook the meat, eat it, then call and say you were not happy, and they will give you a full refund, no questions asked, and you do not have to return unsed portions...so if someone orders $300 in meat...eats it for a month, then calls and says it sucks....they get the $300 back...
Of course, Omaha would have to keep the reins tight on this type of policy.
I have worked places before where I have invited guests to never come back.
I have seen customers in several industries try and run a scam.....
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