Category Archives: customer experience

FOWTOGS and Other Thoughts On Getting Customer Feedback

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Lately I’ve noticed a lot of what I will call  fowtogs.

It stands for fear.of.what.the.other.guy.says.

Feedback can be scary. It’s never fun to hear that what you are pouring your blood sweat and tears into isn’t working–or that it’s or ugly, dysfunctional or broken.

However, if you indeed are pouring blood, sweat and tears–it seems counter-intuitive that you wouldn’t want to hear what will get you to your goal easier, faster, better….

Someone’s seeming insensitive criticism could provide you with the “the golden ticket,” “the missing link,” “the missing ingredient” etc etc.

Business isn’t a lottery. Rarely does anyone get lucky or win. But the clever ones get help–and more importantly they ask for feedback. Their desire to “win” is stronger than their fowtogs.


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Did You Know Your Customers Call You “Whole Paycheck?”

We know that the popular health food grocer Whole Foods feels like any foodie’s palace.

Upon entering the store you feast your eyes on elegant chocolates and gorgeous cheese displays. The smells of indian spices waft into your nose from the exotic buffets or perhaps you drift over to the fish market where an immense fresh catch is artfully displayed across streams of ice.

The impressive meat and poultry sections are both something any chef or modest cook write home about. Once your eyes are satiated you head to one of the handful of in-house cafes–or the beauty and health store. Whole Foods is the land of plenty, offering what feels like a limitless and never-browning supply of produce—everything you want if you are vegan, vegetarian or strict gluten-free dieter.

Of course I’m skeptical.

When I lived in New York I understood the value of Whole Foods in Union Square. It was where you went to get glimpses of the beautiful people–starlets shopping for chic-peas or famous musicians grabbing a shot of grass.

But in Lake Merritt, my charming, humble and up-and coming neighborhood I call home–it’s hard for me to believe people want to pay the extra seven dollars for a small vat for cherries.

While Lake Merritt has nice high rises and local businesses like Kaiser Permanente, I don’t understand the pricing. And apparently neither do the Whole Foods workers who are known to shop at Trader Joe’s (I spot them there–the Trader Joe’s check-out people notice as well).

Stick To Your Roots

The only thing I want from the grocery store, is essentially good, fresh and affordable groceries. I don’t want frills. That’s why I prepare food at home.

I wonder if Whole Foods ever asks their customers what they really want. If you are Whole Foods and you are reading this blog, I would love to see your customer feedback surveys–especially around the topic of price and value.

From what I’ve learned it seems that it costs Whole Foods a lot of money to pay off their energy bills–and I’m sure it takes its toll on the environment as well (for all who shop at Whole Foods for sustainable food).

TJ’s: No Nonsense, Just Affordable Good Quality Groceries

Trader Joe’s employees–bedecked in Hawaiian shirts (yes I just used the word “bedecked”)– appear to pride themselves on being unpretentious. The staff appear to be happy, hard-working, customer-focused and proud. The one luxury is the fact that the food is good and affordable.

Today as I chatted with the Trader Joe’s clerk–she told me the store doesn’t keep the beer cold because of the overhead cost. I laughed with her that if Whole Foods surveyed its customers, I am pretty sure they would prefer more affordable food over cold beer.

The best thing Whole Foods has going is its sheer size and location.

No matter if you are Whole Foods, or a cherry stand on the I5, it’s critical to ask for feedback. If you understand what motivates your customers [insert another word like "audience"], you are at a major advantage–mostly because most people don’t seem to know….

The only reason not to ask is out of fear of rejection, or fear of having to change. But when it’s having to change your business model, or going out of business, I would say change is pretty attractive.

I would like to think I’m the cobbler with shoes because I actually have coaches. I have mentors. I have people who I go to for feedback.

Thank God.

It’s critical that we always get feedback, in order to improve–whether that’s a business, or just in our own personal lives.

And apparently I’m not the only one confused by the Whole Foods palace effect. TJ’s is the customer favorite. Cheers to luke warm beer.

I don’t want to have to compete with this guy for groceries–but maybe you do… :-]

Nordys Knows Best When it Comes to Customer Satisfaction

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Today Nordstrom reported a 5.1% rise in same store sales.

Long before I met and worked with Robert Spector, the author of The Nordstrom Way to Customer Service Excellence I knew Nordstrom was a brand that took its customer service very seriously. They arguably set the benchmark in retail.

Nordstrom Faced with 17 Y/O’s Nightmare

When I was in high school, my Labrador Retriever Rilke ate my prom shoes.

The dog was named after an elegant German poet, however this did not stop her from violently indulging in the most sacred snack we had in the house, my sling-backs.

I was devastated by the thought of attending the most exciting party in my 17-year lifespan in mangled shoes!

Distraught, my mom and I scrambled into the car and peeled out onto the 405 North headed for Nordys.



Romancing the Customer

The next moment in time challenged every notion I’ve ever had about good customer service.

That fateful sunny day in Orange County, California I learned Nordstrom will tailor your pants, romance you with live piano music, and… take back your half-eaten prom shoes.

High-End Retail is in Dumps, but Nordstrom is Relaxing with a Mojito on the Patio

This example of customer service excellence is why in today’s economic crisis Nordstrom isn’t doing too shabby in comparison with its competitors.

