May 3, Houston: The big one -- the Inprint reading -- occurs at the Alley Theatre on Monday, May 3. Do not miss it or you'll be sorry. I'm not kidding -- I'm going to say the craziest, most intellectual yet hilarious stuff I can think of, and I'll be sharing the stage with the ultra sexy Oscar Casares, too.
June 24, Houston: I'm one of the peeps scheduled to read at Poison Pen, at Houston's famous Poison Girl bar. Besides me, everyone there will be ultra, *super* sexy. Come see me and drink!
June 26, Washington, DC: I'll be reading at the American Library Association conference. Come on down.
My other blog: Go read my the Houston Chronicle parenting blog (or my ChronMomBlog, as I like to call it) and make sure my kids won't resent me more than other kids resent their own parents.
Buy my new novel, Lone Star Legend. Already did? Well, buy a few more for your friends, then. :)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Response from Whole Foodswhich I thought was very nice and well written
Hello Gwendolyn
Wow- I am so disappointed and embarrassed to hear your story! This behavior is completely unacceptable and I am shocked to hear that one of my department heads would react in this manner.
Please accept my deepest apologies. We pride ourselves on offering our guests the finest hospitality in town and in the nation. To have one of my team leaders respond in such an inappropriate way has not only damaged our relationship with you but set a poor example for the rest of his team. I read your email last night before bed and could only think about how many other times this may have shown up on the sales floor without my knowing.
Rest assured that I will be following up with [the offending manager's name, spelled correctly] as soon as he gets in today. I will also find about about the recipe that you requested and make sure we get it slotted in the production schedule for you.
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart that you took the time to contact us yesterday. I know that most people who had been treated in this manner would have walked out and never looked back. Your feedback will give me the opportunity to address this issue immediately and ensure that no other guest has an experience similar to yours.
I would love the opportunity to leave you a gift card at the service desk. I completely understand if you would prefer to pick up the card at one of our other locations, but would like the opportunity to meet with you in person and reassure you of the level of service that our team is capable of.
I will have a card waiting for you at guest service as soon as we open- just let me know if you would prefer to pick up elsewhere and I will arrange that for you.
I will be back in touch on the recipe, and please don't hesitate to contact me directly if I can be of further assistance
[store manager's sig]
Response from Central Market
I'll send your idea off to our Food Service folks and see what happens - [Selling Manager's name]
Sighing with Relief
(I really did send both those emails, right before I posted them on the blog.)
I'm glad Whole Foods wrote me back and was nice about it, because I really do like then for more than just that chicken. But I couldn't say so, because my feelings were hurt and I was temporarily blinded by that. I felt like they were a boyfriend that did me wrong -- I didn't actually want to break up with them, but I was prepared to do so if they couldn't respect my feelings.
I'm glad I can go back, because I'm currently obsessed with this stuff they have called Green Gazpacho, which I guess you're supposed to eat like soup, but which I only eat with naan, as nature seems to have intended.
See, kids? What does this teach us?
WRITING:
Helping customers get what they need, since [the year the Egyptians or whoever invented it].
Comments:
"I felt like they were a boyfriend that did me wrong -- I didn't actually want to break up with them, but I was prepared to do so if they couldn't respect my feelings."An excellent description of when a store or service disrespects you. Too often I just break up with the store without saying anything. Then I just insult it in public whenever I get the chance.
# posted by
: 2:47 PM
I love this story because I write to companies all the time. Whenever I get great responses like the one from Whole Foods I love them even more, because sometimes I need to know that they would miss me if I stopped shopping there, and they really do care.
I really want the job of the people who respond to these letters.
# posted by
: 3:16 PM
"from the bottom of her heart?"
Uh that is layng it on a little heavy. Ass kissing at its finest.
Tracey
# posted by
: 6:08 PM
Wow, that was like, a real letter! Not that form letter crap that doesn't really say anything. My mom swears by Whole Foods; I'm going to have to tell her about this.
# posted by
threeRd : 11:04 PM
I like that you got a sincere response from that store manager. I know that would only come from a huge national franchise like Whole Foods.
I once wrote to Spec's Liquor (large, local chain liquor store here in Houston), and never received a response back. Not only that, but the person I complained about not only still works there, but still acts like a dick head to the patrons.
It's funny how liquor stores will just ignore your complaints because they think people are going to shop there regardless of how bad the service is. In this case, it was the flagship location in downtown, so I can see why they would just ignore a "nobody" like myself. That's why this store is destined to stay a local chain and never branch outside of Houston.
