The Shopping Trolley Stare Down!

I am a huge fan of Target - like the rest of the world - and rarely have a bad word to say about them. However, on Saturday with only 12 days to go before Christmas, I witnessed something quite surprising. On going into the store with my family we found a crowd of people all standing around waiting for a shopping trolley - there weren't any left inside the store. At the same time there were a few of the Target employees standing around watching us! I could almost read their minds - 'why don't those lazy people go outside and get a trolley?' 'It isn't my job to bring in the shopping trolleys so there isn't anything I can do about this'. It probably wasn't their job to do it but how happy would all of those potentially loyal customers have been if a couple of employees had rushed outside to help bring in some trolleys. We would have been impressed that they were willing to step outside the parameters of their normal jobs to help us out on a day where most of us were already stressed out and tired in the Pre-Christmas rush.

What this experience convinced me of is that the type of service that demonstrates a store's or an individual's willingness to go above and beyond is often the service that makes the deepest and longest impression on the customer.

Perhaps retailers and other service oriented companies should start challenging their employees to do one thing that is outside their normal job description on a daily basis!

Our Kid's Future is Paying for The Bail Out

I was out with a friend yesterday who is a teacher. I guess we all knew that we were paying for the bail out of the banks and the auto companies but personally I hadn't yet got my head around how. So this friend of mine informed me yesterday that they are trying to get some of the money anyway out of the education system by demanding as much as $1 million or more out of each and every school district. This is a total and utter disgrace and I am hopping mad. Our education system is already suffering in comparison to some of our international counterparts and now we want to make it even worse?

Perhaps this is why the bail outs are so wrong. We are trying to prop up institutions in the short term and paying for it with the future of our children and our country.

When will it end?

Apologies to anyone who noted (quite rightly) that this particular annoyance has very little to do with shopping. I just had to write about it because it seems so wrong.

Totally Asanine!

I normally only write on my blog once a week, but I just read something that compelled me to get scribbling.

We all know by now that the three big US. auto companies are in serious trouble and are looking for solutions to make themselves more profitable. However, it seems to me that one of their biggest problems is that their brands aren't in the least bit fun or glamorous compared to their international competitors - with a few notable exceptions. From my perspective, three of their most interesting brands are Saab, Volvo and Hummer. They all have unique and interesting brand profiles and may not be bought as often as a Chevy Malibu but do a lot to prevent the brand seeming completely out of touch.

Now I read that one of GM's survival strategies is going to be to kill off these three brands. Are they mad? Clearly. No, if I know anything they are going purely by the numbers and the fact that none of these brands are really big sellers. However, they are completely ignoring the fact that all three of them do a great deal to prop up the image of the GM brand that overall reeks of being staid and boring.

Well done GM - another step in the wrong direction.

A Great Cause!

I love it when a company supports a cause that I believe in, but unfortunately it doesn't happen very often. Cynicism sets in when a company claims it only uses environmentally friendly packaging and then you hear that behind the scenes its production practices are actually negatively impacting the environment. As a woman, I am also a big supporter of the Susan Komen Foundation but looking around it sometimes feels like that is the only female cause out there.

So I was thrilled when I read about Tide's Loads of Hope program aimed at helping disaster victims from hurricanes. Tide isn't claiming to change the world with its program, just to give people who have lost their homes the sense of hope that comes with being able to wear clean clothes and with that maintain their dignity and optimism.

Tide sets up Clean Start stations in disaster areas, where people can come and wash their family's clothes for free. It is a truly great idea. Not only is it the sort of thing that a lot of people overlook when thinking of how to help disaster victims, but it is totally connected to what the brand does best - clean clothes.

I would love to hear about other cause related marketing efforts that other people feel are really well designed.

Free - 10% of Nothing!

