I don't think a whole huge integrated amazon.com equivalent of Fanderson is
desired (Fandazon.co.uk <GRIN>), I'm certainly not suggesting it. What I
would like to see is some type of front end e-store like presence that
permit secure input of information without the hassle of the international
paper transaction. It should be fairly easy for a site to collect the
orders from a single secure form and then drop the result into a database
accessible by the Fanderson staff no matter how small. What this would get
them is not just increased transactions but ease of order processing. It
would be far easier and less error-prone to eliminate the reading and
transcribing of the order form (not that they are error-prone, I know of no
difficulties currently). But the manual transcribing of a printed form is
inherently going to be more time consuming and susceptible to errors than a
database. The database could spit out mailing labels for products,
calculate totals, hold the visa numbers (until processed), keep the
customer list, lots of things. At the very least it would be easier to
manage than a stack of papers. It doesn't have to be a huge monolithic
automated web store, just a convenient way for customers to get their order
in easier and more convenient for Fanderson people to manage. If it wasn't
for the security problems, e-mail could do the job.
S
Date: Tue, 05 Nov 2002 21:41:07 -0500
From: Phil Merkel <
[hidden email]>
Subject: Re: A good indicator?
<SNIP>
>I believe all the
>orders are processed by one person, maybe two or three??? Can that few
>people handle an influx of orders over the internet on web page (And
update
>and maintain that page?) Also, when I order something off the net, I'm
>used to getting it fast, in a couple of days, like deepdiscountdvd.com or
>amazon.com and all the rest (HLJ is an exception but they did fill the
>pre-orders fast when the product became available!) Could Fanderson
>provide that type of speedy service? I think everyone in Fanderson is a
>volunteer and everyone has their own "regular" jobs and at some point a
>life too.
>
>So from that POV it's probably easier for fanderson to process these mail
>in orders. It's still a fan club...a fan club that produces some amazing
>products but still a fan club.
<SNIP>
Locked
