Gary Cecil Farms

Business Response to a Complaint Complaint ID#: [redacted] Company Name: Cecil Farms Company Contact: [redacted] Company Phone: ###-###-#### Company Email: [redacted] Person Who Sent the Complaint: [redacted] Staff Member: Response: Cecil Farms operates a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program where customers buy a farm share for the seasonOur website describes how a CSA worksIt is like having a garden of your own, but Cecil Farms is growing it for you and then delivering the goods on a specified day of the weekEach day (as described on the website) Cecil Farms picks what is ready and available in the fieldWe clean it up and pack it into share boxes and deliver it to our local customersThe fun that many customers comment on is the part of it being a surprise each week what is in the boxWe focus on value and quality and receive high ratings from our customers regularly for thisThe CSA is on Mondays, Tuesdays, and ThursdaysAs produce in the field goes, it must be picked every day of the week otherwise it will rot on the vine and stop productionTherefore, as a business, we must continue to pick what is ready, provided by mother nature, beyond our control, and take it to market and sell on the off daysWe choose not to store our produce from Thursday to use on Mondays, as it does not align with our freshness standardWe give our very best to our CSAOur CSA is the reason we grow the variety that we doThe market is secondaryThe customer seems to not have understood fully how a CSA worksThe customer has been delivered equal quality, service and produce to all other customers this season and past seasonsWith a CSA, as the season progresses, the bounty increases as wellThere is much in store for the full season experience and Cecil Farms has been in business long enough to have established the reputation that is trustworthy and delivers on their promises, as shown by repeat business and personal relationships developed with our customersUpon receiving the customer's complaint, communication proceeded to discuss the concern and attempts to better explain how a CSA works were madeIn an attempt to assist the customer, Cecil Farms also offered some suggestions of other businesses that would better fit the customer's wants such as selecting specific/exact contents of the box/share, as a local CSA model does not offer this option and the customers seemed to really want thisWe wanted to helpIn reference to the $referral credit, the customer may not have fully read or understood the referral process eitherOn the online siform each customer is asked how they learned about Cecil FarmsThey are given the option to choose that it was from a friendIf they choose this field, then they are asked to list the referring persons nameThis is placed very clearly in the step sign up processWe have many customers who fill this part in and successfully receive their referral credit after the customer receives their 2nd delivery (as stated on the website)Customers who are referred are required to receive at least deliveries before the credit is given to insure the process is not abusedUpon receiving the complaint, Cecil Farms looked into the customers account and found no customers listing her as a referenceMultiple phone calls have been made to the customer to offer reinstatement of membership into Cecil Farms CSAThe customer opted to discontinue after speaking on the phoneThe customer stated that they were finished and did not wish to receive any more sharesSent on: 5/30/10:20:AM

Business Response to a Complaint Complaint ID#: [redacted] Company Name: Cecil Farms Company Contact: [redacted] Company Phone: ###-###-#### Company Email: [redacted] Person Who Sent the Complaint: [redacted] Staff Member: ...

Response: Cecil Farms operates a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program where customers buy a farm share for the season. Our website describes how a CSA works. It is like having a garden of your own, but Cecil Farms is growing it for you and then delivering the goods on a specified day of the week. Each day (as described on the website) Cecil Farms picks what is ready and available in the field. We clean it up and pack it into share boxes and deliver it to our local customers. The fun that many customers comment on is the part of it being a surprise each week what is in the box. We focus on value and quality and receive high ratings from our customers regularly for this. The CSA is on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. As produce in the field goes, it must be picked every day of the week otherwise it will rot on the vine and stop production. Therefore, as a business, we must continue to pick what is ready, provided by mother nature, beyond our control, and take it to market and sell on the off days. We choose not to store our produce from Thursday to use on Mondays, as it does not align with our freshness standard. We give our very best to our CSA. Our CSA is the reason we grow the variety that we do. The market is secondary. The customer seems to not have understood fully how a CSA works. The customer has been delivered equal quality, service and produce to all other customers this season and past seasons. With a CSA, as the season progresses, the bounty increases as well. There is much in store for the full season experience and Cecil Farms has been in business long enough to have established the reputation that is trustworthy and delivers on their promises, as shown by repeat business and personal relationships developed with our customers. Upon receiving the customer's complaint, communication proceeded to discuss the concern and attempts to better explain how a CSA works were made. In an attempt to assist the customer, Cecil Farms also offered some suggestions of other businesses that would better fit the customer's wants such as selecting specific/exact contents of the box/share, as a local CSA model does not offer this option and the customers seemed to really want this. We wanted to help. In reference to the $10 referral credit, the customer may not have fully read or understood the referral process either. On the online sign-up form each customer is asked how they learned about Cecil Farms. They are given the option to choose that it was from a friend. If they choose this field, then they are asked to list the referring persons name. This is placed very clearly in the 2 step sign up process. We have many customers who fill this part in and successfully receive their referral credit after the customer receives their 2nd delivery (as stated on the website). Customers who are referred are required to receive at least 2 deliveries before the credit is given to insure the process is not abused. Upon receiving the complaint, Cecil Farms looked into the customers account and found no customers listing her as a reference. Multiple phone calls have been made to the customer to offer reinstatement of membership into Cecil Farms CSA. The customer opted to discontinue after speaking on the phone. The customer stated that they were finished and did not wish to receive any more shares. Sent on: 5/30/2016 10:20:46 AM