Customer Happiness Is the New Customer Service

Two households, both alike in dignity. Oh wait. Wrong story. And though mine doesn’t take place in fair Verona, it is a love story about two brands. STORY 1: WARBY PARKER I recently received a new prescription from my optometrist. As has become the case over the past few years, the impetus of my visit was mostly about getting into a new pair of Warby Parkers I (pardon the pun) had my eye on. Flash forward a couple weeks, my break-in period doesn’t seem to be letting up. Vision feels awry. One eye feels drunk and wonky. Not good. After a recheck, my doctor convinces me I just need to give it more time. A month goes by. I still feel I’m viewing life through a fish bowl. More troubleshooting ensues, ultimately resulting in a kinder, gentler prescription.

Great. Now I have two pairs of adorable glasses with a bad prescription. What’s a girl to do? Email, of course.

After shooting an email to WP to explain the situation, not only do they happily agree to swap out my glasses, they immediately place an order for my replacement pairs and email me a shipping label to return the old ones. All free of charge. Despite the fact that none of this was their fault, WP made my problem their problem – and bent over backwards to make it right.

STORY 2: MAJOR COSMETIC BRAND A few weeks ago I decided to order makeup on Amazon for the first time. (Because Amazon Prime! Why not?) I’ve been using the same brand forever, so I assumed it would be a safe bet. At the last second, I opted to switch to a newer formulation of the product. When it arrived, the smell was wretched. I don’t know if it was a bad batch or intentionally created to smell like a mix of cleaning supplies and rotten carnations, but either way, it was NOT going on my face.  I emailed the brand to share my thoughts. A few days later I received a form letter notifying me that they would be sending me a gift certificate, along with a note that read: “Please do not respond to this email.” Hmm. Okay.

THE TAKEAWAY

There is a huge difference between customer service and customer happiness. I was equally pleased with the service I received from both companies, but only one left me feeling happy, connected and affectionate toward the brand once the dust settled.

When brands are in the business of customer service, they aim to provide a simple transaction. That is vital and valuable – don’t get me wrong. But when brands go beyond service and give their people permission to make customers happy, they’re investing in building lasting relationships. How would business change if brands stopped calling people “customer service representatives” and started calling them “champions for customer happiness?”

ps: To Alice at Warby Parker – Thank you! You are the hero of my eyeballs.

A Brand Building Lesson Courtesy of HGTV

HGTV is my form of meditation. When I need a break from the world, I can always count on them to whisk me away for a couple hours of remodels, renovations and real estate purchases that leave me wondering what, exactly, a 23-year-old couple does that affords them the ability to buy a $700,000 vacation home in Belize. (I hear I’m not alone in this.) If there is one thing HGTV has taught me over the years, it’s the importance of a solid foundation. Let’s be honest. In a world of drawer pulls, lighting fixtures and “smart toilets,” foundations are blah at best. Unseen and unsexy, they’re sort of the girdle of home ownership. But it turns out they’re super important.

Here’s the thing: you can build a lovely home on a bad foundation. You might even be able to live there for years before it becomes evident something is wrong, but eventually you will have to confront reality. And when you do, it will be messy, costly and painful.

Yesterday I read an article about a brand I love. The headline was, unquestionably, one of the worst things I could ever imagine someone saying about a brand: “I Do Not Know On Person Who is Happy at Amazon.” The letter was penned by a current employee with hopes of casting a light on the reality behind the scenes at Amazon. (Suddenly those happy face boxes aren’t seeming to happy.) Sure, it’s possible it’s the handiwork of a disgruntled employee, but I don’t think so. These are the kinds of brutally honest things people send up as a flare when they have a clear vision of what could be, not when they’ve given up.

“Everyone has a time table for quitting. No one says, “I hope I stay here forever.”

“Man, there are smart people here. But they are also smart enough to know that they have been had. That is the thing with smart people, they have high expectations of their work place.”

“As incredible as this company is, it’s hard to imagine how much more powerful it could be if anyone here, more than the odd few, were happy.”

Your internal people (and culture) are the foundation of your brand. Sure, it’s tempting to fast forward to paint colors and flooring — the things that the outside world sees on a daily basis — rather than really investing in the basics. It’s fun to build a beautiful house, but if you want to build something successful and sustainable — focus on building a strong foundation. Start from within. 

