What is the Dinkins Difference?

Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

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When we first started this business back in 2021, we wanted to stand out from the crowd and do something radically different. We decided to treat customers the way we wanted to be treated. The result is an intense focus on customer service and quality that we call "the Dinkins Difference."

We're a tiny company (just Ashley and myself), and as a small company we want each customer to know how important they are to us. Every order gets a handwritten, personalized thank you card along with stickers and other goodies. We know that we're shipping live animals and plants, so we spend the extra money on insulated styrofoam boxes to keep them well-protected on their cross-country journey. We only use biodegradable styrofoam, because we care about the oceans and our environmental footprint.

We try very hard to go the extra mile for our customers - densely packing every bottle of copepods and sending the darkest green phyto we can produce. We know that communication is key, so we strive to answer emails and messages the same day. We're definitely not perfect, but when we make a mistake we do everything in our power to make it right. If anything goes wrong during shipping and your products are DOA, we don't make you jump through hoops or send pictures. We just take your word for it, and reship your products at our expense.

We specialize in only four things: phytoplankton, copepods, amphipods, and berghia nudibranchs. That means we can devote all our time and resources to producing the best possible phyto and pods (and amphipods and berghia). The result is small-batch quality, because these four products are all we do.

The Dinkins Difference isn't some cute alliteration or corporate slogan - that's how we run our company. We want to show you the Dinkins Difference - to show you what happens when you're treated the same way that we would like to be treated. Thank you so much to all the customers who have trusted us and let us show them the Dinkins Difference. To anybody who might be on the fence, come try us out. I think you'll be happy at the difference you see!
 
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Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

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The Dinkins Difference - It's About YOU

The Dinkins Difference is about actually being different. Our customers are our livelihood - and we've organized our business with that singular philosophy in mind.

Have you ever bought anything from a company, and it seemed that the entire transaction centered around them and their needs? As a small business, we truly appreciate each and every individual customer. Ashley hand-writes thank you cards for every order. She even keeps a spreadsheet so that a customer will never get the same sticker twice. When you message or email us, we treat you as an actual person.

We know your mandarin can't wait on us to return from vacation to be fed, so we take breaks only when UPS is closed for a holiday. We know you can't wait forever for us to return from a tradeshow, so Ashley and I drive through the night to be home in time to ship every single week. These aren't sacrifices to us - we LOVE what we do, and feeding your reef is incredibly rewarding to us. We live to serve you - not the other way around!

Top-quality products backed by concierge-level customer service. That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - Selling Visible Copepods

The Dinkins Difference is all about being different. Did you know that we don't sell any microscopic copepods? We believe in the adage "trust, but verify" and we want you to be able to see the quality of what you're buying with your own eyes.

So take that bottle of pods and give it a little shake.* Now shine a light directly under the bottle and check out the density that we pack in each bottle! That's the Dinkins Difference.

*Our copepods are benthic - they like to crawl on surfaces such as the sand or rocks to look for and eat detritus. As such, they intentionally swim to the bottom of the bottle and cluster there.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - Shipping for Survival

The Dinkins Difference is about actually being different. We ship all our products in biodegradable styrofoam boxes via two day shipping.

You'll never have to pay extra for a styrofoam box "upgrade" or to add additional ice/heat packs to your order. You'll never have to pay extra to "upgrade" to two day shipping. You'll never, NEVER, have to check your own weather and be responsible for buying extras to protect your purchase.

You ordered a living product from us, and it's 100% our responsibility to get that product to you alive. No matter what. That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - A True Live Delivery Guarantee

The Dinkins Difference is all about being different. Our live delivery guarantee is really simple - there is no fine print and no jumping through hoops.

We don't ask for pictures or videos of the dead product. We don't make you pay the cost of shipping you a new order. We don't do refunds to "store credit." We don't do hassle or funny business at all.

Just send us an email to let us know things weren't right. We'll take your word for it, and reship your order completely free of charge. A business that actually trusts its customers? That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - Listening

The Dinkins Difference is about actually being different. We know that you have a busy life, and nobody likes to sit around and wonder when their order is going to arrive.

We offer a delivery calendar at checkout, which allows YOU to choose the delivery day that works best for YOUR schedule. If something changes, or your forgot to select a date, just email us and we can almost certainly accommodate you. That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - Communication

The Dinkins Difference means actually being different. Our goal is to respond to all emails within a few hours, or a day at most. Your email isn't ever going to go into some black hole where it isn't answered. You're not going to have to wait days as a ticket is assigned and your request is routed to a low-level employee. An AI bot will never answer our Facebook Messenger or our PMs on here.

At Dinkins, Ashley and I are the owners and the only employees. You will hear directly from one of us. Customer service is the most important part of our business, and we'll never outsource or delegate it. That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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The Dinkins Difference - Customer Service

The Dinkins Difference is about actually being different. Customer service is our absolute top priority. You can buy your pods and phyto from many different vendors. You trust us because we have top-notch quality, and we back that up with concierge-level customer service.

Our entire brand depends on our quality and our service. How do you know that you'll get quality products from Dinkins? How do you know that we'll treat you right? Our reputation depends on it. With us, the customer is always right. Seriously. That's the Dinkins Difference.
 
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We've also reorganized the website and created a few new pages to explain the Dinkins Difference better. Check out our new menus, now consolidated into:

Shop
Dinkins Difference
FAQ & Sizing Guide
Contact Us

 

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Thank you so much. Yesterday I received two gallons of phyto and two gallons of pods. It was a large box, everything was beautifully packaged. The phyto is a very rich green, already in the refrigerator. The pods were transferred to the tank overnight. Excellent service, I will definitely order from you again.
 
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Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

Dinkins Aquatic Gardens

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Thank you so much. Yesterday I received two gallons of phyto and two gallons of pods. It was a large box, everything was beautifully packaged. The phyto is a very rich green, already in the refrigerator. The pods were transferred to the tank overnight. Excellent service, I will definitely order from you again.
I'm so glad that everything arrived in great shape. This is exactly what we aim to do and we appreciate you immensely!
 

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