Ahlusion E-Juice Part 3

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LisaR

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There is a silver lining here, regardless of the out come, we all got a wake up call of some sort. Be it the business practices of ahlusion, or the fact that we might need to spread or proverbial eggs out to different vendors. I for one will be taking a lot away from this

Seriously. Ahlusion had become pretty much my ONLY vendor, but you'd better believe that I'm going to start looking again!
 

Mazinny

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A little FYI on what just appeared on the AHL Facebook page with respect to no longer available mixes and I'm all shook up like the other KING :)

Bolded by moi below

Question: Lack of feedback? As in feedback emails? Not sales?

THE KING said: "A combination of both, but feedback is considered first. Useable feedback. If the volume is too low on a particular product (or component) it doesn't make sense keeping something in stock, especially if it's costing us more."

Yea I can hear you grumbling and might wonder if I took my meds. / lol in one or more of our threads we talked about emails we get from Wlad and myself in particular along with others. Mine was about breaking links from ECF to the mother ship and how I know from decades of experience that this costs him sales. Guess what...

Wlad is driven by the customer experience FIRST and FOREMOST. It's number one on his list and I'm the first to admit with decades of marketing experience, some of which was BEFORE some of YOU were born, /lol I used to have trouble wrapping my head around that! NOT sales first.

It's the way he roles. I respect that and am fine with it. Doesn't mean that is the way I would run a ecommerce site but heck, that's just me.

EDIT: the lack of a warning for a given mix that he intends to "nuke" is unacceptable and I politely and respectfully told him so.

HTH

talk about contradiction.

first they say useable feedback is considered first. the very next sentence they say it doesn't make sense to keep a product if volume is low.

how they have handled this issue goes a long way to negate the statement that " customer experience is first and foremost ", in my opinion. Wlad reminds me of a lot of people i worked with who were really good at one thing, but somehow were convinced they were great at other things, and didn't really listen to feedback. a stubborn man, if i might say.

when i expressed some reservation about the viability of their business model a while back, i got a lot of responses to the tune of " ahlusion is different, and that they are not tour typical vendor, and that wlad knows what he's doing etc... ".

in my limited transaction with the company, Wlad in particular, i got the strange impression that they considered it my privilege to purchase their juice and that they are doing me a favor. and i also got a sense that they were given a pass by a lot of their customers because their juice was really good and offered at a reasonable price. one particular response went as far as saying Wlad doesn't owe his customers anything, and that he/she likes the fact that Wlad is kind of aloof and not chummy with his customers. fair enough, up to a point. now that some of Wlads decisions is affecting some people directly, i sense a slight change of tune.

for the record, i am not affected by the boba teas, and personally favor a move toward the express line. i am not a fan of over customization, and like my juice to be at it's best, or as close to it as possible, upon receipt. unlike some, i always thought that the fact that their juices change so much as a weakness and not a strength.

one thing everyone agrees to i believe, is that the lack of notice is not good customer appreciation.
 

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PennyLynn

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I just sent in two feedbacks and here is what I added after my comments:
.and I will add my request that you let us know in future before discontinuing a flavor. Many of us vape for better health and may end up relying on one or more of your juices quite heavily. A last chance to stock up on a flavor would be a very thoughtful service for your customers.
 

SeniorBoy

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There is a silver lining here, regardless of the out come, we all got a wake up call of some sort. Be it the business practices of ahlusion, or the fact that we might need to spread or proverbial eggs out to different vendors. I for one will be taking a lot away from this

Golden! :) I apologize in advance for this and don't post in this thread a great deal about the FDA deeming regs but IMHO when the "Final Rule" is published in the Federal Registry you will see panic in the marketplace. Period. Roughly ball park guess about 6 months from today. This of course is NOT the end of the regulatory procedure but still worth noting.

You are all smart enough to understand what needs to start today and not when panic sets in.

