We strongly believe our customers deserve full disclosure when it comes to a mistake:
A get to the point explanation is bulleted below, for speed if you are in a rush.

At the end of December 2007, we signed a contract with what appeared to be a professional answering service

For 2008, we wanted to give our loyal and our potential customers the best experience on the phone and via email if they had questions about: status of orders, placing orders, and most importantly; product questions.

We also implemented this so that we could take a nice well deserved vacation. This answering service company promised us the most professional experience for our business. We tested the service, and found it to be very good.
How quickly did we learn things would go wrong.

Our customer service gets about an average amount of email. Which suddenly exploded into hundreds... paying customers leaving very mad emails and voicemails. With a answering service you would expect to have very few voicemails.. if they are suppose to be answering the phone, Right? 40 Messages... several from the same customers over and over. We were shocked.
We had family members across the USA call our line... and then the terrible truth became very apparent. This service failed miserably! But on our personal phone calls... the service was pleasant, and productive. A total false and double standard! We had family members record their conversations... No answer, rude answers, terrible english language skills!

We were shocked by the total lack of professionalism.

After multiple conference calls, our contract is officially canceled with this "professional" answering service. We are even considering suing them, thats the reason for not mentioning them by name.

We have been online selling our luxury products for over 10 years. There is no way we will let some fly-by-night company ruin our name. We are back in total control of our phone and email. Vacation will have to wait.

1. Hired Professional Answering Service
2. Emails start to rise with complaints
3. Test service ourselfs again... seems profesional
4. Have friends and family test service... totally unprofessional
5. Obviously they are screening the calls for our customers and us (management)
6. Canceled the contract
7. Phone and Email back in service