Dear “Sent from iPhone”

Just before the holidays, I had an interesting customer experience with one of the (many) online stores. Their responses took me on an emotional rollercoaster, from surprise, frustration, and laughter to disbelief: “This can’t be real!”

We all know that for holiday online shopping, we’re heavily dependent on logistics—Pošta Slovenije or courier services. My wife had been searching for a specific item with no success until she found it in an online store. The delivery estimate had a two-day range, but because we were in a hurry, I wanted to confirm whether the delivery could be made on time. From experience, I know that delivery times often depend on the warehouse location. And we don’t always know if a Slovenian online store is actually based in Slovenia—its warehouse could easily be elsewhere, even in another country.

So, I contacted the store and politely wrote:

“Hello, I’d like to order xxxx, but I’m not sure where
  the items are shipped from. I need it no later than
  December 27th. I’m based in Ljubljana.
 
  Kind regards, Jurij Triller”

The reply was quick but a bit odd:

“Best regards to you too, We are based in Ljubljana,
but we don’t offer in-person pick-up. Therefore,
warehouse information is irrelevant,
and we will not disclose it.
Even if you were to visit our business address,
you couldn’t purchase xxxx there as we don’t
have a physical store. Since there’s still
plenty of time until December 27th,
we don’t foresee any issues with postal
delivery—unless the item is out of stock.
In such a case, we regret to inform you that
restocking won’t occur until the first week
of January 2025. Once again,
best regards and all the best.
Sent from my iPhone”

Huh? Excuse me? A jokester, right? They took the time to write a lengthy response but somehow didn’t answer my simple question. Since they mentioned being located in Ljubljana, I decided to clarify:

“Hello, I’m not asking about the warehouse
specifically; I’m asking if the shipment
is handled within Slovenia. If the warehouse
is in Slovenia, I don’t see a problem with delivery.
Are xxxx in stock? That’s what your website indicates.
 
Thank you, Jurij”

The response came quickly, even though it was late in the evening:

“Let me repeat: in Ljubljana. The last time
I checked, that’s still in Slovenia.
Sent from my iPhone”

They even attached a screenshot with the sentence “We are based in Ljubljana” conveniently highlighted.
 
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. On the one hand, I was in shock; on the other, I found it hilarious. But I couldn’t help myself and continued:

“If your business address is in Ljubljana,
isn’t it logical that the warehouse is there too?”

Their reply:

“No, our warehouse is in Ljubljana, but at a
different address. Shipping is handled from Ljubljana.
Sent from my iPhone”

The conversation ended with my response:

“Dear ‘Sent from iPhone,’ There we go.
That’s all I needed to know to place my order.
Was that so hard?
Wishing you all the best going forward.
 
Kind regards, Jurij Triller”

This gentleman, “Sent from iPhone,” clearly has a lot to learn about customer experience. But he’s not alone.

In the days leading up to the holidays, I noticed a similar attitude among sales assistants in smaller stores. Many seemed oddly indifferent and bored. When asked about a product, their responses were often lethargic, with no sign of extra effort—like: “Can I help you with anything else?” or “Would you like a suggestion?”

I get it—they’re tired. The holiday rush is exhausting. But employers need to understand the importance of that first point of contact.

The friendliness of the first person a customer interacts with significantly impacts sales, especially in the hospitality industry, where I see the same issues. A poor experience during the first interaction can drive customers away for good. If employees knew that extra effort could earn them a reward, they’d likely be more motivated. But as it stands, both employers and employees lose out—and even more so, the customers, who may never return.

Now imagine a company pouring money into marketing and advertising, only for everything to fall apart during the first interaction. Potential customers vanish—permanently.