Shipping Update

[Koumori]

Things are proceeding very slowly, as it seems. My March 13 order too was marked shipped on April 1 by CCNow, and Beth told me it would ship April 3. I finally got a USPS email on April 15 saying that it had been scheduled for shipment on April 14, meaning that I'll get it within the next week. So. Certainly, I can survive a month+ wait, but I really wish that I had known it would take so long, because I would have placed a larger order!

Same here. I'm getting quite concerned myself, as my last order was placed mid-March and I haven't heard anything to indicate it has been shipped yet. And like an idiot, I accidentally erased my CCNow confirmation so I can't even see whether it's been "picked" yet. I don't want to bother Beth about it, but this is a much longer delay than I've ever encountered, and I'm nervous it may have gotten lost. I'm almost tempted to place another order, but...

[carolsag]

can someone who knows or talks to beth let her know all the problems we are having, maybe she can post updates when she gets a chance.

Edited April 16, 2004 by carolsag

[ebonykawai]

And like an idiot, I accidentally erased my CCNow confirmation so I can't even see whether it's been "picked" yet.

You can go to CCNow.com and find all your orders there. You will need to put in the credit card number you used and one other piece of info (like your email) and it will spit out all the orders you have with them.

 

Just FYI. I usually delete my emails too, so I was glad to find out you can still get the info off of CCNow!

[csj]

I ordered March 24 and I dont have my order yet so next week will be 30 days for my order. I have not gotten an email confirmation that the order was sent though CCNow says it was shipped on April 1 (must be April Fools, hahaha!). My credit card was charged on April 1 too. I had emailed directly on March 31 and was told there was a delay due to staff turn over.

Things are proceeding very slowly, as it seems. My March 13 order too was marked shipped on April 1 by CCNow, and Beth told me it would ship April 3. I finally got a USPS email on April 15 saying that it had been scheduled for shipment on April 14, meaning that I'll get it within the next week. So. Certainly, I can survive a month+ wait, but I really wish that I had known it would take so long, because I would have placed a larger order!

I am glad to hear I am not the only one, but concerned too. It is a shame, this was my first order and I probably wont order again unless they really do alter their ordering/shipping system. I know they are a small buisness and I support that, but it is frustrating to have the money taken from my account with no product showing up for so long.

Edited April 16, 2004 by csj

[carolsag]

will post later

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[friendthegirl]

TODAY NO BPAL! IN TWO DAYS IT WIL BE ONE MONTH FROM MY ORIGINAL ORDER03-19 .IT WAS SHIPPED ON 04-08, THEN USPS TOLD ME IT WAS SHIPPED ON 04-14  I REALLY DONT BELIEVE I WILL EVER GET MY ORDER. MAYBE SOMEONE WHO TALKS TO THE ELUSIVE BETH COULD LET THE PEO[PLE WHO HAVE BEEN WAITING ONE MONTH OR LONGER KNOW      WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT TO GET OUR ORDERS.P.S. USPS SAID MY 04-14 ORDER DIDNT EVEN SHIP YET. I DONT KNOW MAYBE ITS JUST ME BUT I DONT UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS. I  AM TOTALLY AT A LOSS AS TO  WHAT I SHOULD DO OR SAY ANYMORE.

Take a deep breath and calm down a little bit!

 

Did CCNow say that it shipped on 4-8? And did you get a USPS confirmation number that it shipped on 4-14? If so, then it's still only the 16th. If I understand it correctly, it might take just another day or two to get there.

 

Hope that helps!

[carolsag]

THANKS, just having a really bad day !!

[friendthegirl]

Oh, I completely understand, I'm pissed at the post office now, too, for other reasons.

 

I hope you get it tomorrow or Monday!

 

 

Best wishes!

[any_old_actress]

I'm also waiting for info on a missing Feb 7 order. I even emailed Beth saying that I didn't care if she just canceled it becuase the I think freebies I received in two other recent orders made up for the imps in that order, but I did ask her to let me know whether she planned to reship or not.

No word yet...

It is very frustrating to me, but I'm completely hooked on the oils, so i just keep my mouth shut and wait...

i'm glad i'm not the only one! everyone else is talking about orders they placed in mid march, what about us poor beginning of february orderers who are still waiting! that's patience!

[chin]

Erm... my outstanding order is, as far as I can tell, the oldest here - January 16. To be fair, though, I did not let Beth know right away that it was taking a long time - and I think the lab was hit by the flu shortly after I ordered. I also mailed Beth to let her know that I would not be upset if it took longer than normal.

 

So, given that I was late telling Beth that it was missing, and that I explicitly said I wouldn't mind waiting, I don't feel really awful that it's not here.... like everyone, I just am excited to try the imps I ordered (lots containing dragon's blood resin) and enjoy big bottles of the ones I had already tried and loved (Tamora and the Raven! Very excited ). I would like to know what the status of the order is... that's what I really want.

