Guess what I have, and a Tale of Two Customer Services

I have the Abinaoms that Robin posted about a few weeks back.

Got bottles of the Desejo and Corazon and samples of the Beleza and Cobice. Those will be getting some reviewage next week. Price point on them is a skosh high, a little over 100 for 50 ml.

But in the interim, I have a Tale of Two Customer Services. I really like both of these shops and the people that run them and work in them. One I’ve done business with for a while and one is new to me as far as ordering, but I have heard good things about.

First, Luscious Cargo. I’ve had really great experiences there and some less than great, but not horrible. Always nice, always helpful, but sometimes the nonresponsiveness once you place an order is just insane. You call after more than a week has gone by with no shipping notice and are told it will ship out that day or the next, and call again several days later, just to be told it will ship out today. It makes me crazy. I don’t care if someone tells me it will take them two weeks to get around to my order, but I expect them to pretty much get around to it on the time frame they set. Promises that can’t be met make customers unhappy. It is a great thing to be super-nice and helpful, but any company has to deliver on that in the end, or all the niceness and helpfulness in the world won’t make up for lack of follow-through. I know Luscious puts together beautiful packages, they do an awesome job in presentation and making you feel special in opening that box.

Then there is La Creme Beauty. Now, don’t be limited by her website, she’s got tons more stuff in the shop, like Abinoam and Serge Lutens export. I need to make a trip to Seattle just to see everything. (Road Trip, Miss Laurie!!!) Called on Monday to order, wound up yakking for an hour or so with Autumn. Checked on order on Wednesday, wound up on phone better part of day again with Autumn, who is just a joy and very knowledgeable and corrects my horrific French pronunciations so gently (I must really hurt people’s ears with my Kansas via Kentucky twang). Package goes out Wednesday and is here today, and is a beautiful presentation, a joy to open and made me feel so special. And that D.L. & Company candle is worth every damn penny.

Now, given those two experiences, when I have a choice where I can order, where would I go? See, that’s easy now, and it wasn’t before — all things being equal on beautiful presentations, really nice and helpful owners and personnel, I would have split my patronage, wanting to give business to two great shops.