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Author Topic: Great Service from Steven Sauve  (Read 7267 times)

Robert Spoecker

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Great Service from Steven Sauve
« on: October 30, 2006, 03:32:17 pm »

Hello all,

I have been reading complaints about the slow delivery of the LLVJ ad nauseam.

My copy of Issue 15 came about two weeks ago to Southern California and much to my surprise another copy came in the mail today. I emailed Mr. Steven Sauve about this and in less than 20 minutes he responded with

"There has been a glitch in the system which caused some renewals too overlap their original subscriptions.

I'll take care of it for you. Please keep the extra copy of 15 and give
it to someone who might enjoy it. Christmas isn't far away!"

I have seldom received a response so quickly and useful from anyone.

Write the Canadian or US postal service with this issue.

Before I retired I was also blamed by the customer when an employee under me screwed up, so I can understand, but give the LL guys a break, they do not work for the postal service. They are victims also.    

Robert
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2006, 06:28:52 pm »

You are absolutely right, Robert. That's why all of my comments about slow delivery of the LLVJ have been aimed at the U.S. Postal "Service." My issue 15 was shipped almost three weeks ago and isn't here yet, but I haven't written to Steve Sauve yet because I'm willing to wait a while yet to see if the USPS can get it to me.

I have had other bad experiences with "first class" mail from Canada to the U.S. in the past, taking as much as six weeks to get to Boston from Calgary. From all I hear, the mess-up is all in the U.S. I figure my DVD could be anywhere. I typically get every week, on average, at least one piece of mail that is not for my address at all.

If I can find the U.P.S. option for my next rebewal, I will definitely pay the extra $5 per issue to get it sooner.

I have only the highest praise for Michael, Chris, Steve, and the rest of the gang for their high-quality producy and service.

Eric
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boku

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« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2006, 06:44:44 pm »

Quote
Hello all,

I have been reading complaints about the slow delivery of the LLVJ ad nauseam.

My copy of Issue 15 came about two weeks ago to Southern California and much to my surprise another copy came in the mail today. I emailed Mr. Steven Sauve about this and in less than 20 minutes he responded with

"There has been a glitch in the system which caused some renewals too overlap their original subscriptions.

I'll take care of it for you. Please keep the extra copy of 15 and give
it to someone who might enjoy it. Christmas isn't far away!"

I have seldom received a response so quickly and useful from anyone.

Write the Canadian or US postal service with this issue.

Before I retired I was also blamed by the customer when an employee under me screwed up, so I can understand, but give the LL guys a break, they do not work for the postal service. They are victims also.     

Robert
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=82938\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yes - I understand your situation exactly becuase the same thing just happened to me - 2 copies in the mail today. So I need to get hold of Steven Suave to extend my subscription. I knew when I renewed that I had time left on my subscription, but they suggested it expired since I was not notified of shipment. SNAFU in the office for several of us, no?

Now, with regard to the USPS - like I stated elsewhere here, I regularly get letters and parcels delivered from Canada via USPS in a few days, not weeks. So do several other subscribers. I rest my case.

Please understand, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the entire LLVJ team. I value the product and want to subscribe forever. But - this sounds like a problem that needs attention and analysis. The USPS (or even Canada mail) is not isolating LLVJ for bad service - time to get to the root cause.
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Bob Kulon

Oh, one more thing...[b

Christopher Sanderson

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« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2006, 09:25:20 am »

Quote
...time to get to the root cause.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=82973\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
We are looking Bob, believe me we are looking. And also looking at alternatives . . .

CS

boku

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« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2006, 10:48:40 am »

Quote
We are looking Bob, believe me we are looking. And also looking at alternatives . . .

CS
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83213\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I know - and I know how frustrating this can be - I deal with this sort of thing every day on software projects. Sometimes you can track down the cause, sometime you just have to figure out a workaround.

You folks do such a great job you owe it to yourselves not to have this rain on your parade.
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Bob Kulon

Oh, one more thing...[b

camilla

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« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2006, 10:34:06 pm »

hi
I totally agree on everything said about the product and the great efforts by all the team members at this site but.. I have to say (for the first time) that it does not make much sense to me... all of the work, advertising, pushing the Video Journal on this site and elsewhere and.. you don't use the right shipping options available to anyone around the world nowadays!

 It really seems to me that all the subscribers (including me) have been very understanding, patient and caring about the difficulties. Now, if the Video Journal is so essential to the life of this site why is the shipping issue not as yet resolved? Why is is not the very first priority, before all the technical articles and the workshops and everything else. The Video Journal is the thread that keeps everyone together, looking forward to our next "lesson" and visual workshop and everything else that is offered to us and that we absorb with such enthusiasm and...always wanting more, the next issue, the faster the better.

Please accept these words in a constructive way because I am not being negative at all. It just so happens that I have been in the shipping/courier business since 1967 and my only, first and only responsibility on a daily basis was keeping my customers happy with my service.
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Christopher Sanderson

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« Reply #6 on: November 02, 2006, 02:20:50 pm »

Quote
... you don't use the right shipping options available to anyone around the world nowadays!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=83323\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Thanks for your input Camilla.

What do you believe to be the right shipping options?

Chris S

camilla

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« Reply #7 on: November 03, 2006, 01:52:33 am »

Chris:
Thanks for the reply to my comments.