For the Love of Chipotle - Infographic

From burritos to bowls, Chipotle makes taste buds swoon and hearts skip a beat. Here's to the hero of lunch o'clock. (And his little guac, too.) Feel trigger happy? Click here to tweet the infographic and declare your Chipotle love STAT! Otherwise, you'll find all the stats in this infographic broken out into single-click, tweetable tidbits at the bottom of this page.

Tweet (and eat) on, friends! 

Hey there. You made it all the way to the bottom. Good for you! Like what you see? Click any of the "click to tweet" links below to share the infographic in its entirety or pick a specific tidbit to pass on. 

TWEET THE ENTIRE INFOGRAPHIC

• I heart @ChipotleTweets! And here's why. For the Love of Chipotle - an #infographic. CLICK TO TWEET

TWEETABLE TIDBITS

• Chipotle uses 97,000 lbs of avocados on an average day. Click to Tweet
• It takes 70 avocados to make one batch of @ChipotleTweets guacamole. Click to Tweet
• 80% of the cilantro served at @ChipotleTweets is organically grown Click to Tweet
• On average, lettuce travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate. Click to Tweet
• If you are eating Cali lettuce in NY, it takes 56 fossil fuel calories to put 1 calorie on your plate. Click to Tweet
• When seasonally available, Chipotle sources produce within 350 miles of their restaurants. Click to Tweet
• Naturally-raised cows produce milk for 10-12 years. Hormone-fed cows are, ahem, "retired" after 3-5. Click to Tweet
• 100% of the sour cream and 65% of the cheese served @ChipotleTweets comes from pasture-raised cows. Click to Tweet
• A steer has to eat seven pounds of corn to produce one pound of meat. Click to Tweet
• Of the 2 million farms in America, fewer than 30% are family operated. Click to Tweet
• 70% of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are fed to animals on factory farms for purposes other than treating diseases. Click to Tweet
• 66% of grain produced in the US is used for livestock feed. Click to Tweet
• 100% of the pork Chipotle serves is naturally raised. Click to Tweet
• The USDA definition of "naturally raised" doesn't include on-farm animal welfare protocols. Chipotle's does. Click to Tweet
• 95% of pork sold in the US comes from farms that raise pigs in confinement. Click to Tweet
• .@Niman_Ranch has gone from 55 to 650 naturally-raised pork farms by working with @ChipotleTweets. Click to Tweet
• By using 100% recycled content in their napkins, @ChipotleTweets saves more than 22 million gallons of water per year. Click to Tweet
• With 655,360 possible combinations, you could eat at @ChipotleTweet 1x per day without repeating a meal for 1,794 years. Click to Tweet

Ban Bossy, Not Just the Word

Bossy: fond of giving people orders; domineering. Synonyms: domineering, pushy, overbearing, imperious, officious, high-handed,authoritarian, dictatorial, controlling.

With the emergence of the #BanBossy movement, there has been a lot of conversation going on around the word “bossy” lately. While I commend their mission to smash labels and empower girls (and fully believe women have an awesome responsibility to pay-it-forward), the message falls a little short for me. Why? Because inspiring great leadership isn’t as simple as wiping out a word.

By banning “bossy,” the movement somehow suggests that it’s a word, rather than the qualities that define that word, that are holding us back. In doing so, it sends a message that it’s acceptable to be bossy — as long as nobody uses the term. And that’s where I couldn’t disagree more.

Bossy isn’t a badge of honor; it’s not aspirational or inspirational. Bossy is a choice in behavior. Bossy isn’t something to brag about, it’s something to work on. It’s a flaw, not a feature. It’s not exclusive to one gender or the other. And it doesn’t make you a leader, it makes you a jerk.

We don’t need to ban “bossy,” we need to ban bossy people. Suggesting that eradicating the word is going to clear the path for a generation of great female leaders to emerge is kind of like treating a gunshot wound by placing a band-aid over the point of entry. It might stop the bleeding a bit, but it does nothing to address the real problem at the core.

Bossy people are not great leaders and great leaders are not bossy people. Differentiating between the two is surprisingly easy. You’ll find bossy people at the front of the pack dragging everyone behind them. You’ll find great leaders at the back of the pack, cheering their team onward and upward. Great leaders are not ramrods or bullies. They’re not hostile, defensive, aggressive or belittling. They take joy in pulling people up, not pushing them down or running them over.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to work alongside some prolific, generous business minds; a mix of people who know how to push and prod, motivate, challenge and inspire. They continue bringing out the best in their people by revealing the way, not by dragging us down the path. No matter how good you are at your job, if you’re bossy, you’re bad at business. Why? Because, as one of my bosses and mentors always says,“We’re all in the people business.”

