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| My recent online razor purchase from Harry's. |
I'm not the kind of guy who chooses to
order most things online because it pretty much removes customer
service from the equation whether that service is good or bad. No, I
order things online because they are often less expensive if you do
your homework, I am lazy and can place orders sitting in my underwear
in the security of my home, and packages showing up at my doorstep
makes me happy. Customer service doesn't usually enter into my
decision making.
I have Amazon Prime; so, most things I
buy online arrive within two days – sometimes in one day because
there is an Amazon distribution center 30 miles from my house – and
shipping is free. The stuff I order on Amazon isn't always less
expensive than buying locally at a brick-and-mortar store, but I
don't have to leave the house. I like that. When drones begin
dropping orders in my front yard, I'm really going to like that!
About 10 years ago, replacement razor
blades apparently became a highly prized commodity: rare as an
elephant tusk. Either they were displayed in thick, plexiglass lock
boxes requiring a store manager and key to liberate a five-blade
pack, or they disappeared from store shelves entirely. Where that is
the case, purchasing a pack of razor blades entails approaching the
checkout station, requesting the specific brand and count of the
blades desired and watching as the clerk or an assistant manager
disappears into the bowels of the store where the requested blades
are retrieved from a vault. The store employee eventually returns to
the checkout station cradling the package of blades in outstretched,
cupped hands like the Hope Diamond. Of course, at $3 or $4 a blade, a
$15 or $20 five-blade package represents a serious investment in
personal grooming.
They are just razor blades for the love
of Pete!
Two or three weeks ago I realized I
needed some blades. When I'm not on the road, I typically only shave
on days when I am going to go out for the evening. Otherwise, I don't
bother. On the road, I use disposable razors. I don't pay much
attention to my blade stash until the blade currently in my razor
dulls to the point it just isn't providing even a moderately close
shave. That's where I was at a few weeks ago.
I pondered the whole razor blade-buying
experience facing me with some trepidation. There must be a more
convenient, less-expensive alternative. I hopped online and searched
“razor blades.” I found Harrys.com.
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| A Harry's eight pack. |
Investigating the Harry's Web site, I
discovered that, at $1.88, replacement blades for its shaving system
ran at least a full dollar less than brand-name blades at the drug
store. And, orders of $10 or more ship free. As you have probably
determined, I like free shipping. Hmmm....
A new Harry's razor handle –
brilliantly contoured to fit a hand – with one blade cost me $10.
Eight replacement blades rang the register at another $15. So, for
far less than the $33 an eight-blade pack of Gillette Fusion Proglide
blades cost, I bought a new razor and nine blades. Bargain!
My Harry's care package arrived in the
mail about four days later. I was thrilled with the razor handle. I
was thrilled with the blades. I was thrilled with the shave I got.
And, I was thrilled with the economics of the experience. This is
what free enterprise is all about!
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| Harry's sells shaving kits and offers a shaving club, too. |
Here's the kicker....About a week
later, I received an e-mail from Katie. Katie is a customer service
specialist at Harry's. Now, Katie may really be Deepak, but who
cares? I doubt that's the case anyway because in the e-mail she
supplied her phone number, offering to act as my Harry's liaison.
I should feel free to call or e-mail her, she assured me, with any
shaving needs I might have. It was a very nice note also welcoming me
to the Harry's family.
I was surprised to say the least. How
often do we encounter this sort of customer service, particularly
from an online retailer? I fired off a response, telling Katie how
impressed I was with the level of customer service blah, blah, blah.
The following day I had a reply from Katie thanking me for my
encouragement and reaffirming her availability to answer any
questions I might have, as well as facilitate any following orders.
Harry's has me hooked. I'll never buy
blades in a store again.
Late last year I bought a razor and blades you see advertised on TV by the host of a well-known History Channel show (hint: it rhymes with lawn shop) and the first batch got sent to the wrong address. I should have quit there. The replacement batch arrived and I did nothing but hack up my face for 2 or 3 weeks (I have tender skin, don't you know) before my wife bought me an electric razor for Christmas. The shave is not quite as close as probably what you get form Harry's, but it's close enough. And there is no danger of bleeding to death.
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