Creative Freebee survey

[Smitty37]

Well, this is an interesting thread!!

As for those who would prefer money---we ARE considering that possibility. Again, a coupon has to be structured so as NOT to affect the revenue of our partners. AND, again you will see our competition telling you it is all a ploy to make you buy more
Thank-you,
Ed

HMMMMMMM....lets see, I send you some amount of money to buy something and you give me back some of it as a freebee - yippee as a ploy to get me to send you more money to buy more things. That works for me - we call it discounts.:biggrin::biggrin:

 

[edicehouse]

Wait a minute, the people that give you a bite of something to eat on a tooth pick in the mall have motives to do something????????

 

[Donnie Kennedy]

I voted for something else... free shipping on orders over a certain amount would be nice and might even generate larger orders. I know that I have added a few items on a couple of past AS orders just to get over their hump.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Well, this is an interesting thread!!

Did "Ed" actually start "freebees"? Not really, but I think I am the first and so far the only "freebee--yippee" giver-awayer!!

When I placed orders for my shows (long before Exotics), I sometimes used Arizona Silhouette. Bill would toss in a couple short wood blanks---usually a very pretty wood, but these were the days BEFORE the sierra, so there was not much I could do with them. I figured he was smart to use these as "advertising" for the quality of his wood blanks, unfortunately for me they were not very useful. (I am always evaluating things from a marketing point of view, that's what a career in sales does to your brain:biggrin::biggrin

So, when Exotics was "born" and we started sending out LOTS more stuff than I had done with the CATalog, I was truly grateful to each of the customers and wanted to give them a little "extra". We were small and I knew we were purchasing products at "less favorable" prices than our established, much larger competitors, so I also knew this would have a higher cost for me than for most. But, we did it anyhow!!

We decided to label them "freebee", but as I was making the labels, I thought about what reaction would I have had to receiving these. Thus was born "Freebee--YIPPEE!!" Four years later, we have seen no reason to change. It appears from this survey that the majority of you are pleased with the program---so it will continue. (And about a year ago someone mentioned they wanted them labeled, so they have been labeled ever since--unless it pulls off somewhere along the line)

Yes, we could change to supplies. Micromesh and CA have been mentioned--that COULD happen. Of course, if we choose micromesh, you will have ONE grit---but you NEED at least six---so how many comments will I see from my esteemed competition saying I am really just FORCING you to BUY the other five?? You have to realize there are people on this forum who delight in telling you HOW I am dictating your next thought or action. Which influences WHAT MY actions will be, from time to time.

As for those who would prefer money---we ARE considering that possibility. Again, a coupon has to be structured so as NOT to affect the revenue of our partners. AND, again you will see our competition telling you it is all a ploy to make you buy more

Thanks to Monty for posting this poll (I had nothing to do with it), I have enjoyed the comments and will continue to watch. Every comment represents another chance to please MORE of the people---which we try to continue to do.

Thank-you,
Ed

When Mr. Brown mentioned competition I can only assume he is talking about Smitty and myself as we're the only other vendors on the site that are not the big boys (CSUSA, PSI etc).
#1, I have never said or posted that a coupon or discount is a poly to get you to buy from Him or anyone else , as a matter of fact I ran a survey about giving a coupon instead of a thank you and on my new site that will be one of the options given, and Smitty is on record as not liking Free-bees or gifts but has never accused either Ed or myself who do sent a free-bee or thank you gift.

#2-Now to your esteemed competition again I nor Smitty as far as I know have never in the past and as I can't speak on Smitty's behalf on the future but you have no worries as to me telling your or my customers that your forcing them to buy anything in the future as that would be hypocritical of me as I also have given "Thank You" Blanks, CA, and yes cookies, and might give discount codes in the future.

#3-I also thank Monty for starting this thread, it has giving me some food for thought although as one person requested fried chicken that's not the food I'm thinking of:biggrin:

I'll even thank Mr. Brown as I think competition is a good thing not a bad thing as it keeps us from becoming complacent.

And yes we give these as "Thank You Gifts" for buying from us but lets be honest we also want them to remember us and come back, and the Free-Bee or Thank You Gift" is that small reminder.

 

[stevenpetry]

Not wood working related, but if you're into weapons, Larue Tactical hooks you up on orders. Last order I made was for a special edition Dillo (it's a nifty tacticool bottle opener). Box that came in was huge for such a small item though. Inside was an extra standard Dillo, big bottle of Dillo Dust (think all spice on crack), several bumper stickers, and numerous pocket sized constitution pamphlets. They always throw in a dillo or dillo dust with orders, but this time they went all out. Great products, excellent customer service, and the best freebee's in the biz!

