American business is doomed. I needed to buy several thousand dollars worth of plywood. My friend recommended "PALS", a local distributor. Great, let's go to their website.
Hm, no price list online. That sucks. I guess I'll email them a list of what I need. Hm, the email bounced: mailbox full. Let's try one of the other sales reps, and mention the bounce so they can fix it. Nope, that one also bounces. Okaaayyy, well at least one of them has a @yahoo.com address listed. That's pretty sketchy, but maybe they just can't seem to get their mail service right.
Weeks go by, no answer. Thanks, guys. Something that I was ready to take care of weeks ago, credit card in hand, has been on my mind ever since, while I wait to see if you'll ever get around to answering.
I give up and order from their competitor. They don't have prices online either, so I get to go back and forth with their sales guy about what I want and what they have over the course of a week or so. And I finally give up on PALS, call in to the competitor, wait for him to pull up the email, give him my credit card info, and place the order.
Now, out of some perverse sense of business ethics, I decide to try one last time to reach PALS and let them know how broken their website is.
Searching again for "pals plywood", the first result is for "earth source forest products", whose website makes no mention of PALS. Maybe everything's fixed now?
I send them an email to info@pals4wood, the email address listed on the new website. That message bounces back (mailbox full) too, but also sends me an autoresponse... telling me to call them. Seriously, guys?
Okay, sure, why not? I'm already in it this far. I call the toll-free number listed in the email. Rings forever. Whee! Let's try the Oakland branch. Ah ha, somebody answers! Oops, wrong number.
That's right, the company with two websites, both of which list numerous email addresses, all broken, lists the wrong phone number to call when you email their info address. FML.
2 comments:
YA know? I don't know how tech savvy they are. Probably not from your experience. But they really are a great Hardwood and Hardwood plywood place. I've always received primo service when I go there. Give them a phone call or stop by. They're not open on Saturdays for the summer. And NO, I'm not an employee or affiliated in any way. Just don't want to see my favorite hardwood yard get a bum rap. And I might be doing you a favor. Who knows, you might like them.
Playwood & Lumber Sales was forced to relocate to 1401 Factor St.,San Leandro 94577. Their number is 510-352-7357. They still have lots of good stuff, and can supply anything on request. The website is totally bogus, they have not been able to update it for some strange legal reasons.
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