ComplaintsforDairy One

• Initial Complaint

  12/05/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  No response from the CEO of Dairy One or from the Director of Analytical Services. Dairy One's Lab Manager promised in writing that repeat of soil testing using Mehlich 3 in addition to completed Morgan extraction would yield identical or similar soil recommendation results. Complainant paid for the Mehlich 3 plus trace minerals extraction to achieve this as the Mehlich 3 is requested by suppliers for organic farming amendments. Unfortunately, contrary to the statements made by the Lab Manager in writing about commensurability of soil recommendations, the results were wildly divergent, making it impossible to plan the soil amendments. The Lab Manager alleged that input values were not properly entered into the software system yet it was he and Dairy One who were responsible for matching the inputs for the second testing. Dairy One was asked to arrange for repeat testing to ensure that the recommendations from both the Morgan and Mehlich 3 extractions would indeed match as he had promised in writing. The Lab Manager ignored the request, sending back the remaining soil samples instead. Dairy One needs to correct whatever were the alleged input errors it made which resulted in wildly divergent and therefore unreliable soil amendment recommendations and/or re-run the testing using the two extraction methods to achieve the promised commensurate recommendations -- at Dairy One's expense. Alternatively, Dairy One can arrange at its expense to have a third-party lab verify the test results and soil amendment recommendations of both extractions. Complainant can provide the soil samples which were prematurely returned by Dairy One, with shipping/postage at Dairy One's expense. Because a paste-in of the ignored complaint to Dairy One is too long for this space, I have sent the complaint information via the BBB email form to provide BBB with the November 18, 2022 communication to the CEO of Dairy One which, as with the Director of Analytical Services, has been ignored.

  Business response

  12/27/2022

  Good morning, My name is James M***** and I am the CEO of Dairy One Cooperative, Inc.  We strive daily to add value to our community farmers, so they can make informed profit decisions.  Our goal is to always create a positive customer experience, so we are disappointed that we are unable to satisfy Ms. *******'s requirement. Through several conversations and correspondence, we have attempted, in a professional and courteous manner, to explain the results.  At this time, based on our company's values of Integrity, Professionalism, Optimism, and Commitment, we believe that it is best to end this relationship.  We will refund Ms. *******'s fee of $117.00 immediately.  Please feel free to call Dairy One and ask for me at any time, should this require more conversation.  As well, my email address is *****.******@********.com.  Please forward any related correspondence regarding this complaint directly to me. Respectfully, Jim

  Customer response

  01/13/2023

  I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ********, and have determined that this does not resolve my complaint.  For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below. First of all, it is disingenuous for a CEO who has ignored communication, thereby inspiring the BBB complaint in the first place, to be complaining about "fairness." Given the fact that the Lab Manager is the person who stated that the two extractions, although different, would yield identical or similar soil amendment recommendations. When that turned out not to be the case, I was at first ignored, then subjected to an "explanation" email that actually indicated that Dairy One apparentlly did not set the default parameters to match and when I then escalated my concerns to two levels of the organization -- the second being the CEO -- I was ignored. I do believe that additional testing is necessary to determine why the recommendations are so different and which should be relied upon as accurate. However, given the double-speak that I have been subjected to and the fact that upper management willfully ignored my complaints, it would be foolish for me to allow the repeat testing to be able to be potentially "rigged" by Dairy One. Only third-party testing can resolve this matter and I reserve the right to choose the laboratory. As for the ******* logo and its use by Dairy One, I am not privy to any Memorandum of Understanding between ******* and Dairy One but, in response to my requests for information, ******* denied that Dairy One is affiliated with ******* and, in a subsequent response, informed me that the logo would not be being used by Dairy One. Again, given the lack of probity and accuracy and even honesty in the responses and willful ignoring of my concerns which has characterized Dairy One's customer service, I have no way of knowing whether or not Dairy One has simply invented this part of the response. In any event, I am currently actively seeking information on alternative soil testing laboratories so that I may resolve this matter within the next two months by having the soil retested before the onset of the growing season -- since the lack of professionalism of Dairy One deprived me of the opportunity to address any soil amendments this past fall. I ask BBB to realize that when a fox asks to be in charge of the chicken coop, the result is never fair for the chickens. To allow Dairy One to be the arbiter of the analysis of the accuracy of its testing procedures is not a professional response. I also wish to inform the BBB that when I was asking for retesting, the Lab Manager, without consulting me, shipped back to me the samples and flatly refused to do any further testing. Something may not be right with their equipment or their software to have elicited such dismissive and unprofessional behaviors in response to my concerns. Therefore, I require third-party testing as a basic scientific way to proceed. I am willing to subsidize the difference in cost of the fees for the third-party lab if they exceed the price in the Dairy One fee schedule for soil testing.  Regards,  *** ** ** *******  

  Business response

  01/20/2023

  Again, we are disappointed that the customer was dissatisfied, as we always strive to provide friendly and accurate service.  We believe we accomplished both here, but it is clear the customer disagrees.  At Dairy One, we believe in farming and we believe we make a difference.  We have refunded 100% the customer's payment.  The customer may apply those funds to resource another company for soil testing.  At this time, we feel there is not a happy path forward in the relationship between parties in this transaction and we wish the customer only the best.   

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