Good luck to all

:)
 

Mr.Mann

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talk about contradiction.

first they say useable feedback is considered first. the very next sentence they say it doesn't make sense to keep a product if volume is low.

how they have handled this issue goes a long way to negate the statement that " customer experience is first and foremost ", in my opinion. Wlad reminds me of a lot of people i worked with who were really good at one thing, but somehow were convinced they were great at other things, and didn't really listen to feedback. a stubborn man, if i might say.

when i expressed some reservation about the viability of their business model a while back, i got a lot of responses to the tune of " ahlusion is different, and that they are not tour typical vendor, and that wlad knows what he's doing etc... ".

in my limited transaction with the company, Wlad in particular, i got the strange impression that they considered it my privilege to purchase their juice and that they are doing me a favor. and i also got a sense that they were given a pass by a lot of their customers because their juice was really good and offered at a reasonable price. one particular response went as far as saying Wlad doesn't owe his customers anything, and that he/she likes the fact that Wlad is kind of aloof and not chummy with his customers. fair enough, up to a point. now that some of Wlads decisions is affecting some people directly, i sense a slight change of tune.

for the record, i am not affected by the boba teas, and personally favor a move toward the express line. i am not a fan of over customization, and like my juice to be at it's best, or as close to it as possible, upon receipt. unlike some, i always thought that the fact that their juices change so much as a weakness and not a strength.

one thing everyone agrees to i believe, is that the lack of notice is not good customer appreciation.

I agree with you that no notice is a lack of customer appreciation, or more accurately in my mind, customer consideration. But, whether it's appreciation or consideration, I (and a lot of people) have experienced both -- appreciation and consideration -- far too many times and in far too may ways to let this be more than some bad moves that a business made. I've seen a lot of vendors make a lot of bad moves and sometimes that was the end of our relationship -- but for me, that is not the case here. It's not a pass, it's just an acknowledgement of their fumble(s) put into my larger experience -- and it's still a score. I totally get the irritation, confusion and frustration with this though and wouldn't fault anyone for moving on.
 
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clnire

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I am preparing by learning to make my own NETs (naturally extracted tobacco) and some DIY, but I love certain flavors I have found from vendors. I can't replicate them, but I can manage something good to vape should the need arise.

Until the need sets in I will enjoy the juice I can get. I love so many Ahl flavors that are still available I will not panic, but just think it is strange to pull what appears to us to be popular flavors with no warning or heads up altogether. JMHO.
 
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Mr.Mann

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I like the Strawberry Shortcake much more than the Strawberry Vanilla Cake. Clear, flavorful strawberry and a taste of shortcake. Yum!

Still vaping it! It is delectable. It's so funny too because just a few days ago I could've sworn I had all the Ahl flavors I needed and wasn't concerned at all with any others. Then again, I used to think all I needed was Devil Dog!. Yeah, that was then and this is now. My tastes change so often that they would have to cancel all sales to out-maneuver where I may be at any given moment! Ha.

I know Strawberry Shortcake was around a few years ago, but is it just a new pic that makes me think I hadn't seen it for a while?
 

LisaR

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I agree with you that no notice is a lack of customer appreciation, or more accurately in my mind, customer consideration. But, whether it's appreciation or consideration, I (and a lot of people) have experienced both -- appreciation and consideration -- far too many times and in far too may ways to let this be more than some bad moves that a business made. I've seen a lot of vendors make a lot of bad moves and sometimes that was the end of our relationship -- but for me, that is not the case here. It's not a pass, it's just an acknowledgement of their fumble(s) put into my larger experience -- and it's still a score. I totally get the irritation, confusion and frustration with this though and wouldn't fault anyone for moving on.

