Here’s how this works. Look at the options, pick your order, then leave your rankings in the comments section. Feel free to explain why you placed what where. This time around it’s three retailers that provide oddly good customer service. Rank them by order of preference, with write-ins if you wish. Your favorite goes #1.
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1. Bonobos
Incredibly fast & free shipping. A huge social media presence. Weekly “happy hour” deals on their facebook page. And a customer service team known as “The Ninjas” who are seemingly so hell bent on making you thrilled and/or saving you money, that sometimes you wonder who they’re actually working for. Bonobos has set the bar so high that it’s not out of the question to wonder if it’s too high. Their return policy: “Any pant, any time, any reason. We’ll pay for standard shipping both ways.” Seems awfully generous to the dude who bought a pair of chinos 4 years back, dumps bouillabaisse all over them, and sends them back expecting a refund.
2. Lands’ End Canvas
Yes, that’s an actual hand written thank you note right there. Lands’ End Canvas seems to send these out to their newest customers. Snail mail. No e-cards. Add on top of that a return policy ironclad enough to warrant registering as a trademark: “Guaranteed. Period.®” Return anything at anytime for any reason. Now, you are on the hook for return shipping, but they offer in-store returns where LEC is sold (many Sears carry the brand.) They also reward their frequent customers with giveaways over twitter, constant codes through email, and when they won Store Wars they handed out $100 gift cards to say thanks. Manners. They got em’.
3. Zappos
A revolutionary in the world of on-line retail customer service. You used to have to shop for shoes in person. Zappos then created a world in which most of us now prefer to shop for shoes online. Free & fast shipping that always seems to deliver your shoes ahead of schedule. Free returns too, which is key. Unlike a department store, there’s no pushy salespeople and limits on selection are few. Photos of the shoes at all angles as well as videos are provided. If there’s an issue with anything, there’s a terrific human on the other end of the phone. They now sell more than shoes, so expect their batch of 9,000 customer testimonials to grow as more people buy from them. UPDATE: Looks like Zappos just got hit by a cyber attack. If you’re a customer, check your email. Credit to Ron in the comments. Sign photo credit.
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Your turn. Put your ranking of each in the comments below. Explain why what went where too. Feel free to write in any other retailers or brands that you think belong in the discussion. Top photo credit: Tupps
As soon as I saw the title I knew it would be these three companies.
If I could add one without subtracting another, I’d put Amazon on the list. Their customer service is just plain ridiculous (assuming you buy directly from them and not a third party vendor on their site).
Amazon owns Zappos, but are still operated as 2 separate companies with separate customer service functions, but they have very similar styles. Pretty much all of Amazon’s companies have great customer service.
Todd Shelton
Not on the list but LL Bean hands down
Bonobos, 100%, no question.
Never had a company ensure that my priorities and wants came first as well as Bonobos.
Good choices all. Re: Zappos: http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/16/10163952-zappos-says-hacker-may-have-accessed-info-on-24-million-customers
An LEC customer service win:
I bought a striped chambray shirts in small a few weeks back on sale for
$20. It’s a good shirt, but it was rather tight than the other smalls
I’ve bought from LEC.
So I go to one of the few Sears that carries LEC. They carry the same
shirt. A small off the rack fit much better. But the clerk said she
couldn’t do an even up exchange because the shirt was on sale through
the website but was full retail in the store – $50. The only option was
exchanging it through the mail.
I wrote an e-mail to LEC telling them about the inconvenience. They got
back to me two days later, saying I didn’t need to return the shirt to
them. They gave me a $50 gift card and told me to pick up the one that
fit at Sears.
Case for zappos: once forgot to apply a gift card balance to a purchase, a quick call (no holding!) and they applied it for me. Given todays break in, I give their IT department credit for not storing passwords in plaintext, which would have been a very big problem.
Case for LEC: Thank you card is a nice touch. I won a bag in their twitter give away, loved it over the summer, and decided I wanted it monogrammed. Called them up, they were willing to monogram it for $6 if I shipped it to them. Didn’t even charge me to ship it back.
Doesn’t that seem a bit too generous?
I feel like Land’s End and L.L. Bean should be about the same up there. The only differences are that Land’s End has more sales/promos, but L.L. Bean always has free shipping.
Just to add to the LEC, you can return their merchandise to any Sears, not just ones that carry LEC.
I’ve never used Zappos. I find Bonobos better than LEC, if only because I don’t have to pay for shipping. So, it’s a tough call for me overall.
I think that’s awesome! Rare, but awesome!
They’re all winners, for sure. It’s nice to see companies competing on customer service and making customers happy.
I almost feel bad for Bonobos sometimes. I have a pair of chinos that I’ve worn several times and washed a few times. I’ve decided that they’re too tight. Should I exchange them for a better size? Doesn’t seem fair.
Bonobos and LEC are pretty much on the same level for me: both excellent. I have no Zappos experience.
Just saw on the news this morning that 24 million of Zappos’ customer accounts were hacked recently. I wonder how this might affect their customer service reputation.
