Often in this web site I make reference to many of the items we have come to like as well as some that we didn’t like. I have also made reference to companies that have been an absolute joy to deal with like Katadyn, and now I get to enjoy the 1st Amendment right to free speech and tell you about one of the worst customer service experiences I’ve had in a long time. This happened with a solar company in Arizona, Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, Inc.

Last month in December of 2006 we had to order new batteries for our boat to replace our dying Lifeline AGM batteries. We ended up ordering six Trojan T-105s which will be here on January 15th. In the course of some research I learned that many boaters have been happy with a product called Water Miser Caps, replacement battery caps that help to keep the water in the battery and reduce the necessary battery maintenance of adding water. So in searching the internet I found Northern Arizona Wind and Sun, Inc. who had them at a good price.

On December 23rd in the morning I placed my online order and bought 18 caps. With three more weeks in California I felt comfortable that they would arrive in time before I flew back to Honduras. Boy was I wrong, very wrong.

I suspected that the order wouldn’t be processed until December 26th, as I had ordered the caps on the Friday before New Years. On January 2nd I called Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, Inc. but no one answered. So I called again on January 3rd. When Dee answered on the other end of the phone I explained that I had placed an order on the 23rd of December and was inquiring about it’s shipping status. I was told that they had been closed for two weeks and they had a lot of catching up to do on past orders but that all the orders should go out by Friday the 5th of January, at the latest. (It would have been a good idea to put a note on the web site stating they were closed for two weeks). I explained that I was leaving out of the country on January 11th and she reassured me that my order would go out on January 5th and I had nothing to worry about. Let me add that on December 30th, January 2nd, January 5th and January 8th I had emailed Northern Arizona Wind & Sun asking about the status of my order and that I was leaving out of the country on the 11th of January. I have never received one reply to any of my emails.

So on the 3rd of January I called and was told by Dee not to worry and that my order would go out, no problems. On January 9th I called Northern Arizona Wind & Sun to follow up. Dee answered again and told me that my caps were on back order (why didn’t she tell me on the 2nd?) and that they were going out that day. I expressed my concern that they would not arrive before I left. She assured me that they would be here by the 11th of January. After hanging up I called UPS and they confirmed that there was no way they could arrive before the 12th of January, the day after I left. So I called Northern Arizona Wind & Sun back and all she could say was ‘Oh’.

I asked her to call UPS and change the shipping method to either second day or overnight so that my order would arrive, she said she would put a call in right away but that I would have to pay the additional shipping. She did say she would call me right back and let me know what happens with UPS. She never called.

I called back on January 10th in the morning. Dee said she was waiting to hear back from UPS and would call me right back. I called again in the afternoon and she still didn’t have an answer as to when my caps would arrive. She said she would email me and let me know what she finds out from UPS. She never called (no surprises now). It’s frustrating as if she had called me and said it couldn’t happen I could have called a local company and had them overnighted to me. I would have been very happy to spend twice as much knowing I would get them from a company that would also provide good service. When I called again on the 10th of January right before closing Dee told me there was nothing she could do. I asked her to cancel the order and refund my money. I have high suspicions that it won’t be easy getting my money back.

I have a lot of unanswered questions;

Why was it not posted on their web site that they were closed for two weeks?
Why was I promised it would go out by the 5th of January when it wouldn’t?
Why was I not told the items were back ordered?
Why were none of my emails ever answered?
Does this company not care about providing good customer service?

What would have made me happy? An honest look into my order the first day I called to find out that the items were back ordered. A return of my phone calls or emails to advise me that they might not be able to be received before my travel date. A little politeness and understanding on the phone. An acknowledgment that they dropped the ball and and offer to take care of expediting my order. Any type of follow up rather than BSing me on the phone saying ‘no problem, don’t worry’.

Would I do business again with Northern Arizona Wind and Sun? Absolutely not. Though they have great prices I’m willing to spend a little more if I can get the same product with good customer service. What advice would I give to the proprietors of Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, Inc.? Don’t BS your customers, be honest and forthcoming. If you’re going to be closed for two weeks then state so on your web site, give us a chance to shop else where if we’re in a hurry. If you’re out of a product then say so. I would also encourage them to try answering their emails and return phone messages. They’ll never be able to build a good return customer base based on the service I received. Three weeks and still no product, thought the web site states “Usually ships next business day”.

So there’s my story. I encourage you to shop around and pick a company you feel comfortable with. Would I recommend that you shop at Northern Arizona Wind & Sun? No, I wouldn’t. As a matter of fact, call them at (800) 383-0195 and tell them you saw my story on my web site. Maybe if the owners get enough “I saw this story” calls then maybe they’ll look at their customer service policies. Won’t help me out anymore but for the next customer it might help. In the mean time I have a couple of letters to write, one to James P. Lauzon, the president of the company and one to the Better Business Bureau.

Have a similar story with this company? E-mail it to me and I’ll post it here.