Not happy at all!

[jewellmd]

I've been working in Retail for over 20 years (its brick & mortar only) and I understand what it takes to move product from warehouses to store shelves. When items are on sale and are out of stock, Rain Checks for a reasonable quantity of such item are available to the customer. There are exceptions to this, but are typically few & far. I think the Rain Check program helps to retain the customer. If we were to continue to be out of stock when the customer returns with their Rain Check, that's a problem. What happens if we suddenly stopped carrying said item and left the customer hanging?

I also remember the days not long ago where I would save my Kool Aid points and send them in for special prizes. It seemed like weeks to receive these things. Ordering things were from a catalog, payment by money order or check and receiving your item took an eternity. Who would know if your package went out a day or two later?

Today's world is much different. Get it now mentality – internet near instant speeds, news in minutes from around the world and packages flying all around the world. Businesses need to work especially hard with their bottom lines while keeping their customers happy.

In today's era, service is key. Consumers are looking for good product, as soon as reasonably possible. Businesses are looking for customer retention and growth. I'll pay a little extra if I get better service (grocery stores come to mind). "Falling prices" don't get me in the door if I already know that the service I'm about to receive is sub-par.

Just my perspective of how I've watched retail evolve.

 

[Smitty37]

With all due respect .... when a vendor offers priority shipping I think they are making a commitment with the buyer to expedite the picking and packing and to get the shipment out their door in priority time.

First we need to define PRIORITY SHIPPING.
Priority as opposed to what?
Are they talking about the USPS priority mail service or just their version of priority handling at their business.

Business people today use weasel words that have vague meanings that can be easily re-defined as needed and wrongly assumed by someone else.
I think that is taught in business school ... how to confuse and befuddle your customers to extract max money.

Willee

I have a tendency to believe that most of the vendors here got their training in the "School of Hard Knocks" rather than a business school. My personal version of Priority Handling is every package that I ship. Yesterday USPS had a glitch at their website and no pickups were made so my customers had an extra day added to their shipping but other than things like that our normal service is priority.

 

[notaryjon]

A lot of the USPS computer is down. Has been since Thursday afternoon. They are working to get it back up soon. There scanning system is down in some parts of the US.

 

[Smitty37]

A lot of the USPS computer is down. Has been since Thursday afternoon. They are working to get it back up soon. There scanning system is down in some parts of the US.

I got an email that the scheduling computer is back on line....it did issue a pickup for today but missed yesterday.

 

[MesquiteMan]

A lot of the USPS computer is down. Has been since Thursday afternoon. They are working to get it back up soon. There scanning system is down in some parts of the US.

I got an email that the scheduling computer is back on line....it did issue a pickup for today but missed yesterday.

I have something going out every day with USPS. I go online and schedule a daily pickup every day of the week for one year in advance. That way I don't forget to schedule one. This also helps the carrier to get in the habit of coming to my shop each day instead of just the mailbox. My shop and house is down a 1,500 driveway and now my they even deliver my mail directly to the shop instead of the mailbox!

 

[rgullion]

My Two Cents

First of all, let me note that i do not respond to these threads very often, something very close to never. But this one hit me.
Next, let me give you my punch line first before i go off crazy - like some others have noted, use Smitty's. And i would add, use Beartooth Woods. I will tell you why below.
This postage stuff just drives me nuts. Even I know you can get free boxes from USPS and you can ship a small box using priority mail for about $5.25. So why is that some sellers need to charge me more? Is it because they have to pay someone to pack the box, or walk it out to the mail box, or even drive 2 miles to the post office with it? Just tell me, ok?
I would rather they charge the right amount for their product and charge me what it actually takes to pay for the shipping.
And because i am so crazy about this, I do pay attention to what these guys end up charging me for postage. And i know i am not a huge customer, but still a customer that has sent the seller my hard earned money.

