Banjo Brothers = great customer service

the light blogging has been a result of lots of great things going on at the day job, and the finalization of the summer shirts for Interwoven. dug a quick hole in my morning to post on a fantastic example of great customer service. the company is Banjo Brothers, a cycling-focused bag company. i purchased the above messenger bag this weekend from Volker Bicycles and got it home to find i had no idea how to adjust the shoulder strap. i don't claim to be the smartest guy, but i should be able to figure out how to adjust some buckles.

brought it to work and had some others look at it - we were puzzled.

so, not expecting much, i e-mailed the Banjo Brothers customer service address a few pictures of the section of the strap i was puzzled by and hoped for the best.

about 15 minutes later, co-founder Eric Leugers wrote back with a video attached and the following image, which he wrote on with specific instructions.


turns out, the ring was pulled into the buckle during shipping or what have you and i wasn't a complete moron (this time).

i quickly fixed the issue and now adjust on the fly as the bags are famous for allowing. and i'm that much happier about my purchase.

moreover, Eric's won a loyal customer in me, and many new customers in the people at work who are up on their own cycling commuter bags.

i received a couple more e-mails after the solution and each time Eric's personality was apparent and his passion for his company was obvious. kudos to him for prioritizing his large workload and allowing time to talk directly to the people who he built his company to serve.

Bob Roll delivers classic Bobke-isms, great night

friday night my buddy Kevin and I headed to Lawrence for the Sunflower Outdoor/Bike Shop's friends/family night with former pro roadie turned mountain biker turned very colorful commentator Bob "bobke/boobke" Roll. Roll perched on the steps of Sunflower's bike side and gave an hour-plus storytelling session including everything from his time riding with Lance Armstrong to his seasonal job as Tour commentator for Versus.


via his bio on the Versus site, Bob's cycling experiences include:
• Member of the Cycling Hall of Fame as part of the original 7-Eleven Cycling Team
• Former member of the Motorola Cycling Team
• Four-time Tour de France, three-time Giro d'Italia, eight-time Paris-Roubaix, and three-time Tour de Suisse racer
• Won stage three of the 1988 Tour de Romandie
• Won stage 11 of the 1985 Coors Classic
• Won the 1997 & 1998 San Franciso Hill Climb
• Raced in eight World Championships

Roll was great - all shaggy from his time off at home in Durango, the guy was extremely entertaining. also fun was the chance to catch up with some old Lawrence friends and empty a few Free State kegs by night's end. here's a nice article from the LJ World.

i could stop here and most would be satisfied, but this can and does tie into the marketing world by showcasing Sunflower's incredibly loyal customer base. there were close to 200 people attending, only told via word of mouth and an e-mail. kudos to Dan Hughes for putting this on and keeping on Bobke to come deliver one of his few speeches per year among middle-of-America flatlanders. Sunflower was set up with 20 percent off discounts for this friends and family group - all loyal cu$tomer$ - and the vibe was that of thankfulness and revelry in what is a strong cycling and outdoor community, much a credit to Dan and the Sunflower folks.

now i'm ready to pull the bike off the indoor trainer and hit the roads. had a long afternoon of climbing at Monster Mountain. not sure i like it as much as Ibex, but certainly appreciate its close proximity to my pad. now, time to crack some beers and watch some commercials.

Retail organization and employee evangelists

I’ve blogged many times on the importance of brands engaging and empowering employees – at a retail or customer service level – to be evangelists. No other time of the year polarizes a company’s employees more than the holiday season…it’s when great retail excels and bad retail is a gift-wrapped Pandora’s box of frustrations. And I’d wager that not too many places across our country are as holiday-ed up as Kansas City’s own Country Club Plaza. It’s a Mecca of lights, big-name stores and bustling shoppers.

I was getting coffee and doing some writing yesterday and decided to visit the Apple Store before I headed out of the Plaza. Though I can browse and play in there for hours, I had a few actual questions pertaining to both my iPod and MacBook. So, in I walk: a no-profit, question-asker in the middle of the holiday rush. But the Apple Store was just as prepared for me as it was for the mom who was on an iPod bender.

Oftentimes, at a retail level, the best way to let employees be evangelists is to arm them with the opportunity to interact with consumers. Three ways Apple prepares its stores to ensure each customer gets the attention he or she needs (and lets employees be evangelists):

1. Construct pay-station kiosks for the most popular products: MacBooks and iPods are sectioned off in a stocked-on-the-floor area with an employee (or two) devoted to simply working that product. This allows the register, Genius Bar and other employees freedom to serve focused purposes.
2. Devote people and a place to customer service: the Genius desk is a year-round feature in stores, but it further proves its worth in high-traffic by offering current owners a chance to get their product questions answered. Or simply a venue for advice and brand talk. A physical display of loyalty to those who already are interacting with the products.
3. Offer ample, smart staff: Apple may “over staff” by some retail standards, but I rarely – even on the busiest days – wait for help. Apple's other employee advantage is its training and lack of "seasonal" knowledge. Each of its employees can navigate the brand. And when employees aren’t directly answering inquiries or making a sale, they are messing around with products, showing browsers how to use iPhoto or import music or sync iCal. Brilliant.

By organizing its employees, space and products efficiently, the Apple Store is a low-stress experience, even at its busiest time. This organization ensures the brand’s important experiential environment, which encourages play, interaction and dialogue. All of these things yield sales and brand loyalty.

And most importantly, the organization Apple uses allows its employees the opportunity to engage others in the brand they visibly love.

(Employee/consumer love-fest)

Listening to - Stan Getz, Anniversary