Pipes and Cigars has hit a snag.....

So after a few emails and order inquiries about the state of my order and complaining about the lack of meaningful communication it received the following response. If they sent me something like this in the first place, I would be a lot less angry.






Thank you for your patience during the delay in responding. While this is a ‘form’ letter like you’ve been getting from Eric, my hope is that the information contained will help you to understand why your orders are still pending. It in no way excuses the inconvenience we have put you through; that was never anticipated. It is just a bit more detail into what is going on behind the scenes, so to speak, so you have a better understanding. I realize I may not be answering your specific question but please feel free to email me about it – I will respond as quickly as I can. And if you’re as tired of receiving Eric’s email and I am, you can opt out by scrolling to the bottom and clicking the unsubscribe button. It won’t affect the email deals you may be receiving, just these update emails.




You may not realize it, but Pipes and Cigars shares a fulfillment center with four other companies who were also affected by the computer overhaul. On a typical day, we process between 8000 – 10,000 packages – six days a week. When we implemented the new computer system, it was for the entire fulfillment center – from the contact centers to the warehouse to Purchasing and Marketing. Everyone made a 100% change in the methods and processes of day-to-day business.




We made the change on 2/11. There was a miscommunication between the website and the warehouse which was found and addressed on Wednesday, 2/15. By that time, we were about 30,000 packages under what we normally ship which is where the backlog began. Then other issues were uncovered and addressed and orders began to flow but in nowhere near the kind of volume we normally see. Our entire IT Department worked tirelessly to make the fixes as quickly as possible. Even the executives of the company are out packing boxes and picking product to get the backlog of orders shipped. Its been a nightmare for everyone involved - you, my team, our warehouse staff - everyone




As for Pipes and Cigars, we are one of the smallest businesses in this group. However, our portion of the warehouse has been particularly hard hit because of the volume of small items we ship. Pouches of tobacco, ounces of bulk tobacco, etc. The team in the contact center consists of six dedicated people who answer phones and handle these messages. Since the computer system implementation we have been slammed with both. At times, we have 30 calls waiting to be answered. On a normal day, we handle on average 250 phone calls. The past three weeks, we have been handling 400 and more, with folks waiting as long as 2 hours before we can get to them. The Fulfillment Center has 120 incoming phone lines shared by all of the business, all of which have been in use for days and days. Many folks trying to reach us are getting a fast busy signals because there are not more open lines. We can’t even call you back because there are no lines available.




In a normal week, we handle about 400 messages. That number has tripled with only one person trying to respond because everyone else is trying to keep up with the incoming phone calls. This is why it seems as though we have ignored you. That is 100% not the case! No one on this team has worked less than 50 hours each week in an effort to help our valued customers.




So why in the world did we change our computer system? That’s a good question and I’m glad you asked. Our old system was built in-house and was so antiquated we could not make any modifications without in breaking in some way. This new system, when it is really up, running and functional will help with errors in packing and picking and help in purchasing enough product to avoid backorders in our warehouse. Until we get there, everyone suffers, unfortunately.




I was just told that our warehouse will focus on the P&C side of the house tonight, tomorrow and over the weekend, to get our unique issues worked out. So while your order is still pending, there is the very real possibility that it will ship out tomorrow or this weekend. I know you’ve been waiting for what seems like an eternity, but believe me when I say that we have everyone – from the executive level on down – doing everything in their power to fix it and fix it permanently.




I realize we have not lived up to the standards you have come to expect from Pipes and Cigars and we are truly sorry about that. I promise you that we will get this right very soon. All I ask is that you continue to have patience with us. We are doing our very best.




With all of that said, if you have any other questions or concerns, please let me know. I will do my very best to respond quickly and honestly.