I struggled to put this up because it is rare for me to post anything but a positive review for a company, especially one that is local. I ordered 25 bales of wheat straw last week via email with Barbara. Setting up the account and placing the order was easy enough. However, I asked her several times to PLEASE give me a delivery window because I cannot be sitting at home the entire day waiting for a phone call from a driver telling me that he is down the street. My property is fairly far from everything and I explained this in detail. No window was given but I was told I would get a call the morning of the delivery. I replied and stressed the importance of being able to schedule my day and needed at least a rough window before the delivery day. That email was ignored; all the emails up to that one were responded to. The day before delivery, I called late in the day to provide for ample route planning and was told I would not be given a time, nor even a window. I spoke with Holly for this call and she was clearly irritated that I would even have the audacity to make such a request so that I could simply plan my day. Anyone who works or has to leave the house throughout the day can empathize with this request; it is a reasonable request. But no. She was annoyed at my pleading for a delivery window and I made sure to point out that I could tell she was annoyed by her tone. The best she could do is "make a note" and perhaps the driver would call in the morning. The morning phone call never came. I had my business partner call at 11am on delivery day to ask for a window since I had already been sitting patiently at the house all morning with no call or window and he was told the driver would call when he was on the way. He also told me the woman he spoke with was rude and irritated by the request for a time. OK, great, so the expectation is that the customer continue to put off appointments - some of which pay for the very products they sell - and sit at home waiting for a phone call from the delivery truck. After 12pm, I still had no delivery or call from anyone, which meant I lost my entire morning waiting. I HAD to leave the house and was scared they would show up so I left open my security front gates, my side double gates and left my entire barn and property open and exposed AND had to ask someone who does not even live in my home to be on standby in case they called and I could not make it back to my home in time. How fair is that from a security and liability standpoint? Thankfully, I have cameras everywhere but it is still not acceptable to have to leave my property completely open. Fast forward to 330pm and there was still no call, still no delivery, nothing. I get home and lock up my property. Mind you, my credit card was already charged at this point so I am scared to even call and cancel because my American Express already had been hit with 337.50. All my animals have to be fed and kept quiet at 5pm to prevent colic and bloat so now I am panicking because I have been charged, there is no delivery yet and no phone call. I finally called at 415pm and spoke to Alexa - who is the only polite person I have interacted with there - and canceled the order, told them to forget about the delivery and refund my credit card.
There is nothing unreasonable about working people needing to know how to plan their day. Someone like me relies heavily on sticking to a schedule to survive and be productive in my businesses. How this company can be successful with this opposite mindset is completely shocking to me. Both women I dealt with (Barbara then Holly) had no interest in even minimally alleviating the stress for a customer who sincerely cannot clear his or her entire day. Sadly, this is reminiscent of dealing with them several years back on pine pellets TWICE and the lackluster service drove me to forego them altogether and take my business elsewhere. It is truly a shame to give a company a third chance only for them to waste it. Once again, I will be taking my business elsewhere. read more
