Consumer Maven

DTV Converters and DVD/R set ups

I've never been a fan of waiting until the last minute, so I redeemed my DTV Converter coupon and purchased my converter box.  Now for any of you who know me personally, you are no doubt rolling your eyes and wondering how anyone so into high tech gadgets and having geek DNA could possibly want to continue using 'rabbit ears,' but that is my preference!

Setting up the converter box was relatively easy, although I should remind anyone reading this that is planning to do the same, that they need to purchase audio visual cables.  Radio Shack has them in stock as would most stores that sell electronic equipment.  The converter I purchased, by Philco, came with an antennae cable which I appreciated, since I've had problems in the past finding them.

The main point of why I am writing about this is that there seems to be a dearth of information out there about the other side of our forced compliance in going with HDTV signals.  It's called compatibility.  While the TV part of the connection, passing through the DVD/R,  went well there was a problem when we tried to view the television using the DVD/R.  When I hooked up our DVD/R and tried to get a television signal through it, it looked as if we had no antennae whatsoever.  I checked the connections multiple times, called Philco's tech support and all I could say was that between the two of us, we beat it to death and could only say that it was connected properly.

This morning I did some online research on and discovered that I needed to get a DVD/R that either had upscaling abilities or one that could handle HDTV.  The one I had could only handle ATSC, so the HDTV signal coming through the wire was basically useless.   So for those of us who actually need to record TV programs, come February 2009 we will have needed to have switched to cable or purchased a DTV converter AND purchased a new DVD/R if our current one only handled ATSC.  So for us, this required format conversion is not just costing us a converter box but an additional expenditure of over $200 for a new DVD/R, and that is NOT covered by any government converter coupons.

Resources:
http://hometheater.about.com/od/dvdrecorderfaqs/f/dvdrecgfaq14.htm
Solid Signal.com (Digital Converter Boxes)
JR.com (HDMI/HDTV upscaling technology DVD/Rs)

I've personally dealt with JR.com many times and have always been pleased with their service and the knowledge level of their sales people.  Solid Signal I discovered as a result of needing a Digital Converter Box.  Their customer service is very good and their tech support was also very good.  We would definitely shop at either again.

Whole Foods Bans Plastic Bags

This is not too surprising for anyone who shops there, since the signs (literally) have been prominently displayed in the check out areas for months.   As plastic bags go, theirs was by far one of the best, so much so that it has been easy to reuse them.  They fold nicely and last awhile so I would carry a few with me.  I've also rescued a few people who lost their groceries on the sidewalk when the cheaper grade plastic bags they had split open, often just from the short distance from their cars to their homes.

So I have to wonder, is the issue with plastic bags just about biodegradable issues, or is it overconsumption?  We as a people probably use far too many plastic bags, because they are too small, too weak to carry many heavy items, too icky to fold up carefully.  Plastic bags have their place - in inclement weather your grocery bag won't disintegrate while you wait for at train or bus.  Your frozen foods won't break a hole though your grocery bag, etc.  However, so many people use plastic bags with abandonment.  I've seen people at the Jewel Self Check out grab many extra bags, for what purpose, who knows, since they've already bagged their groceries.  I've also seen people at the Self Check out who don't even bother with a plastic bag - at least there's some balance.

If nothing else, the one good thing about Whole Foods policy announcement is that it helps open more dialog up about the overuse of plastic bags, and personal responsibility in their use and disposal, which is really the major issue here.  The irony here is that I have never seen a Whole Foods plastic bag adorning the urban landscape, hanging from trees or blowing down streets.  Maybe because their bags were actually re-usable, versus the ones that had very little value in the first place.  In any event, banning the plastic bag has created a space for many people to think, to discuss and to look at their own habits of plastic consumption.

On the shopping side of life, the Whole Foods plasticized bag replacement, available for 99 cents, is a bright and fun shopper!

Eddie Bauer Petite polos

Eddie Bauer does it right for us gals needing petite tops.  The problem with petite summer tops for me is that I do not have the body type that clothing manufacturers usually create their patterns for.  I am short.  I have wide shoulders.  Worse yet, I dislike form fitting summer tops that fit like swimsuits.  I like my tops to be loose and to drape.  For me, nothing adds to summer humidity and discomfort more than having a skin tight article of clothing on.

I've shopped at almost every imaginable type of store you can think of, looking for petite large tops that I feel comfortable in.  It  doesn't matter whether the store is budget, low end, high end, trendy, classic, whatever... I've consistently had the same problem except for one particular store, Eddie Bauer.

