Gettin’ Sweaty With Betty At The Betty Crocker Online Store!
Written: Nov 28 '02 (Updated Nov 28 '02)
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The Betty Crocker name has always meant quality to me. From the cookbooks to the food products, cooking paraphernalia to somewhat annoying Better Crocker Points – it seems that Betty is everywhere you look these days. I came across the website when doing a search for a cookie recipe last year and have been a regular visitor ever since. The site is a nice balance between recipes, an online store and a user-friendly guide to cooking. Regardless of your cooking skills or accomplishments in the kitchen – if you have a love of food chances are this site will appeal to you. When I recommended this site to a friend she said “Betty Crocker? You mean the people that make Hamburger Helper?” There is more to the Betty Crocker line of products than prepacked cookie mixes, frostings and instant potatoes and I’m sure that after you spend some time at the site you’ll agree with that statement 110%.
Site Navigation
Getting around the site is effortless and all the sections are clearly labeled. If you ever get lost while wandering around the site simple click on the big red spoon located in the top left corner to take you back to the main page. The main page of the site changes often and usually revolves around the next major holiday or change of season. If I had to give this a rating between 1 – 10, with ten being the best rating possible, I would have to say that this gets a very solid nine. The search engine that is built into the site doesn’t provide the best results which is frustrating to say the least. If you try to do an inquiry about gift certificates you get no results even though there are numerous references to them at the site [participate in a survey to win one, how to redeem them etc].
The site is broke up into several sections that allow you to get the most of the site as a whole, this allows you to take your time when checking out the site but always having the option to skip around to different parts if you desire to do so.
Learn
A great place for those just getting into baking, cooking, entertaining or planning a special event. One of the best parts of this section is the highly informative chart section that allows you to see how long to cook a turkey, how many servings you can get out of a cake and which apples are perfect for tarts, pies and snacking. Aside from the recipe section, this is the part of the site that I visit most often for cooking needs.
View
This section showcases the new products from Betty Crocker as well as all the ongoing promotions and specials. You get a product breakdown, description and suggestions on how the Betty Crocker food and desert products can simplify your life and make mealtime a bit more enjoyable. Within most of the product sections you’ll find the different flavors or sizes that are available, a Frequently Asked Questions section and alternative recipes.
Shop
Check out the latest products you can purchase through the site, order a catalog or scope out the sale items – all this and more is at your fingertips when you visit this part of the site. You even have the option to view actual pages of the catalog and use your Better Crocker points for additional savings.
Find
The perfect place for those addicted to cookbooks and magazines about cooking, baking and celebrating food. You can opt to subscribe to the magazine through the site or simply check out the different cookbooks that are available. Depending on when you visit the site you might see seasonal cookbooks or just general ones for everyday use.
Access
In order to use this portion of the site you need to create a free account. This takes about 15 seconds and allows you to bookmark the various recipes that you come across while at the site. You can either have them saved at the site or you can print them when you are done checking out the site.
Outlet Shop
This is one section that I check often since you never know what goodies might turn up there. One of the nicest parts about this section of the site is that you are shown exactly how many items are left in stock. This means you can see if you need to place and order that very second or if it can wait a few days. Kids toys, kitchen items, gifts, seasonal products and even flatware pop up here from time to time so it’s well worth thirty seconds of your time to see if anything new had been added to the section. In almost all cases you’ll be given a complete description of the item, at least one photo, original price, sale price, savings amount, quantity remaining in stock and the ability to email the page to a friend. This is most helpful when you know someone has been looking for a certain item and you want to point it out to them.
