# Why I Love L.L. Bean **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603 "2012-08-15T20:38:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/1 "2012-08-15T20:38:02Z")
I called L.L. Bean last night to see about exchanging the belt I ordered from them (too big, fancy that). [ol] [li]The number was plainly visible on the invoice. There was no sleazy attempt to hide it.[/li][li]The call was answered after two rings.[/li][li]The call was answered by a human being.[/li][li]The person who answered my call was also the person who handled the exchange. There was no passing me to other departments.[/li][li]She was friendly and helpful.[/li][/ol] I love doing business with L.L. Bean. Their stuff is pretty good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/2 "2012-08-15T20:42:46Z")
You should send them a letter and let them know. That stuff can really make a difference to some people and companies would be better off knowing that. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/3 "2012-08-15T20:43:57Z")
Good point. I’ll do that tonight. ---
**Author:** ![akennett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee59a6/32.png) [@akennett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/akennett)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/4 "2012-08-15T20:55:18Z")
Yeah, L.L. Bean is great for that sort of thing. Last time I ordered something from them (a backpack), I was wondering why it took so long to show up, so I checked the tracking info. Surprise! It was listed as delivered, but I had no backpack. I called them up, assured them there was nowhere the package could be that I didn’t see it, and she said they’d send a new one out right away, which they did – 2-day delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/5 "2012-08-15T23:23:40Z")
I love L.L. Bean. Especially their school backpacks. We’ve only ever had great service from them. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/6 "2012-08-15T23:27:07Z")
My stirring tribute to LLBean. I live right down the road from it. [http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s](http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s) ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/7 "2012-08-15T23:46:47Z")
I’ll have to agree - good products, good prices, good service. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/8 "2012-08-16T01:06:29Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > My stirring tribute to LLBean. I live right down the road from it. > > [http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s](http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s) 😃 Very good description of the parking lot scene. But yes, their service almost makes me believe there is hope. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/9 "2012-08-16T01:19:23Z")
My only problem with them is with sizing–or should I say my particular body size. The last couple of things I ordered, the medium was a little too small and the large was a little too big. Not their fault of course, but I had for pay for return shipping, and and I ended up with no shirt and no windbreaker. Their “Explorer Pants” from back in the 80s were the absolute best pair of outdoor/camping pants I’ve ever owned. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/10 "2012-08-16T01:33:46Z")
I was wearing a hudson bay blanket coat previously belonging to my grandmother and purchased sometime back in the 1930s, the person spotted the damaged zipper, and took it off to be repaired, they also fixed the pocket lining which had a hole in it by replacing the entire lining. Free. 50 years or so after the original purchase. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/11 "2012-08-16T02:18:30Z")
I am a big llbean fan. I bought a lot of collared tees back in the day. It annoyed me that they all shrunk in different weird ways. Some got short, some got skinny, I lined them all up in a row, took a picture of them and llbean replaced them all. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/12 "2012-08-16T02:47:12Z")
LL Bean used to offer a lightweight pullover sweater they called the “Bluejeans Sweater.” I loved that sweater. I wore the ones I owned to shreds. Then they discontinued it. I wrote in and bitched. No joy. Fast-forward to 4 years ago. I get an e-mail from Bean advising me that they have reintroduced the sweater under a different name, and that I should try one. Joy! What kind of company keeps that kind of track of their customers? LL Bean, that’s who. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/13 "2012-08-16T03:33:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > LL Bean used to offer a lightweight pullover sweater they called the “Bluejeans Sweater.” I loved that sweater. I wore the ones I owned to shreds. Then they discontinued it. I wrote in and bitched. No joy. > > Fast-forward to 4 years ago. > > I get an e-mail from Bean advising me that they have reintroduced the sweater under a different name, and that I should try one. > > Joy! > > What kind of company keeps that kind of track of their customers? LL Bean, that’s who. So what do they call it now? ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/14 "2012-08-16T03:47:15Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I was wearing a hudson bay blanket coat previously belonging to my grandmother and purchased sometime back in the 1930s, the person spotted the damaged zipper, and took it off to be repaired, they also fixed the pocket lining which had a hole in it by replacing the entire lining. Free. 50 years or so after the original purchase. That is AMAZING. Wow. That’s a commercial all in itself! ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/15 "2012-08-16T03:48:24Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > So what do they call it now? yes, please share! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/16 "2012-08-16T04:20:43Z")
They still call it a [Blue Jean Sweater](http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/65719?pi=1084474&bv=product-_-1138-_-RLP-_-IG107433-_-productname_link&qs=3000086), but you can’t order it on-line. You have to call the operator. Which isn’t a bad deal, cuz they’re really friendly, even on New Year’s Eve and you are drunk. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/17 "2012-08-16T04:47:57Z")
Almost every men’s thing they sell is available in tall sizes. Love that. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/18 "2012-08-16T05:23:54Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > My stirring tribute to LLBean. I live right down the road from it. > > [http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s](http://tapu-tapu-tapu.blogspot.com/search?q=bean%27s) From that link: > [@](#): > > Now for my favorite part of Bean’s: the parking lots. Bean’s has, like, a thousand parking lots. And each parking lot is named after an animal so that you can better recall which lot is yours. There was a mall in St. Paul that had the parking lots named after animals. I was there once, probably 22 years ago, and to this day I remember where I parked. _A law was made a distant moon ago here July and August cannot be too hot And there’s a legal limit to the snow here In camel lot_ ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/19 "2012-08-16T21:33:57Z")
My dad buys a certain kind of slippers they sell. They wore out as they tend to do, and on one of my parents’ trips up to Northern Maine, they stopped at LL Bean to see if they could get a new pair. They not only replaced the slippers, but refunded him about $.50 because the old slippers were more expensive than the new ones, even though they were the same kind. Talk about customer service! ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603/20 "2012-08-17T12:12:25Z")
Marketing consultants uses the phrase “moment of truth” to define instances when a company can define itself to a customer. For instance, when a Southwest ticket agent momentarily leaves her desk at a busy terminal to console an obviously distraught and confused teenager who missed her connecting flight, and directs a skycap to walk her through the process of getting a meal voucher and hotel room. The teenager and her parents are now probably loyal Southwest customers. L.L. Bean seems to go out of their way to look for these moments of truth, and it seems to be paying off. Readers here who never considered buying from L.L. Bean might reconsider based on what we’ve been saying. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-love-l-l-bean/631603.md?page=2)