Kudos to P&C

[woodsroad]

A recent thread here tipped me off to another P&C Cash offer, so I got an order in for several pounds of bulk and some Gawith Hoggarth Dark Plug. In addition to the $100 P&C cash, I got free shipping and a very nice surprise: My order went out USPS Priority. It shipped the same day. And it was packed better, in bigger boxes, with more squishy air pillows than I’ve ever seen them use before. So there you go. It may be anecdotal, but it’s my anecdote, and I’m happy.



One small box for plug, one giant box for mankind

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

A broken watch is right twice a day.

 

[woodsroad]

Well, I'd thought I'd just throw it down the well, see if anyone salutes.

 

[Peter Turbo]

I haven’t ever had an issue with Pipes and Cigars but I could fill my big ass in the ground swimming pool with the tears of forum members who continuously cry about how terrible they are.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've never had a problem with them either, but I really haven't made but a handful of orders from them since they left as a sponsor. I probably need to get some more Annie Cake soo though.

 

[nathaniel]

Ive almost exclusively ordered from P&C for 15 years. Only once from 4noggins and maybe thrice from smokingpipes. P&C has always given me great service. The only complaint i have is they've sent me 2 dud stems with 2 different MM cobbit dwarf pipes (both stems are pretty crooked i ordered the 2nd one because the first one was, and i still got a dud).

But seriously, aside from that theyve been nothibg but quality. Often throwing in a free surprise of an ounce of tobacco, a tool, cleaners, or a cob pipe that i only found out about upon opening tje package. THAT'S quality service if there ever was. They also ship very quickly.

And in all fairness, i bet they'd send me new cobs to replace the dud stems i got if I asked, but i live overseas so not worth it for me.

 

[Cloozoe]

I haven’t ever had an issue with Pipes and Cigars but I could fill my big ass in the ground swimming pool with the tears of forum members who continuously cry about how terrible they are.

I've ordered from them many, many times over a lot of years (only tobacco) and never had a problem.

For what it's worth, marketing studies have shown that an unhappy customer is twenty times as likely to publicly share his dissatisfaction than a happy customer is to announce his pleasure. As such I take whining with a grain or twenty of salt.

 

[woodsroad]

I've had some... difficulties... with P&C over the years, which I've mentioned here before ("whining" is such a judgemental word, and Lord knows I'm anything but judgemental), so I felt it only fair to post the good news. Clearly there have been some positive changes made at P&C, and they deserve to be noted.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

Knock on wood, I've only had 1 issue with P&C and the lady I spoke with went above and beyond helping me out. They had a special on Stanwell pipes and long story short, since it was a screw up on their part, they let me substitute the 1 pipe I couldn't get (as a part of their special) with 1 of the Stanwell PotY pipes, so I was pleasantly satisfied.

 

[El Capitán]

I've used them exclusively. I've never had a problem in over 2 years from them. They have great sales.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've placed hundreds and hundreds of orders for tobacco and tobacco related products. I've had 3 problems with P&C and they were a PITA to resolve. During that same period, I've had about the same amount of problems from my other main suppliers Smoking Pipes and Tobacco Pipes while placing many more orders with them vs P&C. They were always very easy to work with and promptly resolved the issue. I never had any problems with Watch City. If P&C has something I really, really want, I would order from them. No reason to otherwise when there are alternative sources that are similarly priced and are much better by comparison.

When you have a company that is so bad they have to be recognized when they finally do something right, that's not a good company. And BTW, 4 Noggins is so bad, they don't even deserve being mentioned.

 

[woodsroad]

When you have a company that is so bad they have to be recognized when they finally do something right, that's not a good company.

I didn't say that, and it's not why I posted it.
I've had dozens of positive experiences with P&C, and a few difficult ones. My reason for posting this relates directly to what @Cloozoe said above: People are far more likely to post about negative experiences than positive ones. So I'm just trying to be more realistic about what my real experience with P&C has actually been: overwhelmingly positive. Has P&C's service been anywhere as a good as SmokingPipes? No. And the negatives stick in my craw. All the more reason to recognize when they make a real effort to correct systemic problems.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

People are far more likely to post about negative experiences

People are also way more likely to exaggerate their negative experiences as well... and not let it go.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

I didn't say that, and it's not why I posted it.
I've had dozens of positive experiences with P&C, and a few difficult ones. My reason for posting this relates directly to what @Cloozoe said above: People are far more likely to post about negative experiences than positive ones. So I'm just trying to be more realistic about what my real experience with P&C has actually been: overwhelmingly positive. Has P&C's service been anywhere as a good as SmokingPipes? No. And the negatives stick in my craw. All the more reason to recognize when they make a real effort to correct systemic problems.

Which is why I felt the need to throw in my experience in as well...since hearing many WTF moments with P&C, and with the many times I've order from P&C, I've only had 1 issue with them and that 1 issue was rectified better than I hoped.

I fully agree that people are EAGER to post negative experiences at the drop of the hat, but have a positive experience and there is little effort made to praise a company for their service. It's a shit sandwich that most companies need to eat more often than not, so, in my case, I thought it was only fair to throw them some filet mignon.

