| Author | Thread |
|
|
12/12/2006 02:04:40 PM · #1 |
I ordered some things from B&H a week ago - about $400 worth of gear. I also added in a couple of gel swatch samples. Those samples cost 1c each. $0.01 I paid for probably the second cheapest shipping. Something that would take 5 days.
The package arrived in the mail and later that day another package arrived, UPS urgent/expedited delivery, 2nd day air type package.
In the second package was the gel swatch sample. That's about $30 worth of shipping at commercial rates.
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:05:58 PM · #2 |
| They get a mass mailing discount which the gen. pop./public doesn't get. |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:18:34 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by notonline:
They get a mass mailing discount which the gen. pop./public doesn't get. |
Of course they do, but it still doesn't balance out overnight shipping for a 1 cent item.
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:20:47 PM · #4 |
But you got your stuff on time and now you're happy and will (likely) continue to drop hundreds at B&H which will make it worthwhile for them in the end. :)
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:20:56 PM · #5 |
They are fast and they like good customers.
Also, the UPS folks have all their seasonal employees on board, so they are fully ramped up for holiday shipping and since that hasn't peaked yet, even ordinary stuff goes quicker than normal.
I'll sometimes order from Calumet since they are just across the lake in Chicago, I can pay for UPS ground and usually have it next day. |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:23:05 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by mk:
But you got your stuff on time and now you're happy and will (likely) continue to drop hundreds at B&H which will make it worthwhile for them in the end. :) |
They should probably know that it wouldn't have made any difference ;)
The most extreme example I've seen was I ordered an LCD from dell, at about 6:30 in the evening, from their web site. I took the 'free shipping' offer which was 10 days or something close to that.
It arrived at 7:30am the next day.
I wondered if I'd misread the shipping and it was 10 hours, not 10 days.
Message edited by author 2006-12-12 14:23:26.
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:32:50 PM · #7 |
The power cord on my Thinkpad recently went bad and since I'm still under parts warranty, I called and asked them to send another. After getting caught in a practically never-ending phone tree loop and then having the customer service rep be a total snot to me (in retrospect, I asked a stupid question but the answer I got was one I'd expect had I been a total pita for half an hour...not 30 seconds into the conversation) I was pretty ticked at IBM. This was 5:30pm. By 9am the next morning, the cord was on my doorstep. All of a sudden, I was all love and hearts* for IBM. I think little things like that make a big difference in how people feel about companies. Just look at the number of people waiting to maul UPS because they are 20 minutes late with their package.
*Well, as love and hearts as an mk can be.
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:35:07 PM · #8 |
My love and hearts go out to AcraTech who completely replaced my ultimate ballhead, with a newer model, when one of the adjustment knobs fell out after 2 years of abuse, bouncing of rocks and soaking in nasty water.
I asked them to repair it, they replaced it without question and paid the postage.
|
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:35:18 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by mk:
in retrospect, I asked a stupid question ... |
???!?!?!!??!?! |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:37:38 PM · #10 |
Well, I'm not sure if they are nuts, but they sure are psychic! I browse their website, without buying anything, and the next day or the day after I get one of their big-arse catalogs in the mail.
This has been a consistent practice, and I'm convinced its more than a coincidence - they must do some REALLY good website traffic analysis, checking for past customers' cookies, etc.
Considering the amount of money that gets funneled to them every day, I think they can afford to burn $30 to keep you as a customer :D |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:39:55 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by Gordon:
... I asked them to repair it, they replaced it without question and paid the postage. |
I love stories like that! :D
You mentioned Dell and overnight surprise...same thing for me the other day with an order for PC memory. Expected not to see the package for at least 4 or 5 days and it showed up overnight. Way cool!
Now, if B&H does the same (ordered a Sigma flash last night) I'll be real happy. :P |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 02:54:50 PM · #12 |
| I got fast shipping like that from Canon once; hard to believe. It was a repair I had to pay for ... LCD replacement on a SD300 point and shoot. They confirmed with me before going ahead and making the expense ... $92 shipping included as I recall. They said they were aobut 15 days behind at that point in time. I got the camera two days later. @owsa. |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 09:03:30 PM · #13 |
I once worked for a small company that got bought by a giant. Found out that Fedex (or whoever they used) rates dropped to about 1/4 of what they had been, and overnight was about $0.30 more than second day.
B&H did the same thing for me when I bought a 5D. The swatches came from a different warehouse. They may have paid a couple of bucks more in shipping, but what is the word-of-mouth advertising they got out of it worth?
IMO, sending the swatches separately is just a side-effect of their business practices. I've found that they do try and make their customers happy. They're a great company to do business with!
Message edited by author 2006-12-12 21:05:25. |
|
|
|
12/12/2006 10:27:12 PM · #14 |
Originally posted by mk:
*Well, as love and hearts as an mk can be. |
mk, it is so great to have you back! |
|
|
|
12/13/2006 12:09:07 AM · #15 |
B&H is so good. I've ordered from Adorama twice - the first time I didn't really need anything I ordered, so naturally it got here 2 days before I was expecting it. The second time I ordered on a Saturday... they shipped it out on that Wednesday, and I got it the next Monday. Of course it had a lens for one camera which I had no lens for, and a battery for the other camera with a dead battery which didn't function at all without one.
B&H is almost always fast, so if I get all my stuff there I guess their fast shipping way more than paid off. |
|
|
|
12/13/2006 12:22:42 AM · #16 |
| I've been doing a lot of my holiday shopping on Amazon. I signed up for a free month of their "Prime" membership where 2 day shipping is free. I've saved a TON on shipping alone and got the stuff 2 days later. I've bought cheap stuff that otherwise I wouldn't bother with shipping costs and all, and you don't have to ship all at once either. Overnite is only an extra $3.99 too if needed. |
|
|
|
12/13/2006 06:30:43 AM · #17 |
| I almost always use Amazon's free super saver delivery option. Has always got to me within 2 or 3 days which I think is very good considering I didn't pay anything! |
|
|
|
12/13/2006 07:10:10 AM · #18 |
Yup … me too. Amazon and B+H for me.
It's always nice to hear a story about good service from a place that I like to shop (B+H).
I have a friend that works a tight mangement job at UPS and he's tried to describe how the system works - it's pretty incredible. My brain is too scattered to understand, really.
Originally posted by pix-al:
I almost always use Amazon's free super saver delivery option. Has always got to me within 2 or 3 days which I think is very good considering I didn't pay anything! |
|
|
|
|
12/18/2006 11:39:13 AM · #19 |
Gordon:
Glad you're so satisfied. All the best.
|
|
|
|
12/18/2006 12:33:32 PM · #20 |
Originally posted by henryp:
Gordon:
Glad you're so satisfied. All the best. |
Never had any complaints ;) Thanks.
|
|
Home -
Challenges -
Community -
League -
Photos -
Cameras -
Lenses -
Learn -
Prints! -
Help -
Terms of Use -
Privacy -
Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/18/2024 01:35:14 PM EDT.
