The $4 paper bag!

Last Saturday afternoon I had a delightful time taking my daughter and a friend to the cinema to see a film. We were seeing The Pink Panther 2 and it was actually very funny.

Unfortunately, the outing was slightly marred for me in the fact that I was asked to pay $4 at the popcorn counter for an empty paper bag. The fiasco started when I ordered one large popcorn for all of us to share. However, the verdict was split on whether we should indulge in the extra butter or not; the thinner member of the party wanting nothing to do with the greasy stuff, while the more robust participants were more of the 'bring it on' mindset. So I decided to keep the peace by splitting the popcorn in two, so that butter could be safely applied to only half the bag. I returned to the counter and asked for an empty bag in which to transfer 50% of the popcorn.

Much to my amazement, the boy behind the counter started to look shifty, and shuffled off to confer with his manager - over a paper bag for goodness sake. The manager then returned with the counter boy (was I about to be hauled off in handcuffs?), and quietly told me that he couldn't give me a bag without the popcorn in it. I proceeded to say that I would pay for it and was promptly told that it would be $4, only $1 less than a full bag. His tone of voice also indicated in no uncertain terms that he was counting on me not turning into a crazed housewife and flail around the theater, demanding my bag.

So now I hate The Grand Theaters. Just think that they could have won over an avid fan with $4 - who would then have spread the word to more potential fans of this great destination. Instead they have an avid enemy who will also gleefully be spreading the word about the ridiculously poor service she got at the hands of a monstrously short sighted business policy.

Oh well....

The End of Shame?

About a week ago I saw a commercial for the Mitsubishi Lancer on television and guess what the tag line was? 'The End of Global Blanding'. Once I got over the shock of having heard this incredibly stupid statement, I then had to ask myself how they could have been blind to how inappropriate it is.

Firstly, it is a message that is almost guaranteed to alienate a large part of the female population (not that most automobile companies are that interested in their female consumers). Women on the whole are concerned about the environment and what global warming will mean to their lives and more importantly the futures of their family members. Although there is some skepticism out there regarding 'green washing', for the most part women appreciate companies that seem to be doing something to help with the environmental crisis. Clearly this is not the case with Mitsubishi. Not only is Mitsubishi not doing anything to help the environment, but it is actually making fun of the problem.

Secondly, it makes Mitsubishi as a company look stupid and superficial. Most people want to buy brands and products from companies that at least appear to share their values. I can't imagine that anyone except perhaps teenagers would think that making fun of global warming is really appropriate. For most people, the personality that Mitsubishi conveys through the use of this line is 'trite, small minded and superficial'. I bet that wasn't part of the idea when they came up with the tag line.

I think that Mitsubishi might want to consider having a serious talk with its agency - at least ask them to re-think their advertising idea. I doubt that 'the end of global blanding' is going to help them sell too many more Lancers.

Make Up Madness

I have been dying to write on my blog about the experience of going to the cosmetic counter in a department store. I know that most women have experienced it and some probably even like it - but I am not one of those people! I am a Sephora fan. I like to be able to go to a store and step inside something that feels like Aladdin's Cave. I want to be able to wander around the store in a state of imagined invisibility and play with all the different brands, products and colors. I don't want to be disturbed until I am pretty near the end of my decision making process and then maybe someone can check in with me.

This unfortunately is not the experience I get when I go to the cosmetic counter in a department store. If I decide that I want to treat myself to some new make-up and I want something a little more special than the drugstore variety, I will plan a trip to the department store. This is definitely a 'love/hate' decision. On the one hand, I love the idea of indulging in a whole new set of high priced make-up that I can covet and keep beautiful in a little black velvet bag forever - in principle anyway. On the other hand, I have a visceral loathing for the women who work behind these counters. It isn't their fault - they are only doing what they are told, and undoubtedly if I was in their position (working on commission), I would be pretty pushy too. This doesn't negate that it is a terrible experience. You only have to skulk up to one of the counters and put your pinky finger on a lipstick and you are mowed down by a complete heard of beauticians. You don't have time to breath, think or luxuriate in the shopping experience(a very important part of spending in excess of $100 on an indulgence such as make-up and face cream). Sometimes I am so annoyed that I actually slink away again without buying anything - even though I had my heart set on a large and irresponsible purchase.

So ultimately I can't understand why these large cosmetic companies don't modify their sales strategies a little. Give people a little room to play and fantasize. Let them work themselves into the mood to buy rather than forcing it on them. I for one, would definitely be a better - and more extravagant customer!

Selling Wishful Thinking!

I went to get my hair cut on Saturday. I'm not one of those women who really luxuriate in the experience - I am more of a 'get it over with' kind of girl. However, I am as susceptible as the next person to what I call 'Hairdresser Talk'. Hairdresser talk is the same kind of thing that you get at the dentist, when the hairdresser/dentist in question points out to you all the bad thinks about your hair/teeth and consequently what you need to do to rectify them.

I am convinced that it is all the hairdresser talk that makes me dread getting my hair cut. I have thick, frizzy hair that I determinedly try to make curl rather than frizz because the alternative - a thick wedge of artificially straightened hair - is too dreadful to imagine! I treat it pretty well if I may say so myself; it gets washed and conditioned every day, I scrunch in extra conditioner when it is drying and it never goes near a hair dryer. I do admit to coloring it at home but I have a handy little comb applicator that keeps the evil chemicals on my roots only.

