What do you guys think of this.....?

[Gatchaman]

He would probably be better served to have after hours events which were invitation-only for his pull box folks. Get the same cachet with none of the pesky class warfare

 

I'm not too keen on snobbishness, 'preferred customers' and that type of approach, either. Once it shows up in comic shops or with dealers, I tend to look for somewhere a bit more down-to-earth.

 

I agree. There is no shortage of comic shops and people may tend to go where the least resistance is.

[loadstone]

Want to reward your loyal customers, just do a good job in providing them with the service they request and what they deserve.

 

1. Always reserve the best copies of the books they order if ordering more than the subscriber pull.

2. If a book or shipment is damaged return and reorder or negotiate with another comic shop.

3. Never hold back copies or hike prices of newly released Hot books from subscribers.

4. Ask for their back issue want list and be a buyer for them negotiating great prices to pass on to them.

5. Offer to consign at a discounted commission.

6. Treat your back stock with care, don't over stuff your boxes but don't allow them to flop over.

7. Slip in a new title or series #1 and #2 for free and see if they'd like to continue but don't be pushy.

8. Hire nice people with good customer service skills who are polite, attentive and ready to help or acknowledge your presence while helping others.

9. Reserve 1 of each FCBD title for pullbox customers

10. Don't let your back stock stagnate, host sidewalk sales and offer steeper discounts to pullbox customers

11. Offer better buyback or higher purchase prices for subscribers.

12. Insert a flyer or brief description of a new upcoming preview for a title that fits their interest or collecting focus.

13.alphabetized and organize your back stock and leave enough room to access.

14. Organize non-exclusive meetups, dinners, movie outings to build camraderie, chat about comics and the industry, gather intel and feedback, and reenforce the loyalty bond and sense of community amongst your customers.

 

I don't want to have to wear a badge, learn a secret handshake or pay a subscriber fee unless this exclusive access allows me to purchase high grade GA/SA/BA or extremely hard to find variants at 30%+ off FMV.

[Chaseman210]

Hi, I'm the owner of the shop in question.

 

 

 

 

 

But seriously, that's how some of these threads turn out.

[shadroch]

Millenials seem to love VIP treatment. They'll pay $750 for a $40 bottle just to sit in the VIP lounge.Pay $25 to be on this side of the velvet rope instead of that side.

I don't see anything wrong with having special deals for your best clients.

Subscribers are the bread and butter of a comic shop.

It's an innovative idea that I think will give better results than you folks expect.

The tourist dilemma needs to be addressed, but I suspect the wheels are already in motion.

[sd2416]

same Mike Wheeler? Both are in AZ

 

http://www.comicgradingkings.com/index.php/component/content/featured?id=featured

[comix4fun]

There is a comic store in AZ that has quarantined off part of his store to only people who have a pull box. Here is one of his reasons -

 

"Mike Wheeler: Well we ordered some of those and are making club cards we are going to hand out to all our pull box holders. Complete with a lanyard and everything.

 

It's going to be fantastic. Well at least I think so."

 

 

 

[Ken Aldred]

I don't see anything wrong with having special deals for your best clients.

 

I was a week-in, week-out regular at a comic shop for five years but didn’t ever have a pull list, and it was obvious from the range of material which I purchased and the numerous conversations we had there that I was a genuine comics geek and not someone who was just speculating on hot books, if that’s one of their concerns here.

 

If the ‘pull box only' rule was strictly adhered to and, taking into account how much I’d spent on comics at the store, I’d more than likely quickly lose interest in making that weekly trip downtown and leave the shop to its preferred, elite class of customer rather than argue too much over a grey area.

[fiendish]

This is an interesting idea, but terrible implementation.

 

If he wants to differentiate himself as "Comix Club" and make his brand the VIP room of local LCSes, then he needs to make the shopping atmosphere much nicer, (including, yes, a sign that doesn't look like it was made by his 7-year-old child). And all the other good customer service value-adds that folks have suggested here. PLUS celebrities.

 

But the more you add to this list of "shoulds," the more ridiculous it sounds not to offer them to ANYONE who walks in the door.

 

I live in L.A., and periodically I see someone spend a lot of money on a "comics gallery" concept. It just doesn't seem to work. You need multiple revenue streams (subs, back issues, toys, cards...) and multiple TYPES OF CUSTOMERS to make a retail store work. IMO.

[dupont2005]

same Mike Wheeler? Both are in AZ

 

http://www.comicgradingkings.com/index.php/component/content/featured?id=featured

[dupont2005]

Millenials seem to love VIP treatment. They'll pay $750 for a $40 bottle just to sit in the VIP lounge.Pay $25 to be on this side of the velvet rope instead of that side.

I don't see anything wrong with having special deals for your best clients.

Subscribers are the bread and butter of a comic shop.

