About Shipping Times, Closing Customer Accounts, Limiting Products and Specials to Certain Customers
I want to start with saying that I care so much about this business and the customers. I want to bring integrity and honesty to a business that isn't viewed this way. I want orders to ship fast. I want prices to be fair and low. I want customers to be happy.
I know customers think a business will do anything to get more business and new customers, they are wrong. We don't really want new customers. There is no discount for being a new customer. If you cause a lot of problems, we will cancel your order and your account. We have no tolerance for problems with new customers. We have customers already. You can't come into their website and take from their service, by being unreasonable or asking for special treatment. I welcome new customers, but you have to treat the existing customers with respect.
The biggest frustration from customers is that they feel like they don't get talked to honestly. Honesty means being direct. Not just telling the truth. Sharing information so customers understand your business.
Here is our new business model. We no longer have any employees and we are not going to have any employees. Because I sell Adult Products I have decided I cannot risk the "employee/content creator" of today's world. I am not going to have my personal business and your personal business on Tik Tok with someone trying to turn this business into a Tik Tok scandal. We are not doing anything wrong, but I see video after video about a business with baseless accusations for content creation. I'm not doing it. I haven't had employees for a while so its not a big deal. Anyone I know and trust has their own career now and unless their kids want to work here, strangers are not an option.
I work 7 days a week, 16 hours a day. I don't take off holidays or go on vacation. That has to change. I need to take a day off once in a while. I have to start going to bed before 2am. I know everyone wants their DVDs as soon as possible and this is not about excuses. I am not pretending we are a giant operation with fake warehouse photos of guys in hardhats and supermodels with headsets that are customer service. We don't even take phone calls.
Things we have done:
We have eliminated the gay section. Its 20% of our customers and business. Gone. Deleted. It was something I could eliminate that in some ways should have its own website. We have eliminated many customer accounts. People that order once a year and spend $25 but create a lot of issues on each order have been cancelled. They are gone and their account is closed. They are on a list to come back, but its not likely. Nobody is getting their account back once its closed because the volume of our existing customers keeps increasing. If it decreases I can activate old accounts.
Reducing the Number of Items By Inventory Count:
In the past we offer items that we restock until we sell out. We are now only offering items that we have 2 or more of. When we get to 1, we will restock and if we get more we will offer it again. This is going to reduce the number of items that we sell, but it will almost eliminate items being out of stock, because 99% of items that are sold and we don't have it, are items that have 1 in stock because that is when you are going to learn that the count is off.
Specials:
I can't offer all the specials to all the customers. Our preferred customer group gets first look at all specials. Everyone had a chance to join this group for free and if you didn't then that was your choice. If you want to join now its $100.
So unfortunately a smaller amount of customers will get access to the better deals. I don't have any other way to do it.
Controlling Order Volume
I only have a few ways to control volume
- Limit Customers
- Cancel Customer Accounts.
- Remove products
- Raise Prices
Here is the problem. Customers are losing their accounts because they want to argue about 2 days of processing time. Then they beg to come back. I am trying to warn people. I want you to shop here, but this is not Amazon. This is a very specialized business and there are only about 10 experts that are still alive. Customers stay here because they know they will always be safe. That I will always protect their privacy and their personal information. I suggest you try other websites. You may find they are better. We don't want anyone here that isn't happy.
Let me give a comparison. I collect baseball cards. There is a company that grades them called PSA. Then encapsulate the card, grade it and send it back to you. It used to cost $5 and they would have it back to you in 7 days. Now it costs $40 and........brace yourself it takes 7 months to get it back. Sure there are other places that charge less and turn around faster. But they are not trusted like PSA. I'm not saying we will take 7 months one day, but I'm saying things change. Its not 2005. The business is more complicated and I am doing so many things behind the scenes to make sure your products are described accurately and that they are authentic. Other guys are intentionally selling remakes as originals. I am spending the time to make sure that never happens.
But I do really care and I do really try to get the orders out as fast as possible, I just need to be completely honest with customers.