Websites and minimum order for carriage paid

[Chalked]

We don't plan a "big launch" campaign. The next step will be to open up the mailing list to all our existing customers, but probably in batches, so that we can manage demand and fulfilment. After that, we will probably just rely mostly on word of mouth, this forum sponsoship, and by adding references to the ecommerce site in our existing marketing channels (for instance in the Gassafe mag). Tony, our telemarketer, now asks permission to add people to the mailing list when he talks to them.

We aren't a "get rich quick" outfit, and I am happy to spend years building it up steadily, so long as we keep the service and value up.

The offers are sometimes underwritten by us, and sometimes by the manufacturer. Until I can accurately gauge demand, I wanted to keep it small - but as we get a better feel for it, we will be able to negotiate larger deals with the manufacturers.

The limit per customer will remain, because I want this to be for genuine customers, not chancers who just buy off our deals and then put them on ebay, undercutting proper tradesmen trying to make a margin on materials.

you really talk some sense there mate.

 

[Killy Bing]

Ray could you do it as a perk too, if your account clears 5k a month or something then you get it for the next month?

Minimum order of £10 is reasonable i think, minus a few copper fittings (which would be taking the p!ss) its easy to pop over that.

 

[Nostrum]

If your clearing 5k a month are you really going to be bothered about £4?

 

[Killy Bing]

If your clearing 5k a month are you really going to be bothered about £4?

depends, the perks are there if you want to use it then
incentive

 

[Ray Stafford]

If your clearing 5k a month are you really going to be bothered about £4?

Its a funny old world, and people get bugged by the oddest things.

Since we launched the beta test of the website, we have taken 122 orders. Of these, more than 100 are miles over the carriage paid limit, so it clearly isn't having any effect. However, there are only 2 of the 122 where the purchaser has opted to pay carriage, and about 16 or 17 that are just over the carriage paid limit.

There are also more than 20 abandoned carts with items totalling less than £50. There are only a handful of abandoned carts with order values over £100.

It was this that made me think that we needed to find a better solution that the blunt instrument of the £100 threshold.

 

[Roger Welton]

Although you are probably making as much as you are losing as folk bump up there spend to clear the £100 threshold.

 

[Simon F]

What would work better for me for the odd order is to have a lower threshold.
BES postage is £4-95 plus vat
or spend over £40 before vat, so £48-00 free post.

I do regularly put an order in for £50/60
if your threshold was £50 that could make the difference.

 

[mjt]

I find that if ordering to be delivered to my home other than to site I am reticent because I'm
Not home to collect and have the hassle of arranging pick up etc so therefore revert to merchants who are local which is a shame as it deflects from the cheaper prices

 

[Nostrum]

Does that mean you have seen my abandoned shopping cart with 1 8 pence washer in it?

i couldn't justify the carriage cost.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Does that mean you have seen my abandoned shopping cart with 1 8 pence washer in it?

Nope, your discarded cart has the rubber gimp suit with the standard cod-piece. You left it there after trading down to the rubber gimp suit with the small cod-piece.

 

[Ermintrude]

The drop boxes are very good as is my local bumbcenter get all sorts dropped off there, from ladders to phones. Just be nice to the lads! I even get parts delivered ( in marked TNT bags)

 

[Nostrum]

Nope, your discarded cart has the rubber gimp suit with the standard cod-piece. You left it there after trading down to the rubber gimp suit with the small cod-piece.

Yes, talking of which I need to return that order in exchange for the X Small size.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Yes, talking of which I need to return that order in exchange for the X Small size.

I just hope it doesn't have the same sort of stains as the last order you tried to return.

 

[kay-jay]

Yes, talking of which I need to return that order in exchange for the X Small size.

Williams sell condoms?

 

[Ray Stafford]

Williams sell condoms?

We don't sell them. We give them to carefully selected customers as part of our corporate social responsibility programme. To stop the undesirables from breeding.

Did yours turn up ok?

 

[Nostrum]

I just hope it doesn't have the same sort of stains as the last order you tried to return.

Well it wasn't quite what I was expecting when I ordered a 2" bush, and neither were the cock washers.

 

[kay-jay]

We don't sell them. We give them to carefully selected customers as part of our corporate social responsibility programme. To stop the undesirables from breeding.

Did yours turn up ok?

Yes thanks. I ordered them as a gift for croppies birthday.

 

[Ermintrude]

He wasn't really born, so can't have a birthday. You could have a going online day? Back in 1995 June 11th 1.34pm Dr dan "Frankenstein" flicked the switch. And modularis croppitus was on line. By 2pm he had banned and shamed thousands!

 

[Dotty]

He wasn't really born, so can't have a birthday. You could have a going online day? Back in 1995 June 11th 1.34pm Dr dan "Frankenstein" flicked the switch. And modularis croppitus was on line. By 2pm he had banned and shamed thousands!

If that hadn't made me snigger the way it did.........

 

[REDSAW]

i might be more tempted in paying 5% more on the goods and get free postage (the %5 passed on to customer)!!