Subject:
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Re: Anatomy of a Shop At Home group order
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.market.shopping
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Date:
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Wed, 10 Nov 2004 12:35:29 GMT
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Viewed:
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2020 times
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In lugnet.market.shopping, Scott Lyttle wrote:
> (snip)
>
> > > If on the other hand, after a fan did it, LEGO embraced it (via link or via
> > > taking the spreadsheet on to their site or whatever), why then, they could
> > > give a code and ask that people put it into their orders. Make the code
> > > worth something (multiple free trucks instead of just one per order, I
> > > don't know) so that people will use it, and then measure how many do.
> >
> > Yes. Agreed. Or, they could just set up the online form (large orders
> > broken out logically by individual buyers, but still placed as a single
> > order) and just see how it goes.
>
> The only problem I see there is there may be liability issues. Multiple names
> on a single order?
Multiple names on the online form, associated with the products each person
ordered. The payment and shipping of the overall order are still handled with
one name, one credit card. No change to the back end processing at all. This
is strictly a cosmetic thing I was thinking of. Something that would allow the
organizer to print out a list so that when several dozen pieces of product
arrive they would know who ordered what.
> Ok, how would someone at the company know who the main
> person is?
See above.
> Would one person be the "primary", and when placing the order, would
> have to enter each individual name into an order form.
That was my thought. Not very much work to enter just a name.
> What if a name is
> misspelled,
The names are being used only by the customer, to organize distribution to their
friends/co-workers. Spelling wouldn't matter.
> would multiple people have access to the order?
Nope. See above. One shipping address, one credit card, just like now.
> We're talking a lot
> of security here, especially if there's a credit card being bandied around on
> the order.
Don't they take credit card orders now? :)
> If the primary person's credit card was being used, and one of the
> secondarys accessed the order, and increased their individual order,
Nope... see above. But points for your persistence.
> What if a secondary doesn't pay the primary?
Tar and feathering.
> Who's
> liable for that money?
Good point. Perhaps the product could just be returned unopened, I'm not sure.
Of course the shame and guilt would keep too many people from pulling that
stunt. :)
> Best to keep the "multiple people ordering as a group"
> outside the realm of the existing ordering system. Doesn't hurt the company,
> doesn't hurt the individuals,
Not sure why this is the 'best' route, but I respect your opinion.
> and it certainly doesn't require the company to write any coding for just such an operation.
So the company should never write new code or update their website in an attempt
to bring in new sales? I guess they probably shouldn't have added those larger
pics and 3D views of product then. I thought those were added to bring in more
sales.
> Don't get me wrong--I understand the potential. However, I don't think it can
> work on a large scale. Probably best to keep it up on a fan-type website.
The potential new customers I was thinking of aren't fans. How will they know
about this website? These are just parents ordering LEGO for their kids. I'm
the exception in the group I order with.
> > I hope these ideas are being seen for what they are... just ideas. Just
> > things to think about. I'm not suggesting they make better sets, or fix the
> > colors, or reissue this classic set or that one. And on and on. I'm just
> > trying to offer my thoughts on a way to _possibly_ sell a bit more of the
> > product they already have. Not one of the parents who ordered with us was
> > ever heard to say, "well, that's it. I'm not ordering any more LEGO for my
> > kids because of the new gre...." You know how it ends. :)
> >
> > On the other hand we did have people ordering Advent calendars simply
> > because, "hey you're getting that for your kids? Is it fun? Alright then,
> > I'll order one too." That was the point of all this.
>
>
> Well, that's more word-of-mouth selling than anything else. When someone asks
> "is it fun", and you tell them "Oh, yeah, it's great fun!", you just promoted
> the company--that's one aspect of AFOL's that Lego has realized, and what Jake
> was talking about at BF when he said it was time to "awaken the sleepers", (and
> let AFOL word of mouth be a very effective marketing tool for the company)
See above. All of my ideas/discussions were centered around non-AFOLs.
> I think it's already being done a lot--you just don't see it unless your part of
> the group. I've seen people and AFOL's do the "combine orders to save on
> shipping" quite a bit already. One critical thing--something like this works
> best with people you know personally, which further demonstrates small scale
> works, but not large scale.
a) Saying that it demonstrates small scale works does not by default mean it
couldn't work on a large scale.
b) I guess I hadn't read much about people doing this over the last few years.
So... I thought I'd share our experience and a few ideas that occured to me as
we did our order. Based on all your concerns above though, I'm now wondering...
how do companies like Avon, Tupperware, Party Lights, Regal, Pamper Chef and so
on, all stay in business? If putting in one order (under ONE person's name, but
recorded by who ordered what) is so complicated and ripe for disaster, then why
do all those companies above participate in such craziness? Aren't they just
asking for trouble? ;)
If LEGO decides this is not the type of program they ever want to implement that
is most certainly their decision, not mine. I was just trying to offer them
(and any other adult fans/buyers) a bit of background into something that _did_
work. Not once, but several times and each time more successful than the last.
I hope you see that these are just ideas and not demands.
Best regards,
Allan B.
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: Anatomy of a Shop At Home group order
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| (...) Well, I really like this idea, I have put together a couple of multible orders in the past, as well as sending new customers to LEGO shop at home, and never even received a thank you from LEGO. all these people would never have considered (...) (20 years ago, 12-Nov-04, to lugnet.market.shopping)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: Anatomy of a Shop At Home group order
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| (snip) (...) The only problem I see there is there may be liability issues. Multiple names on a single order? Ok, how would someone at the company know who the main person is? Would one person be the "primary", and when placing the order, would have (...) (20 years ago, 9-Nov-04, to lugnet.market.shopping)
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