What a week. You may have noticed we hadn't posted last week. This was due to a complete collapse of our email system (and our nervous systems) as we were flooded with emails requesting free samples. Only used to a handful of these a day, the appearance in our inbox of hundreds and hundreds at a time was a huge shock. We were already having problems with our broadband service so normal business was proving difficult as it was.
I can't believe that the week before last I was bemoaning the fact that we get a small number of spurious-looking requests for free samples via the post. That was nothing compared to this onslaught. At first we were elated - something was driving all this marvellous traffic albeit not advertising or PR or any other marketing as we're not doing anything at the moment. The emails didn't look spurious, we mused. We were offering free samples via our website and have done so since the site was launched at the beginning of the year and these people had all clearly been to the site and followed the instructions as to how to get hold of a free sample of Light Night Cream or Sensiderma Day Cream.
We were scratching our heads about was how they had found us, nestling sleepily in the world wide web backwaters as we do. Thank goodness for good old Google Analytics. Once normal internet service had been restored, I immediately went to the referring site section and discovered to my horror that we'd been listed on a whole host of sites advertising companies which give away freebies. The main one was called magicfreebiesuk.co.uk. I have no idea how they came upon us. To their credit, they did say that genuine enquirors only should apply.
The thing is how do we tell which are genuine, by which I mean have sensitive skin. We literally cannot cope with this volume of demand. As a tiny three-man (well, one man, two women) band, we are barely able to keep up with normal demand. We don't hold lots of stock - we make all the products regularly and in small batches - and we don't hold lots of packaging (the mini jars we need, jiffy bags, foam wrap etc etc) as we don't have the space. In addition, the postal costs would bankrupt us. Yet, we do want to reach genuine customers.
Our current gameplan - such that it is - is to keep plodding through the requests and send out as many as we can without normal business grinding to a halt. I have, however, had to email many people saying we just can't send out samples at the moment. As a gesture of goodwill, we have offered a discount on any orders and we are happy to supply alternative products if someone can email us back with a little bit more information about their skin.
In the meantime, I have had to take down the free sample offers from the website until we can get things under control. It's a real shame as this has been a regular source of bona fide customers for us. If anyone has any ideas as to how we can resume this service without falling prey to freebie hunters, I would be grateful to hear them.
This aside, it's been a good couple of weeks. Sales at John Bell & Croyden have been great and we have had lots of new customers via our online store www.queen-cosmetics.com.
Oh, just had to take a break to answer a call from a chap who has a client who wants to buy the domain names www.queen-cosmetics.co.uk and www.queen-cosmetics.net and would we object. Well, we realise we can't stop someone buying up domain names but why would they want them, especially when we hold the trade marks for Queen and Queen Cosmetics? All very odd. He wouldn't reveal who she was and what her business was so it is all rather bemusing.
Are dark forces at work, we are beginning to wonder or are we just being paranoid?! I hate to think what it must be like if you're running a multi-national. It's hard enough keeping a small, family-run business free from attack!
I am off to lie down with a cold flannel over my head.
Have a good weekend.
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