R&B Tool Supply, Inc. Now "Live" Online

[keith_beezley]

Greetings woodworkers: Just to let those of you whom may be interested know that; R&B Tool supply, Inc. now has it's website located at www.rbtoolsupply.com (http://www.rbtoolsupply.com)operating "live". In order to utilize the site it is first necessary to register. Within 24 hours your account will be activated and switched on thus revealing prices and shipping options. One unique feature is that if you want to take the time to setup a house account at our psysical location on Pawnee rd. when you use the website to order you may during check out select pay by account, then there will be no need to reveal credit card information on the internet. Your order will be automatically billed to your house account and processed according to how that account has been set up. Please note: our site is a secured site: During the check out process the address bar will change to: HTTPS/ also, look for the lock pictured in the address bar. If you choose to buy on line. It is safe to do so. Thanks..Keith B.

[khaos]

So why do you have to log in to see the prices? Are they that bad? Whats the deal?

[myxpykalix]

Some constructive criticism....I think you are doing yourself a disservice and going to lose potential customers by requiring someone to go thru all the hassle of setting an account up only to see that maybe your prices are no better (or possibly worse) then the place where i can just click and compare prices.

I understand that you want to get people on your mailing lists and generate a following but i think your quality or price or both will sell you more tools then this requirement of a long signup.

Bestbuy does the same thing sometimes with some sales, you have to go thru putting it in your cart and go to almost the very last click before a price is revealed only to see that it isn't any different then the sale price 2 weeks prior, it's just a sales gimmick as I respectfully think this is.:o

Most of the people here are older people who, like me, would "prefer you skip the sales BS and just tell me the price" (that's my motto when i go to buy something) if i need to know something i'll ask...

Once i decide to buy i can go thru the signup process...So I wish you good luck and hopefully you'll take my criticism as constructive:D

[Sk8MFG]

Some constructive criticism....I think you are doing yourself a disservice and going to lose potential customers by requiring someone to go thru all the hassle of setting an account up only to see that maybe your prices are no better (or possibly worse) then the place where i can just click and compare prices.

Agreed.
I've run into this kind of thing many times while shopping. If I have to register to simply see a price, I buy from their competitor. It's customer experience 101, every impediment between the customer landing on your site and the checkout will cost you money.

As some one who buys online on a near daily basis, and as someone who does 99% of their sales online, post the prices. There are much less irritating ways to gather data.

[steve_g]

I went to your site and immediately left... I don't need any more spam that always results from signing up just to see pricing!

SG

[JoeinWestMich]

Hate to jump on the bandwagon but I never register unless I find the right product at the right price with good support. Unfortunately I have to agree with others that I would never register just to see prices. This is a tactic that many phishing sites use. I would strongly reconsider your policy.

[mark_stief]

I'm with Steve went there and left just want to see prices and if I buy then it seems a no brainer you should then have to sign in to check out just my 2 cents also

[dlcw]

I have started using their 1/4" compression bits and have been very pleased.

But I agree with others that if I have to register to do anything on the site, I will not be visiting the site. I will call and order the bits over the phone. register to purchase, but not register just to see a price list. There are very few websites that have the requirement to register to see prices and I don't use those companies as suppliers.

Keith, you might want to reconsider the registration requirement for your site. Just my $.02 worth. All I ask is that you guys PLEASE don't institute one of those abusive phone systems that require a customer to press a bunch of buttons to reach someone, especially the button for English versus another language. That makes me hang up EVERY time. I love talking with someone there when I have called to place an order.

[ron_moorehead]

After reading all the comments I am not even going to look at the web site, just lost one more potential customer.

[khaos]

Keith, on a positive. While we are a buncha cranky old bastards we love a good product and a good price we really would love it if thats what you have.

