Consumer Maven

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!

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.

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.

John Okumura

I was sad to hear about John Okumura, a man who lived honestly, honored his committment to quality and was one of the best of his generation of architectural woodworkers.  We recently found out about a memorial website that was done by the family, and we'd like to share it with you.  The beauty of the work that he produced is more than evident, as he put his energy and life force into all of his creative endeavors.  He is, as one of his past employees commented, considered the "Mr. Miyage of Japanese architectural woodworking."  Click here to check out the memorial website of the work of John Okumura.  Our heartfelt condolences to the family.  Because of what he did for a living, we are grateful that there is certainly one of his works, the Japanese wood joinery and gate at Osaka Gardens in Chicago's Jackson Park, that we can all enjoy.  The beauty and splendor of traditional wood joinery, right here in Chicago...who knew???