Peets - A Love Story

(For this entry to make any sense, you need to read the earlier posts below)

I really am impressed. When I got home from my discouraging Peets visit, I was back at my computer, still a little miffed about the whole thing.

As I was leaving the store, walking to my car, I re-read the flyer offering the free beans. It turns out that on the other side of the flyer, in the body copy, it did say free coffee "with purchase". So now I felt bad for getting into it with the clerk . (in the end the clerk did hand me the sample bag of beans, but it was with a tone of resentment, confusion and a touch of what looked like over-worked anger). So what do I have to complain about? Maybe nothing, I don't know. It was a scene. All I know is now I feel party to the problem,. I've got these free beans which won't taste that good - they've been bruised.

I get back to my computer, thinking "something about this thing was broken". I decide to call up someone at Peets Corporate ( I practically grew up with Peets - visiting one of the first ones in Berkeley in my youth) and let them know about the unfortunate series of events. I mean if I misread the flyer, a lot of people probably were. I take 20 minutes, grab a few execs names off the web, send a few emails, leave a few voicemails and get on with my day.

An hour hasn't passed when my cell phone rings and it's the CEO of Peets who wants to know everything. An open, friendly, concerned, professional who was authentically concerned with the situation. We chatted for a while - and this is late on the Friday afternoon before the Easter weekend. If that's not impressive enough, while I'm on the phone with him, I get an email from a customer service person who has typed out a detailed explanation - acknowledging that the flyer was their mistake and should have been more clear...and offering to send me some beans as a peace offering.

I'm taking them up on it, but after that performance of costumer service, there is no peace offering needed. I have been a marketing professional for most of my life. I tell my customers every single day stories just like this one, in an attempt to get them to put their customer in the middle of all processes and behaviors . "The organization must be customer centric". I tell them.

This is one of the most impressive performances I know of. They didn't run from an angry customer, they ran toward him. They didn't sit back, they reacted. I sit here thinking about the values, the organization, the behaviors, the process and the infrastructure that needs to be in place for Peets to have reacted with such clarity and speed - It isn't casual and it doesn't happen on accident. These guys are good.

I am so impressed.

Peets Doesn't Suck

I take it all back. It wasn't 10 minutes after I posted the "Peets Sucks" blog (which I have since renamed "Peets") that I received a personal phone call from the CEO of Peets ( I had left him a voice mail, never actually expecting him to get back to me) - personally apologizing for the confussion.

More later. Good show Peets -

VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE.

Peets

40th Anniversary Screw Up


The "complimentary" coffee offer on fridays is a scam - you have to buy something and then they give you a 1/4 pound of beans (if you ask) ...


I went into a Peets Coffee Store today (friday) thinking I would get a free 1/4 pound of beans. I thought this naturally because the flyer I was handed yesterday said I would. The calendar side of the one page flyer says nothing about "with purchase". What a mess. I went in expecting a stack of free bags of coffee. Not only was the offer not displayed or being offered by clerks, when I asked I was told I had to buy something. WHAT? I made a special trip because some graphic designer couldn't fit an * near the offer and inform me - or worse - perhaps they intentionally tricked me into going in there.

I'm sure their intention was not to have me leave the store angry and disgruntled, which I am. I'm sure they wanted me to leave with a renewed sense of loyalty about their company and product.

What a screw up. This put me, my family and the clerks at Peets in an angry and embarrassing position. And what a missed opportunity ... what a shame.