It's an innovative idea that I think will give better results than you folks expect.

The tourist dilemma needs to be addressed, but I suspect the wheels are already in motion.

Nightclubs are designed to stroke egos. The table behind the rope with the white upholstery and complimentary bottle service isn't in a private room because the entire point of paying extra for that table is so all the girls at the bar can see you have money.

 

Whether or not it works is irrelevant. Men think if they flaunt money they will attract women, and the club is where men and women go to meet, so it's where men will want to flaunt money.

 

The comic shop isn't exactly the same, and a $2.50 membership wouldn't impress anybody even if it was. No comic women are going to say "Wow, he has a lanyard! Look at him back there with his pull box!"

 

This is essentially telling casual shoppers to screw off. I'm a casual shopper now. I had a pull box at one time, but got tired of my stuff not being in it. I sometimes pop into a comic shop and grab a stack of #1's since so many new series come out now though. I imagine many comic shop customers are casual impulse shoppers

[revat]

I'm all for this, but mostly from a curiosity point of view. I don't think it will work, but I do think its an interesting experiment, and I love to see comparative data and all the member 'perks'. If I was an investor or the shop was near my house, I probably wouldn't be a fan.

 

I'd also be interested to see if this was a front for selling drugs...

[Ryan.]

Millenials seem to love VIP treatment. They'll pay $750 for a $40 bottle just to sit in the VIP lounge.Pay $25 to be on this side of the velvet rope instead of that side.

I don't see anything wrong with having special deals for your best clients.

Subscribers are the bread and butter of a comic shop.

It's an innovative idea that I think will give better results than you folks expect.

The tourist dilemma needs to be addressed, but I suspect the wheels are already in motion.

Nightclubs are designed to stroke egos. The table behind the rope with the white upholstery and complimentary bottle service isn't in a private room because the entire point of paying extra for that table is so all the girls at the bar can see you have money.

 

Whether or not it works is irrelevant. Men think if they flaunt money they will attract women, and the club is where men and women go to meet, so it's where men will want to flaunt money.

 

The comic shop isn't exactly the same, and a $2.50 membership wouldn't impress anybody even if it was. No comic women are going to say "Wow, he has a lanyard! Look at him back there with his pull box!"

 

All of this is correct.

[shadroch]

Isn't that a given?

[Shadow Images]

I'm all for this, but mostly from a curiosity point of view. I don't think it will work, but I do think its an interesting experiment, and I love to see comparative data and all the member 'perks'. If I was an investor or the shop was near my house, I probably wouldn't be a fan.

 

I'd also be interested to see if this was a front for selling drugs...

 

I don't know but the one in Sierra Vista is

[mattn792]

Because nothing says "edgy, trendy, and pretty much down right cool" like a club card on a lanyard. All this place will need now is a bunch of d-bags with Gucci sunglasses and turned up collars.

[Mercury Man]

Wow that's pretty lame.

 

The old Groucho Marx quip- I don't want to belong to a club that would have me as a member,

 

So if I had $2K cash on me, looking to buy some serious books, I can't get in past the sign, because I am not a member? Ok,on to the next shop.

 

Maybe instead run special- after hour get together's for your pull box patrons as a 'customer appreciation' event. Specials, discounts, raffles, soda and pie.

 

Make more sense?

[Artboy99]

I think it is easier to just simply have the entire inventory available to all customers, and a special discount for file holders.

 

 

[MetalPSI]

I think it is easier to just simply have the entire inventory available to all customers, and a special discount for file holders.

 

 

This. If you know your customer enough, then you should know what incentives/variants they might be interested in, and slipping a little surprise here and there will definitely brighten someone's day.

 

I know it would have mine

[the blob]

It is a turn off. Is this where all of the vintage stuff is?

 

I don't have a pull box. Have never had a pull box, even when I bought a few titles a month.

 

I have also, in the course of the last 20 years been a guy who has, at times, been a regular $500-$1000 a month back issue guy at some stores and at the very least a $40-$60 a month guy (more recently).

 

I was also spending money when I was 12. (I was a big 12 year old though, so I don't think anyone thought I was 12)

 

I also wander into stores when I travel and spend money. Quite a few people here do to, sometimes in big ways.

[the blob]

If I ran a shop I would do my best to get regulars on my e-mail or other mailing list and make them feel loved in other ways.

 

Buy a new collection? The regulars get first crack at everything the first week (month) you have it. Let them know what just came in.

 

Half price Mondays! All back issues $__ or less are half price next Monday! Just show us this e-mail!

 

That kind of stuff. I am all for regulars getting extra special treatment, but there are other ways to do it.

 

Spend $100, get a $10 credit (Midtown does this)

 

I wouldn't charge a monthly fee for a pull box, that's nuts!