When it comes to running a small shop or a big store, online or offline, the customer is king. No matter how unreasonable a customer is, the store is responsible for providing him/her with the best service it can provide because at the end of the day, it’s business. Money comes in, and the store makes a profit. The happy and satisfied customer spreads the word to his/her friends about the store, and the store gains more customers.

Really, it’s not rocket science.

For me, customer service is just as, if not more, important as the goods I purchased. As an example, I can’t tell the number of times I’ve walked out of Kit Cosmetics on Chapel Street with something new, because of the great service I get from the shop assistants. It came to a point where I’m even afraid to step in now, because I know I’ll end up buying something. No, I don’t get my ass kissed by the girls. They helped me when I needed help, and they left me well alone (whilst still at arms’ length in case I had any questions) when they know I’m just there for a browse. They gave me advice on what skincare and makeup’s good for me (without saying a bad word about my skin). I was never pressured to buy anything. Now that’s good service.

And then there’s bad service.

When I read what Kahani’s bad experience with a certain blog shop (do check it out), I was livid. First I scoffed at how terrible the service was, and then I laughed at the store owner’s final response. I’ve shopped online long enough to know that even online stores still provide a certain level of service to ensure customers’ satisfaction. And the terrible service the blog shop provided her was simply unacceptable.

Sadly, poor customer service gives blogshops a bad name. The items for sale may be cheap as chips (as there’s no physical shop, there’s far less overhead costs), but any hassle that follows is simply not worth the time and money. Blog shops rely heavily on advertisement and recommendations by word-of-mouth, which, in my opinion, means that the shop owners should up their game even more in producing good service. Last I checked, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of blog shops operating in Malaysia. There’s nothing stopping us from spreading the word about how good or bad the shop is. Then we move on to another shop and never return.

Personally, I have yet to purchase anything from a blog shop, but I have heard of others raving on certain blog shops which not only offer goods at reasonable prices, the customer service was excellent. Now that’s the kind of shop I’d go for. I abhor poor customer service, and I would not hesitate to make it known to store management (and you readers) of what lousy shopping experience I had with the staff. The same goes for bad online shopping experiences.

On a slightly different but still related note, as much as I love shopping, it can be a real pain doing it in Malaysia. Especially when it comes to shops’ return policy. The policy “all goods sold are not exchangeable or refundable” should be used at the shop’s discretion. The sale is not be final until the customer gets what he/she paid for. I highly understand that items are not exchangeable or refundable upon change of mind. Most stores in Australia operate with that policy. However, if the item is damaged, or if purchased online, not the item you purchased, you are well within your rights to request for an exchange or refund.

So, caveat emptor, ladies. Know what to expect when shopping online (not just blog shops). Doesn’t hurt to do your homework first before clicking the “Check Out” button. It shouldn’t just be about the goods that you purchased. You’re entitled to decent service too.