Where is the competition for 1 Shopping Cart?

Note: No names are used because it’s rude to point out specific employees, there are a couple I really like, and overall the systems are bad, not the frustrated (possibly overworked) staff.

I spent ten minutes on hold to be put on hold for ten more minutes so someone could avoid my call, say I was in the cue to be contacted and couldn’t tell me if they’d be able to get back to me THIS WEEK. Not yes, not no. Just…nothing.

Seriously. Bad customer service happens, I get that, but every time I work with or speak to anyone from 1 Shopping Cart it’s awful.

Even the time they took care of something a week after I asked, no one told me it was done and I found out randomly two weeks later they’d taken care of it and since they never spoke to me first – I now have a client with TWO 1 Shopping Cart accounts instead of one. These, obviously, need to be merged.

So now I have to talk to Abuse Guy at abuse@1shoppingcart.com and have him take the opt-in off of the second account, import all of the existing contacts from one account to the other and then I get to close the empty account. Of course, had anyone gotten in touch with me about what and when the other account would be deleted/transferred…this step would be entirely unnecessary. So it’s not like I’m being difficult or I jumped the gun or added extra steps. There was no communication whatsoever, adding more work for (wait for it) ME!

I’m on the phone with tech support (whom they TOLD me to contact to get through to Abuse Guy and who previously put me into Abuse Guy’s voicemail…without telling me he was on vacation first so I was told by the voicemail he wouldn’t be in for three more days at that time) and the techie I’m talking to says he cannot even get a hold of Abuse Guy because he’s in a different department and no way does he have a way to transfer me into the voicemail. Which is HILARIOUS later in the conversation when he tells me he’s talking via IM to Abuse Guy at that very moment (that and it’s also funny the same department can and then cannot transfer me to the same person. A riot.)

Techie guy has NO WAY to access Abuse Guy…other than instant messenger. Sorry I made you go through all those hoops techie guy.

Darn. I didn’t write techie guy’s name down. This is the first time I didn’t write down the name immediately (I thought he was just going to transfer me.) so I called back to ask.

Did you know that they don’t have a CRM that allows them to keep track of calls? Which is interesting because when I called last week someone told me that the account had been flaged and notes put in. Conflicting information, anyone? If you need some 1 Shopping Cart has it in spades!

But today I find out that they can’t put notes into a file or know what you called about, ever, or even find out who you spoke to less than a minute beforehand. Not overly shocking considering when I called back after the person told me the account was noted they told me they had no record and acted totally perplexed.

This has to be the worst instance of customer service and effective use of my time (and their time, and my client’s time) that I’ve ever experienced.

I think the best part was that when I was talking to techie person today and was completely deflated and had basically given up and my voice had quieted down to almost a whisper and I said "Guess all I can do is wait then" the techie guys response was a REALLY bright and cheerful "Have a GREAT day!"

My response, "Cute…very cute…" and I hung up.

With partners like this for your business, who needs competition? You can be brought down by friendly fire instead!

I’m perfectly happy using the cocktail of Aweber, e-Junkie, and even Intellicontact if you need specialty newsletters. But this particular client was determined to stay with the "all in one" solution. So I ask you, my respected readers, do you know of ANY OTHER "all in one" system that provides what 1 Shopping Cart does?

And tell me they have an affiliate program, because I’m going to have clients galore to give them.