Okay, I admit that I have already written about some of my frustrations with loyalty programs that center around getting a store credit card for 10% off one's purchase for one day. It has always seemed to me, that in order to offset the huge hassle of having another credit card to manage every month, that you need to be buying at least $900 of merchandise to get a $90 discount.
However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, over the week-end, I got offered 10% off nothing! I had bought something in the store for about $50 and in the process of taking it back, found something else I liked for exactly the same price. Consequently, I decided just to do a direct swap - return the item I didn't want and buy the one I did. In the process of doing the transaction, the sales associate asked me if I wanted to save 10% by taking out a store credit card. I asked her whether it was possible to save 10% on nothing since I didn't owe anything. She looked at me like I was barking mad and asked me what I was talking about. The more I tried to explain, the more convoluted our conversation became until I finally just had to stop trying to clarify the issue and tell her that I would regretfully pass on the credit card offer.
Oh well - at least it provided me with a chuckle........

Diet Sodas Are Making Me Fat!

Okay I can't say that I blame the companies that make diet soda for doing so. It is an amazingly appealing product concept - a drink that actually tastes good, is refreshing and doesn't have any calories. Undoubtedly, this extremely attractive combination of benefits is why diet sodas have thrived for so long in a marketplace where many other diet and low calorie products go by the board because they just don't taste very good.

I myself have been a diet soda addict for a long time. Often when I am trying to cut back on calories (which is almost all the time), I will treat myself to a diet soda or two at meals because they are so much more satisfying as a beverage than plain old water or unsweetened tea! I am a bit of a hedonist at heart and have never been able to totally get my head around the water and lettuce leaf way of life.

However, I had rather a nasty realization recently and that was that diet soda was actually making me fat. I don't know whether the manufacturers of this wonderful stuff realize it, but diet soda actually increased your appetite. When I am being good and just drinking water with a little lime or lemon juice in it (boring) I am far less hungry than when I drink diet soda. Now I know that there are many super models out there, one of which I am not, that live on diet soda, coffee and cigarettes and find them to be an essential part of weight control. For me, it doesn't work. The moment I have a diet soda before lunch, my appetite immediately doubles and I tuck into a double portion of ranch dressing on my salad with the french bread on the side and still find myself considering some sort of sweet for afters.

So what is the solution? Perhaps those wonderful people who make the stuff could find a way to do it so that we actually felt full after drinking one instead of wanting to eat the carpet. Has anyone else had this experience or am I one of the unlucky few that don't get to enjoy the real benefit of drinking something that is both calorie free and delicious?

The Fat Trap

Okay I admit it, I love to buy something that says 'low fat' or 'less fat' because it suddenly transforms it from something that was bad for me into something that is good for me. That ice cream that a moment ago I was determined to resist because it wasn't on my healthy eating plan, instantly becomes acceptable once it has had a few grams of fat taken out of it. So you can imagine my horror the other day when I was in the supermarket and I realized that the Country Crock Light Butter Spread had the same amount of fat and calories as the regular Country Crock Butter Spread. How can that be? Well on closer inspection I realized that even the regular spread claimed to have half the fat and calories as regular butter, so I guess they decided that no one would notice if they introduced another version with exactly the same nutritional profile but that this time actually announced that it was lighter! This was definitely an instance where I felt that the marketing of the product was seriously setting out to mislead me, while at the same time wondered whether they thought that most of us are complete morons and unlikely to ever compare the two products. I can't say that it has actually stopped me buying the product, but perhaps made me feel a little less warm and fuzzy about the people who make it!

The Good Reports

Has anyone else seen the 'Good' Reports that Starbucks is doing right now?
I know that Starbuck's equity has been a bit rocky in recent months, but I think that this is one thing they are doing that goes a long way to rebuilding it. They are taking the time to write these reports on key political, environmental and societal issues that we should all be aware of but perhaps don't spend enough time independently researching our facts. Starbucks has now brought us these handy little guides to help us learn about everything from Carbon Emissions to Immigration. The thing that I like best about them is that they really speak to Starbuck's commitment to bettering our lives in the broadest sense and to doing things that aren't always profit related. One of the biggest problems that a lot of companies have when they get into cause related marketing is doing something that is clearly driven by a desire to benefit society rather than a desire to improve the bottom line. This is becoming increasingly difficult as consumers become savvier and less trusting of the corporate world. Having said that, I do think that Starbucks has found a simple, easy to understand marketing tool with its 'Good' Reports and I would be interested in hearing if other people have an opinion about it or have other good examples of effective cause related marketing.

