The two ThinkPad X301s that my CEO and I ordered three weeks ago and were promised to us this week will never come. The Lenovo customer service rep told us that they discontinued that model -- and that they don't know if they have the components to fulfill the orders. Was that half-off offer a bait-and-switch?
http://cabraham.com/will-lenovo-destroy-my-fierce-thinkpad-brand-loyalty
The only option offered was to order other models with non-comparable configurations, and not at the 50% off that sold us on buying the x301s in the first place. When he made the offer, he was unwilling or unable to offer us a generous win-win-win solution. He surely did not inspire brand loyalty to the extent that I am writing this now. Luckily, I have a platform like this. What if I didn't?
Funny thing is, we could have been waiting for weeks. Mark and I never received an email or a call to that effect; rather, we just sort of wondered where our new laptops had gone. There was no explicit communication explaining what was going on. We didn't receive an email or call alerting us. This wasn't simply a delay, this was a failure to deliver at all.
When it comes to buying new gear for us two, we're both frugal and loyal to Lenovo ThinkPads. I have been using the same Lenovo X61 ThinkPad since 2007 and Mark has been running his x61 tablet since not long after. Even when we pick up backup netbooks, we choose Lenovos. Both Mark and I have Lenovo S10s. We're a Lenovo shop.
We had been holding back on buying new laptops until Mark received a promotional email from Lenovo offering a half-off deal on the x301 ThinkPad -- so he bought two of them for the price of one fully-loaded laptop. Everything went through just fine. Everything was paid for and Abraham Harrison LLC's Visa card was charged. There were no red flags at all -- the order was wired to China and we were promised two bouncing baby x301s in a few weeks.
I wanted to get the ThinkPads before moving so I checked out the status on their order website. While the information was very terse, it states, "If no ship date is given above, there may be an issue with your order. If you would like more information on the status, please call." There was a ship date for the custom skins we ordered for the laptops with our AH logo on them, but there was no ship date for the laptops, onto which the skins will have been affixed.
When Mark called today he was told that they could not source the parts. They were phasing the x301s out and would be unable to provision the two laptops at all, most probably, Mark was told. Then he was asked if he would like to order a couple x201 ThinkPads.
"Fine," Mark said, then added, "if you'll extend the same half-off deal you offered to me in your promotional."
"Sorry sir," the customer service person answered, "I won't be able to do that, but I would be happy to order you two x201s at the regular price."
Since Mark ordered the x301 ThinkPads immediately after the half-price coupon code was offered, this sort of feels like both a terrible solution for failing to fulfill an order and what feels like a bait-and-switch:
Offer a discontinued laptop for half price fully knowing that fulfillment would be impossible while holding your customer's money for three weeks while failing to alert the customer in a timely and assertive manner, then offering them an opportunity to buy a different model or two for full price -- not even a stiff discount or other appeasement for our time, the use of our money for weeks, and for severely souring -- or even terminating -- our fierce devotion to the IBM ThinkPad brand, the Lenovo ThinkPad brand, the Lenovo Netbook brand, and just about everything else.
What did I have before my x61? Well, I had an IBM x24 ThinkPad. I even have a ThinkPad T40 somewhere. What will I have after my x61 ThinkPad? I thought I was going to have a brand spanking new Lenovo x301 ThinkPad but who knows? Mark and I are still trying to sort out what our next move is going to be.
This is a case study on now not to handle a screw-up. A case study on how to destroy long-term, loyal customer relationships. Both Mark and I are loyal time and vocal Lenovo customer since 2002, This is a case study on not honoring promises. Lenovo should either not offer something they can't deliver, or offer a generous mea-culpa alternative to make good on their error and maintain/build the client relationship. They did neither.
My company has only bought Lenovo since it's founding. Our loyalty, customer-ship, and brand advocacy will die with this incident if Lenovo proves itself unworthy of the high regard we've always held them in. We're also not a bank. We don't appreciate the fact that Lenovo charged our card immediately and have held our money for 3 weeks -- no apology or recompense offered. Unacceptable.
