Onoma1
Member
This is (as you may have noticed) a rather bipartisan gentle suggestion that we support Aquarium Gardens by buying lots and lots of 'stuff' from them.
My rationale for this is that when you have a small/ medium company with staff that are knowledgeable, experienced, friendly, support the community and provide absolutely first class customer service and superb quality of products and services then they should be nurtured, supported and given as much of our business as possible.
In the age of Amazon and Aliexpress the temptation is to focus on price, however, when things go wrong this can be a rather expensive mistake and buying from a large organisation can lead you into long conversations with call centers or people who are forced to follow the company rules and try to persuade you that you don't have any statutory rights and even if you do their company rules can't allow them to refund/ replace or help you in anyway what so ever. OK so I am northerner - price is important (we are poor 'up north' not like those forum members in the rich lands of the south) and I may have occasionally bought aquarium items from Amazon, Aliexpress or elsewhere.
My recent experience with Aquarium Gardens was salutatory:
I bought some plants from AG (Buce). They died. I bought more plants from AG (Buce). They died. Forum members commiserated, suggested lots of ways in which I could nurture the plants. I bought more from AG. As before, AG supplied them rapidly, well packaged and in a good condition (although I did note a slight hesitation when I phoned to order them as my reputation as a being instant death for Buce's proceeded me).
After the last lot died I phoned them to tell them that while I had temporarily given up on that particular variety if they had any larger plants in stock of that variety could they possible let me buy it? I provided the rationale that a bigger plant may have more reserves and could possibly survive my TLC and the cold northern climate. I only noticed a hesitation (tremor) in Dave's voice for a millisecond before he agreed to send one up when one came in.
He also offered to send me two other rare Buces free of charge. When I phoned back to say thank you but I feel a tad guilty and could I at least contribute to postage Steven told me that they wee in the post and this was free of charge.
OK so this level of customer service is rare, unusual and rather amazing. I put two other orders in over the weekend and will continue buying from them.
So - I would strongly suggest that you buy lots and lots of 'stuff' from them on a regular basis. This company needs to be nurtured and supported. Rather like a rare Buce this needs to be done by other people in the community ...
My rationale for this is that when you have a small/ medium company with staff that are knowledgeable, experienced, friendly, support the community and provide absolutely first class customer service and superb quality of products and services then they should be nurtured, supported and given as much of our business as possible.
In the age of Amazon and Aliexpress the temptation is to focus on price, however, when things go wrong this can be a rather expensive mistake and buying from a large organisation can lead you into long conversations with call centers or people who are forced to follow the company rules and try to persuade you that you don't have any statutory rights and even if you do their company rules can't allow them to refund/ replace or help you in anyway what so ever. OK so I am northerner - price is important (we are poor 'up north' not like those forum members in the rich lands of the south) and I may have occasionally bought aquarium items from Amazon, Aliexpress or elsewhere.
My recent experience with Aquarium Gardens was salutatory:
I bought some plants from AG (Buce). They died. I bought more plants from AG (Buce). They died. Forum members commiserated, suggested lots of ways in which I could nurture the plants. I bought more from AG. As before, AG supplied them rapidly, well packaged and in a good condition (although I did note a slight hesitation when I phoned to order them as my reputation as a being instant death for Buce's proceeded me).
After the last lot died I phoned them to tell them that while I had temporarily given up on that particular variety if they had any larger plants in stock of that variety could they possible let me buy it? I provided the rationale that a bigger plant may have more reserves and could possibly survive my TLC and the cold northern climate. I only noticed a hesitation (tremor) in Dave's voice for a millisecond before he agreed to send one up when one came in.
He also offered to send me two other rare Buces free of charge. When I phoned back to say thank you but I feel a tad guilty and could I at least contribute to postage Steven told me that they wee in the post and this was free of charge.
OK so this level of customer service is rare, unusual and rather amazing. I put two other orders in over the weekend and will continue buying from them.
So - I would strongly suggest that you buy lots and lots of 'stuff' from them on a regular basis. This company needs to be nurtured and supported. Rather like a rare Buce this needs to be done by other people in the community ...