Consumer Maven

Customer Service is why I shop at Zappos

This morning I ordered another pair of Cole Haan Nike Air sandals from Zappos.  This is after returning 7 pairs that I ordered and shipped back, with free shipping round trip.  It's not that I like to run after my UPS guy or haul boxes to the Post Office;  years ago I sprained one of my ankles and subsequently one side of my foot is more swollen on the top.  The tops of my feet are also have very sensitive and the skin very thin, so most sandals create a lot of raw, blisters and other problems, rendering wearing most sandals impossible.  I also walk a lot, so cushioning is also important.  Thanks to Zappos I've found both a Think sandal and this current model and can now  "free my feet" when it's very hot out.

I've heard from many of the Zappos customer service people that they are a customer service company that happens to sells shoes.  They use this as their tag line as well.  Unlike many stores that purport to provide excellent customer service, Zappos actually delivers.  I've shopped with them for many, many years.  When I first bought shoes from them I seemed to be the only person among my friends that did.  Now I often go to my local Jewel  and chat about our best shoe deals with one of the employees there, who also walks a lot and stands on her feet.  In our little shoe huddles, comfort is queen.  She is a new Zappos customer, and enthusiastically raved about their shipping policies and customer service.  To me, there is nothing more exciting in the area of customer service and retail than to find other customer evangelists.

I recently came across an article about the CEO of Zappos in a 2006 edition of Inc. Magazine.   In three years they attained a growth rate of 948%.  Phenomenal you say for a shoe store???  I agree, but even more impressive than their growth is the awareness that CEO Tony Hsieh has of what drives customers to return again and again to a company.

This is the crux of what makes a successful on-line shopping experience:

We all sat around one day talking about what we wanted the Zappos brand to represent. We decided to be about providing the best service; we said, "We're a service company that just happens to sell shoes." But in order for that to happen, we had to control the entire customer experience. We expanded the warehouse to 77,000 square feet and stopped having manufacturers ship directly to customers. It was a scary time--drop shipping was 25 percent of revenue, and we gave it up all at once.

For anyone who hasn't shopped at Zappos, it's a Class One online experience.  Their website is easy to navigate, and their search parameters actually return relevant and useful results.  As with Amazon.com,  there is a way for customers to provide input that others can read and there is also an option to be told when a shoe that is out in the size that you want is back in stock.   Because shoe sizes, widths and arch support varies not only from brand to brand but across styles, the customer input facility is a valuable tool in making purchasing decisions.  Their photos also provide multiple views of the shoes, which have in the past helped me make decisions to buy or to not buy a particular shoe. 

Because of Zappos, I've tried brands that I normally would not have purchased, such as my Cole Haan Nike Air slides.   Personally I dislike going into shoe stores.  The fumes alone have contributed to me purchasing shoes I needed to later return.  With Zappos I can shop from home, wear them all day inside the house to make sure my feet aren't looking or feeling like torture victims, and make a decision based on a "try on time" that is more realistic in approximating actual use.  Returns are also done online, and you can easily check to see if your return is recieved and credited, in the event that you haven't received their email notifications.  Credits process from their end in a timely manner, no "60-90 day" credit excuses from Zappos, which is not what I can say about many other companies who somehow expect a customer to want to come back to them when they hold onto their money when a refund is due. 

CEO Tony Hseih got it right when he said, "We interview people for culture fit. We want people who are passionate about what Zappos is about--service. I don't care if they're passionate about shoes."  With online retail, service is where the store atmospherics are created, with each transaction and with each company encounter, whether online or on the phone.   

When Good Security Goes Bad or "Human Firewalls go Bonkers"

When I decided to purchase a new television, I shopped online and found the company I wanted to order from.  Crutchfield.  They are known for their customer service, and my uncle, who has purchased many things from them, swears by the quality of their service.  I tried using both their email and live help, and was able to resolve any other questions that I had.  I decided to go ahead and order.

To expedite matters I just decided to use my debit card.  Usually I would use a credit card but because I was doing some online banking, I had transferred the funds over to my checking account.  On Wednesday I decided that everything was good to go.  Unfortunately "go" wasn't "going" very smoothly. 

