Archive for the ‘Good Experiences’ Category

Sample This

05
May
2008

Every 6 weeks or so, I receive a catalog from a company that offers different types of skin and makeup products -they’re called DHC. Some items actually have olive oil in them and remarkably don’t cause breakouts, but instead leave your face completely clean and smooth. However, this is not a testimony to the product line (which seems fabulous IMHO) but more to their way of marketing.

Outside of pen, calendar and other promotional product companies, these folks are the only ones I can think of that send real samples of their items, usually their best sellers (simply genius move!) and they also include samples of your choosing in your order. The samples are small for sure, but they do give you a micro-glimpse of the power of their products. It’s the ultimate “try before you buy” example and for me, one reason I continue to do business with them. As a business, what kind of “trial offer” can you provide your potential or even current customers?

Read more / No Comments

Waters Shines

01
May
2008

Last night I had an opportunity to see Roger Waters in concert in Denver, what a show! Visuals, great music and well-rehearsed pieces were only part of the experience. What struck me is the utter professionalism of everything. For for die hard fan, you would have been hard pressed to find flaw in any song -truly every note was spot on, every nuance of the recorded songs seemed snuggly in place. The set list was a sublime blend of pieces of Pink Floyd’s best songs along with Waters’ own works – something for everyone with a brain. The lights, video and other props were all beautifully integrated into the show. These performers collectively knew exactly what they were delivering to their audience and they did so with exuberance and smiles. There was no sloppiness, no slurring, no staggering. It was quite honestly the tightest concert I can recall seeing, and trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of concerts of most genres. Some leave your scratching your head and this one did too, but in a different way – why aren’t all shows like this? Why do we settle for mediocrity when we spend our hard-earned money?

So what does all this have to do with marketing or customer service? Everything. I left this concert with the feeling that while expensive, it was worth every cent. I left knowing that I got value for my money and that I had just gotten a taste of a finely packaged product and everyone else there did, too. Is your business doing this? It doesn’t need to be on this grand scale, but certainly with this level of purpose. Oh, and here are some pics shared by a fellow concert-goer.

Read more / No Comments

Nice Shot

10
Apr
2008

Those who know me know I like a little latte. I’m embarrassed to say I bought a used espresso machine off Craigslist just to satisfy my love of them and to spare some of the enormous expense of having them on the road. Don’t get me wrong, I can go a day or week without coffee, but I just really enjoy the flavor, the aroma and of course, the feeling of being spoiled a bit. One day this week, I experienced something different at my local Starbucks. Now before you start booing these guys, I actually admit I like their business model and the overall experience they offer consumers. I must not be alone, they had over $9 Billion in sales in 2007, so someone needs to come clean ;) Any way, back to the story – I was at one of the kiosks in a local supermarket. As I waffled between flavors, the girl behind the counter was really vibrant (maybe infused with coffee herself) and chirps, “Want a triple?” Well, now that you mention it, that sounded like a great idea. What occurred to me is she just “up sold” me, but not in that typical “super size” way. She probably picked up on my “I hate shopping” attitude and knew a little espresso might perk me right up. I got the triple shot. It was delicious, thanks Starbucks girl. You made my day a bit brighter and made your company a little more money by being aware of the consumer.

Read more / No Comments

Bad Shipper Makes Good

09
Apr
2008

It’s funny what a difference a day or two can make. After posting my horrific experience with my satellite radio service, a few days later I had an experience that went from bad to good in one short call. This week I ordered paper – a lot of paper. I print a lot. Any way, I had a morning meeting, so wasn’t around when the delivery arrived, otherwise who knows how things might have gone. When I get back, I find two large boxes waiting for me, clearly my order. One of them, no joke, looks like it’s been hit by a car: taped up, scraped like it had been dragged down the road. I haul both boxes in and unpack them; the first box was fine, everything was intact and the paper was nicely tucked in the reams. The other box, well, all I can say is “they tried”; the first couple reams were split open, which would have been okay, until I got about halfway down the box and found dirty, ruined paper -a few reams were split open completely, I’m not even sure all 500 sheets were in their respective reams. They taped it in so it wouldn’t move. Nice…not.

Alright, I know things can happen, but this was a bad patch job and I wasn’t going to just leave things alone and put these sheets in the recycle bin without a fight. I called the supplier, which happens to also be a very successful overnight shipper. I told them what happened and she actually apologized profusely and gave me several options; they could replace the damaged reams, they could credit me for them, which did I prefer? It was refreshing to be given options, it was refreshing to have a supplier accept responsibility for a mistake, then willingly and without argument, correct it.

Read more / No Comments
Newer Entries »