But on topic, blanks, CA, MM, all are great. Feel like candy or items not directly related to the items ordered, were tossed in as a "well this'll work" kinda thing. Appreciate free stuff, but when it's something like candy, it's kind of like saying we'll give you free stuff, but not stuff you're gonna want. It lacks the thought that someone actually took the time to consider what they were putting in the package. I'd rather get a "thanks" written on to the invoice than candy.

But that's me. If nothing else, as long as the order is right and it didn't take a year to get it, I'm happy.

 

[seamus7227]

COOKIES!!!!

 

[Chasper]

I like the freebees, I appreciate them and I use them. But I think we as buyers should stop expecting them. I buy what I need and I rebuy more of what I need. My buy or don't buy decisions are not significantly influenced by the presence or absence of a freebee. I would prefer to see our partners (vendors) save the cost of freebees and spend that money on other parts of their businesses. If our partners are not making good profits and adding new products, then I can't introduce new products and succeed in my pen selling business. I'd like my partners to be very successful.

 

[edicehouse]

It's kind of funny, this discussion parrells a lot of our other discussions. Wether to give a discount on the pens we make. Wether to include a gift with the purchase, so on and so forth. Now is it much different when we give a box or bag with a pen we make?

 

[Smitty37]

Considered

While, in general, I don't like 'freebees' I can't say that I have not considered giving them. The most serious idea I have considered and sometimes use (for other reasons) is giving an instore credit based on the total amount of the buyer's purchase. I have not adopted this but I have considered it.

I don't have access to a lot of blanks because I don't sell them so adding blanks is not an option.


Most of my sales here are of already heavily discounted items so I'm not anxious to add costs.


BTW - criticizing my competitors for anything they do is not my bag...and both Roy and Ed are also my suppliers as well as competitors so I don't wish either of them anything but the best for their businesses. I also buy from CSUSA, PSI, Lazerlinez, Dayacom, Rizheng and others who also sell retail in competition with me....I wish them all well too.

 

[kovalcik]

I am in agreement with a lot of the other posters. I appreciate the freebees, but I don't expect them. My feeling is, at least with the vendors I deal with here, I always get my $ worth, usually more, even without any extras thrown in. If there is an extra thank you, that is nice and makes me feel good, but it does not realy influence where I buy items. That is determined by where I feel I get the best combo of price/quality/service/availibility for a particular product.

 

[Monty]

First off, I'll say I started this thread because I thought it amusing when I candy as a free bee after reading that Roy was including a home made cookie. I, like many others do not expect free bees in my order, but they are always appreciated, whatever the vendor chooses to include. It was not intended as "market research" as such but more to get others thoughts on free bees.

 

[wolftat]

Who hates free bees!?

I like cookies. Soft an chewy. Even better - green cookies! What is agreen cookie you ask. It is a cookie where energy was not expended to convert the cookie from a doughy state to a crispy state.

I do.

I tend to throw out my cookies when they get green. Thank you for the info on this, I will save them up and send you a box full....LOL:biggrin:


All joking aside, I am happy when I just get what I ordered and paid for.

 

[avbill]

This week my order from Woodturningz included candy. Really?

 

[avbill]

I ask you How many of you send a thank you gift to your vendors?

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

I ask you How many of you send a thank you gift to your vendors?

I have had a customer from California and not to embarrass him not tell his name but he send me a bottle of wine once :biggrin: and I invite all my customers to do the same:biggrin::wink:. Thanks Bill.

 

[skiprat]

I'm one of the 'seven'.:wink: So far....

I just want what I order at a competitive price and for it to be sent to me as soon as the vendor can. I don't want any second rate blank ( or anything else ) in the box which may have just pushed my postage ( or customs / import tax ) costs up.
The vendor gets my money, I get their goods. End of contract.
I don't want to have to suck up or praise a vendor for a mediocre freebie if I ever get around to using it. I also don't want to feel that I need to promote any vendor when I post my SOYP stuff. I certainly don't want to feel that that I need to praise any vendor just cos the Postal Service delivered it quickly. I mean, why wouldn't a vendor send stuff the same or the next day???

Freebies, whether good or bad, actually cost the vendor money. If they are in this business to make money then you can be sure of one thing, and that is that the cost of that blank is included in the selling price of the rest of their stuff. Don't kid yourself, or let them kid you that it's free.

I have to admit that I was actually very impressed with Smitty's reply where he essentially openly says that he doesn't have a big enough mark up to include a freebie. I have NEVER bought from him, but that may change.

Freebies do have a place though. I think that it may be appropriate to include a freebie when the vendor has messed up. CSUSA, PSI, Timberbits and a few other pro vendors have once or twice sent me the wrong stuff and all of them have just said to keep the originally supplied wrong stuff.

It's been interesting reading and following this thread. Answered a few things too.

 

[Smitty37]

I ask you How many of you send a thank you gift to your vendors?

I have had a couple of people who buy from send me a pen to add to my collection that was a gift. I appreciate them acknowledge them and they have been added to my collection.