And yes, I still shop there, but not without stealing something first, cause really, fuck them.
- DVL
# posted by
: 10:16 AM
Anon: Totally. You know what they taught me when I worked at a grocery store, a hundred years ago? "When a customer has a good experience, they tell 2 people about it. When a customer has a bad experience, they tell 11 people."
Anon 2: That would be a fun job, maybe. I wonder how you get into that. Marketing?
Tracey: I know, right?! My fave part was that she read my email before going to bed.
It was heavy-handed, but I still liked it. Even if it wasn't true, it really was a good make-up letter.
(Not to mention that the gift certificate was for way, way higher an amount than I expected. They really handled the hell out of this matter.)
Threerd: You should tell her. And tell her they gave me a giant gift certificate, so it was all good.
DVL: Can't say that I blame you. Seriously -- when big chains stop caring like that, it's the beginning of the end of their reputations.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:06 PM
Anon: Totally. You know what they taught me when I worked at a grocery store, a hundred years ago? "When a customer has a good experience, they tell 2 people about it. When a customer has a bad experience, they tell 11 people."
Anon 2: That would be a fun job, maybe. I wonder how you get into that. Marketing?
Tracey: I know, right?! My fave part was that she read my email before going to bed.
It was heavy-handed, but I still liked it. Even if it wasn't true, it really was a good make-up letter.
(Not to mention that the gift certificate was for way, way higher an amount than I expected. They really handled the hell out of this matter.)
Threerd: You should tell her. And tell her they gave me a giant gift certificate, so it was all good.
DVL: Can't say that I blame you. Seriously -- when big chains stop caring like that, it's the beginning of the end of their reputations.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:06 PM
Anon: Totally. You know what they taught me when I worked at a grocery store, a hundred years ago? "When a customer has a good experience, they tell 2 people about it. When a customer has a bad experience, they tell 11 people."
Anon 2: That would be a fun job, maybe. I wonder how you get into that. Marketing?
Tracey: I know, right?! My fave part was that she read my email before going to bed.
It was heavy-handed, but I still liked it. Even if it wasn't true, it really was a good make-up letter.
(Not to mention that the gift certificate was for way, way higher an amount than I expected. They really handled the hell out of this matter.)
Threerd: You should tell her. And tell her they gave me a giant gift certificate, so it was all good.
DVL: Can't say that I blame you. Seriously -- when big chains stop caring like that, it's the beginning of the end of their reputations.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:06 PM
Anon: Totally. You know what they taught me when I worked at a grocery store, a hundred years ago? "When a customer has a good experience, they tell 2 people about it. When a customer has a bad experience, they tell 11 people."
Anon 2: That would be a fun job, maybe. I wonder how you get into that. Marketing?
Tracey: I know, right?! My fave part was that she read my email before going to bed.
It was heavy-handed, but I still liked it. Even if it wasn't true, it really was a good make-up letter.
(Not to mention that the gift certificate was for way, way higher an amount than I expected. They really handled the hell out of this matter.)
Threerd: You should tell her. And tell her they gave me a giant gift certificate, so it was all good.
DVL: Can't say that I blame you. Seriously -- when big chains stop caring like that, it's the beginning of the end of their reputations.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:06 PM
Anon: Totally. You know what they taught me when I worked at a grocery store, a hundred years ago? "When a customer has a good experience, they tell 2 people about it. When a customer has a bad experience, they tell 11 people."
Anon 2: That would be a fun job, maybe. I wonder how you get into that. Marketing?
Tracey: I know, right?! My fave part was that she read my email before going to bed.
It was heavy-handed, but I still liked it. Even if it wasn't true, it really was a good make-up letter.
(Not to mention that the gift certificate was for way, way higher an amount than I expected. They really handled the hell out of this matter.)
Threerd: You should tell her. And tell her they gave me a giant gift certificate, so it was all good.
DVL: Can't say that I blame you. Seriously -- when big chains stop caring like that, it's the beginning of the end of their reputations.
# posted by
Gwen : 7:06 PM
I just don't know about Whole Foods. I want to believe in them, but for a while it really seemed like everyone at their checkout really liked my choice of food, clothes, accessories etc, and then it dawned that someone had just ordered them to chat about whatever popped into their heads but in a flattering way, and it all went dead.
The Whole Foods boyfriend effect had just become a morning-after uh-oh moment.
Free gift certificates are good though. So that complicates matters.
# posted by
alice : 7:29 PM
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