So, I bought a mattress...
Well, at least, I thought I did. Turns out I didn't.
I wasn't brought in to Lebeda because of some huge blowout sale, or an ad, or a snappy radio jingle. I went in to Lebeda because a friend whose opinion I trust recommended them to me.
I was ready to buy a mattress. I'm still ready. I needed one. I still need one. The one I have is around 20 years old, formerly extra firm, and flippable. It's been a good mattress, but it's time to be retired. I believe it, as well as my back, neck, and hips. I hurt.
I walked in to Lebeda and chose the mattress I wanted. It cost just a hair under $1,000 and came with a box spring and delivery. They told me their delivery hours and I was willing to stay home to open the door for them during the four hour delivery window, taking off work to do so, excited about the uninterrupted nights sleep I'll soon be getting.
The delivery team showed up, pulled my old mattress, and brought the new one in. The delivery guy stopped short in my bedroom and said "that looks like a full bed."
My response: "It is."
His response: "This is a queen."
Me: "I ordered a full."
Him: "Are you sure? Do you have paperwork?"
Me: "Yes. Here."
Him: (looks at my paperwork) "Yes, it looks like you did. There must have been a mistake. They do that sometimes in the office. We'll have to take this back to the warehouse."
Me: (crestfallen) "Oh."
Him: "I'll bring the old one back in. You're lucky, We usually just toss them in the yard before throwing them in the truck. The office will call you to set up a new delivery time for the full." (leaves)
Mistakes happen. I'm still hopeful when the office calls me to set up a new delivery time.
(It might be illuminating to mention that at no point before or after this conversation did anyone apologize for the inconvenience.)
She asks for the same four hour window. I say, "That won't work. I've already taken off a half day of work for this. This will need to be delivered before 7:30 or after 4:30."
She says: "No, that doesn't work for us. The delivery guys don't leave until 8 and they're usually back in the office before 4."
Me: "You said 'usually', does that mean some days they're out later?"
Her: "Sometimes. It depends on how many deliveries they have on a specific day."
Me: "How about you pencil me in for one of those days?"
Her: "Ma'am, I can't guarantee when that will be. They'll have to leave it in the truck and if they're out they can deliver it, but I don't know when."
Me: "Why can't you just ask them to deliver it later? It wasn't my fault that the wrong mattress came, and I've already taken off work once."
Her: "We don't really have control over what they do."
Me: "How about we just cancel the $1,000 mattress order and send me a refund, then?"
Her: "Sure, no problem."
Really? Someone tells you you're loosing a $1,000 sale and you're response is "Sure, no problem"?
Apparently so. The refund was the fastest part of the whole transaction. read more