diet soda primitive pans Omaha Steaks; a stretchy

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x45715

Oh my.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!

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]

....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.

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.....

[djones520]

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.....

When I worked at Taco Bell we had a couple like that.  Everytime they'd come in, they'd order their food.  Then they'd sit down, eat half of it, then come back up and insist it was made incorrectly, and they wanted a new one.  After seeing this happen a couple of times, I personally would double check their orders, and then personally make their food, ensuring it was exactly how they ordered it.  They would still come up and pull that shit.  I got into a lot of arguments with the manager about these people because it got the point that I refused to serve them, since they ripped us off atleast once a week.  Everytime though the manager would give in and replace their order.

People who pull that shit are pretty sad in my opinion.

[Carl]

Frank if there is one other trait that the primitives have besides that they lie all the time is that they complain all the time...about everything.

It is the essence of their being...the need to be constantly miserable.

[JohnnyReb]

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.....

When I worked at Taco Bell we had a couple like that.  Everytime they'd come in, they'd order their food.  Then they'd sit down, eat half of it, then come back up and insist it was made incorrectly, and they wanted a new one.  After seeing this happen a couple of times, I personally would double check their orders, and then personally make their food, ensuring it was exactly how they ordered it.  They would still come up and pull that shit.  I got into a lot of arguments with the manager about these people because it got the point that I refused to serve them, since they ripped us off atleast once a week.  Everytime though the manager would give in and replace their order.

People who pull that shit are pretty sad in my opinion.

This reminds me  of a SCUBA diving trip I took with "Big Boy" back in '85. I was 39 yrs. old and been parted from X-wife for about 6 months. I was 6'4" and 180 lbs at the time. Big Boy was a 21 yr. old college student that worked for me part time. He was a huge country boy with a full beard and longish hair, country thru and thru. He was 6'8", 280 lbs of all muscle but harmless as he could be. The other fellows that worked for me said he was just a big old fuzzy teddy bear. ....and funny as hell. He kept everybody laughing all the time.

Well, Big Boy and I went down to the Crystal River, Florida area to do some SCUBA diving for a few days, see the manatee's etc. with plans to go on down to the Keys later for a few more days of diving. We get down there and go dive the first day and don't eat much. Next day we dive, eat lite and that night we're hungry, Big Boy especially. We got dressed and went to a nice place. Two yankee couples cut in front of us at the door but Big Boy holds the door for the ladies like the southern gentleman he is. We got seated right next to the 2 yankee couples. All during the meal this little runt of a yankee was fussing loudly, very loudly, about his food not being done right, his steak was not done, now it was burnt, the potato was raw, the tea was not sweet enough, the tea was too sweet, the service was bad, just on and on. Big Boy, almost growling, said to me, "I just hate a yankee. The sound of their voice just grates my nerves." Our meal wasn't very enjoyable, the food and service was just fine, it's the little runt yankee that ruined it all for us.

We got up to go pay the cashier and the damn little runt yankee cuts in front of us again. Big Boy didn't say a thing, just looked at me with "that" look in his eyes. The little runt yankee started to complain about his food, gave the cashier hell, demanded to see the manager. Manager came out and we heard his loud compaints all over again. Manager told the little runt yankee, "Well sir, if the food and service was that bad you won't have to pay. We're sorry. Please let us make it up to you. Come back again for a free meal sometime."  and scribbles something on a business card.

I was behind Big Boy at the register and I could see the back of Big Boy's neck had gotten extremely red. Big Boy couldn't keep quiet any longer, he spoke up rather loudly, "If the food was so bad, why did he clean his plate? I couldn't enjoy my meal for that loud mouth son of a bitch complaining. If you let him out of here without paying, I'm going to whup your ass and his too." My heart skipped a couple of beats and all I could think was, "OH SHIT! We're going to have to fight all the damn yankees in here and there ain't no way we can whip them all." The little runt yankee turned around, looked up at this huge country bunkin staring down on him with the evil eye and he all of a sudden decided to pay up. His buddy even threw a $20 bill on the counter for the waitresses.

After the little runt yankee left the manager wouldn't let us pay our bill. He and the waitresses had had trouble with that guy before. They didn't seem to be able to thank Big Boy enough. They asked us how long we were down for and after we told them about 2 more days, they insisted that we come eat with them every night, no charge. We got the best table in the house and the best service you could ask for. It was a far cry from the jailhouse bologna sandwiches with a few teeth missing that I thought we'd be getting after Big Boy spoke up.