Now, for Smitty. I swear he ends up charging me what he pays the post office to send my stuff. What a concept!!
And Beartooth Woods too. My best tale is when i placed an order with Beartooth recently - late on Thursday. Well, he shipped my pen kits on Friday - AND he paid for and i got overnight delivery. That's right, when i went to the mail box on Saturday, two days after i placed my order, there it was. I was very happy. And i only paid for standard shipping. With great service like that and the kind that Smitty's provides, that is where my money goes, first.

Everyone have a great weekend.

 

[Smitty37]

First of all, let me note that i do not respond to these threads very often, something very close to never. But this one hit me.
Next, let me give you my punch line first before i go off crazy - like some others have noted, use Smitty's. And i would add, use Beartooth Woods. I will tell you why below.
This postage stuff just drives me nuts. Even I know you can get free boxes from USPS and you can ship a small box using priority mail for about $5.25. So why is that some sellers need to charge me more? Is it because they have to pay someone to pack the box, or walk it out to the mail box, or even drive 2 miles to the post office with it? Just tell me, ok?
I would rather they charge the right amount for their product and charge me what it actually takes to pay for the shipping.
And because i am so crazy about this, I do pay attention to what these guys end up charging me for postage. And i know i am not a huge customer, but still a customer that has sent the seller my hard earned money.

Now, for Smitty. I swear he ends up charging me what he pays the post office to send my stuff. What a concept!!
And Beartooth Woods too. My best tale is when i placed an order with Beartooth recently - late on Thursday. Well, he shipped my pen kits on Friday - AND he paid for and i got overnight delivery. That's right, when i went to the mail box on Saturday, two days after i placed my order, there it was. I was very happy. And i only paid for standard shipping. With great service like that and the kind that Smitty's provides, that is where my money goes, first.

Everyone have a great weekend.

Thanks for the kind words, but I generally charge flat rate shipping.

Here is the thing with shipping. $5.25 is the cost of postage for a SFRB.

That is not the actual cost of shipping - the postage lable cost .07 amortizing the postage printer is another .04 access to the service for printing postage is about .40+.

The packing slip/invoice is .02 for paper and the cost of printing it is about .05

I self insure (packages over $50.00 and don't charge anything for that but there is a cost related to it

Packaging materials such as tape are not free.

Then if the vendor made a mistake in packing the kits and left out a part or if there is a bad part in the kit that has to be replaced there is an additional postage charge to us but not the buyer.

Then there are the shipments that won't fit in a SFRB and we have to go to a bigger box...there is really no way our order system can determine that because different kits require different volume - so the additional shipping (which can easily double the postage cost) we have to eat.

Then there are specials we run with free shipping.

Most of us charge flat rate shipping and hope we don't wind up too far in the hole at the end of the year...shipping is certainly not a profit center for me and I doubt that it is for any of the other vendors here either.

 

[jimm1]

2/14/15: Still waiting for my 2-day delivery



Product & Tracking Information

Postal Product:

• Priority Mail 2-Day^™

Features:

• • USPS Tracking^™
  • Up to $100 insurance included Restrictions Apply Priority Mail Insurance info icon

<!--




-->
<table class="zebra-table" id="tc-hits" summary="Table describes the label details returned from track query."><thead><tr class="header"><th class="date-time" style="width: 33%;" scope="col">Date & Time




</th><th class="status" style="width: 33%;" scope="col">Status of Item




</th><th class="location" style="width: 33%;" scope="col">Location




</th></tr></thead><tbody class="details"><tr class="detail-wrapper latest-detail"><td class="date-time"> February 11, 2015 , 10:45 am




</td><td class="status"><!--
--> Departed USPS Facility
<input id="LabelSummaryDetails9405515901284905821950" type="hidden" value="Your item departed our USPS facility in MEMPHIS, TN 38136 on February 11, 2015 at 10:45 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.">




</td><td class="location"> MEMPHIS, TN 38136




</td></tr><!-- New Status Summary Panel --> <tr class="status-summary-panel open-panel"><td style="padding: 0px;" colSpan="3"><table><tbody><tr class="bubble-arrow"><td class="bubble-top" colSpan="3"></td></tr><tr class="detail-summary"><td>Your item departed our USPS facility in MEMPHIS, TN 38136 on February 11, 2015 at 10:45 am. The item is currently in transit to the destination.





