Hi T11 and T11 Friends and Family,
Below is a list of things I am hoping T11 tackles in 2025. It is not a long list (okay, I just finished, it is indeed very long
), but I feel it is an important one.
1. I have asked for this before, and I feel it is a huge missed opportunity for T11. Basically, I feel T11 should automatically include the Nice Deck Boxes with deck orders above a certain size. Sadly, it seems like T11 went the exact opposite way and at this time is no longer offering the Deck Boxes. WOW. Okay, follow me on this. Offering your nice deck boxes for purchases of half and full bricks would likely incentivize your customers to step up and purchase a few more decks to fill out the box. Overall, I feel this would be a win for all. Most importantly, this should be available on ALL of your decks. For some reason, you used to offer it on your older decks, but the newer decks were left off of the list to get the Deck Box. I never understood why. People who buy a lot of these are Collectors, likely your biggest deck purchasers. Imagine a collector who has a bunch of white cardboard boxes, but interspersed are these gleaming black and gold boxes with T11 on them. It will elevate not only your purchase size, but also the esteme of purchasing a T11 deck. Packaging is everything these days, Apple, Google, Meta, and a host of other premium brands has shown us that. With premium packaging comes a premium perception of worth. Just give it a shot. Go 1 quarter, month, week, etc. and see if your average order size increases or not. This really should be a standard year long practice. Bonus: If you packaged the decks in the Brick box or half brick box, 95% of your problem deliveries will go away because having support of the other decks will make them stronger as a whole. I do understand that would increase your shipping and handling costs... Actually, it might decrease your shipping fees as it might allow you to get away with smaller boxes.
2. Up your Gear game. The items available for purchasing as stand along gear are very limited. Even things like T-Shirts and hats. I understand that they may not big big sellers these days, but I really think $35 for a T-shirt is a bit steep and not an impulse buy. If you get several options down to $20, I know I would buy all of them. Remember, making high margin on every item is not everything. Sometimes you make Swag just to get the name out. Having someone wearing your t-shirt or hat around is like having a free mobile billboard. Its why a company like Verizon might sell or give away T-shirts. They are not looking to make a killer margin on T-shirts, its just a marketing expense to them. You are smaller, I get it, so don't give them away, just accept a lower margin on those items. I think it would be worth it to you on the long run.
3. Your Elite Program needs an uplift. Those items in your archive are stale (going on moldy). Honestly, at this point, I would expect to see items like the Silver James Bond, Summer Monarchs, Silver Artisans, White Taverns, Red Taverns, Signed Items, t-shirts, hats, etc. Speaking of which, I think the elite archive is almost hidden. To even see the archive, I have to click on my Name, Then Profile, Then Elite Points, Then the itty bitty Elite Program (i) image, and finially clicking on Browse the Archive. It feels as if this is beyond an afterthought. I think this is a good program, and one worth hyping to increase brand loyalty. To those of you reading, please reply below if you did not even know about this, or if you did, you did not remember how to find it...
4. Please create a few more Original T11 IP Decks. Your Licensed IP decks are great, but honestly, I like your old style unique decks as well, maybe even a little more.
5. Asked this before, but please stop putting hang tags and barcodes on your decks. Nothing says cheap like a barcode sticker on a deck. Or come up with an easy release mechanism for them. Please... for the love of God please. do this.
6. Shipping costs. I saw JB's response on the other thread. Very detailed. Thank you. 1 Question. While you say you lose money on shipping each month, that is not necessarily a bad thing. You offer free shipping over $150, so of course you are loosing shipping costs there. That's a sales cost T11 has chosen to accept given the size of the order. But, of the orders where you are indeed under the $150, are you losing money there too? You should not try to make up the shipping fees on the $150 orders from your smaller orders. That would indeed make your shipping fees too expensive. The free shipping should be considered as a discount on the order itself, and reduce the margin of that order, not be used in the cost justification of shipping rates on smaller orders. I don't know if T11 is doing this, but if they are, something to consider.
Not to say all is bad with T11. T11 is still a great brand/company. A couple of very positive points in 2024.
1. Glad to hear about your packaging improvements. It was pretty bad for awhile there.
2. Puzzles look awesome. I have both on order and should arrive on Monday.
3. Monarchs Summer Edition was Fire
4. Stranger things Boxed Set was awesome
5. 007 Boxed set is amazing. That pen... So Choice. Heavier, and more sturdy than my Ridge Pen.
6. JB's Responses to fans and customers on this forum, and other areas is really awesome. Thank you.
Lastly, I have found that many posts like this are viewed, but no responses are provided. I highly encourage others to respond to the above. Please feel free to disagree with me on any of the points above, or agree with me if you really do agree. Or, if you are in the middle, that's fine too. Let your thoughts be known. I think it is important that T11 hears from their customers and it will allow them to improve. Genuine feedback (positive or negative) is crucial to the success of any endeavor. Please do not feel like negative feedback is being disloyal to the brand, your friends, or the company. Its just feedback. Please keep it positive however.