Crutchfield has a policy of verifying your card with the banking institution that issued it.   I rarely use the bank card that I decided to use for my fateful purchase.  When Crutchfield called, my bank refused to provide any information, and the transaction was therefore declined.  I emailed my personal banker, only to find out upon following up with a phone call, that she was no longer employed there.  Another bank employee took the call, and she told me she was the person Crutchfield contacted, and that she could not divulge any account holder information.  The bank thought that it would be a balance inquiry.  I told her that all Crutchfield wanted was to verify that I am the person who indeed is making this purchase.  I was told that for security and privacy reasons, I would need to sign a disclosure form giving them permission to verify my name/address/phone number and card number.  While it is great that my bank protects my privacy, since I already was on the phone with them this seemed to be overkill!!!  I faxed the signed authorization, and both Crutchfield and I thought we were finally good to go.

We tried to go forward but ended up going nowhere.  Crutchfield told me they couldn't't get the transaction to go through, that it was being declined.  With one phone connected to Crutchfield, I used another phone to call the bank.  Apparently my bank is extraordinarily good at keeping their account holder's funds safe, and in the bank, as evidenced by my not being able to get my money out!  I had briefly thought about just using a credit card, but by now I was determined to complete the transaction the way I had initiated it.  The bank employee asked me how much the purchase was.  Apparently they have limit as to how much an account holder can withdraw per day using a debit card.  While this is great if you are being forced at gunpoint to withdraw your funds, since I called them I found this rather inconvenient.  Unfortunately it was also immovable. 

The bank representative suggested either breaking the transaction up in two days, or using an ACH transfer, which would be a direct debit to my account.  My Crutchfield customer service guy contacted another department to find out if either could be done, and unfortunately it turned out to be that neither type of transaction could be done.  He did have the idea that I could get a gift certificate and apply it to my purchase so that the balance due that would hit my debit card would be less than my bank's daily withdrawal allotment.  Wanting to expedite this, I bought the gift card on a different bank's debit card, really testing the boundaries of processing.  Two hours later that transaction still had not been completed.  I called Crutchfield and it was held up because it needed to be verified, AND I had to call back from the phone number associated with my card.  By 6pm Friday evening, I still had not received the e-gift card. 

My e-gift card arrived via email on Saturday morning, as did a call from Hunter, my now favorite Crutchfield employee.  Together we suffered the effects of security policies, systems and procedures that are ostensibly in place to protect the consumer from unauthorized transactions.  His system did not show the gift card number yet, so I read it to him, and we were able to FINALLY get the transaction to go through.  This translated to over 3 days of effort to get a basic online purchase to be completed.  It was truly one of the most frustrating experiences I ever had, yet this frustration was due to two companies with policies in place that are designed to protect the consumer. 

Would I want these policies changed by either company?  No, not really.  Next time I'll just give up and use a credit card, but I'd have to keep my fingers crossed that the transaction goes through.  A month ago the card company from one of my credit cards called to say there was fraudulent activity on my card.  My card was automatically canceled by the card company and once I verified on the phone (thankfully I didn't have to jump through as many hoops as one of my bank's required) they reissued a new one.  Of course any orders I had outstanding that were waiting to ship and then be billed were declined, too. 

What disturbs me regarding all of this is that:

1).  These procedures are all a sign of our current times, where financial and credit fraud are so abundant that companies need to put in place increasing safeguards to reduce fraud and identity theft.

2).  That credit cards rule.  I once tried to not have a credit card, and it quickly became evident that in our modern world, that just isn't possible. 

3).  One of the positives about debit card use is that their transactions do not impact your credit report.  How three companies suddenly became the "be all" method that allows consumers to get credit, rent an apartment and buy a car when none of this was permissioned by the consumer has always been a sore point with me.  Related to this, I dislike and disrespect the fact that our privacy in this country is "for sale," as data miners and companies sell information (and misinformation) about us for a fee.  All of that is easily downloaded so people who have no business trying to get into our business don't even have to get up out of their chairs to invade our lives with any semblance of informed consent on our part.

