Berkeley Review Ordering Issues

[SteveJMarist]

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So I placed an order by mail for the TBR books over a week ago, and it doesn't seem like they ever got my order form. No books and no charge on my bank statement. I need those books pretty badly! I emailed them, called a dozen times, and no responses! Do these people want my business, or no? I'm pretty irritate right now.

Has anyone had a similar experience, or is there a Berkeley Review person on here that can help me?

 

[mjjdm1985]

So I placed an order by mail for the TBR books over a week ago, and it doesn't seem like they ever got my order form. No books and no charge on my bank statement. I need those books pretty badly! I emailed them, called a dozen times, and no responses! Do these people want my business, or no? I'm pretty irritate right now.

Has anyone had a similar experience, or is there a Berkeley Review person on here that can help me?

I'm about to send my own order form in over my lunch break today. I hope this doesn't happen to me. I find it odd that there is no option for ordering straight through their website.

 

[SteveJMarist]

I'm about to send my own order form in over my lunch break today. I hope this doesn't happen to me. I find it odd that there is no option for ordering straight through their website.

Yea that seemed really weird to me too. I know they're legit, but I'm getting pretty frustrated with their customer service. Those books are going to help me a lot.

 

[SteveJMarist]

Finally got a hold of them. Tried earlier in the morning and it worked. Books should be shipped tomorrow, but now there's another wonderful problem: you have to sign for them! Outrageous! I work full time- how can I be around to sign for books...can't pick them up from the fedex store either as I live in the downtown Chicago area and have no car. Lovely!

 

[NickNaylor]

Welcome to TBR's ordering system from the 1900s.

 

[SteveJMarist]

Welcome to TBR's ordering system from the 1900s.

Lol yea how about it.

 

[geodad]

I wasn't there to sign for mine either, but FedEx left a slip on the door that I signed giving them permission to leave it. Delayed another couple days, but that was not a major issue for me...

 

[Bigz]

I wasn't there to sign for mine either, but FedEx left a slip on the door that I signed giving them permission to leave it. Delayed another couple days, but that was not a major issue for me...

That is what i did. Sign the Slip and they will leave the document there the next delivery attempt.

 

[getright]

Ordering system from the 1900s and a website design from 1881.

 

[ElChamaco]

It's really quite pathetic when middle aged unemployed housewives in the middle of nowhere have adopted paypal to sell their beanie babies and BR can't figure out a way to facilitate prospective customers ordering from them. You could pay some 15 year old computer geek $100 and they would design a better website probably be the end of the weekend.

 

[Pre-Med Village]

It's really quite pathetic when middle aged unemployed housewives in the middle of nowhere have adopted paypal to sell their beanie babies and BR can't figure out a way to facilitate prospective customers ordering from them. You could pay some 15 year old computer geek $100 and they would design a better website probably be the end of the weekend.

TBR is a small company. Every business, even if you have a doctor's practice some day, must have production, marketing & sales, and administration. At TBR they do what they love and what is good for their current live students and the rest is going to be a lower priority. Give them a little time. You don't know what is going on this week over there. Did something happen? Don't judge them like you don't know there aren't incredibly hard working people there. Give them a break. The kind of people who run companies like you imply they should would not have produced TBR in the first place. That said. They did not have the worst customer service month in MCAT. I did. So they've got that going for them.

 

[ElChamaco]

TBR is a small company. Every business, even if you have a doctor's practice some day, must have production, marketing & sales, and administration. At TBR they do what they love and what is good for their current live students and the rest is going to be a lower priority. Give them a little time. You don't know what is going on this week over there. Did something happen? Don't judge them like you don't know there aren't incredibly hard working people there. Give them a break. The kind of people who run companies like you imply they should would not have produced TBR in the first place. That said. They did not have the worst customer service month in MCAT. I did. So they've got that going for them.

They didn't just start up, and none of these issues are particularly difficult to resolve. People that come to TBR's defense often imply that a convenient sales interface and a good quality product are somehow mutually exclusive. I have all of TBRs books; I bought them years ago actually. They have served me incredibly well and I recommend TBR to people constantly, and without qualification, because of the quality of their material.

That being said, people have been complaining about TBR's website and ordering policy for years now. There is no reason to defend TBR anachronistic business practices. Instituting online payments would not force them to write lower quality books. In fact it's hard to believe that processing paper order forms and cashing checks and money orders frees their time up at all.