What Patrick said. I know it says different on the website, but I’ve done this on LE cs rep’s suggestion, and it has worked several times at not just a sears that doesn’t carry LEC, but one that doesn’t carry LE at all.
Really? Wow. Might have to give that a shot. Maybe it’s up to the store manager / customer service rep that handles the return. Don’t want to hold their feet to the fire, y’know?
I’m with you jose. Their return policy seems like it could be abused. Hope that’s not happening though.
Bonobos
Zappos
LEC
Oh. Well that’s some crappy timing…
LL Bean is great. I returned about $300 in merchandise that fell apart after a year, and they happily refunding me the full amount, no questions asked.
I had a terrible experience with Bonobos, not sure I’d ever go back. First, I got charged through the ass for shipping to Canada (which is totally unacceptable when USPS is dirt cheap). Second, they declared the _full_ price of the merchandise, not the _sale_ price I got it for, meaning I paid _way_ more in duties than I should have. Third, when I complained about it the Ninjas didn’t care. Fourth, when I discovered the pants fit too large, the Ninjas refused to either pay return shipping or offer a credit/refund for what I’d have to pay. Fifth, when I finally did get the pants back to them, it turned out the size that I needed was no longer in stock.
Awful, awful Bonobos experience.
Just updated the post above. Thanks for this Ron. Being that Zappos concentrates so much on customer service, this probably isn’t a real happy day for them.
Haven’t had to deal with the first two, but any time I’ve ever dealt with Zappo’s, they’ve have absolutely AMAZING customer service.
I like Allen Edmonds Customer Service. You cant beat they’re personable attention and service they provide to me every time I have a question about a product or a concern.
LEC has great customer service.
I just did that. It could be abused, but I don’t think that is abusing it. If I find the right fit, even if it takes a couple tries, I will be a consistent customer. I think it really depends on the attitude with which you are doing it.
Have you written to them since to let them know? I feel like that is something a different ninja or a higher up customer service rep would take seriously.
Bonobos, hands down. I bought 3 suits from them after having to return two jackets to find the right fit. Their Ninjas are just the absolute best people to deal with (I talked to Kerri and another person who were absolutely fantastic). They definitely earned repeat business from me.
It’s LEC hands down. I ordered two sweaters from them during a 40% off + free shipping promotion however, the package was lost/stolen and I never got it. Called them, and since the items were no longer in stock in my size, they refunded me the entire amount.
Three weeks later, I notice they are back in stock, but of course the promotion and free shipping have ended. Called them and they said they’ll match the price I paid originally during the promotion, even though it had now ended! Not only that, but I didn’t have to pay for shipping either, instead they upgraded to two day shipping. Can’t beat that!
Also, I’d like to add that calling customer service at LEC is a pleasant experience. No silly menu choices and never had to wait in queue: speak instantly to a very helpful human. Wish others could learn a thing or two from LEC.
Bonobos, hands down! Ninjas offer quick customer service either be on the phone, twitter or FB. They are on top of your comments or questions. I returned my entire order for a different size and they even called me back just to check in and see if I was satisfied or the fitting was still an issue.
When returning to a Sears, do you need to have your order slip with you so they know how much you paid? Or can you just walk in with the clothes only and they can somehow look up your past orders?
I wouldn’t hold it against them. It happens to every company at some point. As long as the credit card numbers aren’t hacked, it’s not a problem to reset a password. Getting a new credit card issued is a real PITA.
Oh, completely agreed. I just think there are customers out there who won’t understand that, so they might be scrambling a bit.
Bonobos is overall the clear front runner, though I’ve had two somewhat consistent problems: twice they’ve ran out of the item during an exchange, and I’ve generally found them to be a bit slow in responding to messages. Both are probably growing pains that I think (hope?) they’ll settle out in time.
I had a package disappear from Brooks Brothers. It took a few emails and about two weeks to get the FedEx claims info sent to the right person (miscommunication on their end), but once that was resolved they resent the order without any gashing of teeth. A little unnecessarily sluggish, but I wouldn’t expect every company to do that. Unrelated: when I first contacted them I spent a fair bit of time debatting how formal I should write the email – true story. I’m curious what other experiences people have had with their support.
Wharf responded to an email about an exchange (and included a UPS label) within a half-hour during the weekend. They also processed the return really fast, within a day of them receiving it. Shipping/returns policy is fairly generous, though no where near Bonobos (and to be honest, probably more realistic than Bonobos). Might be the only time I’ll have an experience with them though, as most of the sale stuff is still in the ‘splurge’ price range.
#1 definitely goes to Bonobos. It’s truly hard to say enough about these guys. I agree with Joe that they can sometimes seem hell-bent on saving you money–they certainly have me. Plus their suits are really nice and fit us trimmer folks well.
#2 to LEC with whom I’ve never had any problem.
I’ve never used Zappos, though it sounds like I should.
Agreed. When we’re going through the weird, often angsty, psychological contortions to decide whether to let go of our money, it’s very reassuring to know we won’t end up feeling shafted or dissatisfied. That’s makes me pony up lots more readily.
