A New Web Site, Twisted Awards, and Customer (Dis)Service

(Opting for the 1WineDude style of headline writing this time.)

We have a new web site! - for which I plan to blog more about presently, but you can of course visit it at www.twistedoak.com. We've got some new features, like customer reviews, and some new wines!

And we just got word that our newly released 2006 Calaveras Petite Sirah got another Double Gold, this time from the California State Fair. (Let's all have one big Woo Hoo!)

But what I really wanted to talk about today is customer service. This blog post was prompted by a post in another blog and a letter I received recently. First, the blog post...

You won't often see me calling out another winery, but this one appalled me and quite a few other people I've showed it to. In fact, I'm amazed that the winery (Chateau Julien) hasn't pulled the post. You can read the post titled "This is funny! I suggest he call his insurance company!" here.

I hope anyone reading this blog realizes what a horrible example of customer service this represents. We can certainly argue over whether saying "no" was appropriate - the winery could have a reasonable policy to not replace bottles of a certain age - however, you could still offer to send the current vintage. But then to go on and mock the writer... you had the chance to make a friend (for so few dollars), and you blew it!

Now that I've ripped another winery, you have your shot at me. I recently received a letter from a long-time Twisted Few wine club member, which said in part:

"I find it appalling that The Spaniard was recently offered on winewoot at a deeply discounted price. Makes me think that River of Skulls might not be far behind. If you are going to slash the price why not offer it to the wine club who already appreciates your wine? Yeah, I know, might be a good introduction to get some new customers... You guys have to call it."

And here is what I wrote back:

"I can see you had been a member quite a long time, maybe three years? Software changes have made it difficult to keep track, but your low customer number doesn't lie. Please accept my appreciation for sticking with us for so long as we've tried to grow this into a viable business.

"As you rightly point out [later in his letter], the wine business right now is more insanely competitive than it ever has been. You might be shocked to know how much wine we give away for free in our tasting rooms and at tasting events around the area. It's over 10% of production. But it's something you have to do to entice new customers to take home some of your wine.

"Getting our name out beyond this area is even more difficult. Even though we don't make very much money from a wine.woot it has proven to be a great way to introduce ourselves to an open-mined wine loving community. Since we can't give free tasting samples to this far-flung community the next best thing is to give the opportunity to try our wines - an introductory offer. The wine.woot offers have paid off with wine club signups and repeat purchases, not to mention some great word of mouth from the wine.woot community."

So, let me have it. How did I do?

Comments

[Darrel Harris]

I saw the trio on woot and thought that's a great deal, and it was. However, I didn't think it was over the top for a discount and I was not upset at all. The Few get a lot of great deals throughout the year that more than make up for things like this. I think your response was well written and hopefully they will understand. 10% of production?!?!?! Wow! Now I really wish I lived closer to come enjoy more of those free tastes :)

[Heidi]

Jeff,

I have never known Twisted Oak not to be fair. You do a great job and the wine community appreciates it.

--Heidi

[Dale Cruse]

Jeff, I think you explained the situation fairly to the customer and I applaud you for being open to constructive criticism.

Your reply letter was good, but it stopped one step to short. The best customer service replies I've seen explain the situation, apologize for it, and then over to do something about it.

"We screwed up. We're sorry. Here's how we'll fix it...."

You did the first two parts, but you never got to that ultimate step of offering to do something about this person's complaint.

In my opinion you need to not just throw this customer a bone but the entire wine club as well.

Good luck.

[Sonadora]

Hey Jeff-

I'm not sure if you do this (cause, um, well, I get more email and SPAM in a day than I can shake a very long stick at and therefore don't comb through it so carefully...) but maybe in the future you could alert The Few to the Woot offering? That way they could take advantage as well if they so choose. I'm sure that not all members know about Wine Woot so probably wouldn't be monitoring it for Twisted offerings.

Though, I do think the club gets plenty of great offers through out the year that are even better than the Woot one...I'm thinking of that case of Grenache I have in my basement! I'm not really sure what this customer wanted from you? The same offer to be available through Twisted Oak to club members? Well, it was available to everyone through Wine Woot. You have to sell your wine through as many viable channels as you deem necessary, Wine Woot is just one of them.

[el jefe]

hi Darrel and Heidi - thanks for the kind words!

hi Dale - thanks for the comment. You are completely correct that there is a missing part. Often letters from customers can take on a personal nature, and I have left out the personal matters that were communicated to respect his privacy. The complaint resolution touched on those personal issues so I have left it out.

hi Sonadora - thanks also! I did a similar sort of offer a couple years ago through a different web site and got a LOT of negative feedback from Twisted Few members! I remember one comment along the lines of "this is a great deal, why did you need these guys, why didn't you make this offer yourself?" I think some members resented the fact that they would have to give up personal info to an unknown third-party to get a Twisted Oak deal - in a way I had sold my mailing list. I can understand this point of view - and even though I would have enjoyed the extra sales, overall it seems better to keep these things as intro offers.

(This isn't to say that I might not make a similar offer just to the Twisted Few in the future ;)

[NY Pete]

speaking of the twisted website, I posted a TN of the 2006 P17 on the soon to be released 2007 P17 page ... had a few issues reading it, so I reposted, if you read them together they make sense... or just go to the WL forum and read it there in the "what are you drinking" forum ... that P17 is some damn good juice ... cheers!