It’s time we separate the bosses from the “bossies,” but it can only happen if we reject, once and for all, the notion that bossy behavior is somehow indicative of leadership potential. I think we can all agree that empowering the next generation of great leaders — male and female — is about so much more than semantics.

Message Matters: Shocking a Conversation to Life

“All stories have a curious and even dangerous power. They are manifestations of truth — yours and mine. And truth is all at once the most wonderful yet terrifying thing in the world, which makes it nearly impossible to handle. It is such a great responsibility that it’s best not to tell a story at all unless you know you can do it right. You must be very careful, or without knowing it you can change the world.” -Vera Nazarian As a writer, it will come as no surprise to anyone that I fully subscribe to the theory that words have the power to change the world. I also believe that changing the world begins with opening eyes and changing minds.

Every once in awhile I stumble across something that reiterates that point in such a quiet, powerful way that it stops me in my tracks and there’s nothing else to say but WOW. The Pilion Trust, a London charity which helps some of the poorest and most vulnerable, has conducted a social experiment on the people of London to see if they really do care about the less fortunate.” The project has created plenty of shock and controversy, but upon watching it, the message they’re trying to send is clear as day. Pilion Trust knows what injustice they’re fighting, and they won’t be ignored.

I  love this video for so many reasons. Brands are always looking for a way to carry their message out into the world. You cannot craft a powerful message until you know what you’re working with and what you’re fighting against. In this case, apathy.

The takeaway? You don’t need a lot of words to make a powerful statement. By finding the right words, however, it becomes possible to unlock the passion that people keep locked away in their hearts. That’s a mighty powerful thing.

(WARNING: This video may be difficult to watch for some. It also contains strong language. Put on your headphones before you hit play! Also, be sure to watch all the way to the end for the payoff.) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBuC_0-d-9Y

Meet the Vagabond Barista

With his infectious laugh and signature messy bun, Will Shurtz is hard not to notice -- and impossible to forget. He's the kind of person who walks into a room of 100 strangers and leaves with 100 new friends. As the owner and founder of Vagabond Barista, a traveling brew bar that elevates the coffee experience through a blend of craft, care and human connection, Will regularly does exactly that. [Click here to see him in action.] Will and I first met after he made a visit to Brains on Fire to host a brew bar for our team. Five minutes into our initial chat I was pretty much rendered speechless by the profound wisdom, humanity and business acumen pouring forth from an entrepreneur barely over the legal drinking age. In the months since, I've become a loud and proud Will advocate. And I'm not alone in that sentiment. Whenever Will's name comes up, you quickly discover that everyone has a Will story. This is one such story from a mutual friend...

"With everything and everyone, Will is like a child who is tasting cake for the first time. Fascinated, curious, delighted, excited, and totally unaffected by the jaded, cynical, adult world around him. He bought some espresso cups from me a couple of years ago, and it was like he thought they were the best things he'd ever seen or touched. I've known only one other person like that my whole life. The first time I noticed it in my other friend was when, in high school, he sat down at a science lab table with the dorkiest, dandruff-flaking, acne-faced person in school...and engaged in real conversation with him. He listened and asked questions, and was genuinely interested in what this kid, who most of us didn't even know existed, had to say. I think about that day often. I believe these people are just born with a kind of super love for others, and inherently value human interaction over everything else."

I was recently invited to serve as a mentor to entrepreneurial makers at Greenville's Makers Summit. One of the bright spots of my morning was watching people waiting in the Vagabond Barista line. As they made their way toward the front, you could see a physical and spiritual transformation take place -- like their whole being got lighter and happier. They were simply enjoying be cared for in the moment. I've never seen anything like it, and I left that encounter committed to making a stronger effort to be more open-hearted in the way I live, love and interact with others in my own life. Will inspired me to give other people that gift however I can.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if we all made an effort to be more open-hearted in our personal and professional lives. What would business look like if we stopped looking at our jobs as the work we do and started looking at what we do as the daily gift we give? 

Columbus, OH - infographic

columbus ohio infographic

It seems my Columbus infographic has hit home (literally) with a lot of people. It has been wonderful getting to virtually meet so many of my 614 neighbors, and a great reminder that cities are a reflection of the people who live there. In the instance of Columbus, what an awesome group of people that is.