No Love Left in Flying

There is no doubt that women are more inclined to notice the details when it comes to experiencing products or services across nearly every category. If stores send us a thank you note or a special coupon for our birthday, we are much more responsive than our male counterparts. The same can be said if a store offers consumers a free cup of coffee or a balloon for our kids. So if the details are so important, how come the airlines have completely failed to acknowledge this fact, or do they just not realize it? Last week I traveled on United Airlines and had the same experience that all my other fellow travelers are having these days, but it doesn't make it any better. As a woman, I am completely befuddled by the fact that the airlines have chosen to take away all the nice little details instead of asking us to pay another $25.00 for a ticket. I mean I can't imagine that the combined cost of the luggage tariff, a small bag of peanuts or cookies and renting a pillow and a blanket for an hour could cost more than about $25.00. The bad will that is created by taking away these little extras and charging us $15 for checking a bag seems like it would be far more expensive in the long run in terms of lost business, than charging us a little more for the actual ticket. I would love to hear some other thoughts on this!

Making Me Love You!

In the field of marketing to women, we talk a lot about how men mainly want to make a transaction at a store, but women want to start a relationship. I am not sure that this is universally true, but I definitely have my favorite stores that I mentally have a little love affair with. Although I realize that it is a little cliche, I definitely feel like I have a relationship with Starbucks even though I don't go there very often anymore. It stems from the fact that they really do go out of their way to remember who you are and to greet you by name every time you come in the store.

On the other hand, I have a bit of a negative relationship with stores who force me to greet someone at the door every time I go in. I know that it is a little uncharitable to say this because they are of course trying, but instead of it feeling like the beginning of a beautiful relationship, I feel like my privacy is being infringed upon. I mean of course, if I am in a great mood and I bounce into the shop and catch the eye of the sales associate at the door, I am quite content to exchange greetings. However, if I am in the middle of a little retail therapy and not in the best of moods, I completely resent having someone shout 'how are you?' at me from across the store. I have even experienced sales associates who will keep saying it until I respond.

I want to feel loved and appreciated as a customer, but I am not sure that this is the way to win women over. I imagine that it is something that sales associates are told they have to do to every customer that walks in the door. How much more effective though if the sales associates were allowed to gauge the mood and situation of the shopper and respond to her accordingly, e.g. 'You look like you are in a hurry, can I help you find something quickly?'

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?

The Perfect Cup of Coffee

I have to admit that McDonalds wouldn't be my number one choice for coffee, if it was just about what's in the cup. I mean, they do a good job, but it is hard to beat the Starbucks experience if you consider yourself a coffee aficionado. It also wouldn't be my number one choice if I was ordering it along with my 'breakfast on the go' - you would be more likely to find me at Panera.

However, McDonalds does do one thing that makes me love them that no one else does. When I am going through the drive through they put the cream and sweetener in my coffee for me. It sounds like a small thing right? Wrong! Have any of you tried driving while putting cream and sugar into a boiling hot cup of coffee. Especially if you have elementary school offspring in the back saying 'Mom stop doing that - you are going to kill us'.

So it is a small thing that in my life has taken on huge proportions. I love it when I go to another drive through and ask if they will put the cream and sweetener in for me and they tell me blunting 'we don't do that'.

It makes my day to have that done for me - it has made me a fan of McDonalds which I never thought would happen.

The 10% Off Thing

Last time I was in Target I bought something worth $24.99. I thought to myself that they couldn't possibly ask me if I wanted to open a Target account in order to benefit from the enormous savings involved - $2.49. However, of course they did.