Below is a list of things I am hoping T11 tackles in 2025. It is not a long list (okay, I just finished, it is indeed very long
), but I feel it is an important one.1. I have asked for this before, and I feel it is a huge missed opportunity for T11. Basically, I feel T11 should automatically include the Nice Deck Boxes with deck orders above a certain size. Sadly, it seems like T11 went the exact opposite way and at this time is no longer offering the Deck Boxes. WOW. Okay, follow me on this. Offering your nice deck boxes for purchases of half and full bricks would likely incentivize your customers to step up and purchase a few more decks to fill out the box. Overall, I feel this would be a win for all. Most importantly, this should be available on ALL of your decks. For some reason, you used to offer it on your older decks, but the newer decks were left off of the list to get the Deck Box. I never understood why. People who buy a lot of these are Collectors, likely your biggest deck purchasers. Imagine a collector who has a bunch of white cardboard boxes, but interspersed are these gleaming black and gold boxes with T11 on them. It will elevate not only your purchase size, but also the esteme of purchasing a T11 deck. Packaging is everything these days, Apple, Google, Meta, and a host of other premium brands has shown us that. With premium packaging comes a premium perception of worth. Just give it a shot. Go 1 quarter, month, week, etc. and see if your average order size increases or not. This really should be a standard year long practice. Bonus: If you packaged the decks in the Brick box or half brick box, 95% of your problem deliveries will go away because having support of the other decks will make them stronger as a whole. I do understand that would increase your shipping and handling costs... Actually, it might decrease your shipping fees as it might allow you to get away with smaller boxes.
2. Up your Gear game. The items available for purchasing as stand along gear are very limited. Even things like T-Shirts and hats. I understand that they may not big big sellers these days, but I really think $35 for a T-shirt is a bit steep and not an impulse buy. If you get several options down to $20, I know I would buy all of them. Remember, making high margin on every item is not everything. Sometimes you make Swag just to get the name out. Having someone wearing your t-shirt or hat around is like having a free mobile billboard. Its why a company like Verizon might sell or give away T-shirts. They are not looking to make a killer margin on T-shirts, its just a marketing expense to them. You are smaller, I get it, so don't give them away, just accept a lower margin on those items. I think it would be worth it to you on the long run.
3. Your Elite Program needs an uplift. Those items in your archive are stale (going on moldy). Honestly, at this point, I would expect to see items like the Silver James Bond, Summer Monarchs, Silver Artisans, White Taverns, Red Taverns, Signed Items, t-shirts, hats, etc. Speaking of which, I think the elite archive is almost hidden. To even see the archive, I have to click on my Name, Then Profile, Then Elite Points, Then the itty bitty Elite Program (i) image, and finially clicking on Browse the Archive. It feels as if this is beyond an afterthought. I think this is a good program, and one worth hyping to increase brand loyalty. To those of you reading, please reply below if you did not even know about this, or if you did, you did not remember how to find it...
4. Please create a few more Original T11 IP Decks. Your Licensed IP decks are great, but honestly, I like your old style unique decks as well, maybe even a little more.
5. Asked this before, but please stop putting hang tags and barcodes on your decks. Nothing says cheap like a barcode sticker on a deck. Or come up with an easy release mechanism for them. Please... for the love of God please. do this.
6. Shipping costs. I saw JB's response on the other thread. Very detailed. Thank you. 1 Question. While you say you lose money on shipping each month, that is not necessarily a bad thing. You offer free shipping over $150, so of course you are loosing shipping costs there. That's a sales cost T11 has chosen to accept given the size of the order. But, of the orders where you are indeed under the $150, are you losing money there too? You should not try to make up the shipping fees on the $150 orders from your smaller orders. That would indeed make your shipping fees too expensive. The free shipping should be considered as a discount on the order itself, and reduce the margin of that order, not be used in the cost justification of shipping rates on smaller orders. I don't know if T11 is doing this, but if they are, something to consider.
Not to say all is bad with T11. T11 is still a great brand/company. A couple of very positive points in 2024.
1. Glad to hear about your packaging improvements. It was pretty bad for awhile there.
2. Puzzles look awesome. I have both on order and should arrive on Monday.
3. Monarchs Summer Edition was Fire
4. Stranger things Boxed Set was awesome
5. 007 Boxed set is amazing. That pen... So Choice. Heavier, and more sturdy than my Ridge Pen.
6. JB's Responses to fans and customers on this forum, and other areas is really awesome. Thank you.
Lastly, I have found that many posts like this are viewed, but no responses are provided. I highly encourage others to respond to the above. Please feel free to disagree with me on any of the points above, or agree with me if you really do agree. Or, if you are in the middle, that's fine too. Let your thoughts be known. I think it is important that T11 hears from their customers and it will allow them to improve. Genuine feedback (positive or negative) is crucial to the success of any endeavor. Please do not feel like negative feedback is being disloyal to the brand, your friends, or the company. Its just feedback. Please keep it positive however.