If you'd like to connect on social, here's where you'll find me:

Twitter: @NoMeatballs Facebook: facebook.com/writehuman  Instagram: @amyabtaylor Pinterest: pinterest.com/amyabtaylor LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/meetamy

Navigating a Sea of Brand Change

Don’t get me wrong, I like winter. But waking up to several inches of fresh snow (on top of several existing inches of not-so-fresh snow), I can’t help but let my mind fast forward to June, July and August. Warm summer evenings, good friends, welcoming verandas, a cold pint. (But maybe not the kind you’d expect.) It’s no secret that I’m a Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams fan. While I once blamed my Ohio upbringing, it seems the whole world has caught on to Ohio’s best-kept “sweet-cret.” And that’s a good thing. There’s something pretty awesome about watching people across the country fall in love with the brand your hometown has been rallying around for years.

Last week Jeni’s made a big announcement. They’re doing away with their signature trademark, handwritten labels. Turns out they spend more than 15,000 hours a year adding that personal touch to every pint that leaves the building.

From a consumer touchpoint standpoint, I have to admit that I will miss the handwritten labels just a bit. It has become a summer tradition to pause in front of the freezer at our favorite local market to savor the Sharpie art of so many different hands. There is something (no pun intended) so cool about knowing each pint has passed through the hands of a real human. (Though now I’m starting to suspect those hands may have been suffering from a case of chronic writer’s cramp.)

Once I put my selfish, Sharpie-loving feelings aside, I was able to see things from a business perspective, and I began to really appreciate how Jeni’s is handling this transition. Change is never easy. Especially for a brand that is beloved and deeply ingrained in their consumer’s nostalgia experience. But Jeni’s did things right in a few ways:

1. They were open, honest and forthcoming – before the change rolled out. In doing so, they gave their customers a heads up, a little time to mourn and a taste of what’s next.

2. They looked to the past to inspire the future. Realizing that the old, handwritten labels held a special place in their customers’ hearts, Jeni’s new labels will be printed in-house using a variety of samples from their professional handwriting crew. Customers get that personal touch they love; employees get to focus their time and talent elsewhere. Which brings me to…

3. They were transparent about their motivation. While I’m sure financial factors played a part in the decision, Jeni’s announcement focused on a much more important factor: the human factor. “We’re certain that our kitchen team members will be happier when they arrive at work knowing that they will be fully engaged in the making of the actual ice cream every day rather than writing the names of flavors on pint containers.” I love this because it’s a reminder that Jeni’s isn’t just focused on the goodness that goes inside their pints, they’re committed to fostering goodness within the walls of their company and culture. It tells me they’re listening to their employees, looking for ways to best utilize the talent they hire an not afraid to adjust to make that happen. Happy brands start with happy people. It’s as simple as that.

And that’s a brand I want to do business with. Or in this case, keep on doing business with.

Creating a Culture of Heroes: A Brand Lesson via Chipotle

It's no secret I am a Chipotle fan. I live in a city where that sentiment seems to be shared by all. A place where you can find a Chipotle thoughtfully situated at both ends of the same suburb, with a line 20+ patient people deep at both. I love their purpose and soul. I love their clever branding. Their social team is at the top of my list of people doing customer happiness right. And it's that last point I want to talk about today.

As much as I love the line of 20+ patient people at both our Chipotles, I've gotten into the habit of placing my order online so I can pop in, bypass the line and pop out. Lunch hour maximization! It works like a charm. For the longest time, I used to skip the "additional comments" section on the web form, until the day curiosity got the better of me and I started wondering if anyone actually reads the additional comments. So, I tried it. I left a little message.

When I picked up my order, I noticed this...

IT WORKED! A SECRET RESPONSE MESSAGE! (Okay, for all I know they do this for everyone, but it still made me feel special and happy.)

Flash forward a couple weeks and I am hurriedly throwing together a lunch order. Additional comments? You're the heroes of my burrito lunch. Off I go. Bypass the line. Hurry home and eat.

A couple hours later I notice a voicemail on my phone from a number I don't recognize. "Who is this mystery caller," I ask myself?

[audio m4a="http://www.brainsonfire.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ChiptoleMessage.m4a"][/audio]

Alyssa, I don't know who you are. (I don't even know if I'm spelling your name right.) But I just want you to know that you are not only still the hero of my salad, you were the hero of my entire day.

