Joys of online shopping

The Prime Minister should encourage more Internet purchases so that local businesses will get a better idea of competition, and get their act together.

Hopefully, the cumulative impact of losing sales would jar businesses out of their complacency and make businesses realise the value of customer service, which continues to deteriorate by the second in this country.

In theory, I support buy local, but I draw the line when I feel rage at the way I’m being treated by local businesses. I would rather spend more money and buy whatever I can buy online.

Actually, I’m making a statement when I buy an item online.

The message: I have options. I don’t need your rotten service.

Unfortunately, those options are now more expensive. Once again good people are paying the price for bad service.

Here’s what has me riled up today. Two weeks ago I spent four hours in a store purchasing a simple item, a bed, which I was told would be delivered last Saturday. (Why this transaction should take four hours is beyond me, but it did.) I didn’t question the delivery date of Divali because I thought perhaps the store was open on holidays too.

At the last minute the store said it would deliver the bed on Sunday or Monday. Sunday came and went and no bed came. On Monday, the store called and said the bed was not in stock.

I blew about six gaskets in my brain yelling, “You can’t take my money then tell me you don’t have the bed in stock.” Silly me, the store did just that.

To add insult to injury, the store told me to come down and pick out another bed and pay the difference because the original item was not on sale anymore.

Wait… isn’t this the same store my daughter tried to patronise three years ago when she bought me a stove for Christmas? The store insisted the stove had been delivered, and it took endless arguments for my daughter to get back her money when the stove never came.

We tried another store down the street, but the security guard in front was so rude we never actually got inside.

Anyway, back to the bed. The store found a mattress to deliver after I made noise, but no box spring arrived. Once again, I made noise so the box spring came at 8 pm on Monday.

I have to believe that stores get away with this poor service in Trinidad and Tobago because people don’t speak out.

Even with the taxes slapped on Internet shopping, my daughter, Ijanaya, and I continue to shop online where service is fast, courteous and reliable.

When these online companies we shop at make mistakes, they compensate customers. They even say sorry for the inconveniences they have caused. They don’t sell items that are out of stock.

I feel good about giving my money to these companies. I feel bad about spending my money in Trinidad and Tobago.

I am sure the PM has it all wrong.

Let businesses sink or swim on their own merit and their own sense of service. Find other ways to earn revenue.

Maybe he could have a “poor service” tax. It would earn more revenue than oil. Yes, the PM should actually reward people who find a way to get good service.

He would be doing this country a big favour.