Author Topic: 50 dollar tip  (Read 3598 times)

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Offline riverbee

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50 dollar tip
« on: February 13, 2017, 07:26:51 pm »
about a week before christmas, i delivered $235 dollars worth of honey and candles to a customer's home about 20 minutes from me in a blinding snowstorm, much like what perry is probably experiencing now.  i was hesitant to drive in the weather, but i had promised.  most of the drive was on the freeway during rush hour, and some on back roads.  all roads were pretty snow covered, no plow had gone through.  vehicles every where in the ditch and the snow coming down so hard i could barely see much in front of my jeep. (gotta love jeep wranglers for their drive options) a 20 minute drive took me about 50 minutes or more i guess. i made the delivery, him and his wife were very grateful.  he had written me a check.  i didn't even look at the check until i returned home. 

his bill was 235, the check he wrote me was for 285............fifty bucks?  i sent him an email the next morning, and told him he overpaid me and would be putting a check back to him in the mail.  lol, he called me up, told me to keep it, it was a tip as a thank you and to cover a 'delivery charge' in  the middle of a snowstorm.  he said 'money well spent'.  said the candles and honey were a big hit at two family get together s, and his wife treated her team employees with the extra. 

i have had some customers buy honey from me and tell me to keep the change (very generous) or tell me i don't charge enough. (very rewarding to hear). makes up for those who find some reason to complain about a price on honey (i can get it cheaper, etc....i think we have all heard this).

pretty cool, it was very generous of him!  a great reward for hard work when it comes to keeping bees!

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if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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Offline Perry

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2017, 07:46:37 pm »
Customer service is everything. Probably one of the biggest reasons I do the farm market here in Wolfville is because of the customers I get to meet. I tell them that if they are ever "shut in" for any reason, just give me a call and I can deliver when I'm near.
I could probably wholesale out more honey but I would miss the interaction.
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
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Offline riverbee

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2017, 10:16:24 pm »
customer service is perry, i guess it's sort of a 'karma'.
i got a call on the afternoon before christmas eve from a customer who was very apologetic. he wanted 3, 2 1/2 lb jars of honey.  i had to grab another frozen bucket out of the garage, heat, strain, settle, pour and label and deliver early afternoon christmas eve.
two days after christmas, he wanted 6 more. his christmas guests/family wanted more honey to take back with them to boston, MA.

although mr. river wasn't happy about the scrambling i did, (not so sure i was either....... :D) i did so because of the 'karma' i received in return. 
i might not get 'paid' for it in dollars, but it is the reward in 'they wanted my honey', the interaction with the customer, and knowing they will order from me again. 
i just hope he doesn't do it to me again next year......... :D :D :D
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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Offline efmesch

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #3 on: February 14, 2017, 02:52:30 pm »
Moments like you two have described take the sting out of beekeeping.
I don't know how many stings can be "compensated for" by the good feeling one gets when someone comes to buy YOUR honey, because it's from YOU.  But there's a good exchange rate.   :yes: :yes:
As if raising bees isn't rewarding enough on its' own.   8)
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Offline riverbee

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #4 on: February 14, 2017, 05:51:21 pm »
not sure it takes the sting out of keeping bees ef, lol...........but it is a much better END reward.......... :D :D :D :D
i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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Offline kingd

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2017, 06:13:47 am »
It is nice when customer service gets rewarded,
I am willing to pay more when I'm treated well

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2017, 04:05:55 pm »
Awesome Possum!  I think the customers got a great story to go with the Christmas gifts you delivered.  All the components of a Hallmark Christmas movie!  Blinding snowstorm, independent woman, Christmas gifts...  Also, think of the word of mouth recommendations!   8)

Offline Zweefer

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2017, 05:46:08 am »
Great story! 
I see one of my customer's granddaughter at my daughters school from time to time and she always greets me with a big smile and "Hello bee man!"  Always makes my day.
Keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.
Henry David Thoreau

Offline Nugget Shooter

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #8 on: June 22, 2017, 05:42:10 pm »
Great story and made me smile, customer service is indeed the key and makes ya feel good.
Cheers, Bill

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #9 on: June 22, 2017, 10:34:12 pm »
Good story Squirt :D. I have people tell  me i'm not charging enough? I tell them they can pay me more if they want too, They never do. :laugh: Jack

Offline Les

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2017, 12:02:20 am »
Always a good feeling when someone appreciates your extra effort.

Offline riverbee

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Re: 50 dollar tip
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2017, 02:21:04 am »
"Great story and made me smile, customer service is indeed the key and makes ya feel good."

customer service is the key nugget, sometimes folks don't appreciate the extra effort, but I KNOW what i do, how hard i work and just how hard we all work to harvest honey, and les yes, it's always rewarding when folks recognize and appreciate it.  most folks have no clue as to what is involved in keeping bees and harvesting honey and wax and how labor intensive it is.

last fall, i had a fella dressed in some top dollar clothing (shoes probably 300 bucks), driving a maseratti, stop by my roadside stand outside my house for honey. the jar of honey was $16. (1 lb. muth jar, cork cap, shrink wrapped on, handmade label)  sometimes i do get impatient or annoyed, but i do my best on my roadside customer service skills....... :D
i went through a litany of questions from him and tolerated it until he complained about 16 bucks for a jar of honey, (didn't think it was worth it and no concept of the work involved) and looking at his attire, vehicle and his wife's attire, 16 bucks was nothing. then he wanted to remove the shrink wrap from the cork cap to taste it before  he bought the honey and set the jar down waiting for me to say it was okay.

i took the jar of honey, moved it aside. pointed to my 6 hives across the street in the bee crib (old corn crib) with a solar fence around it
and said to him, "you want honey........go and get it yourself"..... :D

he looked at me, sort of the oops i'm an arse look and handed me 16$.  i handed him the money back and said, now the price of this honey is 20$............. :D
lol, his wife, completely embarrassed threw me a 50$ dollar bill and apologized profusely........


i keep wild things in a box..........™
if you obey the rules, you miss all the fun.....katherine hepburn
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