4).  Anyone who had experienced severe financial difficulty and who does not have a credit card probably experiences a substantial amount of frustration and inconvenience if they need to rent a car, make purchases of expensive but necessary items and if they basically need to do anything that those of us who have credit cards take for granted.  The irony is that for many, the concept of "going into debt" every time one uses a credit card is so disconnected from reality, (that is, until the bill comes), versus looking into your wallet and seeing that you have less cash.   

Yet all of "this" is where we are today, and "this" is what we have, as a society, become. 

Green Collar versus Green Conciousness

This morning on NPR I heard a discussion about the term "Green Collar."  Already, the term is a phrase that pundits will be discussing.  And while it is great that the media is covering more "Green"  issues and topics,  it would really serve the public to cover these topics regularly throughout the year and in greater frequency.  Also, let's not forget that "Green" has been around for decades, but only recently has it become a para-fashion statement so that greater numbers of people can connect to the concept.

One of the questions in this morning's show was whether a "green collar" job is a "blue collar" job in the green industry or more related to working in a green related job function.  There was also a concern that this could become a name for something that just re-colors an already low paying job into a socially beneficial one, but still low paying, nonetheless.  The problem with defining 'green collar' in association with "white collar" or "blue collar" is that the basic category is not correctly targeted. 

The issue should be just "green" and not applied only to jobs.  Green is a way of thinking, not a job function, not a company.  Green represents fundamental beliefs, awareness, knowledge, respect for the environment, and a certain type of consciousness.  One could say my firm is a Green firm and has been for years.  Why?  Because we will never use toxic pesticides, we recycle, for years we only purchased TCO compliant electronics (before most people even knew what TCO was), our staff eats organically, we only buy recycled paper products and office supplies, our cleaning supplies, soaps, etc. are non-toxic and have no petrochemicals, none of us wear dry cleaned (only Green, wet cleaned) clothing or machine washed clothes, and we would not use VOC's in our living spaces or on anything, instead substituting this for no VOC products.   We are primarily a virtual firm, to reduce the need for commuting, which frees up time and reduces traffic congestion for those who cannot walk to our office or need to have time at home. 

So does that make us all 'green collared' professionals?  I don't think so.   We consider ourselves business and marketing strategists and professionals.   We do think Green, but only because it is a fundamental byproduct of how we see ourselves in relation to our world, both physically and spiritually.   Many years ago, "Pink" became the "New Black."  Now Green is the New Black.  Let's hope that with the help of the media and government support, Green will become the New Consciousness of the majority of people on this planet.  Are we getting closer?  I don't know.  I've been in stores, especially small ones in certain ethnic enclaves where I had to turn around and walk out because it was clear that pesticides were freshly applied, their fumes still permeating the air with a full store full of customers.  There's a certain type of unconsciousness that has to prevail for store owners to not even be aware that they are poisoning themselves and their customers.   I mentioned this to a few friends who were recent immigrants and they commented that they even used DDT when they were younger, and had no issue with using the poisons.   Part of this is relevance:  when you have fled a country to avoid death for just having been born and living in the wrong place at the wrong time, pesticide use can seem trivial.  It really is through education, whether via the media or our educational systems, that alternatives to toxic poisons must be conveyed because greater numbers of people can be reached.

I was talking to an artist friend of mine who had solar panels installed many, many years ago, in the 1990's.  Despite this being older solar technology, she saves about 30% of her heating bill, which was the purpose of installing the panels.  She told me something interesting, that when you use solar panels for this purpose, that a separate holding tank is required.  This is because when water is heated through solar panels, the water becomes so hot it would scald a person.   You can see the implications here if your building is heated by hot water.  With this knowledge,  building owners would have more options in making choices that affect them economically. 

