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Hi. My name is Adam. I am the co-founder of Pure Adapt, Inc in Albany, NY. We own Detailed Image, LockerPulse, and a bunch of other websites. I write about our company, entrepreneurship in general, work-life balance, and whatever else interests me.
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Category Archives: Customer Service
Unique Ways to Win Over Customers
I made two really unique online purchases recently, and neither had anything to do with the actual online experience. In both cases it was what came with my item that really separated these retailers apart from the norm. The first was a pair of shoes I bought from Piperlime. Instead of a crumpled up invoice and some coupons, all that was included was a nice envelope with three things in it: a neatly folded invoice, a thank you note, and a return label: Here’s the thank you note: Sure, most companies include a “Thank you for your purchase” line … Continue reading
A Defining Customer Service Experience
Shipping is a total pain in the ass. If you require your customers sign for their packages, they complain because they aren’t home to sign. If you don’t make them sign, they claim packages were never delivered and you have no recourse. If you let them choose (which is what we plan on doing with our new cart), you’ll still have complaints. Whether it’s FedEx or UPS or (especially) USPS, the problems are all the same for anyone who ships goods to consumers. One of the most troubling things for both the consumer and the retailer is when the shipping … Continue reading
The Good and the Bad
That was the view from my apartment earlier this afternoon. We’re in the midst of yet another big storm that will probably drop over a foot of snow and ice on us by tomorrow morning. If you asked me on Monday how I thought my Wednesday would go, I would have said I’d be up at 6, hit the gym, pack orders at the warehouse, kick out early (I’m working a reduced warehouse schedule to give me more time to program), meet up with Mike to program for a few hours, and finally head to my parents house to do … Continue reading
A Great Example of Flipping a Complaint into a Loyal Customer
For the most part, we try to look at customer complaints as opportunities. It’s an opportunity to show our customers that – unlike many retailers – we really care about them. From my experiences, about 90% of the people out there react positively and appreciate our extra touch, whether it’s a shipping refund, a credit towards a future purchase, or any other number of things we offer to our customers to keep them happy. Here’s a great example that passed through my inbox recently. We sell Tastefully Driven products in our Amazon store. Any time a customer places an order … Continue reading
Do You Smile for Your Customers?
Yesterday Nev left a comment on my last post regarding AMEX’s customer service: By the way, have you ever called the AMEX 1-800 number? I think AMEX hires only the MOST FRIENDLY PEOPLE ON EARTH. I think they slip something in their coffee. I haven’t ever called them, but I’m kind of looking forward to when I can! There have been plenty of instances where I’ve had that same feeling Nev is describing: where the person you’re interacting with is so happy, so helpful, and so friendly that it makes your day to talk to them. It’s freaking unbelievable, and … Continue reading
The Devil is in the Details
I like trying new restaurants. It’s fun to assess not only the food, but the overall atmosphere. I always notice how courteous the staff is. I always notice how clean the place is (especially the bathrooms and the dishes). I always notice how happy the other patrons are. It’s amazing how all of the little things add up to form your initial opinion – one that will do a lot to determine whether or not you’ll ever come back. This past weekend I was in Bennington, Vermont. We couldn’t find the chic cafe we planned on eating in (I wrote … Continue reading
Peace Out Men’s Health
I’ve had a subscription to Men’s Health Magazine dating back to 1999, my junior year in high school. Throughout college and into my early professional years I found the magazine and books they produced to be an invaluable resource on health and fitness. However, maybe it’s because I’ve had a subscription for so long, or maybe it’s because they repeat the same stuff over and over, or maybe it’s because they spend more time on introductory business “advice” and basic sex “tips” to attract awkward teenagers at the news stand, but I’ve become increasingly disinterested over the past year or … Continue reading
Not a Good Way to Reassure Your Customers
One of the most nerve racking moments when making an online purchase is that moment after you enter your credit card information and hit submit. It’s the responsibility of the retailer to make it clear that the order is complete by telling the customer so, displaying a receipt, and emailing a receipt. If something goes wrong, it is also the responsibility of the merchant to notify the customer of what went wrong, reassure them that their card was not charged, and display instructions on how to complete their order. Pretty standard stuff. Yesterday I ordered a set of three … Continue reading
How We Reduced Phone Calls by 94% AND Increased Sales
Earlier this year we were getting crushed with customer service contacts. Particularly with Detailed Image, but also to a lesser extent with SportsLizard. It became apparent that emails and phone calls were becoming a full time job and that we either needed to A) find a way to reduce contacts, or B) hire someone to handle customer service. In my previous life I actually tackled a similar project as an engineer on a much larger scale and was able to significantly reduce customer contacts without impacting sales or satisfaction. So naturally, we gave option A a shot. Before getting into … Continue reading
When Customers Give You an Idea
It’s easy to become jaded and begin to dislike your customers for asking you the same questions over and over again. In a way, who can blame you: 99% of the interactions with customers that most businesses have are repetitive and don’t do much to make you a better business owner. Then – every once in a while – someone comes along and gives you a simple idea that’s so obvious you kick yourself and say “duh, why wasn’t that already on our to-do list?” The other day in the comments field of a Tastefully Driven order someone said: “please … Continue reading