Bonobos
Zappos
LEC
I’d add Warby Parker to this list. They’ve revolutionized buying eyeglasses online and with simply AMAZING customer service. The first pair I bought came in with a slight defect in one of the lenses and they had a new pair shipped out the same day, before I had a chance to ship the first ones back. The replacement pair also came with a hand-written note of apology.
I have also repeatedly returned LEC to two different Sears stores, neither of which carry anything from LEC.
*LEC merchandise to two different Sears stores
And lets not forget, they are chargin $80 for chinos. I’ve never worn them, but I really doubt that material and construction account for the 2-4x dockers cost. My point is, this is their business model, same as Zappos. Would you feel bad for dockers if they added $15 to the price of their pants to account for free shipping and return shipping, including for a few people who would inevitably take advantage of it?
I understand how it could be abused (and may have taken advantage of the policy on some occasions), but I’ve spent over $500 with them due to their excellent and over the top service. You just barely see that anymore.
Zappos is unbelievable. Returned a pair of shoes I wore once and was never quite happy with almost 11 months after the original purchase. Unreal.
I had a similar case with Amazon (owns Zappos). I forgot to apply a discount code, and called them, and they fixed it immediately.
Zappos blows. I’ve been trying to get a refund for a lost shipment for the past year.
UPS has gone to lengths to help me out, while Zappos has been completely unresponsive, even though UPS will ultimately bear the entire cost.
I’d vote Lands End Canvas. Zappos would have contended had they not just been hacked…
Bonobos, LEC, Zappos. That order. If Bonobos doesn’t win it’s only because their stuff is more expensive and probably doesn’t have as large a customer base.
Here’s why I pick Bonobos. I tried to use a Bonobos gift card online but it didn’t work. After asking a minimal amount questions my Ninja gives me store credit for the gift card amount.
The pants I ordered didn’t fit as expected so I sent them back. When UPS scanned the return barcode (No need to wait for the return to arrive) I was contacted by Bonobos to let me know that my return was being processed and that store credit had been given to me for the amount I paid. Oh, and the expired discount code I used for my first order? They gave me a new one for the same amount.
WHOA! Tim from Bonobos here. If I had your last name I’d look you up. Certainly would hate you to think that we didn’t care because there are only a dozen or so of us Ninjas (no higher ups) and knowing them all very well can say that it wouldn’t be our intention to rebuff you but it doesn’t really matter what our intention is, what matters is that you feel slighted. Our international shipping, frankly, stinks. We’re working on implementing an automatic solution for folks but in the meantime have been manually helping people out (including shipping with USPS). Please please send us an email to ninjas@bonobos.com and we’ll atone as best we can. Hope this doesn’t seem like pandering to a thread relevant to our service, if I had another medium to reach out to you in I would.
Sounds like they operate within the mission statement of Sebben & Sebben.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA-KBIjGYzk
I’ve also returned LEC merchandise to a Sears that doesn’t carry LEC, though they do carry LE. I took my order slip/packing slip with me, and returning was a breeze.
Zappos is really great with returns AND with shipping. I’m a “VIP” with them, so as long as I order before 1pm PST, it gets here the *next day*. And since I’m on the East Coast, that’s just unbelievable.
Also, I know they’re not as versatile retailers, but I’m a BIG fan of both REI and Backcountry.com. Both of those companies have 100% guarantees. You can wear a pair of shoes (or any other merchandise) for several months, and if you decide you’re not happy with them for any reason whatsoever, you just send them back. Or in the case of REI, you can just take them back to any store. Really incredible. It’s so hard for me to determine if a pair of shoes or boots are really going to work well for me just by wearing them around the house or on carpet. I need to give them a real go on the street before I know if they’re going to work out for me. With REI or Backcountry, I don’t have to worry about it.
LEC #1
Where’s Indochino? They have great service.
Bonobos = NO WAY.
Those LEC cards are a really nice touch
The closest sears to me that carries lands end is about three times as far as the nearest store. Every time i have a return from L.E.C. they take it back for me no questions asked. I don’t know if they’ll do it at every store, but it is worth a shot. i know they are capable of doing it, it’s just going to be a matter of the associates and management team working.
*cough* markup *cough* 🙂 When you sell your items at high markup and low volume, you can do this!
Amazon is sooo mainstream but I have to give props to em. Nothing too fancy but they do their jobs well and take care of all problems generously.
Can only speak to Zappo’s: I went through four pairs of ankle boots by three different makers before I found some that sort of fit. Hassle-free and free shipping on each and every return.
LEC.
A handwritten thank you card. Handwritten.
I am 100% for Zappos. They way they do business makes it so I feel stupid to shop anywhere else if they carry the item, just because I know if there’s an issue it will be taken care of quickly and satisfactorily.
I also just had my first experience with LEC after reading this (three shirts and three pairs of chinos). And although I faced a small speed bump (my fault), their customer service was quick to reply and definitely went above and beyond. If the fit and finish of the clothes are to my liking, they will be seeing a lot more business out of me.