When I was working on my Marketing Masters, I had the pleasure of taking an Environmental Management course taught by one of our marketing professors.  I would say that this  was easily one of the best courses I have taken, because of the type of information we learned, the discussions,  learning new concepts and ways to apply them, and learning what we didn't know.  The latter was perhaps the scariest because this involved  learning so much about technologies that  reduce energy consumption and energy usage, which weren't new.  These were proven technologies that have been in place for years, of which most consumers and business management would have had no clue about. 

The implictions for ignorance by management in the business world is huge, simply because the implementation of green technologies can, in one location, greatly effect the lives of many while also reducing  businesses expense.   Implementing green technologies and green policies in the business place also extends their "marketing" reach to  employees, customers, vendors and other stakeholders, including the communities they affect.   That is, in marketing terms, is a whole lot of reach.  The more Green becomes a state of mind rather than the color of the month, the more environmentally healthier alternatives can flourish and thrive.  Don't just think Green.  Become Green.

DTV Converters and DVD/R set ups

I've never been a fan of waiting until the last minute, so I redeemed my DTV Converter coupon and purchased my converter box.  Now for any of you who know me personally, you are no doubt rolling your eyes and wondering how anyone so into high tech gadgets and having geek DNA could possibly want to continue using 'rabbit ears,' but that is my preference!

Setting up the converter box was relatively easy, although I should remind anyone reading this that is planning to do the same, that they need to purchase audio visual cables.  Radio Shack has them in stock as would most stores that sell electronic equipment.  The converter I purchased, by Philco, came with an antennae cable which I appreciated, since I've had problems in the past finding them.

The main point of why I am writing about this is that there seems to be a dearth of information out there about the other side of our forced compliance in going with HDTV signals.  It's called compatibility.  While the TV part of the connection, passing through the DVD/R,  went well there was a problem when we tried to view the television using the DVD/R.  When I hooked up our DVD/R and tried to get a television signal through it, it looked as if we had no antennae whatsoever.  I checked the connections multiple times, called Philco's tech support and all I could say was that between the two of us, we beat it to death and could only say that it was connected properly.

This morning I did some online research on and discovered that I needed to get a DVD/R that either had upscaling abilities or one that could handle HDTV.  The one I had could only handle ATSC, so the HDTV signal coming through the wire was basically useless.   So for those of us who actually need to record TV programs, come February 2009 we will have needed to have switched to cable or purchased a DTV converter AND purchased a new DVD/R if our current one only handled ATSC.  So for us, this required format conversion is not just costing us a converter box but an additional expenditure of over $200 for a new DVD/R, and that is NOT covered by any government converter coupons.

Resources:
http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdrecorderfaqs/f/dvdrecgfaq14.htm
Solid Signal.com (Digital Converter Boxes)
JR.com (HDMI/HDTV upscaling technology DVD/Rs)

I've personally dealt with JR.com many times and have always been pleased with their service and the knowledge level of their sales people.  Solid Signal I discovered as a result of needing a Digital Converter Box.  Their customer service is very good and their tech support was also very good.  We would definitely shop at either again.

Whole Foods Bans Plastic Bags

This is not too surprising for anyone who shops there, since the signs (literally) have been prominently displayed in the check out areas for months.   As plastic bags go, theirs was by far one of the best, so much so that it has been easy to reuse them.  They fold nicely and last awhile so I would carry a few with me.  I've also rescued a few people who lost their groceries on the sidewalk when the cheaper grade plastic bags they had split open, often just from the short distance from their cars to their homes.

So I have to wonder, is the issue with plastic bags just about biodegradable issues, or is it overconsumption?  We as a people probably use far too many plastic bags, because they are too small, too weak to carry many heavy items, too icky to fold up carefully.  Plastic bags have their place - in inclement weather your grocery bag won't disintegrate while you wait for at train or bus.  Your frozen foods won't break a hole though your grocery bag, etc.  However, so many people use plastic bags with abandonment.  I've seen people at the Jewel Self Check out grab many extra bags, for what purpose, who knows, since they've already bagged their groceries.  I've also seen people at the Self Check out who don't even bother with a plastic bag - at least there's some balance.

