I have been spoiled I tell ya'!

Did someone say shame? I will supply the Shame Nun. Then we can escort them through town.

[Image: l41lP9PkGs7yhg9s4.gif]


In all actuality;
I do remember those that hand write me notes, to include Mrs. Bubbles (always with a smiley face Will, and sometimes Maggards.
Do I expect it? No.
Does it personalize the sale? Yes.
Is it more personal that a drop-shipment, no-reply, no return, gotch-ya sales like Shaveabuck? Oh hell yea.


But something I have always wondered. And this is a shameLESS question. Where is the specific line that delineates fanboy from favorite vendor/artisan of choice? Is it the number of times you mention them on a forum or is having a home-made avatar suffice? I'm looking for that red line mentioned in the UN meeting.

A "fanboy" is someone that likes a particular vendor enough to speak positively about themdespite the intentions of othet people to try and persuade people to not buy their products...

I have only been called a fanboy regarding a single vendor line, which is ironic because Ive only ever purchase one soap and one splash from said vendor. I merely do my best to set a broken record straight...

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wingdo

You came in late, Kevin had addressed the concerns, we even talked via PM and are all good. There had been plenty of discussion after my post, I was done but you quoted me...or I'd have been done too (as I told Kevin via PM).

It is MY opinion, nothing more, nothing less. I was just expressing my thoughts and opinions to add to the discussion.

Again, I stand by my posts and don't think I crossed any lines, broke any rules or personally attacked anyone?

As Kevin also said I'm done too....but if someone wants to challenge my comments, quotes me or asks me something, I will reply again if I feel necessary.

You haven't crossed any lines, I just disagree with your thoughts on this. Yeah, I did come in late, but my schedule doesn't allow me to spend as much time here as I would like. Also, I didn't know there was any conversation between you and Kevin offline. Not that it would have mattered.

I just found it odd that one would think Kevin saying he likes the personal touch from vendors would carry more weight than any other user posting the same post.

Does it personalize the sale? Yes.
Is it more personal that a drop-shipment, no-reply, no return, gotch-ya sales like Shaveabuck? Oh hell yea.

Congratulations, we have another shamed vendor we should avoid for lack of a smiley face...

"Mrs. Bubbles"... Now that made me chuckle... and to remember it months or years later? Marketing is a powerful tool.

And of course Kevin should express his opinion, however much extra weight it carries or how it might lead to groupthink among posters. How this might hurt great vendors that don't leave a smiley face or a sample leading people to buy more is simply a valid point to be considered. Dissenting opinion is nessesary on a forum whether some people appreciate alternate viewpoints or not.

Too often threads become an echo chamber for a prevailing viewpoint, and I hope others appreciate differing views, without getting emotional or storming out of the thread.

Does it personalize the sale? Yes.
Is it more personal that a drop-shipment, no-reply, no return, gotch-ya sales like Shaveabuck? Oh hell yea.

Congratulations, we have another shamed vendor we should avoid for lack of a smiley face...

"Mrs. Bubbles"... Now that made me chuckle... and to remember it months or years later? Marketing is a powerful tool.

And of course Kevin should express his opinion, however much extra weight it carries or how it might lead to groupthink among posters. How this might hurt great vendors that don't leave a smiley face or a sample leading people to buy more is simply a valid point to be considered. Dissenting opinion is nessesary on a forum whether some people appreciate alternate viewpoints or not.

Too often threads become an echo chamber for a prevailing viewpoint, and I hope others appreciate differing views, without getting emotional or storming out of the thread.

how would Kevin saying that he appreciates getting a thank you note or something more personalized if the merchant has time lead to groupthink among posters whatsoever? that is bordering on the line of absurdity.

yes, the first & foremost expectation between a merchant and a customer is to get the order from point A to B in a prompt fashion, in one piece and in good working order. adding a nice little note or something as simple as writing thanks is like icing on the cake - it shows an appreciation for spending your hard-earned money with that specific merchant when there's a ton of them out there in 2016.

that's just my honest opinion, of course.

how would Kevin saying that he appreciates getting a thank you note or something more personalized if the merchant has time lead to groupthink among posters whatsoever?   that is bordering on the line of absurdity.  

yes, the first & foremost expectation between a merchant and a customer is to get the order from point A to B in a prompt fashion, in one piece and in good working order.  adding a nice little note or something as simple as writing thanks is like icing on the cake - it shows an appreciation for spending your hard-earned money with that specific merchant when there's a ton of them out there in 2016.

that's just my honest opinion, of course.

How would it lead to groupthink? Besides the fact that a lot of people find it difficult to disagree with a mod, just read the follow up posts to the OP, leading for calls to expose the "culprit" vendor that didn't provide hand written notes or samples in what was reminiscent of a witch hunt, or lynch mob. So yes, I do find this bordering on the "absurd", as you say.

And I agree with you, samples and notes are nice and appreciated, but it is also worthy to note the reasons for these practices from a pure marketing standpoint. Some are better at marketing than others, which tends to affect buying decisions (which has been testified to in this thread by other members), it just doesn't happen to be a factor in my purchasing decision.

That's a shame if someone can't have a disagreement with a mod because they don't want to upset someone with some forum power. Even the few of us on the mod team have disagreements with each other. We set up our environment here to be very relaxing, inviting and enjoyable.

That aside, merchants offering a nice personalized note or a simple thank you comment on an order sheet might be a marketing move, as you say, but so what? Businesses stick around from differentiating their business model from other similar companies.

Further, businesses stay in business because customers like the products & services they offer, whether it's something big or the small stuff, like a nice gesture.

That gesture might not matter to everyone, though there are certainly people out there that enjoy it a bit.

Well, not everybody is afraid to disagree with mods…

You guys, on the whole, do a great job here, and I personally love the philosophy behind the entire forum.

I don't necessarily disagree with the premise behind this thread either, as I find samples and notes to be a nice touch. It just happens to be useful to further the discussion, to point out that it should not be expected, is not necessary, and has marketing as an underlying purpose. No reason for anyone else to get upset over these things, just a little food for thought.

I think vendors/artisans that include a thank you note or samples are simply trying to make the inherently impersonal nature of the online transaction more personal. Compare it to the shopping experience you may have at a brick and mortar vendor. If its a small wet shaving shop you're sure to be greeted pleasantly, maybe engage in a little discussion and you will probably get a pleasant version of "thank you come again". Done properly you will walk away with a good feeling and a parcel with some purchases and probably will come back. If on the other hand you were given basic service, i.e., show me this show me that with one word answers and no pleasantries at any time, you likely won't have the same warm feelings. Yes this is basic marketing so whats wrong with online vendors trying to accomplish the same thing? The surprising thing is that they don't all do it. Its just makes sense that if you can easily generated good feelings associated with your brand, why not do it?

Some guys a few years ago were getting hand drawn pics on their boxes and invoices from WCS.  They were even personalizing them and taking requests. They were pics related to the items orders (badgers, boars, shaving, big sports games they knew the buyers were going to watch, shaving etc)

There is an entire thread on it on B&B, these pics are all from it, none are mine.

Now that is the extra mile I have never seen or heard of before from a vendor with regards to a "thank you" or personalize message and better then any $0.10 sample. One of the coolest things I have seen from ANY merchant, shaving or otherwise.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread....-Their-Art

Those pictures are awesome, especially the badger warning pic.