Archive for the 'Good Service' Category
Tuesday, August 28th, 2007
They could have ended up in the section Not So Good Service when I originally wrote to them a year ago in May 2006.
My complaint was that they had stopped selling the Volvic lemon and lime flavoured water that had sugar in it. Instead they had removed them from the shelves and decided in their wisdom to replace it with water that had added sweeteners. This is an extract from that letter.
"What I really liked about this product was that it was a more natural product not using any form of sweeteners. I am a campaigner for real sugar and am against sweeteners of any kind.
So you can imagine my dismay when I went in to our local Sainsbury’s to stock up only to find the shelves full of ’sugar free’ water. What!!!!!!!!! I wouldn’t mind but even your website states ‘no artificial sweeteners’, so what are you doing? Worse than that the sticker with sugar free on it is small enough that I missed it when buying some last week. But then again I wasn’t expecting it to have changed to an ‘unnatural’ state."
My letter was on the whole friendly and I threw in a couple of pictures to lighten it up. The response I got back was basically customer demand had dictated the change. This always sticks in my throat a little when companies say this, because I wonder where they get the information from and just how accurate it is. Anyway, they had stopped doing it and I stopped buying it. End of story.
Not so. I received a letter dated 30 May 2007. I will quote part of it here:
"Thank you for contacting the Danone Waters consumer careline with your comments about Volvic Touch of Fruit. Since the move from sugar to sweeteners in April 2006, we have been listening carefully to all the consumer feedback we have received.
You weren’t the only consumer to ask for the return of Volvic Touch of Fruit Original and as a result of this, we are pleased to inform you that we will be reintroducing Volvic Touch of Fruit Original (with sugar) alongside the current Sugar Free product (with sweeteners) as a dual range from early May 2007 . . . . . .
. . . . .The dual range will be identified through clear colour coding on packaging: green caps and labels for original and blue caps and labels for sugar free.
This move is reflecting a wider consumer trend, whereby the UK population is split between those who prefer sugar (42%) and those who prefer sweeteners (58%). At Danone Waters, consumer choice is paramount and this is why we have decided to office Volvic Touch of Fruit in a choice of original (with sugar) or sugar free (with sweeteners). . . . . .
The survey was conducted by AC Nielsen homescan survey, February 2006. This is interesting as I wrote after this survey had been conducted, yet it had taken all this time for the company to change their mind. Would it have anything to do with the fact that nearly half the consumers preferred sugar and possibly chose not to buy it. That would have been a real decrease in sales.
Anyway, they have changed their minds, which is great. And . . better than that they sent me £3 worth of vouchers to spend on the water.
Result I say and thanks for listening.
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Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
In todays internet world and in some cases having to deal with on-line customer service it can be very frustrating. In a lot of cases you don’t get a response from the contact forms.
So imagine my surprise when I contacted Macleans toothpaste company regarding their milk teeth range.
I sent a message through their contact form late one night because I’d been unable to buy any from both Sainsbury’s or Boots.
The next morning (before lunchtime) I had this reponse back:
"Thank you for your email regarding the availability of Macleans Milk Teeth Toothpaste.
We can confirm that the Macleans Milk Teeth range has been rebranded under the Aquafresh Brand. It is now known as Aquafresh Milk Teeth, Aquafresh Little Teeth and Aquafresh Big Teeth.
These products can be purchased from Asda and Sainsburys. Boots plan to stock the product from August onwards. Please find below a picture of the new packaging for this product.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you may have been caused, and we thank you for taking the time to contact us.
Kind regards
Consumer Affairs Department
GLAXOSMITHKLINE CONSUMER HEALTHCARE"
So a BIG thumbs up to Macleans and thank you.
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Sunday, January 28th, 2007
With all the negative press about hospitals, I thought I would just sing the praises of Solihull hospital this week.
