Discovering Encouragen
I stumbled upon Encouragen while searching for a unique gift for my sister. The website looked clean and fairly easy to navigate, which immediately drew me in. Moreover, the initial banner boasting free shipping on orders over $39 caught my attention. Who doesn’t love free shipping?
Product Selection and Website Usability
The product categories were clearly laid out: Health & Beauty, Clothing & Accessories, Pet Supplies, and Houseware. My sister is a big fan of all things cozy, so I decided to browse the Houseware section. I quickly found a knitted throw blanket that looked incredibly soft and came in her favorite color, a muted teal.
Navigating the site was generally straightforward. However, the search function could use some improvement. When I initially typed “teal blanket,” it returned several irrelevant items. I had to refine my search terms a few times to get to the right product. Aside from that minor hiccup, the product pages were informative, with decent photos and clear descriptions of the materials and dimensions. It gave me a good sense of what I was buying, which is essential when shopping online.
Checkout Process
Adding the blanket to my cart was simple, and I proceeded to checkout. The process felt secure, and they offered a few different payment options, including PayPal, which I appreciated. Inputting my shipping address and billing information was pretty standard. They didn’t bombard me with unnecessary upsells or confusing prompts. It was simple, seamless, and pretty quick.
Delivery and Packaging
The estimated delivery time was about a week, which seemed reasonable. To my surprise, the blanket arrived a day earlier than expected! The packaging was simple but effective. The blanket came in a sturdy plastic bag, protecting it from any potential damage during shipping. It wasn’t fancy, but it got the job done.
Product Quality
This is where Encouragen truly shined. The knitted throw blanket was even softer and cozier than it looked online. The color was exactly as depicted, and the quality of the material felt excellent. It was well-made and didn’t have any loose threads or imperfections. My sister absolutely loves it! It quickly became her go-to blanket for snuggling up on the couch. Furthermore, it was well worth the price I paid, and I genuinely feel like I got a high-quality item.
Customer Support (Slight Hiccup)
Initially, I didn’t need to contact customer support, since the product was delivered on time, and I was thrilled with its overall quality. However, I did have a question about the blanket’s washing instructions a few weeks later. I tried using the “Contact Us” form on their website, and it took them almost three days to respond. While they eventually answered my question (machine wash cold, tumble dry low), the response time was significantly slow. They could definitely improve in this area. Better yet, they should add these instruction in the details of the item being purchased to avoid the consumer having to seek out customer service.
Overall Impression
My experience with Encouragen was mostly positive. Despite the slight delay in customer service response time, the ease of navigating the website, checkout experience, speedy delivery and high-quality of the throw blanket exceeded expectations. I value product quality above all else, and Encouragen definitely delivered on that front. Because the quality was exceptional, and I am not the kind of consumer to complain, I would certainly consider purchasing from them again, even if the product selection is fairly limited. As long as they can improve their customer support response time, Encouragen has the potential to become a great online shopping destination. They have room to improve, but overall, I am one happy customer! I would absolutely purchase the same type of product as a gift to others.
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