hughesyn wrote:
A more appropriate dessert analogy in this case would be:
The frangipani tart was on special offer, so I ordered it for dessert.
5 minutes later the waiter comes back and appolgizes that, due to the special offer, they've run out. 'Would sir like something else from the menu?'
The least I could expect, I thought, for the emotional trauma of not getting the frangipani tart is to offer me a discount on all the rest of the menu items. Or knock the wine off the bill.
Oh, if only the waiter had checked how much frangipani they had left before taking my order! That would have saved all the heartache and disappointment.
No such offer was forthcoming, so I decided to have no dessert and never go back to the restaurant.
When I got home I gave the restaurant a bad review. That'll teach them to run out of something and ruin my evening.
I'll have to choose my words more carefully than last time I posted on this subject, because it resulted in a slapped wrist and Mods deleting posts! Will definitely avoid the use of "cry babies" this time around because that didn't end well.
Second time lucky:
The level of upset some people feel when they're told about a watch order which can't be fulfilled does sometimes seem disproportionately high to me. It produces such fierce emotions that a humble apology for a genuine mistake is interpreted as "Horrible customer service".
While I agree with some that perhaps a token one-off discount on an alternative watch might be well received, if CW has decided that it only wants to offer an apology, then that's the way it goes.
Inspired by the comedy frangipani tart analogy, here's my less amusing offering:
A clothes shop is running a sale. You give them a call, they say they have the exact jumper you want and they'll save one for you. By the time you get to the shop the jumper is sold out and they can't find the one they put aside for you. In fact everything from the sale has gone. A staff member offers a sincere apology for the speed at which everything sold out and the failure of their reservation system.
Would we really request/expect a discount on a pair of trousers by way of compensation?
Being a web-based company you have place an order to buy a watch from CW. And being run by humans, means mistakes sometimes happen.
Will there be another clearance sale within the next six months? I'd say it's (much) more likely than not.
Fingers crossed the OP and anyone else who missed out will get something they like next time around