[franksolich]

Damn, you're good, Johnny.

[Rebel]

No cops, no bushes, no conversions. 0 Bongs. 

Just kiddin' wicha man. 

I've actually dived the Crystal River. Ginnie Springs was awesome. 

[JohnnyReb]

No cops, no bushes, no conversions. 0 Bongs. 

Just kiddin' wicha man. 

I've actually dived the Crystal River. Ginnie Springs was awesome. 

It was many years ago but I enjoyed that area. The warm water outlet at the nuke plant was popular with the manatees. Did you go in the caves at Kings Springs? Kings Springs was full of catfish at night and Big Boy was about to go berzerk in there....wanted to "sack" a few for the road . How about Troy Springs?  Manatee Springs(required advanced open water cert.) ? The Blue Grotoe(sp) which I think they finally closed to the public?

[Flame]

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.....

When I worked at Taco Bell we had a couple like that.  Everytime they'd come in, they'd order their food.  Then they'd sit down, eat half of it, then come back up and insist it was made incorrectly, and they wanted a new one.  After seeing this happen a couple of times, I personally would double check their orders, and then personally make their food, ensuring it was exactly how they ordered it.  They would still come up and pull that shit.  I got into a lot of arguments with the manager about these people because it got the point that I refused to serve them, since they ripped us off atleast once a week.  Everytime though the manager would give in and replace their order.

People who pull that shit are pretty sad in my opinion.

This reminds me  of a SCUBA diving trip I took with "Big Boy" back in '85. I was 39 yrs. old and been parted from X-wife for about 6 months. I was 6'4" and 180 lbs at the time. Big Boy was a 21 yr. old college student that worked for me part time. He was a huge country boy with a full beard and longish hair, country thru and thru. He was 6'8", 280 lbs of all muscle but harmless as he could be. The other fellows that worked for me said he was just a big old fuzzy teddy bear. ....and funny as hell. He kept everybody laughing all the time.

Well, Big Boy and I went down to the Crystal River, Florida area to do some SCUBA diving for a few days, see the manatee's etc. with plans to go on down to the Keys later for a few more days of diving. We get down there and go dive the first day and don't eat much. Next day we dive, eat lite and that night we're hungry, Big Boy especially. We got dressed and went to a nice place. Two yankee couples cut in front of us at the door but Big Boy holds the door for the ladies like the southern gentleman he is. We got seated right next to the 2 yankee couples. All during the meal this little runt of a yankee was fussing loudly, very loudly, about his food not being done right, his steak was not done, now it was burnt, the potato was raw, the tea was not sweet enough, the tea was too sweet, the service was bad, just on and on. Big Boy, almost growling, said to me, "I just hate a yankee. The sound of their voice just grates my nerves." Our meal wasn't very enjoyable, the food and service was just fine, it's the little runt yankee that ruined it all for us.

We got up to go pay the cashier and the damn little runt yankee cuts in front of us again. Big Boy didn't say a thing, just looked at me with "that" look in his eyes. The little runt yankee started to complain about his food, gave the cashier hell, demanded to see the manager. Manager came out and we heard his loud compaints all over again. Manager told the little runt yankee, "Well sir, if the food and service was that bad you won't have to pay. We're sorry. Please let us make it up to you. Come back again for a free meal sometime."  and scribbles something on a business card.

I was behind Big Boy at the register and I could see the back of Big Boy's neck had gotten extremely red. Big Boy couldn't keep quiet any longer, he spoke up rather loudly, "If the food was so bad, why did he clean his plate? I couldn't enjoy my meal for that loud mouth son of a bitch complaining. If you let him out of here without paying, I'm going to whup your ass and his too." My heart skipped a couple of beats and all I could think was, "OH SHIT! We're going to have to fight all the damn yankees in here and there ain't no way we can whip them all." The little runt yankee turned around, looked up at this huge country bunkin staring down on him with the evil eye and he all of a sudden decided to pay up. His buddy even threw a $20 bill on the counter for the waitresses.

After the little runt yankee left the manager wouldn't let us pay our bill. He and the waitresses had had trouble with that guy before. They didn't seem to be able to thank Big Boy enough. They asked us how long we were down for and after we told them about 2 more days, they insisted that we come eat with them every night, no charge. We got the best table in the house and the best service you could ask for. It was a far cry from the jailhouse bologna sandwiches with a few teeth missing that I thought we'd be getting after Big Boy spoke up.

Just curious, do you remember the name of the restaurant???  I spent lots of time in Crystal River.