For example, I recently received a very cute, sleeveless top from one of my favorite stores.  This company knows enough to make petite tops a bit less long in the torso, and to take the sleeves up, but like most companies, it is totally clueless about sleeveless tops.  I've even called them and was told that they list all the measurements so obviously the arm hole thing is my fault.  Talk about missing the point of a customer call!!   That company rep even bristled when I suggested they reduce the size of their gigantic arm holes.

Case in point, here was my top from this particular company:    The length was perfect, the drape, perfect.  The shoulder distance, perfect.  What was my complaint???  The armholes are so gigantic that you could see the entire length of the band of my bra when I had my arms in anything but plastered flat against my sides.' 

I had ordered some sleeveless polos to replace my old ones that just wore out, and decided to buy from Eddie Bauer, since I recalled that they were the only ones that didn't seem to make sleeveless armholes for petite tops that were more suited for a sumo wrestler.  They arrived Friday.  Not only did they fit perfectly, but having a free show from armpit to armpit will no longer be an issue.  Best of all, they are available in some great summer colors!

Mexican Fine Folk Pottery in Chicago

The Consumer Maven was having a conversation with Elimar Loza, of Artesanias D'Mexico, located at 1644 W. 18th Street in Chicago.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mexican Fine Folk Art items, this is the place in Chicago to look, learn and buy. 

We took the photos that you see from the window outside, which accounts for the glare since Spring and the sun have finally returned to Chicago.  We have a policy of always asking before we start snapping photos, especially where artists and art objects are concerned, but always as a matter of courtesy.   Eli shared with us that they could not allow photos of items in the store (but outside was okay) because certain artists were concerned about their designs being copied.  We discussed how many consumers cannot decern between something that looks like a piece of fine fok art versus something that is just copied and mass produced.  How interesting, I thought, that people who have no artistic inspiration will just copy someone else's work and 'mass produce' it with no reunumeration back to the original artist.

This brings to mind two issues.  The first is a disrespect for an artist and the the passion, creativity and beauty that they put into a piece.  One reason original pieces of art of any form have a uniqueness to them is that they have their own 'energy' that is put into it by the artist, during production and through their intent to create an item of beauty.  A mass produced piece only has flat dimension of mass production, and is of no benefit other than "looking nice" versus "looking elegant and having a history."   Whether we choose to buy an original piece or a cheaply made knock off is a matter of taste and consumer choice in most cases.

The second major issue that is apparent is of branding.  Larger firms invest good sums of money to develop brand equity, and to make sure that the marketplace perceives there is brand differentiation where this can appropriately exist.  I'm not talking about phony baloney "making up" a brand difference, but pointing out through integrated public relations where these exist and what the benefits are to a customer. 

Then there are artists.  Who gives them a voice and way to educate the public in why their pieces cost more than the cheap knockoffs someone may find somewhere else, sold by the insipidly inartistically uninspired?  Enter Artesanias D'Mexico.  When you speak with Elimar Loza, you find a woman who passionately speaks about the artisans, the pieces of art in their beautiful store, and a person who respects the work of the artists who fill their store with a wide variety of hand made, original works. 

An example of the uniqueness of their pottery items, for example, can be found in the information Elimar provided for us regarding Talavera Pottery. 

Talavera Pottery

Talavera is the term used to describe faithful reproductions of the pottery that is made in the Spanish village of Talvera de la Reina.  This style of pottery dates back to the 16th century colonial era.  It was eagerly adopted by Mexican artisans who added their own designs and colors in an ageless pattern representing the mixture of two cultures.  The techniques involved have been carried on by generations of old potter families.  By examining the process of these we can better understand the mastery involved of these artists. 

Two types of clay are blended and left to soak in water in order to improved their blended quality and malleability.  The potter then drains away the water and walks on the clay to give it better uniformity and consistency.  He then produces different pieces on a potter’s wheel (or in olds), and lets them dry for approximately 8-12 days.  Then they are baked in an oven at 850° C (1562° F).  After the first firing, a white varnish is applied, which gives the pieces their characteristic enameled appearance.  The pottery is then decorated using colors prepared with mineral pigments.  Afterwards these pieces are again fired in the oven for about 12 hours.  The potter is required to imagine what the final colors will look like before the process is completed, because only after the intense heat of the second baking (1050°C (1922°F),  will the colors and tones be revealed to the artists. 

Artesanias D'Mexico also carries Papel Picado, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) items, Black Pottery from Oaxaca, Copper Pottery, Alebrijes, and many other items, including  jewelry.  Artesanias D'Mexico is located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on the South Side, on 18th Street near Ashland Avenue, and is easily accessible from the CTA Pink Line 18th Street stop.  Phone Number:  312/563-9779

For more information on Artesanias D'Mexico, take a look at the Tamale Chica Chronicales Blog (another happy customer) where there are items from her personal collection shown.