The ball is in your court, Lenovo. What are you going to do? Are you going to honor your word? Are you going to honor your promises? What will you do to maintain my trust, my devotion, and my commitment to the ThinkPad brand of laptops and the Lenovo brand of products?
http://cabraham.com/will-lenovo-destroy-my-fierce-thinkpad-brand-loyalty
The only option offered was to order other models with non-comparable configurations, and not at the 50% off that sold us on buying the x301s in the first place. When he made the offer, he was unwilling or unable to offer us a generous win-win-win solution. He surely did not inspire brand loyalty to the extent that I am writing this now. Luckily, I have a platform like this. What if I didn't?
Funny thing is, we could have been waiting for weeks. Mark and I never received an email or a call to that effect; rather, we just sort of wondered where our new laptops had gone. There was no explicit communication explaining what was going on. We didn't receive an email or call alerting us. This wasn't simply a delay, this was a failure to deliver at all.
When it comes to buying new gear for us two, we're both frugal and loyal to Lenovo ThinkPads. I have been using the same Lenovo X61 ThinkPad since 2007 and Mark has been running his x61 tablet since not long after. Even when we pick up backup netbooks, we choose Lenovos. Both Mark and I have Lenovo S10s. We're a Lenovo shop.
We had been holding back on buying new laptops until Mark received a promotional email from Lenovo offering a half-off deal on the x301 ThinkPad -- so he bought two of them for the price of one fully-loaded laptop. Everything went through just fine. Everything was paid for and Abraham Harrison LLC's Visa card was charged. There were no red flags at all -- the order was wired to China and we were promised two bouncing baby x301s in a few weeks.
I wanted to get the ThinkPads before moving so I checked out the status on their order website. While the information was very terse, it states, "If no ship date is given above, there may be an issue with your order. If you would like more information on the status, please call." There was a ship date for the custom skins we ordered for the laptops with our AH logo on them, but there was no ship date for the laptops, onto which the skins will have been affixed.
When Mark called today he was told that they could not source the parts. They were phasing the x301s out and would be unable to provision the two laptops at all, most probably, Mark was told. Then he was asked if he would like to order a couple x201 ThinkPads.
"Fine," Mark said, then added, "if you'll extend the same half-off deal you offered to me in your promotional."
"Sorry sir," the customer service person answered, "I won't be able to do that, but I would be happy to order you two x201s at the regular price."
Since Mark ordered the x301 ThinkPads immediately after the half-price coupon code was offered, this sort of feels like both a terrible solution for failing to fulfill an order and what feels like a bait-and-switch:
Offer a discontinued laptop for half price fully knowing that fulfillment would be impossible while holding your customer's money for three weeks while failing to alert the customer in a timely and assertive manner, then offering them an opportunity to buy a different model or two for full price -- not even a stiff discount or other appeasement for our time, the use of our money for weeks, and for severely souring -- or even terminating -- our fierce devotion to the IBM ThinkPad brand, the Lenovo ThinkPad brand, the Lenovo Netbook brand, and just about everything else.
What did I have before my x61? Well, I had an IBM x24 ThinkPad. I even have a ThinkPad T40 somewhere. What will I have after my x61 ThinkPad? I thought I was going to have a brand spanking new Lenovo x301 ThinkPad but who knows? Mark and I are still trying to sort out what our next move is going to be.
This is a case study on now not to handle a screw-up. A case study on how to destroy long-term, loyal customer relationships. Both Mark and I are loyal time and vocal Lenovo customer since 2002, This is a case study on not honoring promises. Lenovo should either not offer something they can't deliver, or offer a generous mea-culpa alternative to make good on their error and maintain/build the client relationship. They did neither.
My company has only bought Lenovo since it's founding. Our loyalty, customer-ship, and brand advocacy will die with this incident if Lenovo proves itself unworthy of the high regard we've always held them in. We're also not a bank. We don't appreciate the fact that Lenovo charged our card immediately and have held our money for 3 weeks -- no apology or recompense offered. Unacceptable.
The ball is in your court, Lenovo. What are you going to do? Are you going to honor your word? Are you going to honor your promises? What will you do to maintain my trust, my devotion, and my commitment to the ThinkPad brand of laptops and the Lenovo brand of products?
