The Importance of Full Cycle Customer?Service.

A few weeks back, I ordered a product online. After some post-purchase rationalization, I decided that it wasn't a good idea. When I went to return it, my order was in the dreaded "getting ready to ship" phase. This made making a return much harder.?

However, on the site was a large number and a prompt suggesting to call if you had any questions or needed to discuss the order.?

I called with meagre expectations — it was my fault for missing the easy-to-return window. After a lovely conversation, I got what I hoped — a confirmation that my item could be redirected to the warehouse and I would receive a full refund. I left the call elated.

The next day I got an email letting me know my item had shipped. I found it funny but thought, "You are shipping it back to yourself," and didn't think any more of it.?

Yesterday I got a note letting me know my package had arrived. I was in the office and didn't care, thinking, "Why are you telling me this — it's back where it started."?

But when I came home, everything became clear. My order had arrived — no redirect.

I'm left needing to return my order, which I thought I would do in the first place. But now I'm annoyed, not at the customer service rep; she did what she could. No, I'm annoyed that the company. They are a global brand that has millions of online sales annually. Yet they need to have full-cycle customer service.?

My emotional state through this journey was: my fault — to — awesome (I'll order from these guys again)-to-WTF-to-annoyed (I don't know if I'll buy from them again). That's the value of full-cycle customer service. They would have kept me at: "I'll buy from these guys again."?