If nothing else, the one good thing about Whole Foods policy announcement is that it helps open more dialog up about the overuse of plastic bags, and personal responsibility in their use and disposal, which is really the major issue here.  The irony here is that I have never seen a Whole Foods plastic bag adorning the urban landscape, hanging from trees or blowing down streets.  Maybe because their bags were actually re-usable, versus the ones that had very little value in the first place.  In any event, banning the plastic bag has created a space for many people to think, to discuss and to look at their own habits of plastic consumption.

On the shopping side of life, the Whole Foods plasticized bag replacement, available for 99 cents, is a bright and fun shopper!

Eddie Bauer Petite polos

Eddie Bauer does it right for us gals needing petite tops.  The problem with petite summer tops for me is that I do not have the body type that clothing manufacturers usually create their patterns for.  I am short.  I have wide shoulders.  Worse yet, I dislike form fitting summer tops that fit like swimsuits.  I like my tops to be loose and to drape.  For me, nothing adds to summer humidity and discomfort more than having a skin tight article of clothing on.

I've shopped at almost every imaginable type of store you can think of, looking for petite large tops that I feel comfortable in.  It  doesn't matter whether the store is budget, low end, high end, trendy, classic, whatever... I've consistently had the same problem except for one particular store, Eddie Bauer.

For example, I recently received a very cute, sleeveless top from one of my favorite stores.  This company knows enough to make petite tops a bit less long in the torso, and to take the sleeves up, but like most companies, it is totally clueless about sleeveless tops.  I've even called them and was told that they list all the measurements so obviously the arm hole thing is my fault.  Talk about missing the point of a customer call!!   That company rep even bristled when I suggested they reduce the size of their gigantic arm holes.

Case in point, here was my top from this particular company:    The length was perfect, the drape, perfect.  The shoulder distance, perfect.  What was my complaint???  The armholes are so gigantic that you could see the entire length of the band of my bra when I had my arms in anything but plastered flat against my sides.' 

I had ordered some sleeveless polos to replace my old ones that just wore out, and decided to buy from Eddie Bauer, since I recalled that they were the only ones that didn't seem to make sleeveless armholes for petite tops that were more suited for a sumo wrestler.  They arrived Friday.  Not only did they fit perfectly, but having a free show from armpit to armpit will no longer be an issue.  Best of all, they are available in some great summer colors!

Mexican Fine Folk Pottery in Chicago

The Consumer Maven was having a conversation with Elimar Loza, of Artesanias D'Mexico, located at 1644 W. 18th Street in Chicago.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mexican Fine Folk Art items, this is the place in Chicago to look, learn and buy. 

We took the photos that you see from the window outside, which accounts for the glare since Spring and the sun have finally returned to Chicago.  We have a policy of always asking before we start snapping photos, especially where artists and art objects are concerned, but always as a matter of courtesy.   Eli shared with us that they could not allow photos of items in the store (but outside was okay) because certain artists were concerned about their designs being copied.  We discussed how many consumers cannot decern between something that looks like a piece of fine fok art versus something that is just copied and mass produced.  How interesting, I thought, that people who have no artistic inspiration will just copy someone else's work and 'mass produce' it with no reunumeration back to the original artist.

This brings to mind two issues.  The first is a disrespect for an artist and the the passion, creativity and beauty that they put into a piece.  One reason original pieces of art of any form have a uniqueness to them is that they have their own 'energy' that is put into it by the artist, during production and through their intent to create an item of beauty.  A mass produced piece only has flat dimension of mass production, and is of no benefit other than "looking nice" versus "looking elegant and having a history."   Whether we choose to buy an original piece or a cheaply made knock off is a matter of taste and consumer choice in most cases.

The second major issue that is apparent is of branding.  Larger firms invest good sums of money to develop brand equity, and to make sure that the marketplace perceives there is brand differentiation where this can appropriately exist.  I'm not talking about phony baloney "making up" a brand difference, but pointing out through integrated public relations where these exist and what the benefits are to a customer. 