I visited my doctor on Monday (22.01.07) morning as I have been suffering from lower back pain for a while and it had just started to get worse. She suggested I had an x-ray on my lower back and completed a form to be sent to the hospital.
By Thursday, the same week, I had received a letter from Solihull hospital inviting me for an x-ray on Saturday (27.01.07).
My appointment was for 3.00 pm and despite having to use the A & E entrance, which meant that potentially, people who had injured themselves and needed urgent x-rays, may have been seen before me, I was seen, x-rayed and out of the hospital by 3.20 pm.
How brilliant was that!
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Tuesday, November 21st, 2006
I recently bought a book from Pease International on body language as I want to expand my knowledge in order to bring some additional articles to the site and to Imwags.com. Plus one of my objectives is to read books other than ‘chick lits’ and this is a subject I am really interested in, not least to improve me.
I bought the book from their main website as I couldn’t get it from our local on-line supplier and I also signed up for their affiliate programme, so I could highlight the books on the website.
I wrote a couple of long emails, asking various questions and I am so impressed with the replies I got back.
Apart from answering everything thoroughly, the two people that wrote to me individually, Bonny and Deb were warm and friendly with their emails.
For those that don’t know Pease International is the company run by Allan Pease and his wife Barbara. Allan is an international master of body language and I’ve seen his videos which are brilliant. Together they have sold over 20 million books worldwide, so they must be doing something right.
Anyway I digress. I had to send a further email to qualify some of the questions I had asked and although Deb was too busy to respond fully due to meetings, she still found the time to reply and explain that to me.
So hats off to them for such good customer service.
http://www.peaseinternational.com
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Sunday, October 1st, 2006
A really, really big pat on the back to Innocent Drinks, makers of Innocent Smoothies.
Having tried the raspberry and cranberry variety at my moms one day, and liking what I tried, I kind of forgot all about them.
Then last week on a trek to the supermarket I noticed the Innocent Smoothies and one in particular caught my eye - pineapples, bananas and coconut flavour. It sounded wonderful and more to the point like pina colada.
To satisfy my curiosity I bought a carton, took it home, had one glass and then had to pour another one immediately. Taste bud heaven or what! I then ‘allowed’ my son to have some and he was hooked too. So much so it’s been a mini battle as to who can drink the carton dry the quickest.
I was so taken with it that I emailed them to tell them what I thought of the product and I kept the email friendly and amusing (so I thought). I had a reply back thanking me for taking the time to write and asking for my address to pop something in the post.
They sent me a recipe book and £10 worth of vouchers against future purchases of smoothies. I was completely taken aback.
I think these days, when we have got used to sullen customer service it is very refreshing (and so are their drinks) to have people who are friendly, appreciative, professional and give you the wow factor.
Not only that but if you take a look at their website, they are a throughly great company, www.innocentdrinks.co.uk. Take a few minutes to have a look around. As a mom I have total confidence that the product I am buying for my family is not only healthy, but safe. (More on that little project another time.)
I am now going to try out the innocent drinks for kids, to see if I can increase the fruit intake of all my children, which in the case of one of them will be a real challenge!
So a huge, enormous, gigantic thumbs up to Innocent Drinks.
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Friday, September 29th, 2006
The first accolade goes to The Body Shop.
I used to buy their Cotton White Eau de Toilette which really suited me. Unfortunately they discontinued it due to it not being as popular as it used to be. Hey ho, this normally happens to me.
As a long shot I wrote, via email, to their Customer Relations who, gave me the number of three of their factory outlets who receive discontinued stock to sell off.
Even though I discovered there was no more Eau de Toilette to be had, I was really taken with the friendliness and professionalism, not only from the lady (Sarah) who intially wrote back to me, but each of the stores that I contacted.
The York store even advised me of a new product that was out, that while not exactly the same, may appeal to me.
It doesn’t take much to be curteous to people and through their individual responses The Body Shop have now gone up in my estimation.
www.thebodyshop.co.uk
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