The dry leaf is lovely. Intense black mahogany flecked with gold leaf here and there.
As soon as the water hit the leaf and the cocoa honey scent rose, I knew I was going to love this smooth malty blend. And I do.
So pleased that I ordered directly from H & S after the Canadian distributor disaster.
I do have one irritant to share though. My order was a substantial one. If a Canadian is going to pay the hefty exchange rate and the generous shipping fee and risk getting dinged with more charges at the border, he or she is usually going to make it count.
With my order came one teabag sample. What, really?! My first order with your company, and it’s a big one, and you send one teabag as a hello how are you thanks for coming?Have I done something to offend you?
I am grateful for that one teabag, but gosh, really, you could do better.
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I think I generally get two wrapped teabags from them?
Thanks, Cameron. I was feeling ticked off about this. I know postal fees are expensive and not the fault of the tea company. Americans get free shipping with a minimum purchase of whatever while Canadians and others pay $25 US plus in shipping plus the other charges mentioned. You’d think the company would realize and recognize this discrepancy in some small way that doesn’t affect them too much.
I know that that is the deal and the buyer makes the choice to purchase or not, but yanno.
Unless it just changed, Americans get free shipping period. No minimum. But with rising costs they may have altered that.
Yes, I just checked. Free domestic shipping in the US, so it doesn’t matter if you buy one tin or twelve. And it is the same or similar with other tea companies there. In Canada, there’s a free shipping threshold for our companies. Something like $60 or so.
It just got to me today and I needed to vent.
Are you feeling better today, ashmanra?
Not yet, Evol! Soon, soon. I got the shot at 5 pm and it was super quick and didn’t hurt. By a few hours later it felt like my arm was made of lead. Then headache and body aches by noon. Have dozed and read, hoping tomorrow morning I will be back to normal.
Years ago, Harney did have a free shipping threshold. I think it was $40.
CA is painful to ship to. Stuff I have sold across the border is $$$. Man only one sample. I normally do 3 per package and enough for a couple of sessions.
Sorry to hear that, ashmanra. Sounds like you are treating yourself with care in all this.
I realize that shipping here from the States is costly, and potentially a pain, compared to your domestic post. Still, the customer pays for that on top of the tea and currency exchange rate and possibly duties at customs. it seems to me that a bit of appreciation to foreign clientele who still choose to shop with you, despite these impediments via heavy fees on top of your products, is not too much to ask.
I mean, if someone is spending well over a hundred dollars on your products, is a free 25 gram sample pouch or two or a sample few teabags really an imposition?Small independent, and even most large, tea businesses manage to do this without a huge sacrifice. ( I think the range of three is standard, teabags or small pouches, as you say. )
Needed to vent, apparently.
Even more so, as the USA is supposed to be known for customer service. I realize that the country is so large that there are enough American customers that you may not need international buyers, so there’s that. But still.
No doubt, I enjoy many of H & S’s products, but when it comes to placing orders, I am well aware of which tea businesses make me feel valued and appreciated.
Wow, that’s a lot of venting :)
Ha ha! I don’t blame you for the vent! It would be really nice if big orders got extra samples, or maybe an extra nice tea! They should have a sample generator….if customer buys (X) they get a sample of (Y) cuz they might like it! I get Organic English Breakfast over and over and I really dislike that one.
I try to avoid ordering from the U.S. because of the exorbitant shipping cost, even though it’s not the vendors’ fault. And yes, one teabag is pretty stingy as a sample. I appreciate companies that offer generous and/or curated samples (What-Cha is great at this and does seem to change the number of samples given based on the order size).
I think I generally get two wrapped teabags from them?
Thanks, Cameron. I was feeling ticked off about this. I know postal fees are expensive and not the fault of the tea company. Americans get free shipping with a minimum purchase of whatever while Canadians and others pay $25 US plus in shipping plus the other charges mentioned. You’d think the company would realize and recognize this discrepancy in some small way that doesn’t affect them too much.
I know that that is the deal and the buyer makes the choice to purchase or not, but yanno.
Unless it just changed, Americans get free shipping period. No minimum. But with rising costs they may have altered that.
Yes, I just checked. Free domestic shipping in the US, so it doesn’t matter if you buy one tin or twelve. And it is the same or similar with other tea companies there. In Canada, there’s a free shipping threshold for our companies. Something like $60 or so.
It just got to me today and I needed to vent.
Are you feeling better today, ashmanra?
Not yet, Evol! Soon, soon. I got the shot at 5 pm and it was super quick and didn’t hurt. By a few hours later it felt like my arm was made of lead. Then headache and body aches by noon. Have dozed and read, hoping tomorrow morning I will be back to normal.
Years ago, Harney did have a free shipping threshold. I think it was $40.
CA is painful to ship to. Stuff I have sold across the border is $$$. Man only one sample. I normally do 3 per package and enough for a couple of sessions.
Sorry to hear that, ashmanra. Sounds like you are treating yourself with care in all this.
I realize that shipping here from the States is costly, and potentially a pain, compared to your domestic post. Still, the customer pays for that on top of the tea and currency exchange rate and possibly duties at customs. it seems to me that a bit of appreciation to foreign clientele who still choose to shop with you, despite these impediments via heavy fees on top of your products, is not too much to ask.
I mean, if someone is spending well over a hundred dollars on your products, is a free 25 gram sample pouch or two or a sample few teabags really an imposition?Small independent, and even most large, tea businesses manage to do this without a huge sacrifice. ( I think the range of three is standard, teabags or small pouches, as you say. )
Needed to vent, apparently.
Even more so, as the USA is supposed to be known for customer service. I realize that the country is so large that there are enough American customers that you may not need international buyers, so there’s that. But still.
No doubt, I enjoy many of H & S’s products, but when it comes to placing orders, I am well aware of which tea businesses make me feel valued and appreciated.
Wow, that’s a lot of venting :)
Ha ha! I don’t blame you for the vent! It would be really nice if big orders got extra samples, or maybe an extra nice tea! They should have a sample generator….if customer buys (X) they get a sample of (Y) cuz they might like it! I get Organic English Breakfast over and over and I really dislike that one.
I try to avoid ordering from the U.S. because of the exorbitant shipping cost, even though it’s not the vendors’ fault. And yes, one teabag is pretty stingy as a sample. I appreciate companies that offer generous and/or curated samples (What-Cha is great at this and does seem to change the number of samples given based on the order size).