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June 25, 2008
A tale of two stores
Unless you are Heidi Klum, two of the most dreaded shopping experiences for women can be buying bathing suits or jeans.
So with a masochist's zeal, I ventured out recently to two specialty stores to buy both items; one sells only jeans, the other only bathing suits. Each featured an impressive selection of high-end inventory.
One expertly alleviated my dread. The other enhanced it.
One is building a strong word-of-mouth foundation. The other is probably not growing by referrals.
For jeans, a friend referred me to Hem, a "jean bar" in downtown Austin. My friend said Hem's personal service was unmatched. Boy was she right. Loree (one of Hem's owners) had me try on at least 20 pairs of jeans to assess my body type before settling on final selections. Her knowledge of jeans was remarkable, including contradicting what I heard on an Oprah show that back pockets on curvy-hipped women make your butt look bigger.
Loree was brimming with confident knowledge, and she shared these tidbits:
- Wash dark jeans with a capful of white vinegar the first time. It sets the color and keeps them from fading.
- Hang your jeans to dry instead of drying them in the dryer. They will last longer.
- Get smoke or other smells out of jeans by putting them in the freezer overnight.
Because of Loree's attention to the buying process, I bought two pairs of jeans confident I will look great in them. That will be my rational and emotional foundation to a strong referral.
Then it was time for a bathing suit. Through Google, I found a specialty store in Austin. Bathing suits only. The selection was huuuuge. Racks and racks of styles and colors. Daunting, certainly, exacerbated by the store's young employees who spent more time chatting with each at the register than helping me or other dread-stricken women. I found two suits but who knows if they are the right ones for me. Zilcho referral.
When it comes to luxury items, there's an inverse relationship between price and service. The higher the price, the higher the expectation for hand-holding during the purchase.
Hem understands the model. In fact, a week after I picked up my tailored jeans, I received this in the mail. Nice!
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I've just told Barbara that I want to make a trip to hem next time I'm in Austin. Thanks for the referral!
Wow! And they sent the card by mail. That's a great touch for the 21st century. Really personal.
I had a similar customer service experience that I wrote about on my blog; it is entitled "A Tale of Two Requests."
http://grabbinggreen.com/home/archives/72
As always, it's absolutely clear which business has built itself from the customer's perspective inside-out, and which one hasn't.
I'm guessing the "bikini shop" is just like most retailers these days, in that it's assumed that their existence justifies you shopping there, not the other way around.
I can so relate to your experience. I recently went to go find a "magical" pair of jeans that make me look like I have a butt. I settled on a specialty store, and they helped me find exactly what I needed...they would have gotten a referral here, except that the whole process was still kind of awkward and scary. I wish there were a Hem...no, I wish there were a Tish in DC.
Another great example of the disparity between those who get "it" and those who do not. As someone who works in cause marketing, I see the same thing happening when companies look for NPO partners. Without a good, clear understanding of WHY you are in business (for the customer,duh) it is impossible to speak to your customers in a language that makes sense. Perhaps your bathing suit store should spend less money on employees with enough time to chat amongst themselves and more money on reaching out to the community.
Someone contradicted Oprah?
So glad you liked Hem. Was the bathing suit store "Just Add Water"? I always found that place super intimidating.
Great post.
Perfect showcase of the two extremes. Whereas for me, regular customer service is forgettable, and not so great service leaves a fading bad taste in my mouth, it's a mind-shock to encounter truly great (and yes, the truly bad) customer service. It leaves such a strong impression on me that it's immediate when I turn into a brand advocate or a brand damn-er.
Virginia,
I didn't want to out the bathing suit store but you are correct.
It's sad but true that minimum wage slaves aren't going to do much when it comes to customer service. One of my favorite examples happened years ago at a Tower Records, when I overhead someone ask a disinterested clerk where he could find the Billie Holiday CDs, and was met with a blank, "Who's he?"
Tower Records is long gone, of course. Not just because of "customer service" like that, but...
And another customer service gone awry story can be found at:
http://www.1to1media.com/weblog/2007/10/service_with_a_sneer.html#more
I enjoyed your post.
What you are describing is not just a thought but a “feeling.” When we engage with someone who gets it, are tuned in to our needs and desiring to not only solve those needs but do so in a breakthrough way, we FEEL it.
This is a conscious decision market leading companies are choosing to do. Those who think from the inside out may engage with customers, but they are not creating fans.
If you want to learn more about this, the six steps on how to intentionally be tuned in I would like to recommend our new book titled Tuned In, uncover the extraordinary opportunities that lead to business breakthroughs.
The big chains are catching on too. I just received a hand-written note from Nordstrom, yes Nordstrom!, telling me about an upcoming sale on the specific shaving product I have purchased there in the past.
They obviously have some good CRM software to track me, but I don't mind if it leads to personalized service like this.
Now If I could only find stores like that here in Edinburgh, Scotland!
Fantastic post and great stories. In a day and age where more companies are relying on technology, it is personalized service and handwritten notes that will help others stand out from the pack! When you get right down to it, red-carpet customer service comes down to making the person in front of you feel like the most important person in the room.
I'm not big in wearing jeans, but after reading this experience, I'd love to visit hem jeans and get fitted. I'm short and can never find the ones that fit everywhere. Crop pants work well, but I'd love to have a nice pair I can wear heels in. I will be visiting Austin one day to get that perfect fit. What an experience to remember.
Jackie, Hem is right on. Too bad that bathing suit place doesn't understand the value of a personal shopper. They can save so much time, aggravation and negative self image from trying on things that don't make sense for your body type. I'll pay full price any time for expert help in certain categories. Bring it on!
"When it comes to luxury items, there's an inverse relationship between price and service. The higher the price, the higher the expectation for hand-holding during the purchase."
Wouldn't "an inverse relationship" mean that as the price goes up, service goes down? Or expectation goes down?
Regardless, good post. I love hearing about places that get it. Too bad I am about 1,500 miles from Austin.