However, all this care and attention still doesn't protect me from the hairdresser talk. It usually starts with an innocuous question like 'what type of conditioner do you use?' and ramps up to 'your hair is really dry and frizzy.' Well - duh. I have kind of known that ever since I was old enough to care what my hair looked like and envy all my friends their straight, shiny locks.

Firstly, I have to admit that I would be much more inclined to rush to make my next appointment if the hairdresser told me what beautiful hair I had - a little white lie goes a long way. Secondly, I know that I am now in for the hard sell on the outrageously expensive hair products that line the wall behind the reception desk.

The worst part of all though is that I fall for the sell every time. I must have 50 discarded wonder shampoos and conditioners from various trips to the hair salon hidden under my sink. Somehow though, this doesn't stop me from shelling out a week's salary to buy the latest new anti-frizz, super-moisturizing wonder product.

So it makes me ponder whether this is a successful selling strategy or not. I mean it works, in that most of the time I buy something I don't really need (I always go back to the same tried and true products I was using before). On the other hand, I usually end up feeling annoyed about the whole thing which may not be good for long term customer loyalty.

Oh well - my hair looks just the same as it always does!

What a surprise.

Where is the Tom Boy Apparel?

My daughter is a 9 year old tom boy. Not a really extreme tom boy, but a girl who definitely doesn't like to wear anything pink or frilly. Nor does she like wearing things that are covered with Hannah Montana motifs. The combination of these two preferences means that there is hardly anything that she would consider wearing in the girl's departments in stores.

So I have to ask - am I alone? I find it hard to believe that I am the only one with a child that would prefer not to be dressed as Barbie. I feel that girls are still being stereotyped by retailers and apparel manufacturers as 'girly girls'. Sweet little things made of sugar and spice with bows in their hair.

This leads me to ask whether retailers aren't brainwashing our daughters from birth. How can girls grow into strong, independent women with their own sense of individuality and style if all of them have to wear pink and lavender up to the age of about 14?

Forcing them to shop in the boy's department seems to be a signal that if you want to avoid being a girly girl, you have to pretend you are a boy. This doesn't really work for me either. My daughter doesn't want to look like a boy either.

Anyone else have this problem and why don't retailers address this need?

Well, girls and boys - how do we all feel about Starbucks offering value meal pairings? Is this a good thing because Starbucks is responding to the state of the economy and allowing its fans to still indulge but at a more affordable price? Or is it a bad thing because going to Starbucks means that you are treating yourself to something special and you expect it to cost more?

Personally, I am in the latter camp. However, that doesn't mean that Starbucks couldn't still satisfy my need for thriftyness by 'adding value' to their proposition rather than offering me a discount.

I have always felt that the concept of premium brands maintaining their equity by adding value to their brands rather than discounting them, has been an interesting point of consideration. There are certain brands that have a considerable amount of their appeal in the perception of superior quality which results in a higher price. So much so, that if we were to be offered a Gucci bag for $29.99 we might find ourselves rejecting it because the equation just didn't add up. Gucci and discount pricing just don't go together. However, if a brand like Gucci where to offer 'added value' instead, such as a $50 gift certificate to put against your next Gucci purchase, it would seem quite in keeping with the brand and extremely desirable.

I would hypothesize that the same dynamic is at work with the Starbucks brand. I have always liked the added value that Starbucks offers with its free drink coupons - a nice touch. If they found a way to do more of that - perhaps offering every 30th customer a free coffee - that would feel like a good fit with the Starbucks brand. However, offering value meals just doesn't seem right for the brand. It is too McDonalds - for me anyway.

What Not To Do When Mouse Is On The Menu

I heard a news story on CNN yesterday, that would have been almost funny if it wasn't so sad. A woman was interviewed who held up the dead mouse that she found in her food at a local Chinese restaurant called Mr. Linn's. As a service provider, what do you do when a service infraction comes along that is as monumental as a customer finding a mouse in her dinner?

Well, the first thing you don't do is kick her out of the restaurant and threaten her. You also don't start claiming that she must have put the mouse in the food herself. After all, I am sure that there are a lot of middle aged women around who can't wait for the right opportunity to sneak a dead mouse into a restaurant and put it in their food. A teenager out for some laughs maybe, but otherwise - no.

So what does a service provider or a retailer do to make amends and limit the damage to their business?

Firstly, they apologize profusely - even if they don't think that whatever happened was really their fault(unlike the mouse incident). I have always found that a genuine apology goes a really long way to making things better, but it is amazing how hard some people find it to do. I always look at the other side of the coin and ask myself 'what is the downside of apologizing' and I usually can't come up with anything.

Next they state very categorically that they are going to do everything they can to not only rectify the situation but to make sure that it doesn't happen again. This is important, because women are often more inclined to look at the big picture and wonder if this is likely to happen again to some other hapless customer.

Thirdly, they make a goodwill gesture - such as a gift card or a free meal. This is really important. It can mean a lot to the customer that the store is willing to compensate them for their experience, while at the same time, not really costing the store that much. Women are easily wooed by small but meaningful gestures that can head something worse happening down the line.

So don't make the mistake that Mr. Linn made. If a customer finds a mouse in her mince (so to speak) own up and admit you made a mistake. It will be a lot less painful in the long run.

Personally, I could have found it in myself to feel sorry for Mr. Linn except that he was so rude and belligerent that I ended up hoping he would go out of business!

There you are then.....