[keith_beezley]

Good morning Gentlemen. Thanks for taking the time to read my posts and to place your commentary. Your contribution is respected and essential. We appreciate it wholly and know it is well received.
That said; please allow me to clarify our place in regard to our internet selling practices. R&B Tool Supply, Inc. is a very different and distinctive company in many ways. We typically under promise and over deliver. We have been around a long time and I have been working with carbide materials since carbide was only 10 years old. As such we have had the time and notion to have built a diverse and wide international multi-level marketing road and rail network so to speak. It is made up of End Users, Distributors, Jobbers, and factory Reps. Each of these distinctive and different marketing facet levels require a different set of pricing circumstances.
With our website configured in the manner it is provides for each of our particular consumers to see, review, and keep up currently with the things that effect them individually as they conduct the operations of their own business system operations. It is now possible for any one of them to be able to place orders while they are at the machine side with a customer on a smart phone or taking a flight wherever, and not have to contact me to ask about how much a tool might be, or to have made a pricing error to a customer because they had an out dated price list. Our website is setup also so that there is no need for a printed or digital catalog. This saves you big money that can be better used elsewhere in your business. If R&B Tool Supply, Inc. were simply a retailer we would have our website setup like you might have anticipated. Like everyone else.
Our company is one of the most copied manufacturing companies operating today. Many of the tools you all use today were conceived and developed here at R&B including spiral tools. Not having our price structure available to the general population also keeps unwanted prying eyes in the dark. There will be many interesting and useful features added to our website as we go along. It will never actually be completed. This is by design as well. We wish to keep our contributions under our control and still accessible to the customer as long as possible before our creations bear another manufacturers name on them.
Please know we do not sell your information to third parties. It is for our in house use only. We are a U.S.A. manufacturing company that is middle priced utilizing the highest possible caliber carbide material that can be made. By taking five minutes out of your lives on a one time basis you will have unlimited access to our expertise and products. You also will have the unique option during the check out process to utilize the pay by account option that instantly transfers your order payment directly to your house account ( assuming you have taken another five minutes to set one up ) thereby totally eliminating the need to reveal your credit card information on the internet at all on our site!! By enduring our registration process you will by far gain much more than you can currently imagine and you will be better off for doing so. Forever. Best Regards. Keith B.
My apologies for the length of this note. Thanks..KB

[Sk8MFG]

Please read this as constructive criticism.

Geo located prices are possible to implement. If you have a marketing road map, this should be a major stop.
As for wholesale or distributor pricing, registration is more than acceptable. My retail prices are listed, whole sale prices are for registered and approved accounts as it should be.

As the site stands now, the website would only be viable as a wholesale outlet. Your system will severely impact or eliminate your high margin end user sales. Just take a look at the number of posts in this thread.

The features you describe as an edge over other tool websites/mfg are exactly the same features every online store has. Not needing a catalog, up to date prices, not needing to call in, orders on account/bank debit, ordering while sitting at the machine.. These are not features, these are what all online stores do.

As for keeping your pricing secret? What is stopping a competitor from registering?

I would rather you not have my data it at all. What type of in house use? Are your systems hardened to protect the information? Have they been tested? Are you keeping CC information? All extremely important points when working with customer data online.

Keep in mind, this is only my opinion being an online seller and buyer, as well as a previous life in the IT sector.

Best of luck

[keith_beezley]

Thanks for your post. We have found that qualifying customers' is fairly easy to do. Those customers' that are serious come across that way and are easy to talk to about their needs. Those that try to endevor to deceive come across that way right off the bat and quickly prove to be with a phone call.

We have found also that the companies that typically place the large orders for tools do it through their accounting / office software where the purchase order must be created within then faxed or emailed to place it. Terms are also typically in play as their accounts payable departments pay once a month instead of per order. Our website is not for small ordering quantities, however that is easily done and accepted in old school ways of phone, fax, and email, and toll free phone with some TXTing as well. The internet is for a certain type of customer unique to that type of buying practice. Thanks. KB

[Bob Eustace]

Sorry Keith but I am another user that will never supply details to an unknown site. There is nothing tempting on your home page to entice one to enter.

[danhamm]

Nope, only use 50 to 100 bits a year but if I can't go have a look at what you have and a price with out having to sign in its not a go here either.

[bleeth]

I think we should agree to disagree. I agree that you all are correct. He doesn't.
Oh well. Let's get back to work.

[phil_o]

Keith,

let me point out another faux pas, at least from my perspective. Your follow up explanation is way too long. I'm too cranky an old bastard to spend the time to read it.

Phil

[jerry_stanek]

You say that I will gain far more than I can imagine but don't say what. I don't think you have that much to offer as I can compare other sites but not yours. A friend of mine registered and could not see the prices or add to his shopping cart. he told me it was a big waste of time.

[Nancy]

Point seems to have been made.