T-Mobile Service or Save OUR SMS

For years I had been a Cingular customer, even before they were Cingular (when they were called Cell One).  Over ten or so years of service I became increasingly unhappy with them.  Several years ago I finally got so disgusted that I changed service, something I usually don't do lightly. 

I switched to T-Mobile.  This also allowed me to enjoy being online at their many hotspots, and freed me from being 'stuck' in the office while needing to work.  Now, I-Pod in hand, I have other uses for my T-Mobile service as well, none of which is the focus of this blog.

I have a habit of wanting to keep a record of correspondences, whether they are emails or text messages.  Since I am a prolific texter, this has begun to present a problem, especially since my telephone, not my SIM card, stores text messages.  I use a Nokia phone.  I found this out the hard way after using a SIM card reader and finding only my phone book. 

Wanting a quicker way to get an answer, I emailed T-Mobile's tech support when I couldn't find an answer online on their site.  I should have just gone to the Nokia website, which is exactly what their tech support could have just said.  Instead, they were nice enough to suggest I go to the Nokia site to download PC Suite, where I could then backup and export my SMS text messages.  And yes, they also suggested that I refer to my Nokia User Manual, but not before they were customer service oriented enough to tell me what I needed.

Anyone with a Nokia phone who wants to save or export their SMS text messages can download PC Suite free.  Downloading it will also install the drivers needed to recognize your cable, if you choose to connect that way versus via Bluetooth.  The OEM cable I originally bought did not work - my Nokia phone would not recognize it, and when I received my Nokia cable I immediately saw why (the pin connectors).

In conclusion, I've called T-Mobile many times, and except for once, I have never been dissatisfied or disappointed with the quality of help that I received.  I can't say that for ANY other telecommunications company I've dealt with, and there have been many.  Thanks, T-Mobile!

Cliptomania Clip on Earrings: Revisited

I love businesses that not only try to "get it right" but do things so well that they create customer evangelists.  I've written about Cliptomania before, but after a recent experience with them, I felt it only appropriate to revisit this small and growing company.

We recently  interviewed Candy Santo, one of the owners of Cliptomania and would like to share our interview with you.  For the uninitiated, Cliptomania is the place on the Internet to find ear rings for us girls who do not have pierced ears.  They not only have a stellar selection for all ranges of budgets, but an equally interesting selection in terms of colors, gemstones, and fashion needs.

Consumer Maven:  Can you tell me more about when and how you got started?  What was your inspiration for  starting your business???

Candy Santo:  The idea for Cliptomania arose from my husband's attempt to find me  nice earrings for our 30th anniversary in 1998.  We were living in the New York metropolitan area and not only could he not find anything, but they laughed at him at Macy's.  He thought that maybe this was a need that an Internet store could fill.  Our oldest was already out on his own and our daughter was in college and he thought a small Internet business would be a good counter to the empty nesting. 

After a year of study and planning, we opened our online store on Thanksgiving Day 1999.  Looking back, we were so naive that it is a miracle that we are still in business!  Had we tried it just 2 years later when online selling had taken off and start-ups were much more difficult and expensive, we're pretty sure it wouldn't have worked.   It helped that neither of us quit our day jobs and business was light enough then that our daughter could help while continuing her studies. One of our best assets, however, was my several decades of non-profit management which provided a good knowledge base for growing our little business.

Consumer Maven:  Are you in  partnership or sole proprietership?  What are your overall goals in terms of business growth?

Candy Santo:  Where we are now with a customer base of approximately 20,000 is something we never imagined and on most days more than half our customers are first timers so it looks like there's more growth ahead.  In addition to the 3 owner/operators (Christy & I are now full-timers & then some) Cliptomania - an LLC - employs 2 full-time and 5 part-timers.

Our primary goal is to be the Kleenex of clip earrings.
Secondary goals are:
... to provide a range of styles that makes it possible for a customer to find at least 2 pair of earrings they want to buy whenever they come into our store; 

... to image and describe the earrings in such a way that the customer gets what they expected (that this goal is being attained is demonstrated by the fact that less than 5% of what we sell is returned to us.)

... to provide outstanding customer service, giving customers the feeling they are shopping in a good local jewelry store

We couldn't meet these goals - particularly the range of products offered - if we were making them ourselves. So at any given time I'm dealing with at least 40 manufacturers, importers and designers.  I have a core group that have been key parts of our success as they have been willing and able to provide products that meet the unique needs of an Internet store.

