Kudo's to CI for customer service!

[Rev2010]

I figured I'd create a new thread for this so as to bury the negative aspect of my last threads title: Shame on CI (or CAO) for pulling bait and switch!

Anyhow, today I received the gift from CI that I mentioned Steve McDevitt was sending in my other thread. He sent me a 5'er of the CAO Anniversary Maduro Robusto's. That was the main stick I was looking forward to try, that and the Cx2 but I don't think CI sells them outside of the sampler sets. Attached is a pic with a little note from Steve (sorry for the quality - crappy blackberry camera). Gotta say I am very happy and greatful for Steve to have sent me this. It was very very nice of him, and CI of course.

[scottw]

Well done CI.

[mc2712]

Good deal CI, great customer service.

[zeavran1]

CI has been very good to me. They give me good prices and have never done me wrong.

[Frinkiac7]

CI has been good about customer service when I needed them, as well.

[Royale Duke]

Wow that's pretty awesome.

[SMOKE20]

That is great, kudos to CI

[teedles915]

Let me ply devil's advocate for just a minute. I get the fact that company's screw up, it happens. And it is great when they go out of their way to make it right. (as they should) But to me this situation is different. If I understand your first post right, you ordered smoething in a sampler pack and received the right pack with the wrong cigars. If that is the case can we really calll that a mistake? If they purposely did this, then sendind out a five pack is a nice gesture, but what about the other people who ordered this, got screwed, and didn't want to complain? There is a big difference between accidently sending the wrong, and purposely doing it. I have ordered from CI several times and had no problems. But this little incident makes me think twice about it.

Am I way off the mark here?

[denarok]

I read that original thread and was disappointed the way you were treated and i am just starting to get into cigars

So was kind of hesitant to order cigars from CI or any online company

but now after seeing this my faith has been restored and will definitely have no problems ordering from them thanks for lettings us know.

[Rev2010]

Originally Posted by teedles915

If I understand your first post right, you ordered smoething in a sampler pack and received the right pack with the wrong cigars. If that is the case can we really calll that a mistake? If they purposely did this, then sendind out a five pack is a nice gesture, but what about the other people who ordered this, got screwed, and didn't want to complain? There is a big difference between accidently sending the wrong, and purposely doing it. I have ordered from CI several times and had no problems. But this little incident makes me think twice about it.

Well no, it's more complicated than that. I explained it in my other thread but I'll quickly rehash it here.

I received a CI catalog that had the sampler listed and I wanted to try it because aside of the Italia in it I hadn't yet tried any of the other CAO's included. So, I go to the CI website, look at brand samplers to find it, put it in my shopping cart, and checkout.

Then I get the cigars, come home and just quickly put them in my humi not even thinking or noticing the ones inside were different than I expected.

One night I decide to have the Italia - due to it's smaller size as I wanted a quicker smoke. The next day or two later it's the weekend and I think, "Man I can't wait to try that Anniversary Maduro". I go to my humi and look through it 3 times and can't find it. Then I realize I have an Mx2 instead of a Cx2 like the booklet says.

So, to wrap it up, I thought I was ordering this one sampler when in reality I didn't realize there were two different samplers each called the same thing and were priced exactly the same.

But, even for the one that I did order two of the cigars that I received were different than what was listed on the CI website. So I called and they said I could send them back. I didn't want to waste the time and money to do that and was just hoping they would either correct the two wrong sticks or credit me $10 towards a future purchase but the woman on the phone would only offer me to return them.

Steve saw my post and sent me out a 5'er of the one I really wnated to try as an apology for the mixup. He also explained that CAO changed up the sticks and that they hadn't been aware and accepted responsibility for not having checked their latest shipment from them.

So CI, I'd say, is certainly in the clear. I mean, CAO siwtched out the sticks, and even their included booklet still showcases the original list of sticks. That's why in my thread title I suggest it might be CAO at fault. But I had only hoped originally that CI would be more understanding of the situation and correct it. The woman on the phone wasn't, but Steve McDevitt was.


Rev.

[teedles915]

Isatnd corrected. Nice job CI

[Brinson]

Not CI, but I recently had a good Customer Service experience with cigar.com. I typed my address in wrong, realized it in the email. The package had already went out. Contacted customer service, they called UPS and made a correction. UPS changed the address on the package and I got it on the same day it had been estimated to arrive before. No delay.

Combined between UPS and Cigar.com, my customer service experience was amazing.

[SmokeRings]

Im glad this went your way. I have never had any situation where the online vendor did not right their wrong.

[Koolpsych]

CI has been good to a lot of fellow botl. I'm glad that they cleared everything up with you.

[Jaxon67]

This is good. See, this is all takes. Good CS and common sense. You cant tell me that someone, sometime down the road, wont read this and give CI some business for their first time. Good product sells the inventory, Good CS sells the company!

Great job Steve.