Edited April 16, 2004 by chin

[Morrighana]

For those of you eagerly awaiting orders, especially first time orderers, I would just like to offer some words of encouragement:

 

Be patient! It may sound silly, but your perfumes will arrive when the Universe deems it the right time for you to have them. Trust me, BPAL is worth it! It is hard, I know, but really, you will not be dissapointed in the end!

 

I waited just over a month for my order, which was my very first order with BPAL. It arrived yesterday, smelling wonderful. I am sitting here, in my basement, sniffing my wrists (BLOODLUST! Mmmm...) after every sentence I type. Yum.

 

For perfumes of this quality, I would be willing to wait two...three...six months, because my patience would be so well rewarded. Of course, I hope it doesn't come to that, but you wouldn't hear a peep of a complaint from me if it did.

Edited April 16, 2004 by Morrighana

[chin]

I agree morrighana! They are more than worth the wait So unique, so wonderful. I can't even tell you how much I've learned about my nose since I've discovered BPAL! Sometimes I think that [as a culture] we are so used to convenience and immediate gratification that when we don't get it we freak out a bit. I totally second your thoughts.

[with coffee spoons]

Sometimes I think that [as a culture] we are so used to convenience and immediate gratification that when we don't get it we freak out a bit.  I totally second your thoughts.

I don't think that it's the wait per se that has flustered some people-- it's just not having known to expect a month-long period before the product is even shipped out. Communication is the issue here--If we first timers had better known what to expect, I doubt that anyone would be the least bit perturbed. It's just that running to the mailbox for a few weeks on end tends to get people antsy.

 

This certainly isn't to fault Beth-- this is a small business on its way to success and certain growing pains are only natural. I don't think she expected word of mouth to travel so quickly, and thus didn't know that there would be such lengthy processing delays. And if she didn't know, there's just no way she could have told us ahead of time, that's all.

 

I think the time has come to get realistic, however. Although I am not at all in the loop, and can thus only speculate, it seems to me that BPAL is winning a larger and larger following--order levels don't seem likely to decrease any time soon. And in order to ensure that the business continues to expand, new customers need to know what to expect-- otherwise many will have unrealistic expectations that will be inevitably frustrated. This leads to an unfair perception that the customer service is lousy which in turn leads to negative word of mouth and a slowdown in the business's growth rate. None of which are desirable, since we all want the business to be so successful that Beth can quit her day job!

 

My suggestions for taming the beast:

 

1. In the next webpage update, give a somewhat pessimistic processing time frame. If you end up processing them more quickly, you look good. If you underestimate, you risk losing more customers than will likely be deterred by slight overestimation. Given the enthusiastic word of mouth that brings in new customers, a 2-3 week processing time shouldn't deter too many would be customers, but to diminish the negative vibes of a long waiting period, try to word it in such a way that the number seems less threatening. Use weeks or business days. And reiterate the handcrafted quality and your popularity in explanation for the lengthy processing.

 

2. Once an order has been placed, send an automated email detailing exactly how notification of shipping will occur. Since use of CCNOW is being discontinued, this should be much less complicated. Include a link to the forum with the explanation that processing updates will be posted there. This will serve a dual function-- it will give people something to count on (updates) but will also introduce them into the "family," increasing their sense of personal involvement and making them more likely to cut Beth and co. some slack.

 

3. Post weekly updates to the forum on a set day. Just the "orders through xx/xx have been completed and will be shipped within the next week" or something of that nature.

 

If clear expectations are set out from the get go, customers will be happier and Beth will have a hell of a lot less email to answer.

 

 

My $.02...

[carolsag]

as i have said many times before on this forum i woundnt mind waiting 2 months for my order,my only complaint,is when i am told that it is shipping on a certain date ,and it ends up being shipped at another time,i think most people would just like to have some sort of idea when to expect their order as they might have to go out of town, or maybe its a gift for someone,also a lot of people dont understand why their cr. card is charged 3 weeks before they recieve their order.p.s. i agree with coffee spoons!

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[chin]

Yeah, my comment was meant as a general comment on consumer culture - not directed at anyone here. I guess that's plain from my previous posts, but I thought I'd clarify in case.

[TygherRayn]

2. Once an order has been placed, send an automated email detailing exactly how notification of shipping will occur. Since use of CCNOW is being discontinued, this should be much less complicated. Include a link to the forum with the explanation that processing updates will be posted there. This will serve a dual function-- it will give people something to count on (updates) but will also introduce them into the "family," increasing their sense of personal involvement and making them more likely to cut Beth and co. some slack.

 

3. Post weekly updates to the forum on a set day. Just the "orders through xx/xx have been completed and will be shipped within the next week" or something of that nature.