Thank you Candy, and thanks for a great shopping experience!!

Cliptomania:  http://www.cliptomania.com

The Consumer Maven isn't the only fan here!  Check out the Tamale Chica Chronicles for another customer evangelistic perspective.

How was your shopping experience?

A few weeks ago I was at my local Whole Foods when, at the checkout, the cashier looked at me and said, 'And how was your shopping experience?'  I nearly dropped my organically raised produce when he said that.  Oh ohhhh, have I been busted???  Because the Consumer Maven is all about assessing the customer's shopping experience, it almost seemed like a kowinkydinky moment.  Ironically, just a month before this they had this one woman cashier who had the personality of a twice dead zombie and the warmth to go with it.  I dealt with her once and vowed never to go through her line ever, even if it there were no people in it and every other line was 20+ deep.  Fortunately she seems to have left for the night of the living dead.

So back to the question, "How was your shopping experience?"  Lately at "my" Whole Foods, it's been very good.  In the past, what struck me was that while the seperate service areas such as fish, meats, supplements, etc. were very service oriented, the customer service and cashier areas had been somewhat spotty and occasionally unpleasant.  So far whatever changes that had been made about half a year ago seem to be, with the exception of the zombie woman, providing a good customer service level, one that we'd expect for a store whose claim to fame is higher standards.  In fact, my last few experiences at the customer service desk were great, as have been the cashier areas. 

It is interesting that this is a question that some stores and business should dare not ask unless they are truly prepared to stand behind change.  At least at Whole Foods, they had the guts to ask it.

Robbins Brothers Jewelers Lincoln Park

A friend of mine has a family member who was hired by a jewelry company that opened up three stores in the Chicago area.  Two are in the suburbs and one is in the city.  When my friend’s family member was first hired, this person was enthusiastic, excited and passionate.  This is about the days that led to the dying of this passion. 

From what I was told, of the three stores, the Lincoln Park location was expected to be, no pun intended, a crown jewel.  A jewelry store in Lincoln Park would easily be expected to fit that billing, considering the high income level and demographics of that neighborhood.  When Chicagoans think of Lincoln Park, they think of young, upwardly mobile professionals, people with high incomes and a good amount of disposable income, and those who are able and willing to spend money on luxury items.  When we Chicagoans think of Lincoln Park, we think of north Halsted, Clark street, and in the general fashionista districts  close to DePaul.  It is that walkable area best served by high foot traffic. 

Herein is problem number one:  location, location, location, or rather, lack of it.  Their  "Lincoln Park" is actually not in the Lincoln Park that we think of, but on the 2100 block of North Elston.  This is an area best reserved for those planning a big box retailer trips by car.  Location wise, this is not Lincoln Park in terms of Trixies and the trendanistas and people who normally walk to their boutique stores. 

This leads into problem number two.  Besides their obviously stellar poor choice in geographic location, there appears to be a problem in effectively reaching the demographic of 'buyers of engagement rings.'  I was told that they were advertising on stations to reach 20-30 year olds.  This is an interesting choice, since people get married at all ages.  WE also know that the boomer market is graying and this segment is in the remarriage market.  Also, people delay their marriages, often focusing on developing their careers first, creating a demographic segment that easily ranges from 30-40 plus.  In marketing WOM (word of mouth), one doesn’t just want to reach the end consumer, because brand awareness is important for 'influencers' as well.  Influencers can be parents, friends, mentors, relatives, as well as consumer experts, etc. 

I was told that they did do “something” in the area of public relations, so I agreed to take a look at it for this person.  If they are spending money on marketing for the Chicago store, it doesn't appear to provide any long range benefit (read: brand building), nor does it appear to have any strategic focus.  It appears to have been done just for attention, otherwise known as publicity.  This included publicity during their opening day (Lincoln Park), and ramping up some attention getting aspects for Valentine's Day.   One shot publicity events are not brand builders.  Effective marketing is all about creating the customer experience, which also goes to creating an atmosphere by employees.  If employees are unhappy and disgruntled and are treated unfairly, or there is a perception that they are being treated unfairly, this creates a pallor.

Enthusiasm and passion are energies that translate from employees to the store and create 'atmospherics.'  There are other things that create atmospherics too, but employee 'energy' is a big part of it, and if it's faked the customer feels it, which encourages them to flee.  That creates negative "word of mouth," and no business strives for that.  This is a company that really need to invest money in developing a marketing strategy and public relations (not publicity) campaign and implement the type of programs that will make their company stand out and give people a reason to go to the Lincoln Park store.  The way things look right now, it's NOT a destination store.

