Talk to me about shipping.

I personally don't care as much about speed as I do on the accuracy of the estimated delivery. I'd much rather be told it will be 5 days and it arrive in 4, than be told it will arrive in 3 days and it arrive in 4. In both scenarios the product arrived on day 4, but one I'm happier with than the other. It is simply psychological, but it really will leave you feeling different about the transaction.

Oh yeah, and don't tell me it's shipped just because a shipping label was printed. I just had an etsy artisan tell me my item shipped on the day she printed the label. It was 5 days later when it finally was in the hands of the post office. Argh!

I think all of that is automated in some of the shipping systems.

Then it should be un-automated. I at least understand the automatic email. But when the artisan herself says the item is shipped then we apparently have a different understanding of the word.

that probably can't be excused.

I think all of that is automated in some of the shipping systems.

Then it should be un-automated. I at least understand the automatic email. But when the artisan herself says the item is shipped then we apparently have a different understanding of the word.

that probably can't be excused.

That's why I print the label the night before I ship. They get the shipped email in the evening and the Post Office gets it in the morning. I agree it's poor form to print the labels days before shipment.

I agree that First Class is almost (or the same) as fast as Priority. With that I'd be happy with First Class with a lower price.

Hello,
My name is olschoolsteel.
I am a soap geek.
I am also a cheap-ass.

I have never once in my entire life paid more for quicker shipping. What I do look for (and have come to expect) from my purchases is care in shipping. Rest assured I have plenty of soap and will never, ever run out. Shaving a day or 3 earlier than standard shipping and wont affect my lifestyle at all. But when I get cracked, chipped, beat up products from a soaper, that upsets me a little.

I think QCS and Stirling are the only ones left that sell their product as a singular puck. (I am sure there are others, they just pop to mind right now) I can use a dented puck. A busted lid or tub, just ticks me off a little. A smilie face from Mrs. Bubbles or a handwritten response from Will lets me know my goodies were packaged with care.

USPS is a gov't agency that is going broke and moves at it's own speed regardless of how much money you give them.

Customs will slow the speed down for me anyway, and I have tons of product, so keep the shipping price down, if you can.

Whether I have to wait for a parcel for 4 days or 10 days does not matter to me the slightest.
I often have the parcel waiting at the post office for a week before I have time to get it anyway......

When I owned 3-4 shaving cream/soaps, speed was essential to me. Now I really don't care.
A soap is not oeverly exposed to heat in my part of the world anyway, so I couldn't care less. As long as you have a tracking number on the parcel, I'm just fine.

Example: I had two Epsilon brushes from Gifts & Care, that was sitting at the post office for 2 weeks and now has been shipped back to Spain, because I had so much stuff to get that 2 weeks, that I forgot about them, and since I never received a notice from the post office, I simply forgot to ask G&C for a tracking number

I often choose the cheaper option for shipping. I also have so much shaving stuff at this point that I'm not in any hurry. I've found that quite often first class is the same speed or faster than priority. Just my $0.02USD.

Sent from my LGL22C using Tapatalk

I voted for cost savings. If I need some bit of shaving gear immediately, I can go to the local drugstore and get it.

I have decided to implement the "standard" shipping as the cheap, first class option with the choice of whether you want to pay for Priority also an option.  

I didn't quite expect the poll to be the landslide victory that it was.  Very enlightening.  

...woulda made a crappy super bowl!  

Thank you all for your input!

I have decided to implement the "standard" shipping as the cheap, first class option with the choice of whether you want to pay for Priority also an option.  

I didn't quite expect the poll to be the landslide victory that it was.  Very enlightening.  

...woulda made a crappy super bowl!  

Thank you all for your input!

never hurts to get more opinions!

I think the primary point is to manage customer expectations and provide options. The most important thing, from a customer's perspective, is to get the orders out the door quickly. Let the customer decide how long they want it to be in transit by providing multiple shipping options. If they see that something has left the vendor and was accepted by the shipper, and then it's late, they blame the shipper not the vendor. On the other hand, if they receive a shipping notice, but the package doesn't get into the shipper's possession for 3 days, then they blame the vendor not the shipper. That happens a lot more often than one would think. In the case where it's the shippers fault, no problem. If it's the vendor's fault, there's a good chance they won't be as likely to order from that vendor again.