[Rebel]

It was many years ago but I enjoyed that area. The warm water outlet at the nuke plant was popular with the manatees. Did you go in the caves at Kings Springs? Kings Springs was full of catfish at night and Big Boy was about to go berzerk in there....wanted to "sack" a few for the road . How about Troy Springs?  Manatee Springs(required advanced open water cert.) ? The Blue Grotoe(sp) which I think they finally closed to the public?

We went to Devil's Eye and then drove down to Homosassa Springs. Tampa from there. It was a trip I took years ago with the family. My father and I are the only ones certified.

[JohnnyReb]

Just curious, do you remember the name of the restaurant???  I spent lots of time in Crystal River.
[/quote]

No I don't. We were staying in a motel that fronted on ????????(road#) and the backside of it had a dock for the dive boats on Crystal River. The resturant was a mile or two east of our motel on the oppisite side of the road. ....and it was all on the north side of the river I believe.

[Flame]

s'ok....was just curious.  I love that area.  We lived about 15-20 miles inland from there.

[djones520]

I used to drive through Crystal River every couple of weeks when I'd go visit an ex-girlfriend of mine who lived in New Port Richey.  I always wanted to stop and explore the place...  but I had other concerns that kept making me drive on.   

[delilahmused]

Dear Omaha Steaks,

While it pains me to send you yet another complaint and request another refund, I feel I would be shirking my duties as a customer if I didn't point out my issues with your products. Speaking truth to power (in this case greedy corporate meat merchants) is the best way to keep our country free, keep corporations in check and prevent the shipment of beef to Iraq, thus ending Shrubs war of aggression. By the way, Omaha isn't in Texas is it? I don't want any of MY hard-earned money going to Bush's Texas cronies.

I really think you should give your cows more water. Aside from being animal abuse (maybe PeTA should know about you) it makes your meat very dry. I put those T-Bone steaks on the grill, closed the lid and an hour later I came back and they were burnt to a crisp and dry as a pair of Birkenstock's that had been left in the rain all winter. Both sides! And I hadn't even turned the one side over towards the flame. Then there were those hamburgers. Well, they didn't taste anything like ham! They tasted more like ground beef. Just what part of the cow does hamburger come from? It better not be anything gross like the brains or liver. The ribs were pretty tasty but there was a lot of fat. As I told you in my last letter, I'm trying to watch my cholesterol. Don't you keep that kind of information on file? There was definitely more bone than meat. Next time can you please get the ribs from the rump or thigh where there's a little more meat and less bone?

You'll probably find a greater number of repeat customers if you follow my advice. I may not know cows but I know consumers because I am one. Oh, and my new "partner" is a vegetarian so can you please send some veggie-burgers from the meatless part of the cow when you send my next order? I think they're called cow pies. Unless we're not still together. Sometimes it's hard to know whether things are going to work out.

Tab

[BlueStateSaint]

Dear Omaha Steaks,

While it pains me to send you yet another complaint and request another refund, I feel I would be shirking my duties as a customer if I didn't point out my issues with your products. Speaking truth to power (in this case greedy corporate meat merchants) is the best way to keep our country free, keep corporations in check and prevent the shipment of beef to Iraq, thus ending Shrubs war of aggression. By the way, Omaha isn't in Texas is it? I don't want any of MY hard-earned money going to Bush's Texas cronies.

I really think you should give your cows more water. Aside from being animal abuse (maybe PeTA should know about you) it makes your meat very dry. I put those T-Bone steaks on the grill, closed the lid and an hour later I came back and they were burnt to a crisp and dry as a pair of Birkenstock's that had been left in the rain all winter. Both sides! And I hadn't even turned the one side over towards the flame. Then there were those hamburgers. Well, they didn't taste anything like ham! They tasted more like ground beef. Just what part of the cow does hamburger come from? It better not be anything gross like the brains or liver. The ribs were pretty tasty but there was a lot of fat. As I told you in my last letter, I'm trying to watch my cholesterol. Don't you keep that kind of information on file? There was definitely more bone than meat. Next time can you please get the ribs from the rump or thigh where there's a little more meat and less bone?

You'll probably find a greater number of repeat customers if you follow my advice. I may not know cows but I know consumers because I am one. Oh, and my new "partner" is a vegetarian so can you please send some veggie-burgers from the meatless part of the cow when you send my next order? I think they're called cow pies. Unless we're not still together. Sometimes it's hard to know whether things are going to work out.

Tab

Definitely H5 worthy!