Why are we writing about them?  Because a business that opens up effects not only the people that work there, but their families and the community is serves.  In this one example, a family member of a dear friend of mine was affected by their poor decision making.  Their errors in decision making led to downsizing and people losing their jobs, which in turn has effected their families.  We are also posting this blog on the oft chance that someone who is in their corporate headquarters is not well informed about what is going on here in Illinois, and wonders why a store in a supposed "hot" locale is yielding cold sales.

UPS Quality of Service

I'm sitting in my office when I hear the UPS truck pull up.  We are, for the record, in 60625.  Up to two years ago, we had UPS service that was so good that I'd always request orders be shipped UPS.  No more.

During the time when we had a high level of service, it was the absolute best service imaginable.  Back then, our driver was this incredibly hard working man named Jesus.  We also had many hard working substitute drivers, including one named Lionel.  And then there was Curtis, who generally has provided us the opposite level of service, and I use the term 'service' loosely. 

This is a UPS driver who refuses to bring packages upstairs.  When we've asked him to bring them upstairs, he refuses.  He chooses to dump them in the foyer, which is unsecured.    Most of the time he doesn't even bother to ring the doorbell.  Notes requesting him to ring the bell, or to deliver heavy packages to the appropriate floors have been ignored.  The worst time was when this particular driver dropped a 50 pound case in the foyer and when we called to have it brought up, he refused. 

Requesting a delivery pick-up isn't much better -- this person has blown off pickups several times, and when we check on line there's some story about being unable to do the pick up request.  This excuse shows up despite someone being here WAITING for the delivery pickup.  Have we complained??? YES absolutely. 

December 2007 rolled through and we were cringing at the thought of more Curtis "deliveries" but for some odd and wonderful reason, the UPS Santa delivered Arnold to us for the holidays.  Arnold was another driver par excellence, and another hard worker, with impeccable manners and providing excellent delivery service. Unfortunately they took Arnold away from our route, and instead of our regular guy Sergio, all too often we are still stuck with lousy delivery service.  With inconsistent and usually lousy UPS service, it's hard not to want to call FedEx for package delivery service.

Our  experience with UPS in the last two years has been very inconsistent, from stellar to very poor.  Poor service in the package delivery service is not a service level to aspire to.   

A Slice of Heaven

We all have our favorite relatives, and one of mine is my ubber cool, rocking anthropologist cousin who lives in Los Angeles.  Growing up in East LA she's left university teaching and is an academic and researcher now living in West LA.  One of the reasons that she is a favored cousin is that we have so much in common -- from our interest in cultures, US subcultures, and of course, FOOD!!  She just send me an article from the LA Times by Wedgeworth and Deane about the joys of finding cookie dough in your refrigerator.  This has reminded me of a darling specialty cooking shop that I wanted to talk about.

I live in the Lincoln Square area in Chicago's North Side.  Originally I fled here to escape the gentrification in Andersonville, after fleeing the same in Lake View, where I grew up.  (I have friends who asked where I will move to next so they can buy low and live in a nice area, since I perpetually manage to escape into the next upscaled neighborhood).  One of the things I very much love about Lincoln Square is that we have an alderman who handles the difficult task of encouraging growth and gentrification, which seems determined to happen anyway, but balancing it with keeping a neighborhood feel.  The latter is kept intact by encouraging smaller independent retailers and discouraging the big box retailers, who inevitably lead to parking and irritating traffic congestion.  But I digress.  One of the charming little shops in my area is a place called the Chopping Block.

A few months ago I discovered that they started carrying premade cookie dough.  I normally am a whole grain type of gal, and I certainly never buy premade store bought cookie dough because of the preservatives and other additives that are in them.  Well, I thought I'd experiment and try one of their doughs.  Lacking the preservatives that usually make me ill, I enthusiastically decided to dive into testing them.  I started with Peanut Butter Oatmeal, which turns out to also have coconut in it and is amazingly scrumptious.  I bought a friend Chocolate Chip Krispy, but I've never received any samples so there probably just aren't any left.  Then I tried the holiday cookies.  The sugar cookie is good, almost as good as my own without the work!!  I've improvised and sliced them much thinner, then spreading some melted chocolate inside to bind them, and dipping part in chocolate and then finely ground pistachios.  Improvising is so much more fun without all the other cleanup!  Last but not least, I've tried the Chocolate Peppermint, which I highly recommend right out of the oven.  However, don't hang out by the cooling rack too long or those sweeties will never make it to the cookie jar.  My next venture, when they ever have it in stock again, will be White Chocolate Cherry.  Check them out yourself if you will, but save me one of each!  Chopping Block Cookies