THE TAKEAWAY LESSON

I can't think of a single brand that doesn't want to be, as Chipotle puts it, "unconditionally loved," but I can think of so many that just can't seem to figure out where to begin. The answer is people. People on the inside, people on the outside. It starts at the top (and from within) and trickles down. It takes root when you create a culture where people can grow and be their (awesome) selves. You can't create a brand that people love until you build a company your people love. And once that happens, they're going to carry that love out into the world via burrito bowl lids, clever tweets and unexpected voicemails. You're going to create a culture of heroes.

This is my Thursday nugget of wisdom for to you, brands. Go look at your team. Can you spot your Alyssas and your Joes and your Rustys? Are you giving your people permission to be awesome? And I don't just mean telling them to be awesome, I mean actively giving them the resources, trust and support to be awesome. Are you fostering a culture that inspires your people to become honorary cupids who carry their love for your company out into the world?

If not, you've got some work to do.

After all, heroes aren't born, they're made.

Tub cleaner + carpet spot remover (DIY)

Writer Sylvia Plath once said, "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them." As a nightly bath taker, I'm inclined to agree. As a nightly bath taker, I'm also intimately familiar with the nightmare that is soap scum and hard water stains. In fact, the ring of doom and I are in a bit of a cold war. And I've tried everything short of nuclear weaponry to help me win the battle. From bleach sprays to organic sprays, caustic powders to baking soda scrubs -- nothing seems to work.

Until last night.

The thing that finally did the trick was a DIY recipe floating around the interwebs. It uses only two ingredients, both of which cost less than $5 combined...and are probably already residing in that creepy cabinet under your kitchen sink. White vinegar + blue Dawn dish soap.

I am not sure what kind of magic they put in blue Dawn, but holy moly, I am a believer! When it pairs with white vinegar some kind of magical love connection ensues...and now I will share it with you.

---

KICKASS TUB + TILE CLEANER

RECIPE 1 part blue Dawn dish soap to 1 part white vinegar.

INSTRUCTIONS Put ingredients in a spray bottle and shake well before using. (Some recipes suggest heating the vinegar first for added oomph.) Spray mixture onto tub (be sure to thoroughly coat any extra grimy or gross spots.) Leave on for 15 minutes and rinse. More than likely you won't even have to work up a sweat with a scrub brush, especially if you use this mixture routinely moving forward.

PROS: amazingly effective - works better than any commercial cleaners I have tried, semi-natural, inexpensive, Dawn saves wildlife, uses ingredients you probably already have around the house

CONS: Takes a little more effort to rinse than some cleaners, but the viscosity it part of what makes it effective. Definitely has a soapy vinegar aroma, but I far prefer "soap pickles" to the scent of chemical cleaners.

---

DIY CARPET SPOT REMOVER

As it turns out, the super powers of vinegar and blue Dawn don't stop at the bathroom. At least not IN the bathroom. As the proud pet parent of a rescue dog, I can honestly say there are few things on Earth I love more than Rocky. I mean, just look at that face...

Don't let the look deceive you. He's 80% adorable lovehound, 20% terror. And while he's pretty much a genius, every now and then he tips into evil genius territory (occasionally just-plain-evil). I was reminded of this last week when I started moving furniture and discovered someone had peed on the leg of chair in the living room, which had pooled under the foot on the carpet below. Initial efforts to remove the spot with my Little Green Machine proved fruitless, so I did what any normal person would do: I ordered a full-size carpet cleaner at 2 a.m. on Amazon. (It's actually pretty great.)

But I knew I'd need a spot treatment if there was a chance of getting the stain out.

While perusing Youtube for vinegar + Dawn bathroom results, I noticed that someone had recommended vinegar and Dawn as a carpet spot treatment for such purposes.

Could it be? 

Yes. It could totally be. I wish I had taken before and after photos to share. I have no idea how long that stain had been setting into my carpet, but with just a spray and blot it was barely noticable. A pass of the carpet cleaner and things were good as new.

RECIPE 1 part blue Dawn dish soap to 2 parts white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS Spray on stain, allow to set for a minute, blot. Note: I would definitely suggest spot testing this on an inconspicuous area of your carpet before you go spraying it all over the place. While my carpeting is light, I do not have natural carpet fibers. The mixture definitely comes out blue, so use at your own risk.

Happy cleaning!