</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class="detail-wrapper odd-row"><td class="date-time"> February 11, 2015 , 10:31 am




</td><td class="status"> Arrived at USPS Facility




</td><td class="location"> MEMPHIS, TN 38136




</td></tr><tr class="detail-wrapper "><td class="date-time"> February 9, 2015 , 10:02 pm




</td><td class="status"> Arrived at USPS Origin Facility




</td><td class="location"> PHILADELPHIA, PA 19116




</td></tr><tr class="detail-wrapper odd-row"><td class="date-time"> February 9, 2015 , 8:47 pm




</td><td class="status"> Accepted at USPS Origin Sort Facility




</td><td class="location"> PHILADELPHIA, PA 19115




</td></tr><tr class="detail-wrapper "><td class="date-time"> February 9, 2015 , 7:14 pm




</td><td class="status"> Picked up by Request




</td><td class="location"> PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176




</td></tr><tr class="detail-wrapper odd-row"><td class="date-time"> February 9, 2015 , 2:41 pm




</td><td class="status"> Shipping Label Created




</td><td class="location">PHILADELPHIA, PA 19115




</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[MesquiteMan]

Smitty, you forgot Paypal/Credit Card fees which add another 3% or $.1522 more or less for that small flat rate box. So, the cost of that $5.25 SFR box before you even put anything in it and tape it up is $5.40 right off the bat. If a vendor is only charging $5.25, they are loosing money on shipping. I don't believe in profiting on shipping and I figure my shipping materials and extras into the cost but I do add for the Paypal/Credit Card fees. Then again, I have Commercial Plus pricing with USPS which is even better than the regular Commercial Base pricing so most of the time, the price I charge with the Paypal/Credit Card fees added is still cheaper than most folks can get online.

 

[Cmiles1985]

I have no problem in paying $6.50-7.00 for my stuff to show up in a SFRB. By the time everything is nicely packed in, taped up, label created, package shipped, I don't really care if the vendor makes an extra nickel or even quarter off of shipping. I doubt they're going to be living any better than I am by charging a fair amount more than the actual label purchase price. If the kits go up $0.05, everyone would throw a tizzy. With some folks it seems there is no winning!!

P.S. I followed this thread from the beginning, and see a few angry folk, but no reply from the OP. So, to that, congrats on a pot well stirred.

 

[Smitty37]

Smitty, you forgot Paypal/Credit Card fees which add another 3% or $.1522 more or less for that small flat rate box. So, the cost of that $5.25 SFR box before you even put anything in it and tape it up is $5.40 right off the bat. If a vendor is only charging $5.25, they are loosing money on shipping. I don't believe in profiting on shipping and I figure my shipping materials and extras into the cost but I do add for the Paypal/Credit Card fees. Then again, I have Commercial Plus pricing with USPS which is even better than the regular Commercial Base pricing so most of the time, the price I charge with the Paypal/Credit Card fees added is still cheaper than most folks can get online.

That's true and there is also the charge for processing credit cards through PayPal - generally I lump these two together and have that figured into my selling price...but certainly part of it is shipping. Other than the cost of inventory, shipping is the largest single expense in my business and actually exceeds the profit I make on nearly every transaction.

 

[RKB]

"there ain't no such thing as a free lunch".....product selection, pricing,shipping accuracy are the items that influence my buying decisions, and candy especially the candy. Seriously though: stop beating up our Vendors, we need them just like they need us, in fact we need more vendors... it's capitalism...it's good. If you gotta beef send them a note, call, they will work it out or if you can't get satisfaction buy somewhere else.
Stuff happens.

Thanks to all our vendors who provide so many great products that help us create our treasures and your support of our IAP.

Rod

 

[ChrisD123]

Are you serious… The vendor has the heart to LOSE money in order to give us a discount for the support we have shown them over the years and you have the audacity to complain that they are out of stock on items, I cannot believe how disrespectful you are being OP