 

While the above are both very good ideas, I think you need to realize that BPAL is, as I understand it, comprised of less than 10 people. I don't think there's a way for them to have an 'automated' email sent out. Creating such a process is more complicated than one might expect, since Beth doesn't do her own shipping. Emails -are- sent .. through USPS, when the orders are dropped off there or put through the system or whatever.

 

The same goes for updates. Beth works full time doing .. well, something. I'm not quite sure what yet. But that means this isn't her priority, as much as she'd probably like it to be. She can't always get a chance to post updates to the website .. a task that is just as daunting to the general public as creating an automated shipping database system. And she probably has hundreds of emails and PM's to go through every day .. would you rather her spend what time she has to devote to making her wonderful creations, or posting updates?

 

My own $0.02.

[Red_Hot_Mama]

 

I agree with coffee spoons. A great deal of the frustations for newbies can be reduced by correctly managing their expectations. If the delivery dates are a month out but the shipment comes in sooner than expected, that's great "service". I suspect most of the new people, me included, do not know exactly how small of a small business BPAL really is. I found out only very recently that Beth works a "Day job".

So we need to set expectations appropriately, communicate clearly, it would be great if the orders actually shipped when we're emailed that they've shipped.

 

We can also have a serious discussion with Beth about "drumming" up much needed investment capital.

 

She has an excellent product, a loyal client base...who wouldn't want to invest?

 

So much for my very tired 2 cents.

[with coffee spoons]

In response to TygherRayn's post

While the above are both very good ideas, I think you need to realize that BPAL is, as I understand it, comprised of less than 10 people.  I don't think there's a way for them to have an 'automated' email sent out.  Creating such a process is more complicated than one might expect, since Beth doesn't do her own shipping. Emails -are- sent .. through USPS, when the orders are dropped off there or put through the system or whatever.

 

 

I do realize that it's a small business-- my assumption is that one can rig an automatic response through PayPal. I'm no technological whiz kid, I'm pretty sure it's the case that regular ebay sellers can send automated message when a purchase is made. And I may just be on crack, but I think I've received automated messages from sellers after paying through PayPal. If I'm not just making this up, it wouldn't be that big of a deal to set one up, and it would cut back on the number of emails Beth receives from people who haven't read the FAQs on the shipping process. So long as the initial time investment isn't too extensive, it would end up saving time.

 

 

The same goes for updates. Beth works full time doing .. well, something. I'm not quite sure what yet.   But that means this isn't her priority, as much as she'd probably like it to be. She can't always get a chance to post updates to the website .. a task that is just as daunting to the general public as creating an automated shipping database system. And she probably has hundreds of emails and PM's to go through every day .. would you rather her spend what time she has to devote to making her wonderful creations, or posting updates?

 

My own $0.02.

 

Not the website!!!! I said a link to the forum in said hypothetical automatic email, and updates in the Announcements section of the forum. Again, this is a spend time to save time thing. Ten minutes a week tops to post an "Orders through xx/xx have been processed and will be shipped in x-ish days" in the announcements section is going to keep her inbox from being flooded with the "it's been two weeks! when am I gonna get my order!" type messages that she really doesn't have time to answer. I realize that Beth works like a crazy woman. She doesn't have time for such emails, and these can be largely averted through a system of this sort. The time commitment would be minimal, and she wouldn't have people distraught over the fact that she hasn't had time to answer their bazillion messages. As far as suggesting that the updates be regular, it's simply because people do much better when they know what to expect. Less panic, fewer emails to Beth. I definitely wasn't suggesting weekly updates to the website. It needs to be updated to let give people a more accurate idea of order processing time, but after that... Way too much work!

[carolsag]

i

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[carolsag]

nevermind

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[carolsag]

[cant get my computer to work tonight

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[carolsag]

[nevermind i had some bad news today and i am not feeling to good

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[carolsag]

[made a mistake excuse, i guess everyone is allowed to complain about shipping but me .so i will no longer say anthing anymore i have a lot of other things to do anyhow and i am only awake 5hrs a day anyhow [ my liver disease makes me very tired] i should be doing more constructive things with my time anyhow so as they say happy trails.

Edited April 17, 2004 by carolsag

[friendthegirl]

You have every right to complain if you're not happy! I don't see how anyone told you you couldn't! If you're referring to what I said, I was just trying to reassure you and let you know it should be coming soon, or I sure hope it is!

[any_old_actress]

Communication is the issue here

i think that's exactly it. i think we can all agree on one thing and that is that the product is worth waiting for - the problem lies in people not knowing where their order is and why it's been over one, two & three months and it's still not received. most of it is a mail thing that's totally out of beth's hands, so it makes it three times as hard to get it all under wraps.

 

carolsag: lots of people are in the same boat with you still waiting on their orders - take some time for yourself if you can, to relax or do whatever makes you feel good!!! - i hope you're feeling super duper in the next few days!

Edited April 17, 2004 by any_old_actress