Viking Office Products

Full review
I've been ordering from Viking for a very long time. While they are not perfect they do an excellent job. One of my main criteria for company performance is delivery. With Viking, I can order today and have it in 2 days. With that type of consistent delivery performance I end up rating a store very highly. Yes, you'll "hear" my good and bad about them, but Viking is truly one of my favorites.

The Web
This is probably my least liked area. Sometimes finding a product can be confusing. Yes, I usually find what I need, but sometimes you have to take some different routes. For example, I've had to order the same appointment book every year and I must enter the number on the back of the book to locate it. It appears that all the items don't show up when you do a general search by category. I guess when you have so many products, it may be difficult to categorize everything perfectly. But of course, I just may be dense.

The Selection
Great selections in numerous areas. Do they have everything I want???? No, but they have a great variety, plus some things that I usually wouldn't order from an office supply company, like bottled water and snacks.

The Prices
Prices are excellent. Lowest in some areas and just low in others. I've found better "deals" from other companies on somethings, but I resist changing to a different company based on a couple of dollars. Some of the items ordered from Viking must be bought in greater bulk than some may wish, but normally businesses are quite comfortable with the minimums that are required.

Delivery, Accuracy & Service
My intro gave you the reason that I love and use this company. Except on special order items, like checks and deposit slips, I can expect my delivery in two days. The numerous warehouses they have across the U.S. speeds up delivery.
I've ordered dozens of times from Viking and I don't ever remember them messing up anything on the order. It never ceases to amaze me how some companies rarely mess up and others seem to rarely get it correct. I believe one of the strengths of internet ordering is that there is normally a "written" verification of the order. With a phone order, the person on the other end may misunderstand you or in some cases you can barely understand them. With the internet, I know if it is their mistake or mine.

Other Important Stuff
The minimum for free shipping is very reasonable; at this point it is free through 12/31/05 (the normal minimum is $25). Yes, it is true they have a small handling & processing fee ($1.98), but I come across numerous companies that charge so much for shipping and handling that it isn't worth buying at their really low prices.

My experience with Viking has never been bad. They are fast, have really great prices and low minimums. For businesses like ours, you sometimes need something yesterday, and while Viking can't get it to you yesterday, they do get it to you quickly.