Then there are artists.  Who gives them a voice and way to educate the public in why their pieces cost more than the cheap knockoffs someone may find somewhere else, sold by the insipidly inartistically uninspired?  Enter Artesanias D'Mexico.  When you speak with Elimar Loza, you find a woman who passionately speaks about the artisans, the pieces of art in their beautiful store, and a person who respects the work of the artists who fill their store with a wide variety of hand made, original works. 

An example of the uniqueness of their pottery items, for example, can be found in the information Elimar provided for us regarding Talavera Pottery. 

Talavera Pottery

Talavera is the term used to describe faithful reproductions of the pottery that is made in the Spanish village of Talvera de la Reina.  This style of pottery dates back to the 16th century colonial era.  It was eagerly adopted by Mexican artisans who added their own designs and colors in an ageless pattern representing the mixture of two cultures.  The techniques involved have been carried on by generations of old potter families.  By examining the process of these we can better understand the mastery involved of these artists. 

Two types of clay are blended and left to soak in water in order to improved their blended quality and malleability.  The potter then drains away the water and walks on the clay to give it better uniformity and consistency.  He then produces different pieces on a potter’s wheel (or in olds), and lets them dry for approximately 8-12 days.  Then they are baked in an oven at 850° C (1562° F).  After the first firing, a white varnish is applied, which gives the pieces their characteristic enameled appearance.  The pottery is then decorated using colors prepared with mineral pigments.  Afterwards these pieces are again fired in the oven for about 12 hours.  The potter is required to imagine what the final colors will look like before the process is completed, because only after the intense heat of the second baking (1050°C (1922°F),  will the colors and tones be revealed to the artists. 

Artesanias D'Mexico also carries Papel Picado, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) items, Black Pottery from Oaxaca, Copper Pottery, Alebrijes, and many other items, including  jewelry.  Artesanias D'Mexico is located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on the South Side, on 18th Street near Ashland Avenue, and is easily accessible from the CTA Pink Line 18th Street stop.  Phone Number:  312/563-9779

For more information on Artesanias D'Mexico, take a look at the Tamale Chica Chronicales Blog (another happy customer) where there are items from her personal collection shown.

T-Mobile Service or Save OUR SMS

For years I had been a Cingular customer, even before they were Cingular (when they were called Cell One).  Over ten or so years of service I became increasingly unhappy with them.  Several years ago I finally got so disgusted that I changed service, something I usually don't do lightly. 

I switched to T-Mobile.  This also allowed me to enjoy being online at their many hotspots, and freed me from being 'stuck' in the office while needing to work.  Now, I-Pod in hand, I have other uses for my T-Mobile service as well, none of which is the focus of this blog.

I have a habit of wanting to keep a record of correspondences, whether they are emails or text messages.  Since I am a prolific texter, this has begun to present a problem, especially since my telephone, not my SIM card, stores text messages.  I use a Nokia phone.  I found this out the hard way after using a SIM card reader and finding only my phone book. 

Wanting a quicker way to get an answer, I emailed T-Mobile's tech support when I couldn't find an answer online on their site.  I should have just gone to the Nokia website, which is exactly what their tech support could have just said.  Instead, they were nice enough to suggest I go to the Nokia site to download PC Suite, where I could then backup and export my SMS text messages.  And yes, they also suggested that I refer to my Nokia User Manual, but not before they were customer service oriented enough to tell me what I needed.

Anyone with a Nokia phone who wants to save or export their SMS text messages can download PC Suite free.  Downloading it will also install the drivers needed to recognize your cable, if you choose to connect that way versus via Bluetooth.  The OEM cable I originally bought did not work - my Nokia phone would not recognize it, and when I received my Nokia cable I immediately saw why (the pin connectors).

In conclusion, I've called T-Mobile many times, and except for once, I have never been dissatisfied or disappointed with the quality of help that I received.  I can't say that for ANY other telecommunications company I've dealt with, and there have been many.  Thanks, T-Mobile!

Cliptomania Clip on Earrings: Revisited

I love businesses that not only try to "get it right" but do things so well that they create customer evangelists.  I've written about Cliptomania before, but after a recent experience with them, I felt it only appropriate to revisit this small and growing company.