As disappointed with the loss of Boba Tea as I am, I don't think I'm going to stop ordering from Ahlusion altogether. Their hit/miss ratio is still far, far better than any other vendor I've tried. I think, for me anyway, the feedback emails and personal responses encouraged me to feel like they actually care about us personally as customers, whereas this really is a business arrangement we have with them. They need to do whatever is profitable for themselves. It does make me realize, as swaycleveland said, that I shouldn't be putting all my eggs in one basket. I think I wouldn't take it so personally if I spread out a little more. I'm still going to miss Boba Tea, though. :(

brushes her hands off, and kicks some dirt over the whole mess...

So, I've tried the TTApple and the TTPear, and I think I prefer the Apple. Can anyone who's had all three give me a comparison on the TTPeach? Is it worth trying next?
 
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y cherry y

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Two things about Boba Tea. First, they also said the House Blends and aros were going away. They're back (and by the way, the aros have always been 15 and 30ml only -- never 10). Second, a couple months ago when I was at the cafe I was shocked to find outdated Boba Tea in the 80% off XPress display. Which probably means it's not as popular as we may have thought.
 

EleanorR

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I wonder if they sold the recipe for Boba Tea. If that's the case, I'd like to know to whom they sold it. I'll gladly give them my business instead.

In the past year I've made 19 orders and spent over $700 on juice. And of everything I've tried, there's still only 5 or so that I feel I can not live without. Boba Tea is one of them.

I don't buy this jazz about >2% feedback. The BTs are ....... delicious and I know they sell. Sales should be the main thing, not feedback. So to discontinue it, without even a warning to he people who have been buying it on a regular basis and have come to rely on it is pretty.... rude.

I feel like if they want to trim the menu, why not start with the duplicates? Do you really need a half dozen peachy or strawberry fruity blends? Do you really need 5 varieties of cha yen, or 5 maple tobaccos?

Boba Tea is totally unique and there's nothing else even close.

Amen. Amen. And AMEN. !!



A little FYI on what just appeared on the AHL Facebook page with respect to no longer available mixes and I'm all shook up like the other KING :)

Bolded by moi below

Question: Lack of feedback? As in feedback emails? Not sales?

THE KING said: "A combination of both, but feedback is considered first. Useable feedback. If the volume is too low on a particular product (or component) it doesn't make sense keeping something in stock, especially if it's costing us more."

Yea I can hear you grumbling and might wonder if I took my meds. / lol in one or more of our threads we talked about emails we get from Wlad and myself in particular along with others. Mine was about breaking links from ECF to the mother ship and how I know from decades of experience that this costs him sales. Guess what...

Wlad is driven by the customer experience FIRST and FOREMOST. It's number one on his list and I'm the first to admit with decades of marketing experience, some of which was BEFORE some of YOU were born, /lol I used to have trouble wrapping my head around that! NOT sales first.

It's the way he roles. I respect that and am fine with it. Doesn't mean that is the way I would run a ecommerce site but heck, that's just me.

EDIT: the lack of a warning for a given mix that he intends to "nuke" is unacceptable and I politely and respectfully told him so.

HTH

Good for you! I still can't quite wrap my mind around this . . .


Hi there ...
I just received my first order of Ahlusion juice. I am hearing that I need to take the tops off and let them steep for 48 hrs right?? I have been looking through threads trying to get to know the process a bit better, but I definitely want to get the steep going. Also, what are the express flavors? Pre steeped?

I like sweet flavors so I'm starting with...

Strawberry Vanilla Cake, Bananas Foster, and Car Mal Mabo, which btw seems to be gone from the list of available flavors. All are 18mg. I am old school and use my provari's with a phiniac tank, and/or Aspire Nautilus mini, which I also just started using.

Is there anymore must know information I need to get started with these juices? Also, the only tobacco flavor I use is Halo, tribecca. Which of Ahlusion tobacco flavors would you suggest I try?? Hope it's Devil dog because it has a bulldog on the label. ;)

Thanks for the help guys. I'm really looking forward to trying a line of juice I've heard so much about.