I still buy Nordstrom shoes, and Rilke lived a long fulfilling life spoiled by my mom in Savannah Georgia. I’d like to think she lives in Puppy heaven where she can go into a Nordstrom anytime she’s having a bad day and needs a smile.

If You Assume Customers Are Stupid, Tolerant & Quiet–You Are in For a Rude Awakening.

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I had a funny thing happen. And when I say funny I mean horrible.

I was online checking out my most recent emailed coupon from the location based marketing firm Trubates. I decided it was time for some relaxation and purchased a massage from Bliss spa. You know Bliss right? They are the hugely popular spa chain very big in New York and San Francisco.

I purchased a 90 dollar massage for half the price and was feeling pretty good about my purchase. Until…. I realized it was not Bliss Spa but a lesser known spa with the same name.

Even though it was not the Bliss Spa I had in mind, I thought it would still be a “kosher” establishment because I figured Trubates–was a reputable company. I did not check Yelp-but I wish I had.

Location Based Marketing Companies–Please QA Your Vendor Selections

I ended up giving my massage to a male friend.

He went in and noticed the spa looked a little “shady.” But he had traveled all the way across the city for this massage and figured he might as well get the service. The first thing he noticed was the prices on the wall were obviously the same price as advertised on the Trubates “coupon.” So there was really no “discount” provided by Trubates.

The woman who came in to do his massage came into her room smacking her gum.  I will spare you the details but essentially this incredibly unprofessional female masseuse made my friend incredibly uncomfortable.

If I had read all the horrible reviews on Yelp I would have not sent him there. Many others were tricked by the name “Bliss” and subsequently disappointed when they experienced horrible customer experience.

Spas are similar to hospitals in that people make themselves vulnerable. The customer needs to know that the people running the establishment are professionals. The management needs to go out of their way to create a clean, respectful and process-oriented establishment.

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/snarl/files/2006/07/massage%2003.jpg
G.W. giving his infamous impropmtu back massage to German Chancellor Merkel at the G-8 Summit

I was shocked and disgusted by what happened here with Trubates. I emailed Trubates who reimbursed me and said they removed the coupon from the site (I thought the sale was over anyway).

The answer I got was the following email. My thoughts are in parentheses.

First off thank you for using Trubates [probably not the most emotionally intelligent thing to say when I sent you a livid customer feedback email]. We are truly sorry for the experience your friend had. As it is our commitment to our customers and merchants to provide a positive experience, we have refunded your transaction in full and due to the comments that you have made we have immediately pulled this deal from our website. [I don't care about the money].

[Let's see how they answer my question about vendor selection..]

With respect to how we choose our vendors,  each vendors is selected based on a number of criteria including evaluating reviews from external websites, their experience with working with other deal sites, and the quality of their offering. [If they actually read Yelp, they would never have worked with this vendor--who have 2 1/2 stars out of 5. That's an F. I'm amazed they even have this rating].

Additionally, one of our sales staff personally contacts and works with each and every one of our vendors. [This sales staff person needs an honest 360 degree review, stat]. As you will see with all of our offers, we provide a link to the merchant’s website as well as to external review sites, when and where available.

I never got a response regarding any kind of follow up Trubates would make with this vendor. When I called the spa of course I was hung up on when I complained about the inappropriate behavior of the staff.

Can you imagine if this horror story happened to you or someone you care about? It takes a long time to build trust with customers. When you assume your customers are stupid, tolerant and quiet–you are in for a rude awakening.

Driving In Style With Common Sense & Process Excellence

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After living in New York City for five years I found myself in San Francisco missing something. A car!

The first week I moved to San Francisco a cab driver said to me, “Mayor Gavin Newsom really screwed people in San Francisco who don’t have a car.” A few months later I found out for myself, so I became a member of car sharing company Zipcar.

Wheels When You Want Them

What I love about Zipcar is the fact that they have thought of everything. What does that mean? That means they have walked through the customer experience and taken the proper precautions for every possible scenario. Because of this Zipcar is rarely left with situations front-line employees can’t manage, unhappy customers, or damage control.

Therefore Zipcar is the recipient of The Blakery’s 2010 Award for Process Excellence.

Top Ten Reasons Why Zipcar Demonstrates Process Excellence:

1. You can rent a Zipcar from a plethora of parking lots in San Francisco.
2. You access any rented Zipcar through a card with a wireless chip in it. (Zipcars have RFID transponders located on the windshield that clock and unlock the doors. The car records hours of usage and mileage–uploaded to a central computer via a wireless data link).
3. You can request a car by searching for price, model, or location.
4. You can rent a car for one hour for as little as seven dollars. That is much less than a cab!
5. You don’t have to pay for gas.
6. You can obtain reimbursements for fuel obtained at gas stations that do not accept the included gas card, and up to $15 in reimbursements for typical car maintenance items like car washes and window wiper fluid refills
7. You can get hourly rates or daily/overnight rates.
8. If the car has imperfections you report them via phone immediately so you are not held responsible.
9. You can rent cars via the internet, iphone app, or phone. The IVR system is highly functioning.
10. Zipcar provides $300,000 per accident in liability coverage.

This is a company that has actually walked in the customers shoes–or should I say driven? If more companies focused on process, and looked at the customer experience from both the company and the customer’s perspective, the entire business ecosystem would be a healthier and happier place.