We recently  interviewed Candy Santo, one of the owners of Cliptomania and would like to share our interview with you.  For the uninitiated, Cliptomania is the place on the Internet to find ear rings for us girls who do not have pierced ears.  They not only have a stellar selection for all ranges of budgets, but an equally interesting selection in terms of colors, gemstones, and fashion needs.

Consumer Maven:  Can you tell me more about when and how you got started?  What was your inspiration for  starting your business???

Candy Santo:  The idea for Cliptomania arose from my husband's attempt to find me  nice earrings for our 30th anniversary in 1998.  We were living in the New York metropolitan area and not only could he not find anything, but they laughed at him at Macy's.  He thought that maybe this was a need that an Internet store could fill.  Our oldest was already out on his own and our daughter was in college and he thought a small Internet business would be a good counter to the empty nesting. 

After a year of study and planning, we opened our online store on Thanksgiving Day 1999.  Looking back, we were so naive that it is a miracle that we are still in business!  Had we tried it just 2 years later when online selling had taken off and start-ups were much more difficult and expensive, we're pretty sure it wouldn't have worked.   It helped that neither of us quit our day jobs and business was light enough then that our daughter could help while continuing her studies. One of our best assets, however, was my several decades of non-profit management which provided a good knowledge base for growing our little business.

Consumer Maven:  Are you in  partnership or sole proprietership?  What are your overall goals in terms of business growth?

Candy Santo:  Where we are now with a customer base of approximately 20,000 is something we never imagined and on most days more than half our customers are first timers so it looks like there's more growth ahead.  In addition to the 3 owner/operators (Christy & I are now full-timers & then some) Cliptomania - an LLC - employs 2 full-time and 5 part-timers.

Our primary goal is to be the Kleenex of clip earrings.
Secondary goals are:
... to provide a range of styles that makes it possible for a customer to find at least 2 pair of earrings they want to buy whenever they come into our store; 

... to image and describe the earrings in such a way that the customer gets what they expected (that this goal is being attained is demonstrated by the fact that less than 5% of what we sell is returned to us.)

... to provide outstanding customer service, giving customers the feeling they are shopping in a good local jewelry store

We couldn't meet these goals - particularly the range of products offered - if we were making them ourselves. So at any given time I'm dealing with at least 40 manufacturers, importers and designers.  I have a core group that have been key parts of our success as they have been willing and able to provide products that meet the unique needs of an Internet store.

Thank you Candy, and thanks for a great shopping experience!!

Cliptomania:  http://www.cliptomania.com

The Consumer Maven isn't the only fan here!  Check out the Tamale Chica Chronicles for another customer evangelistic perspective.

How was your shopping experience?

A few weeks ago I was at my local Whole Foods when, at the checkout, the cashier looked at me and said, 'And how was your shopping experience?'  I nearly dropped my organically raised produce when he said that.  Oh ohhhh, have I been busted???  Because the Consumer Maven is all about assessing the customer's shopping experience, it almost seemed like a kowinkydinky moment.  Ironically, just a month before this they had this one woman cashier who had the personality of a twice dead zombie and the warmth to go with it.  I dealt with her once and vowed never to go through her line ever, even if it there were no people in it and every other line was 20+ deep.  Fortunately she seems to have left for the night of the living dead.

So back to the question, "How was your shopping experience?"  Lately at "my" Whole Foods, it's been very good.  In the past, what struck me was that while the seperate service areas such as fish, meats, supplements, etc. were very service oriented, the customer service and cashier areas had been somewhat spotty and occasionally unpleasant.  So far whatever changes that had been made about half a year ago seem to be, with the exception of the zombie woman, providing a good customer service level, one that we'd expect for a store whose claim to fame is higher standards.  In fact, my last few experiences at the customer service desk were great, as have been the cashier areas. 

It is interesting that this is a question that some stores and business should dare not ask unless they are truly prepared to stand behind change.  At least at Whole Foods, they had the guts to ask it.