03-13-2012, 09:23 PM
OK, so here's my mini rant.
I've been e-mailing back and forth with Phil for most of this month ordering some items from him, getting opinions on other things, having him talk me out of items as he personally does not like the way this cream lathers etc., having him reply back with helpful answers to what he probably thought were stupid questions.
On the plus side for Phil, it did result in my currently waiting on almost $500 worth of items (see the what are you not patiently waiting for thread), as well as another almost $100 order which already arrived this month. Yes, my AD was high this month, but it did not need to be, Phil made it all happen with his time, caring, HONESTY regarding some items, etc.
So what is my rant?
WHY THE HECK CAN'T OTHER WEB BASED (or even brick and mortar) RETAILERS BE LIKE THIS????? Has the day finally arrived when retailers no longer care about their customers needs??? I won't mention any names (one is an advertiser on the portal page here) from whom I cannot even get an e-mail reply.
I've been e-mailing back and forth with Phil for most of this month ordering some items from him, getting opinions on other things, having him talk me out of items as he personally does not like the way this cream lathers etc., having him reply back with helpful answers to what he probably thought were stupid questions.
On the plus side for Phil, it did result in my currently waiting on almost $500 worth of items (see the what are you not patiently waiting for thread), as well as another almost $100 order which already arrived this month. Yes, my AD was high this month, but it did not need to be, Phil made it all happen with his time, caring, HONESTY regarding some items, etc.
So what is my rant?
WHY THE HECK CAN'T OTHER WEB BASED (or even brick and mortar) RETAILERS BE LIKE THIS????? Has the day finally arrived when retailers no longer care about their customers needs??? I won't mention any names (one is an advertiser on the portal page here) from whom I cannot even get an e-mail reply.
03-14-2012, 06:38 AM
Yeah, Phil is horrible!! 
He's spoiled us all!!
Since the first time I bought something off him, I've raised my standards for vendors so high that I can only do business with a couple of people anymore.
I'd put in a good word for Jarrod at "The Superior Shave" - he's known as the best coticule vendor, but he does sell other stuff too.
There are other great vendors I've worked with in the US and Canada, but Phil and Jarrod really stand out as the shining examples of what a vendor should be like.
He's spoiled us all!!Since the first time I bought something off him, I've raised my standards for vendors so high that I can only do business with a couple of people anymore.
I'd put in a good word for Jarrod at "The Superior Shave" - he's known as the best coticule vendor, but he does sell other stuff too.
There are other great vendors I've worked with in the US and Canada, but Phil and Jarrod really stand out as the shining examples of what a vendor should be like.
03-14-2012, 10:10 AM
Several proto hominids lie sleeping on a rock formation. A loud buzzing is heard and they wake
chattering to a black monolith with alien writing on it- in Victorian flourishes that will later be known as Taylor's Of Old Bond Street. The lesser ape men begin jumping around, screaming and trying to remove body hair with animal bones.Their descendants will come to be known as Proctor and Gamble.
One male quietly picks up a core of volcanic rock and begins banging it on another rock. he produces a bifacial flake and dips his opposing thumb in the remains of a sheep.
His descendants will go on to quietly rule the world and advance civilization.
Meanwhile, the mother ship flies back to the west coast and vanishes beneath the water off Redondo beach.
Forum rule number 2.
2. Please do not make posts that are vulgar, obscene, sexually-orientated...
Posting a smiley face doesn't make your innuendo ok, it makes it innuendo.
-Sully
chattering to a black monolith with alien writing on it- in Victorian flourishes that will later be known as Taylor's Of Old Bond Street. The lesser ape men begin jumping around, screaming and trying to remove body hair with animal bones.Their descendants will come to be known as Proctor and Gamble.
One male quietly picks up a core of volcanic rock and begins banging it on another rock. he produces a bifacial flake and dips his opposing thumb in the remains of a sheep.
His descendants will go on to quietly rule the world and advance civilization.
Meanwhile, the mother ship flies back to the west coast and vanishes beneath the water off Redondo beach.
Forum rule number 2.
2. Please do not make posts that are vulgar, obscene, sexually-orientated...
Posting a smiley face doesn't make your innuendo ok, it makes it innuendo.
-Sully
03-14-2012, 10:56 AM
(03-14-2012, 10:10 AM)kav Wrote: Several proto hominids lie sleeping on a rock formation. A loud buzzing is heard and they wake
chattering to a black monolith with alien writing on it- in Victorian flourishes that will later be known as Taylor's Of Old Bond Street. The lesser ape men begin jumping around, screaming and trying to remove body hair with animal bones.Their descendants will come to be known as Proctor and Gamble.
One male quietly picks up a core of volcanic rock and begins banging it on another rock. he produces a bifacial flake and dips his opposing thumb in the remains of a sheep. He smears it on his face and shaves.
His descendants will go on to quietly rule the world and advance civilization.
Meanwhile, the mother ship flies back to the west coast and vanishes beneath the water off Redondo beach.
03-14-2012, 05:17 PM
Yes, Phil is a entrepreneur who has spoiled us with fantastic customer service. He obviously has a strong work ethic but I believe the main factor in his success stems from the fact that he is willing to make each transaction as personal as possible in this virtual marketplace. In another time, he could have been the owner of the general store that customers would visit to make purchases and just as often they would visit to just spend time with one another because they were made to feel welcome.
03-30-2012, 01:42 PM
Phil is a business model of what it takes to get me out of stores and into the easy chair for shopping. It's like having a personal shopper with a WikiShave brain and a pipeline to my mailbox. Honestly, it's that kind of service I find lacking in the real world these days. Take BestBuy for example. Ever ask a sales associate for some assistance? Assuming you can find one, they're often disinterested in helping and rarely knowledgeable about what they're actually selling. Maybe that's just the way retail is going forever, but I appreciate being able to discuss experience based details with guys like Phil...even if I drive him bananas sometimes 
03-30-2012, 06:11 PM
(03-13-2012, 09:23 PM)wingdo Wrote: WHY THE HECK CAN'T OTHER WEB BASED (or even brick and mortar) RETAILERS BE LIKE THIS????? Has the day finally arrived when retailers no longer care about their customers needs??? I won't mention any names (one is an advertiser on the portal page here) from whom I cannot even get an e-mail reply.
Some of them are like that. In the retail marketplace, customer service, quality, price and selection are key elements in a successful retail operation. Those who know how to run a business, like Phil, are mindful of such things and generally prosper. Proprietors who are not attentive and motivated will see their business wither and die, or at least remain very limited in scope. Think of it as "survival of the fittest" applied to businesses, a sort of shaving Darwinism. This is not only true for wetshaving stores, but all retailers in a free market. Bad customer service, especially in the Internet Age, soon leads to disaster.
04-05-2012, 06:26 PM
Placed my first order today, and within an hour, I had a personal email from Phil, stating the order had been shipped, and when I could expect it. And this was not a large order -- Merkur 34c and small sample pack. So, not only does Phil cater to the large orders, but he takes the time even for small orders of less than $50. New lifelong customer here!!
04-07-2012, 11:04 PM
I'll never forget. A couple of months ago, Phil was selling a small batch of Fatip razors. I had been wanting one so I jumped on it. As soon as I clicked "Buy It", my door bell rang with the USPS man looking thru the peep hole.
It really freaked me out....like a Ouija Board or Rosie O'Donnell in a bikini.
It really freaked me out....like a Ouija Board or Rosie O'Donnell in a bikini.
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