I would first of all study which areas (of the world) are the ones with greater difficulties and actually, to be precise,  often repeated difficulties. I personally have had the delivery problem several times and only complained last time and you sent me a new copy of the Video Journal. Therefore we can assume that a lot of people who have not posted any comments have also suffered this problem and have just "lived" with it...

Once it is determined that the US and/ or certain areas or other countries are the ones most affected in the past, it would be appropriate to request quotations by the most efficient companies such as Fedex, DHL (Former Airborne which used to be excellent)and UPS. Burlington North used to be great for deliveries between Canada and the USA and vice versa----during years and years and was also bought out I believe by DHL. I would also seriously study the option of sending a stack of Video Journals into the USA and having someone distribute it, probably using the USPS which works very well here. It's the easier of the options in my humble opinion.
 
The Postal shipping is obviously necessary for those who do not wish to pay an extra fee for faster service but it is and always has been an inexplicable and dismaying fiasco between the Canadian Post and the USPS.

Other delivery options or really one other option should be incorporated in the site as a choice for the purchaser. In order to facilitate the back office work, you can even specify that the shipping option chosen is applicable to all the issues until renewal.

It has been suggested on other threads here by several people, to offer a new shipping option, with an additional cost.  There does not seem to be much resistance to an extra cost: standard, two day shipping at that cost, next day or International,  whatever. This is almost standard procedure for online purchases, from the largest (Amazon etc) to the smallest supplier of photographic equipment.

I'm positive you guys have already studied most options and obviously there is a price to be paid for better service. If I may, I would say that you have preferred to stay away from extra administrative issues, accounting issues, shipping issues. It's understood that you have all worked very hard at making this site work! But, growth has its price and now that the Video Journal has become known extensively throughout the world, and the interest has grown, the work grows as well. It was evidently much easier to ship the Video Journal a year or two ago than it is now. However, by the same token... the hosting was changed and the servers were updated etc etc, and now...the shipping of the Video Journal needs a supreme face lift! I do wish to add though, that once you have settled into a better pattern of delivery, you will be much happier and have a less stressful time--having avoided the unbearable work tied to delivery investigations, re-shipping etc. That's why several people have commented that they received two copies instead of one and others (like me) have received none. It gets to be a huge mess which can easily get out of control. Reorganizing the shipping is going to be a huge endeavor but the results will simplify the lives of many...

Some people, as has been written in the links, are not interested in paying more to get the issue faster, and they are very happy or seemingly happy waiting for the package to arrive.  However, for most of us, it has come down to needing other options because the negativity involved in the whole "time" issue and "non arrival" comments on this website warrant it.

Just look for a moment at any site on eBay- and read the feedback comments- how many of the comments say that the merchandise is great, beautiful, better than expected-- but... that the delivery was terrible...that is part of the feedback system and somehow this site has its own threads where the issue of delivery has become almost a "chat room"!

It seems to me a tremendous pity to have such a trivial, although vital detail about the Video Journal delivery saga, put a black mark--- regularly or continuously---- on the record of the efforts of such a special crew of people.
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Christopher Sanderson

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« Reply #8 on: November 03, 2006, 02:06:48 pm »

Camilla - many thanks for your thoughtful and detailed reply! - and to everyone else for their contributions to this painful exercise.

I have put up a page on the site detailing our Shipping which is accessible through the "Video Journal" drop-down menu on the page headers. Or click here.

Honestly, the only area of the world to which we have difficulty delivering DVDs expeditiously is - the USA . . . and then only if it's the Mail and then (normally) only if it is a bulk mailing of a new issue. We have very few complaints at all from anywhere else . . .

We already offer FedEx Express or FedEx Ground (as of yesterday) to the USA, UPS & FedEx to Canada and FedEx to the Rest of the World.

The exception to additional shipping options is for products that are marked as free shipping which always go by Mail. Once we have worked through the back-office methodology, we hope to be able to offer either Free Shipping or a more costly method. The devil is in the details and they are still to be worked out.

Also as of today, all mail shipments to the USA will be going by an upgraded (and far costlier) Mail method: Canada Post International Air Packet. It seems clearer now that some of the delay in the delivery of LLVJ-15 to the US was caused by a recent change in service by Canada Post that affects the shipment of CDs and DVDs. So my apologies for the criticisms (overt and implied) about the USPS, it is likely that they were not to blame for the most recent delays.

I also sincerely apologise to those who have had to wait so long for LLVJ-15. Between now and LLVJ-16, there will be some major improvements made. In fact they have started and will continue over the next few weeks.

Chris S

BTW all _future_ subscriptions & renewals will have a choce of Mail or courier service - for all their issues. This is of no consolation to those who already have subsc. - but it's a start
« Last Edit: November 03, 2006, 09:14:04 pm by Chrissand »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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« Reply #9 on: November 03, 2006, 07:02:28 pm »

Sounds good, Chris. I suspect that a lot of us would rather have you spending more of your time filming new videos rather than trying to straighten out the mailing debacle.

Looking forward to #16 already!    

Eric
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camilla

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« Reply #10 on: November 03, 2006, 08:02:40 pm »

Chris:
Great thoughts and good solid changes in the works I see. Congratulations!

Hurrah also for my Video Journal which arrived today!

Things are looking up everywhere!
Enjoy your weekend guys!
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