 

[Cloozoe]

I'm curious: are the "bad experiences" alluded to errors that were rectified with courtesy and goodwill, errors that required threat of a lawsuit (metaphorically speaking) to get straightened out, or errors that they refused to acknowledge and make good on. I'm quite tolerant of the first kind assuming it doesn't happen all that frequently.

I had a client once, a doctor not surprisingly, where we fouled something up, apologized profusely, and moved heaven and earth to make it completely right the next day. While talking to him about it when he first informed me of the mistake he bellowed at me and described it as "the worst experience he ever had". All I could think was "well, pal, if that's the case you've led a charmed life".

 

[anotherbob]

I've placed hundreds and hundreds of orders for tobacco and tobacco related products. I've had 3 problems with P&C and they were a PITA to resolve. During that same period, I've had about the same amount of problems from my other main suppliers Smoking Pipes and Tobacco Pipes while placing many more orders with them vs P&C. They were always very easy to work with and promptly resolved the issue. I never had any problems with Watch City. If P&C has something I really, really want, I would order from them. No reason to otherwise when there are alternative sources that are similarly priced and are much better by comparison.

When you have a company that is so bad they have to be recognized when they finally do something right, that's not a good company. And BTW, 4 Noggins is so bad, they don't even deserve being mentioned.

^ this. Things will go wrong. It's how they're handled that makes the difference. It also shows in a very real way how much that company respects you as a customer. To not promptly fix issues is a sign to me that a company doesn't need my business or feels entitled to it.
Have had issues with every company I order from regularly. The good ones respond as promptly as possible (I can make allowances for very small companies or bigger companies hit with a ton of problems out of nowhere) and work to making a fix where everyone is satisfied.
And it is their job to retain customers and take reasonable steps to do so. And if they don't have the ability to do that, it is more then fair for people to whine about it.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I didn't say that, and it's not why I posted it.
I've had dozens of positive experiences with P&C, and a few difficult ones. My reason for posting this relates directly to what @Cloozoe said above: People are far more likely to post about negative experiences than positive ones. So I'm just trying to be more realistic about what my real experience with P&C has actually been: overwhelmingly positive. Has P&C's service been anywhere as a good as SmokingPipes? No. And the negatives stick in my craw. All the more reason to recognize when they make a real effort to correct systemic problems.

Understood and that is fair. As I said, if they have something I really, really want and can't get elsewhere, I'll buy from them. I've eventually always gotten what I ordered from them or a refund. It is the "eventually" where the problem existed for me. I would call and hold for 10 to 20 minutes to speak to someone. The people I talked to, at that time, seemed to be unable to figure things out or make a decision. Took longer than what seemed reasonable to have the problem resolved. And several years ago, their inventory system was horrible. They would show stuff in inventory, place order and then find out they didn't have it. Not horrible, evil problems but bad enough when you consider how flawless other vendors I mentioned operate.

 

[anotherbob]

Not horrible, evil problems but bad enough when you consider how flawless other vendors I mentioned operate.

Business is competitive and if you can't do what others can without doing something else they can't... Well you don't give your business a reason to exist in that field then.
Example a business can suck about service if their prices are insanely better then other businesses or they carry many things others don't or can't.
Side note with the issues they've had I wonder if the bonus tobacco isn't a bonus but instead misplaced product from other peoples orders.

 

[woodsroad]

Business is competitive and if you can't do what others can without doing something else they can't... Well you don't give your business a reason to exist in that field then.
Example a business can suck about service if their prices are insanely better then other businesses or they carry many things others don't or can't.
Side note with the issues they've had I wonder if the bonus tobacco isn't a bonus but instead misplaced product from other peoples orders.

I've said as much recently here. It is good to see P&C responding to such criticism in a very positive fashion. I owe it them (and any other online vendor) to be fair, and not only post about negative outcomes.

 

[Cloozoe]

^ this. Things will go wrong. It's how they're handled that makes the difference. It also shows in a very real way how much that company respects you as a customer. To not promptly fix issues is a sign to me that a company doesn't need my business or feels entitled to it.
Have had issues with every company I order from regularly. The good ones respond as promptly as possible (I can make allowances for very small companies or bigger companies hit with a ton of problems out of nowhere) and work to making a fix where everyone is satisfied.
And it is their job to retain customers and take reasonable steps to do so. And if they don't have the ability to do that, it is more then fair for people to whine about it.

All true, ab. But the devil is in the details.

"...take reasonable steps to do so".

Aye, there's the rub. If, for example, I order a pipe and it turns out it was out of stock, my idea of "reasonable steps", is to inform me promptly, apologize for the disappointment, and issue a refund promptly. If they throw in a credit or the like toward a future purchase, it's smart business and appreciated but not required.

Then there are folks whose idea of "reasonable steps" is to have the vendor contact the maker of said pipe, have him/them come up with or produce one that's exactly the same, overnight it to the vendor who will then overnight it to the customer and refund 50% of the purchase price to compensate for the traumatic experience of being denied instant gratification.

I could be wrong, but I suspect that some of the "terrible experiences" reported would generate no more than a shrug from me and other "reasonable" adults.