This promotional offer, which almost every mass merchandiser - well, not Wal-Mart - and every department store continues to push upon its unwitting customers, seems rather out of touch to me.

Let's be honest, nowadays you have to really, really want another credit card to bother to sign up. I know that we have all been a little credit crazy in the past decade or so, but most people are starting to realize the folly of their ways. Moreover, the other part of the equation that I think about every time I open a new credit card is that I am going to have to deal with more bills and more paper work every month.

Can this promotional avenue to loyalty be seriously resuscitated?

Probably yes, if the stores stopped being so greedy and actually offered consumers something worth having. How about 50% off on the day you take out the card and 10% every time you use it? That would certainly get my attention and I imagine that it would still pay out for most retailers.

Let's start giving consumers something that is really worth having!

Going Broke At Wal-Mart

Okay, so it is probably true to that I can't really blame Wal-Mart for this, but despite the incredibly good value that Wal-Mart offers, I am going broke shopping there! In fact it has got to the point now, where my husband won't even let me go there because it has such a bad effect on my bank account.

So what's up?

Well, when I go to Wal-Mart or Target I always have a specific item in mind that I want to purchase. Usually something mild like some new underwear or shampoo. So why do I always end up spending at least $100? Well........basically because walking into these stores for me is a little like a kid walking into a candy shop. Suddenly the shampoo and underwear is completely forgotten in favor of the need to try Olay's new miracle wrinkle remover or Revlon's newest shade of lipstick. That however, is the least harmless of my tendencies in the realm of impulsive shopping behavior. Wandering into the pet department I will spy a new extra large dog bed or an adorable cat collar that I just have to have. Nearby stands a lovely row of vacuum cleaners in all sorts of lovely shiny colors just waiting to be bought.

So I have to admit that I have a definite love hate relationship with these mass merchandisers. I love them because they do allow me to shop with incredible convenience and buy everything I need for very reasonable prices. However, the less loving side of my relationship comes from the fact that the reasonable prices become a moot point if I am buying about four times what I really need.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Welcome to the Frustrated Female!

I am one of those women who is regularly frustrated by the silly things that I encounter on a daily basis when I am shopping or deciding where to shop and what I should buy. After having had a particularly frustrating experience, I often find myself standing in the middle of a store by myself thinking 'I wish I could tell someone about this' . In fact I am often tempted to walk up to a complete stranger in the store and say ' you'll never guess what just happened', but luckily I refrain because I don't want to get carted away by someone in uniform.

So it seemed to make sense to start this blog where I could vent about these daily annoyances and see if anyone else out there has had the same experience.

I thought that I would start off by talking about a recent experience that I just had trying to buy Bendaroos for my 9 year old daughter via an '800' number. Unfortunately she had seen the commercial on the TV numerous times ( you know - all this for only $19.99) and finally wore me down. Bendaroos for anyone who is interested are long, thin pieces of plastic that can supposedly be bent into all forms of different models etc. Yeah, right.


So.....I was dreading making the call because you know that you might as well pitch a tent they keep you on the phone so long. This time there was a twist. While they were busy wasting my time by attempting to sell me another $100 worth of useless stuff, they were saving their own time by doing it all with an automoted sales person.

After I had made my purchase of the Bendaroos I was dying to get off the phone - but no luck. The automated voice on the other end of the phone kept saying 'we know your time is precious, so we'll keep this short' and then went on for another five minutes trying to sell me another product. Every minute that passed I was hating Bendaroos, the company that makes them and their sales approach more than ever. Are they nuts? Eventually I did wise up to the fact that I could just hang up but it took me a while (good manners drummed into me at an early age).

My only conclusion from this experience is that the companies that sell this stuff have absolutely no idea (nor do they probably care) what the customer on the other end of the phone is thinking or feeling, or else they would find a better sales approach.