*Words of Wisdom From The Elder

I recieved the following email from Darryl Peck, CEO of OutPost.Com. They are an online computer hardware vendor that has been loosing millions of dollars due to there free shipping rates and 24 hour service. Personally, I don’t know why they started it in the first place. Yeah, it is a great idea, but a stupid one as far as business decisions go. Click “Read More” to view the email. If only they would have listened to me sooner.

Subject: Important Announcement from Outpost.com Greetings Outpost.com Customer: As you all know these are tough times for dot.com companies. And while we at Outpost.com believe we run the finest retailing organization on the Internet, +there are those who believe Internet retail will never work. We are on a mission to prove the naysayers wrong. This will mean some changes in the way we do +business with you, our 1.3 million customers. We loved being able to offer you free shipping on your orders for a couple of years, but I think we all knew that, like the Beatles, it couldn’t last forever. +Over the past few months we have worked to find a better system. Based on feedback from you it is clear we missed the mark. We hear you. We think we have finally found a plan that works for everyone. Effective immediately, we offer 2nd day air shipping starting at only $3.95, and overnight +delivery starting at only $5.95, depending on weight. These rates are less expensive than most ground shipping rates. You can choose the method you prefer. +As always, you can order until midnight eastern time and we will get your package on its way to you. We believe that while the shipping is no longer free, it is still far less expensive than is available anywhere else. We invite you to compare these rates to +any others. We also invite you to let us know if you like this new system, and yes, we know, free would be better. 🙂 We are also making a few changes to our return policies as our vendors continue to tighten their policies. We ask that you review these on our web site. Our award-winning customer service remains as strong as ever. However, we will no longer be available to answer the phone from midnight to 8 AM eastern time. +Not that many of you called us at those hours. I think our overnight phone reps got to practice their handball game many nights. Finally, let me add that all of us here at Outpost.com love what we do. We love our customers, and based on the countless emails we get from you, many of you +love us too. We feel that these changes give us the best chance to be here for a long time to come. We hope that you will continue to support us in our +efforts to be the best of the best. Darryl Peck Founder (always), CEO & President (again) Outpost.com (forever) mailto:Darryl.Peck@outpost.com www.outpost.com/entry?site=op:eap1