Special Offers
Don’t confuse this section with that of the Outlet Shop because these are two completely different sections. If it hadn’t been for me mistaking the two while looking for a gift for my niece I would have never found this very appealing section of the site. While there aren’t a tremendous amount of products in this section – the ones that are listed are incredible. I finally found the perfect gift for my niece – a kids flatware set that I know no one else will be purchasing for her. For $9.99 I was able to pick up a five piece flatware set that will grow with her and since she absolutely loves bunny rabbits – being able to get this design on the Oneida silverware made it all the more special. To check out this special offer check out this URL www.bettycrocker.com/bettystore/images/fsi/large/GM0127Bunny5Set.jpg
Merchandise
There are two main shopping sections at the site – The Betty Crocker Catalog and the Making A Home Catalog. It’s a little hard to define these two separate sections since a lot of the same products are sold in both of them. The Betty Crocker Catalog sells flatware, kids toys, Fiestaware, home accents and decorations, seasonal items, more kitchen gadgets than you can shake a stick at and assorted cook and bake ware. They have a great little section for getting organized as well. One of my favorite purchases from the site has to be the stainless steel two tier dish drying rack. I never saw a two tier one and when I came across it at the site I just had to order one. Sure it was a little on the expensive side [a little over $40.00] but it has really taken the chore out of washing dishes.
The Making A Home Catalog carries a lot of the same products featured in the Betty Crocker Catalog but is geared more towards home decorating, cookbooks, entertaining, planning events and home accents. A majority of the items in this section aren’t really appealing to me since they have a sort of ‘country feel’ to them – a theme that just doesn’t do anything for me. The three major seasonal that are pushed through the catalog are Thanksgiving, Christmas and Halloween. You can find anything from silver reindeer to pumpkin shaped casserole dishes. I do have to admit – I couldn’t pass up on the glass pumpkin shaped serving dishes and bowls, they are great for making individual desert dishes or for pudding.
Both catalogs can be viewed page by page at the site or in a full page view by clicking the “view catalog” icon at the top right hand side of the page. This is helpful if you want to see a little more information about the products or a different set of photos.
Methods of Payment
The site accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. If you wish to pay by check or money order you might want to do your shopping from the catalog since the site doesn’t currently have the capabilities to handle such payment options. If you need help, please call the toll free customer service number at [800] 328 – 8360 for assistance with this matter. I’ve only used my MasterCard for purchases and so far all of them have been accurate, to the penny and the same price shown in the checkout area of my shopping cart. I’ve never been double billed or had additional fees tacked on to the total.
Shipping Fees
Shipping fees are calculated by the weight of your item as well as the distance from their facility to your physical address. From the items that I have ordered I would have to say that shipping fees are average providing that you aren’t ordering anything that is over 20 pounds. It’s almost impossible to pinpoint what the shipping fees are since there is no shipping chart or predetermined or set standard. Here are a few examples from some of my most recent orders: a large 420 page cookbook set me back $4.95 for shipping and the flatware I ordered for my niece [3 sets total] – a mere $2.00. You can add items to your shopping cart to see what the shipping fee will be or call the toll free number for assistance. Overall the fees are not outrageous so don’t be afraid to browse the shopping portion of the site for fear that the shipping fees will kill you.
Return Policy
If you are unsatisfied with your purchase you can return it postage free to the site for a credit, exchange or extremely prompt refund. I’ve placed several orders through the site and each and every time I received my order I was provided with a postage prepaid label that could be used to return the goods if they were not to my liking. This is almost unheard of with other sites and it shows that the site really is dedicated to your overall satisfaction. I’ve not had to make a return to the site yet [knock wood] but it is nice to know that the prepaid mailing label is available if it is needed. One thing that should be pointed out is that you will still have to wait in line at the post office to get this in the mail – the exception being if it is under the size and weight restrictions set by the United States Post Office.
Contact Information
For your convenience you can contact Betty Crocker’s customer service representatives from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday Central Standard Time at [800] 328 - 8360. Email service is always available and can be accessed through the site at the following URL www.bettycrocker.com/bettystore/asp/cForm.asp?GMISID=59
You can also contact Betty Crocker using their fax number at [763] 764 – 7432.
www.bettycrocker.com
bettycrocker@mail.genmills.com
The Bottom Line
The Betty Crocker site is a great resource for those that have a love of food and cooking. Being able to get recipes, look up measurements and cooking times, ordering unique gifts and getting information on the newest Betty Crocker food products available at stores are just a few of the things that you can do at the site. Your satisfaction is guaranteed when you make a purchase and the simple fact that they provide you with a prepaid mailing label to make a return makes me a very happy repeat customer. If you are looking to do some holiday shopping or just to add a few more items to your kitchen I highly recommend the Betty Crocker online store.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2002 Freak369
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