Hi Bully Mom!! Please, please DON'T get Devil Dog -- I don't think that super-gruff aromatic tobacco would be in your wheelhouse AT ALL!! Instead, I would strongly recommend the Caramel Wild Wood! :)
 

Mazinny

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I agree with you that no notice is a lack of customer appreciation, or more accurately in my mind, customer consideration. But, whether it's appreciation or consideration, I (and a lot of people) have experienced both -- appreciation and consideration -- far too many times and in far too may ways to let this be more than some bad moves that a business made. I've seen a lot of vendors make a lot of bad moves and sometimes that was the end of our relationship -- but for me, that is not the case here. It's not a pass, it's just an acknowledgement of their fumble(s) put into my larger experience -- and it's still a score. I totally get the irritation, confusion and frustration with this though and wouldn't fault anyone for moving on.

We usually form an opinion, based on our personal interaction with someone and rarely based on someone elses. So it's perfectly normal for people to have diferent opinions. My entire interaction with Ahlusion consists of two telephone calls and three emails, none of which had the outcome i had hoped for. The tone and manner of Wlads responses rubbed me the wrong way as well.

It had no effect on how and what i ordered though. To date i have ordered nineteen juices from them, i found two of them unvapeable, six of them vapeable but not really for me, and eleven of them quite good. Out of those eleven, i will reorder four of them for as long as they stock them. I won't stop ordering because i thought they brushed me off when i called. That would be spiting myself. I won't be trying new flavors though, mostly because i have already tried those flavors that were appealing to me, and also because at some point i need to stop sampling new flavors, I already have about fifteen juices i re-order and that is enough of a variety for me.
 

DJLEC

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I like sweet flavors so I'm starting with...Strawberry Vanilla Cake, Bananas Foster, and Car Mal Mabo, which btw seems to be gone from the list of available flavors. All are 18mg. I am old school and use my provari's with a phiniac tank, and/or Aspire Nautilus mini, which I also just started using.

Also, the only tobacco flavor I use is Halo, tribecca. Which of Ahlusion tobacco flavors would you suggest I try?? Hope it's Devil dog because it has a bulldog on the label.

I am also Old School since I am a Provari & Carto Tank type of guy.

Have to echo EleanorR's recommendation for the Caramel Wild Wood, but I am very biased and would add the Maple and Vanilla Wild Woods. Also take a look at Smooth Criminal and Just Criminal.

Take a look at Peppermint Bark also.

Of your choices you will Love the Bananas Foster, and the Car-Mal Mambo is a Carto/Coil Clogger of the highest degree.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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LisaR

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Of your choices you will Love the Bananas Foster, and the Car-Mal Mambo is a Carto/Coil Clogger of the highest degree.

Truer words were never spoken! It's delicious, but I can't get through the tiny tank on a T3 mini without clogging a brand-new coil. Love the flavor, but I have a 30ml bottle I might never get to the end of because it's so much trouble!

Strawberry Shortcake > Strawberry Vanilla Cake (as Shari pointed out).

Hmmm... I was thinking that I needed to try SVC soon, but maybe SSC should be first!
 

ShariR

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Strawberry Shortcake > Strawberry Vanilla Cake (as Shari pointed out).

For some reason the Strawberry Vanilla Cake and the Blueberry Vanilla Cake do not taste good to me. I think I do not like the cake flavor base. I lose the fruit taste or it is getting muddled with a strange flavor profile to my tastebuds. I have a couple of bottles of both and at different ages and it did not get better for me. Two no go's out of many great flavors; I can live with that.
 

DJLEC

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For some reason the Strawberry Vanilla Cake and the Blueberry Vanilla Cake do not taste good to me. I think I do not like the cake flavor base. I lose the fruit taste or it is getting muddled with a strange flavor profile to my tastebuds.

I am with you on the Blueberry Vanilla Cake. After my recent multi flavor Garage Work/Vapeathon I tried the BVC at the end, and it also did not taste good to me with the Cake base.

Once I shifted gears to my Vanilla Wild Wood everything was right in my vape world so I gave the BVC up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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