Russell's Apiaries

**MTINAZ** · 08-30-2011, 05:01 PM

I have sent over 5 emails over the past 3-4 weeks about canceling a queen order and still nothing. I still plan on ordering more from them in the future. I just seem to have bad luck with things like this.

**rrussell6870** · 08-30-2011, 05:16 PM

Send me a pm with your info and I can take a look at it for you. Our staff is a bit over run again with setting up schedules for next season as well as a huge wave of fall queen orders. If anyone has troubles getting through to the office, shoot me a pm so I can take a little of the load off of them. Thanks.

**MTINAZ** · 08-31-2011, 11:41 AM

Will do. I understand you guys get really really busy. Just not hearing anything is really fustrating. I rather hear bad news.

**BobsBees** · 08-31-2011, 03:47 PM

I place an order and had problems, so much so i did not think i would get my order. But communication is as important as the product. I would give Russell's a C - regarding it. With unemplyment % very high, you need to hire a customer service person Full Time.

**JohnAllen** · 08-31-2011, 04:02 PM

I am very pleased with the quality of the Sunkist bees that I received this year and am happy to cut Russell Apiaries some slack when it comes to communication. I know they are an honest business with a great product and am grateful that they take the time to deal with small orders.

**MTINAZ** · 08-31-2011, 05:07 PM

I agree and think that the quality of product will be worth the wait and hassel.

**rrussell6870** · 08-31-2011, 05:24 PM

Bobsbees, we have six full time office staff members... honestly, I have told people over and over that if they just want any old queen, they need to go else where... the only reason that we are offering these queens to the public is to try to help the industry that has record lows in production and record highs in losses... we lost a lot of money by doing so, including having to add the annual wages and equipment of the extra office staff... but I justify the losses by looking at it as an investment towards the future of our industry... product is far more important than customer support in my book, as I have made it clear, if you just want queens, by them elsewhere, if you want to get quality genetics in your apiaries that resist pests naturally, are not inbred or hybrids from usda primorskies, and will add productivity and survivability to your own bees, then we can help... we are nearing the 80,000 queen mark for this season and we answer hundreds of emails, phone calls, and letters everyday from bee keepers all over the world that are seeking help with their management practices, so yes, we are very busy and hard to reach... we do not and will not bank queens for "off the shelf service", so shipments are delayed at times... but they do get out, and they are of top quality when they do... Almost any question that anyone could have is already answered several times over in the forums here and on our site... aside from that, quality is top priority... we can tell you about your order all day long, but then who would be working on making better queens, genetics, and helping the thousands that are stuck in a rut?

**Specialkayme** · 08-31-2011, 07:29 PM

I for one am very thankful for the way things are done. I would rather have you in the yards breeding top quality queens than answering my simple questions.

Thank you for the products, and thank you for making them available to us.