It might surprise the builders and managers of public facilities, but babies urinate and poop. The reason I say this is that it boggles the mind that any public restroom in a public place such as a convention center would not have a baby-changing station in any of the bathrooms. This weekend at the Maker Faire at the San Mateo County Expo Center, I checked three women's bathrooms and my husband checked at least a couple of the men's. No luck.
Those on the wall Koala changing stations can't be that expensive to put in, so what gives? Is it just an oversight? Anyone?
If any "Makers" need ideas for next year -- how about changing stations with nifty mechanical diaper disposal apparatuses?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Spam by Any Other Name . . .
I had an interview last week with an advertising network. The first time the VP of Engineering said, "all our emails are 100% opt-in and CAN SPAM compliant" I didn't think anything of it because the statement made sense in the context of our conversation.
The second time he repeated the same phrase word-for-word, my feelers went up.
When the General Manager came in and repeated the EXACT same phrase I knew it. And I think he knew that I knew. Sorry, but I'm not quite hungry enough (for a job) to make SPAM.
No offense to Hormel.
The second time he repeated the same phrase word-for-word, my feelers went up.
When the General Manager came in and repeated the EXACT same phrase I knew it. And I think he knew that I knew. Sorry, but I'm not quite hungry enough (for a job) to make SPAM.
No offense to Hormel.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A Meaty Disappointment
It's heartbreaking when a brand and business you like and trust lets you down. Twice. So here I am, heartbroken. I've been a fan and loyal customer of Trader Jo's for a long time. In the past 3 years or so, I've done most of my weekly grocery shopping there, with only an occasional trip to Safeway for brand-specific items and items TJ's doesn't carry, like diapers.
However, twice now I've bought meat there (well, the first time it was fish -- just to be precise), gotten it home, only to discover it has gone bad before it's "sell by" or "use or freeze by" dates. The first time, I was willing to forgive and forget. No one is perfect. But not this second time. I will no longer buy meat or fish products there, and that's bad news for both of us: more trips to other grocery stores for me, which takes more time; and TJs will lose some of my business.
In reflecting on this episode, I was surprised and how truly disappointed I was that this happened. It's not the money (I'm sure I'd get a refund if I bothered to ask), it's being let down by a brand with which I have had a long-term relationship. I know some people have deep affections for their cars or their iPhones or other cool products. But a grocery store? Who knew!!
As a Product Manager, my take-aways from this episode are:
1) Quality control cannot be short-changed. I'm not sure what went wrong with TJ's meat handling operations, but given that we haven't heard of any large-scale food poisoning news stories, I suspect there are issues at the local store whereby some process isn't being followed correctly. Does anyone randomly test the meat (and other perishable items for that matter) to make sure it's still fresh while on the shelf?
In my previous jobs, I was fortunate in that the management teams understood the critical nature of QA and so we had a QA team. I know there are web and small software companies that do not. I've interviewed at places where the Product Manager is expected to QA the software. From a customer retention standpoint, that's taking your life in your hands. And is that really the best use of a Product Manager's time? Even if it's one lowly intern, someone needs to do QA - in software, at grocery stores, with any product.
2) The importance of having feedback loops for times when something goes amiss. In this case, I'm not likely to complain. So how would TJ's find out that that the was a problem and that they're about to lose a big chunk of a loyal customer's weekly budget (and have the opportunity to try to win it back, if they should care to try). Unless someone who reads this blog happens to work there or knows someone who does, they won't.
This one is a challenge. No one I know calls the 800 numbers on packages to complain when they have a problem with a product. Unless it's a larges-scale problem, it's unlikely to make the news (a relief to consumer product makes and sellers everywhere.) Other than returning clothing and shoes I've bought online, I cannot remember the last time I complained about any product or service with which I was dissatisfied. I simply took my business elsewhere. And how many consumers have blogs where they publish their frustrations, even if the producers or service providers are savvy enough to watch online chatter for feedback from their customers?
So how do you gather customer feedback when there's an issues with your product?
However, twice now I've bought meat there (well, the first time it was fish -- just to be precise), gotten it home, only to discover it has gone bad before it's "sell by" or "use or freeze by" dates. The first time, I was willing to forgive and forget. No one is perfect. But not this second time. I will no longer buy meat or fish products there, and that's bad news for both of us: more trips to other grocery stores for me, which takes more time; and TJs will lose some of my business.
In reflecting on this episode, I was surprised and how truly disappointed I was that this happened. It's not the money (I'm sure I'd get a refund if I bothered to ask), it's being let down by a brand with which I have had a long-term relationship. I know some people have deep affections for their cars or their iPhones or other cool products. But a grocery store? Who knew!!
As a Product Manager, my take-aways from this episode are:
1) Quality control cannot be short-changed. I'm not sure what went wrong with TJ's meat handling operations, but given that we haven't heard of any large-scale food poisoning news stories, I suspect there are issues at the local store whereby some process isn't being followed correctly. Does anyone randomly test the meat (and other perishable items for that matter) to make sure it's still fresh while on the shelf?
In my previous jobs, I was fortunate in that the management teams understood the critical nature of QA and so we had a QA team. I know there are web and small software companies that do not. I've interviewed at places where the Product Manager is expected to QA the software. From a customer retention standpoint, that's taking your life in your hands. And is that really the best use of a Product Manager's time? Even if it's one lowly intern, someone needs to do QA - in software, at grocery stores, with any product.
2) The importance of having feedback loops for times when something goes amiss. In this case, I'm not likely to complain. So how would TJ's find out that that the was a problem and that they're about to lose a big chunk of a loyal customer's weekly budget (and have the opportunity to try to win it back, if they should care to try). Unless someone who reads this blog happens to work there or knows someone who does, they won't.
This one is a challenge. No one I know calls the 800 numbers on packages to complain when they have a problem with a product. Unless it's a larges-scale problem, it's unlikely to make the news (a relief to consumer product makes and sellers everywhere.) Other than returning clothing and shoes I've bought online, I cannot remember the last time I complained about any product or service with which I was dissatisfied. I simply took my business elsewhere. And how many consumers have blogs where they publish their frustrations, even if the producers or service providers are savvy enough to watch online chatter for feedback from their customers?
So how do you gather customer feedback when there's an issues with your product?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Email Marketing Idea: Return Confirmation
I recently checked out a new (to me) site: 6pm.com and purchased some shoes. After deciding to return them, I looked at the slip that came in the box. For most retailers, you fill out the slip, put it in the box and go to the post office. Many even include the pre-printed return label. 6pm.com, however, told me to go to the web site, log-in to my account, and generate a returns confirmation email, print it out, and put it in the box with my returned items.
On the one hand, this is sort of a pain for the consumer -- an extra step to return unwanted items. On the other hand, it's a brilliant place for cross-sell opportunity. Suggest similar items, or same item in a different sizes or color or fabric or whatever works for your business in other cross-sell channels. And it's an opportunity to convert a return into a sale.
Direct marketers and their Email Service Providers (ESPs) are all working on their social media strategies. But good old-fashioned email still has a vital role.
On the one hand, this is sort of a pain for the consumer -- an extra step to return unwanted items. On the other hand, it's a brilliant place for cross-sell opportunity. Suggest similar items, or same item in a different sizes or color or fabric or whatever works for your business in other cross-sell channels. And it's an opportunity to convert a return into a sale.
Direct marketers and their Email Service Providers (ESPs) are all working on their social media strategies. But good old-fashioned email still has a vital role.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