 

[Pre-Med Village]

They didn't just start up, and none of these issues are particularly difficult to resolve. People that come to TBR's defense often imply that a convenient sales interface and a good quality product are somehow mutually exclusive. I have all of TBRs books; I bought them years ago actually. They have served me incredibly well and I recommend TBR to people constantly, and without qualification, because of the quality of their material.

That being said, people have been complaining about TBR's website and ordering policy for years now. There is no reason to defend TBR anachronistic business practices. Instituting online payments would not force them to write lower quality books. In fact it's hard to believe that processing paper order forms and cashing checks and money orders frees their time up at all.

Yes. You are correct. From my limited interactions with the fellows over there, I think one or both of the partners is something of an idiosynchratic genius. My point, which you addressed very well, is that it is virtually impossible, or at least incredibly difficult, for a business with less than a dozen people to be excellent in all three of the essential core functions, marketing, administration, and production. If you are doctor in private practice some day making sure that all three of these of running smoothly will consume your life and you will come to hate the parts of the business that are not the parts you love. TBR should surrender and hire a fulfillment service and probably a marketing director but what do I know? I do know that back orders are a torment to a conscientious business and TBR is that, so please be patient. Just because all businesses can appear for you on the internet, does not mean that you should forget that many of them are small businesses with idiosyncracies. Maybe they are nuts but they are good at what they do. You want to go to the pediatrician that's good when you're child is sick, but if you are not careful you will over-interpret superficialities and always wind up at the one with the train tracks on the wall around the waiting room. That's all the excusing I will do for them over there. You could have a course in business school "What TBR should do". It's proves injustice in the world to think how badly they could be kicking ass on a national level based on quality but they are probably stable and content and have control of their own work which is more important.

 

[SteveJMarist]

I wasn't there to sign for mine either, but FedEx left a slip on the door that I signed giving them permission to leave it. Delayed another couple days, but that was not a major issue for me...

Yea, that's what I'm going to have to do. Thanks for the tip.

As far as whether we should hate on TBR for not updating their ordering system, I really don't care that much as long as I get my books. I'm all about quality.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

sent my check in last wk, still no update on the tracking #. Need my books before returning to class next week. The customer service is extremely poor

 

[SoftwareKevin]

sent my check in last wk, still no update on the tracking #. Need my books before returning to class next week. The customer service is extremely poor

Probably due to the fact that it's the holidays. Small companies tend to shut down this time of year.

If you sent a personal check you can expect to wait 10 days after they receive/process your oder before they'll ship (to wait for the check to clear. http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/bookdetails/orderinfo.html). So if you sent it last week, and it's the holidays, they may not process your order until next week which could mean another 10 days after that.

They're slow, but they will ship you your books eventually 🙂

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

Probably due to the fact that it's the holidays. Small companies tend to shut down this time of year.

If you sent a personal check you can expect to wait 10 days after they receive/process your oder before they'll ship (to wait for the check to clear. http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/bookdetails/orderinfo.html). So if you sent it last week, and it's the holidays, they may not process your order until next week which could mean another 10 days after that.

They're slow, but they will ship you your books eventually 🙂

my dad used his credit card. I'm not frustrated by any means, just wished they were efficient and communicated well.....lets hope these books arrive by next week

 

[shushumiga]

I received the books from TBR today and I sent my check about 3 weeks ago. I think they are closed until Jan 3. You might have to wait another 2 weeks...
The company should reallllyyyy switch into ONLINE ordering and a better customer service.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

My understanding was that TBR used to take credit card online, etc, but were burned a couple of times because of it and decided to use the system they use currently. BerkReviewTeach can correct me if I'm wrong.

My recommendation to others in the future is to order the books well ahead of when you plan on starting your study schedule. Don't wait till the last minute. That way, you won't feel rushed for time/freak out, etc.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

My understanding was that TBR used to take credit card online, etc, but were burned a couple of times because of it and decided to use the system they use currently. BerkReviewTeach can correct me if I'm wrong.

My recommendation to others in the future is to order the books well ahead of when you plan on starting your study schedule. Don't wait till the last minute. That way, you won't feel rushed for time/freak out, etc.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Sorry for the not-so-helpful advice!

 

[apumic]

It's really quite pathetic when middle aged unemployed housewives in the middle of nowhere have adopted paypal to sell their beanie babies and BR can't figure out a way to facilitate prospective customers ordering from them. You could pay some 15 year old computer geek $100 and they would design a better website probably be the end of the weekend.

From when I talked w/ Todd, it sounded like this has been a frustration of theirs for a long time; however, a friend and business partner designed the site, IIRC. Relationships are more important than business. I am glad they have kept their priorities straight even if it does mean a bit of an inconvenience for the rest of us!