can i sue for slander of my business??

GothicStirling

Mischa8 wrote: »

There was a breakdown in communication, the customer complained and is either very vindictive or rightly annoyed. 'Customer is always right phrase' springs to mind but this can be sometimes hard to swallow. sorry couldn't resist that pun.

Quite. Catering also has the caveat that mistakes have the potential to ruin a much anticipated happy event.

Who wouldn't want to make sure their baby's christening was perfect? Maybe it was a friend that collected the cake, but when the parents saw it, they were disappointed.

Personally, I would have offered a full refund and a freebie. To me this sounds like a customer who has been bitterly disappointed and won't use you again. We have a caveat in customer service: 'an unsatisfied customer will leave without a word, and tell twenty other people about the complaint.'

Premier_2

Mischa8 wrote: »

What I said.

This is the best option in this case I feel.

Of course, the danger here is that the site owner take the time & effort to ask the other side's view.

Then having considered both sides of the story, feels there is nothing libellous about what is posted on the website and leaves it be (as has been stated, if it is factually correct, it is not libellous), plus possibly adds a huge notice showing that the subject of the post has formally requested it's removal. Could be like adding petrol to the fire...

Ignore and hopefully the OP will soon get a mountain of good reviews/feedback so sink this solitary incident to the archives. Kick up a fuss/draw attention to the matter and there could be a prominent notice (such as a sticky thread) for all to see for years to come.

jazabelle

GothicStirling wrote: »

Personally, I would have offered a full refund and a freebie.

She already said she offered a refund and a replacement cake...

BillTrac

wantsajob wrote: »

Seriously bad idea. One thing I look out for when researching companies is obviously faked reviews. Far better to ask customers if they liked your service to please post a review on.... so all reviews are genuine and clearly not from the same person.

but ilovethecomps said legitimate reviews, which to my mind are genuine.

GothicStirling

jazabelle wrote: »

She already said she offered a refund and a replacement cake...

Then that is one upset customer.

Horace

How about asking for testimonials from your satisfied customers? You could display these on your own website and maybe keep a folder of the letters of thanks/praise/recommendation that you have received so that you can show these to potential customers. Ask your satisfied customers if they would mind being contacted by a potential customer (some potentials will want to check for themselves before going ahead with an order).

As others have suggested, have a form for the customer to complete, showing size fo cake, colour of icing, shape of cake, colour of boards, colour of cake (although why anyone would want to eat a blue sponge I have no idea:eek:), gluten free, egg free, fat free, type of jam, type of filling, real cream or synthetic, buttercream or royal icing or even that pasty American soft icing, nut free etc. etc. That way you would know exactly what the customer wanted and there can be no come back because they will have completed and signed the form.

Premier_2

GothicStirling wrote: »

Then that is one upset customer.

Exactly!

That's why I think there is far more to this than the customer simply getting a plain sponge rather than a blue one they thought they had ordered.

The actions of the dissatisfied customer do not relate to the reason we are informed the customer was dissatisfied. And to be honest, to now think about suing the customer over what started out as a dispute over an incorrectly coloured cake seems way out of proportion too.

I fear we will not get the whole truth unless the customer is invited to join MSE to give us their side of the story.

skater_kat

all i have to say is this:

cakewrecks dot com

this situation is very common!!!!!

ilovethecomps

wantsajob wrote: »

Seriously bad idea. One thing I look out for when researching companies is obviously faked reviews. Far better to ask customers if they liked your service to please post a review on.... so all reviews are genuine and clearly not from the same person.

Oh no, I didn't mean post fake reviews! I meant encourage your customers to write reviews for you. E.g. put a link to the review site on your website, put it in your email signature, send a follow-up email after a sale etc.

Clearly writing your own reviews is damn right stupid. Plus the websites will be able to clearly spot the fake ones because of duplicate IP addresses etc.

Mischa8

ilovethecomps wrote: »

Oh no, I didn't mean post fake reviews! I meant encourage your customers to write reviews for you. E.g. put a link to the review site on your website, put it in your email signature, send a follow-up email after a sale etc.

Clearly writing your own reviews is damn right stupid. Plus the websites will be able to clearly spot the fake ones because of duplicate IP addresses etc.

About your last para - the website (Wahanda) where the owner had posted a few 'fake reviews' was totally unaware it was the owner herself posting the fake reviews. I only knew it was her because a friend works there and the silly owner had used her very unusual first name as her user name... The website's owners either weren't very knowledgeable about IP addresses or fake reviews. Until I brought it to their attention...