Running errands on this sun-drenched Arizona morning, I pulled into a nearby plaza to find oversized banners unfurled from parking lot light poles announcing the “Grand Re-Opening!” of a neighborhood Safeway supermarket.
What caught my eye were the words displayed underneath the Safeway logo – the command to “Celebrate!” followed by the phrase, “Experience the Unexpected.”
Wow… sounds more like an ad for an African safari than a trip to the grocery store.
I had nothing on my “to do” list that required stepping foot inside a supermarket, but when grand, ridiculous statements like this are made, I’m drawn like a moth to the flame. Before venturing in, I made a mental checklist of my “predictable” predictions as to what I would find – new paint, lights, and signage.
I stepped inside, loaded for bear.
New paint? Check. On the front wall – a light coffee color that would be nice if it didn’t contrast so sharply with the glaring white sterility of the checkout area and rest of the store.
Lighting? Check. Again, across the front portion of the store. The overheads are turned off, replaced by low-voltage, high-tech, artsy-fartsy fixtures. It’s now so dark around the deli area I couldn’t tell the capicolla from bologna. I nearly did a header into a rack of California cabernet on my way to frozen foods.
Signage? Check… sort of. They’ve taken the same old warehouse block-letter signs and pasted a coffee color frame around them.
OK, I thought. Maybe the “unexpected” part comes in the form of service. I spotted a person stocking shelves and asked where I could find stainless steel cleanser. This person not only didn’t stand up, he didn’t even look at me. Talking to the can of peas in his hand, he mumbled, “Somewhere at the other end of the store.”
I considered asking him where I could find the “unexpected,” but didn’t waste my breath.
I walked out with a rather smug but sad feeling – grocery stores are virtual gold mines when women are looking to stake claim with some of their vast purchasing power, yet rarely do store chains get beyond price points. Grandiose proclamations and inflated promises of special experiences and relationships are, at the very least, insulting to the intelligence of women.
The belief that women are persuaded or even fooled by marketing like this falls into what I call the Tweedledee School of Marketing. To quote the professor:
On my way home, I stopped by AJ’s Market, the locally-owned marketplace chain that knows the true meaning of experience and relationship. I stood in the produce section, enveloped in the aroma of fresh vegetables, and waited for the recorded thunderclap to announce the shower of light mist that rains on the produce every 10 minutes. I was greeted by Megan from behind the fish counter. Eric, manager of the deli, asked where I’d been the last few days – they’d missed me. As I cruised the aisles, two roaming clerks asked if I’d found what I needed.
According to my errand list, I hadn’t needed anything. At AJ’s, I ended up spending $47.97. Completely unexpected, wouldn't you say?
"sun-drenched..." *sigh* I miss AZ.
Slightly off topic – but no less important: When I get really stressed out I go to Home Depot.
Home Depot doesn’t do the greatest job marketing to women in comparison to Lowes. But they do let me sit in the big whirlpool bathtub (waterless of course) in their show room whenever I want and drink mochas. They know I’m not going to buy but customers always stop by, first to grin at me, in jeans, sipp’en my brew, in a tub, without water, yet they always end up asking, “How do you like it? Is it comfortable?” I get free mochas and Home Depot gets some sales. Frankly, I think if they could shove me into a sink, freezer, and a dishwasher they would buy me lunch as well.
Customer Service vs. Marketing. I wish I didn’t have to choose sometimes.
Posted by: Danielle LaFleur | April 07, 2004 at 01:49 PM
I don't see why marketing and customer service have to be seen as mutually exclusive. They are part and parcel of the same thing. (I like a redundancy every now and then.:-) )
Good customer service created customer evangelists and good old word of mouth advertising. Customer service usually costs nothing to implement.
On a side note: Michelle, your blog is off to a flying start and keeps getting better. I read it every day.
Posted by: Wayne Hurlbert | April 07, 2004 at 10:29 PM
Oops... I added an extra "l" to Michele. I just clicked the "post" button and thought, "oh no!"
A million apologies. :-)
Posted by: Wayne Hurlbert | April 07, 2004 at 10:33 PM
Great post!!!
Treating customers (people) well costs nothing. It's a shame that we have to label those types of job functions; Sales, Marketing, Customer Service... why can't we all just be part of one big "Make the customer our friend for life" department?
Posted by: Jon Strande | April 10, 2004 at 02:49 AM