I understand why policies exist.
I write policies for companies.
But sometimes policies are made to be broken.
All I needed was a gift certificate, a simple paper gift certificate for a silent auction at my 20th high school reunion. I was on the planning committee and my responsibility was to procure as many “prizes” to be auctioned off to support a dear classmate’s ongoing medical expenses. Most of the gifts were complimentary donations from classmates and it was fascinating to see how many small business owners came from a graduating class of 300 or so.
For my consulting business I wanted to auction a “Day/Night in Philadelphia” and a gift card to Longwood Gardens for the lightshow seemed like it would have universal appeal. The reunion was over Thanksgiving break and everyone was in the holiday spirit. I called Longwood Gardens about a week before the reunion and assumed the transaction would be brief and my gift certificate would be mailed out the very next day. I needed to physically have it in hand by the reunion for the winner to take it home that same night.
After kindly walking me through the recommended cost for a family of 4 to see the Light Show, we settled on a $75 gift certificate and I inquired about the timeliness of receipt, expressing urgency. The Longwood representative shared that it takes 2-3 weeks to mail out a gift card. What?!? When I stated that this timeframe was not going to work and how might we expedite things I was told that for $25 I could have a gift card in my hand within 2-3 business days. I appreciated the alternative but to pay $25 shipping on a $75 gift card seemed outrageous. I was also given the option to come make my purchase in person. Again, I appreciated the alternative but I live a 90 minute round trip distance away. This suggestion did validate that they physically had gift cards on site and that they weren’t being shipped from a third-party vendor.
I asked if the associate could simply place my purchased gift card in a stamped envelope that day and mail it to me and that I would assume the risk of it not arriving on time. He said he could not. I voiced extreme disappointment but politely said that I would “need to think things over” before proceeding with spending another $25 on shipping.
When I hung up the phone I knew they had lost a customer. My frustration and disappointment ultimately led me in another direction and I purchased a gift card for Ice Skating at Dilworth Park. The service was warm and personalized and I left with a gift card in hand.