Andrew at High Riser wrote a post last Sunday which had something in it that I’ve been thinking about all week – thanks Andrew because it has been a very tough week here. We’re going through the process of a Dementia diagnosis for my Dad which is another story, but I was grateful to mentally write this post over and over again in my head over the past few days.
What sparked these mental gymnastics? This post and the following quote –
I ordered this superior one by click and collect. I was cross with Rebel Sport because I could not do so without giving my exact home address. Why, if I am collecting it?
Andrew @ High Riser
Let us start by looking at the information they want –
First of all, you could have entered in any information you liked and as long as you weren’t paying by credit card, you could have likely got away with it. Their system (and many systems out there) is designed to work with the Australia Post system which makes posting things a lot easier for the retailer AND Australia Post. You have to select an address and all the information including postcode is there ready and waiting. Like this –
Why is that so? Because apparently in this world there are some people who do not know their actual address, postcode, or state they live in.
OUR system does not do this same thing and let me tell you I really wish it did, because the amount of times I have to try and figure out what the postcode is for this persons order or what state they actually live in because they chose NSW but have a postcode that belongs in QLD, VIC, SA or otherwise.. and the amount of times I have to give up and actually call the customer? Too many times to count.
But the good news, Andrew, is this – as long as you’re not paying by credit card, you can probably pick any address you like. They might want to check your ID when you get there to click and collect – and that obviously could be a problem if you chose an address you don’t live at.
If you are paying by credit card, then the payment system might cross check the information you entered with the information your credit card company has on file for you, and if you’ve put in a wrong address the transaction might not go through.
Bear in mind none of these systems were built for click and collect at all – many retailers have had to add click and collect on the fly at the last minute, and thus it is kind of bolted onto their existing system which really was built to MAIL things to people.
And for mailing things to people, you want the address to be correct. This Auspost addressing system is pretty good at achieving that. There are some addresses not in their system and some tricksy ones here and there, but generally it works well.
Having said that, you could discover that the customer put in the wrong address, like the time a customer called me whose package had been delivered but not to them, and when I checked the address it had been sent to, they lived at number 10 but had put in number 100 as their address.
Package and customer were reunited when the customer went to number 100 and collected their package.
There’s no way I can check that information because I am NOT FREAKING PSYCHIC and I DO NOT KNOW where everyone lives in the world!
I have to rely on people putting in the right information and CHECKING IT IS RIGHT – there are many opportunities for them to do that, but do you think people actually do it? No. Nobody reads anything anymore, nobody checks anything.. and when it all goes wrong they would prefer to blame ME than themselves. ;)
Anyway having said all that, thanks again Andrew for keeping my mind occupied this week. It has been a doozy and today I am going to a meeting which I know isn’t going to go well because Dad will be told this diagnosis and I do not think he is going to take it very well. But it has to be done, so..
If you could keep a good thought – for me and my family, and that every customer will put in their right address and check it is right, at least for a little while as right now I don’t have the time or the patience to be sorting out everyones lack of skill in this area. ;)
I always double check details I have entered or even triple check but I know not everyone does and it is easy to make a mistake. I didn’t really hear it but there was a story somewhere about people who have been drinking and then go online shopping. I expect that doesn’t always end well.
It did not occur to me about click and collect being to tacked on to the old delivery system and that makes a lot of sense.
What really amazed me is that the system knew, AusPost or the credit card company, knew my building wasn’t a house, but even more amazing, it would not even accept the wrong apartment number. For that detail, I reckon it is a credit card connection to me and my address.
I did pay by credit card and there was a cursory glance at my driving licence when I collected.
I feel less annoyed about it now. It is partly for my own benefit. Thank you.
That address thing would be annoying one time but unbearable if it keeps happening over and over. With your dad’s situation, you are on overload as it is. I’m sorry.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad. I know how hard that is so I am sending kind thoughts and positive vibes your direction. You know how to get in touch with me if you need to.
Hope your Dad kept it all together in the meeting…