This thread is full of fail
Wow. I’ve just gotta ask Merrill…when/why did thris thread somehow become a direct attack on you? Tom, in his own way, made another comment about how it goes a long way when a winery makes the effort to show that they appreciate his business. That’s it!! It’s not about gifts or the lack there of, and it’s definitely not comparing your customer service to Tablas Creek. In a world where consumers have LOTS of options (i.e. fine wine), Its the little things that make a big difference, whether that’s a handwritten note, a small/thoughtful gift, or an extra bottle of wine to make up for a faulty one. Honestly, you come off SUPER defensive here and I just dont get it. For example, if the company you buy your barrels from or the person you hire to make your wine drop off a gift at your house around the Holidays…are you going to be offended by it??? No, you’ll appreciate the gesture and be happy that you chose to do business with them. Maybe being in sales myself makes its easier to see…but it’s just very surprising that someone who runs a small business like yourself had the reaction that you did to the OP.
Can a customer of Merrill’s please start a thread on how she gets “it” before this goes off the rails. I’m getting worried here.
ps
Please be sure to follow instruction above as to the definition of “it”.
I see a few problems in this thread.
First, this is not about customer service. It is about customer experience. And in today’s marketing terminology, whether or not a customer is a net promoter of the product or brand. Thus, the gifts are part of the marketing strategy to keep customer promoting their wines. And it works, as evidenced by this thread.
The second issue I have is that you cannot simply say that the cost of the gift comes out of the profits or is reflected in the price. While it is true that promotion can allow a winery to increase their prices, it can also allow them to continue to sell wines in soft years through a loyal customer base. So there are lots of factors involved. The important thing is: does the wine (and the winery) provide a great customer experience in exchange for the price of the wines purchased. It seems from the OP that it does. Part of that customer experience is feeling a connection with the winery. I think most wine geeks like us have wineries that we feel some sort of affinity toward, regardless of whether their wine is top QPR every year. Sending out thoughtful gifts to loyal customers is one way of making a connection between the business and its clients.
I disagree! ![[pillow-fight.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/3/365d4ae6de5fe0cd9e7345760c12ceae1ed5e206.gif "[pillow-fight.gif]")
Just to add, specific to Merrill, is that part of her winery’s customer experience is her participation on this board. Sure, she probably does it for personal enjoyment. But a winemaker spending his or her time (and time is money) on a public forum creates a connection with the customer base. I am pretty certain that she has expanded her customers by being active on WB. Ditto that for other winemakers who constructively participate here.
Absolutely, Tim. I value the contributions the various winemakers make to this board. As for “personal enjoyment”,
I can’t imagine any winemaker enjoying a bunch of little kids squabbling in the sandbox known as WB!! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Tom
Nope, David…that’s not at all what I said…or even implied. There are plenty of wineries out there
that provide good customer service, wineries that do “get it”. And don’t send out free stuff.
All I did was give a shout-out to TCV for being thoughtful enough, yr in & yr out, to send out a free calendar.
People are just reading to much into that simple shout-out.
Tom
Your “and some don’t” in the title messes up your premise.
let’s get back to actual some get it and some don’t ;
Take Halcon for example, for WB day sale: 1) Had to call; can’t place order online, 2) No order confirmation email sent , but had no problem charging my credit card 3) No notification on when wines to be shipped and only after calls (which they don’t pick up often) and email, they meekly response by saying hey we will deliver next week, when do you want?
I’d chalk that up as they don’t get it;
Paul Gordon was out of the country on vacation. Maybe we need to start another thread named “Some customers get it, some don’t”
He doesn’t have a point of sale program and does all his ordering via email fax. Just him and Jackie.
Paul hand delivers every order I place directly to my home. He and Jackie definitely ‘get it’.
Brian,
I agree that Paul and Jackie are wonderful individuals and they make beautiful wines. That said, the ability to stay in communication with your customers really is important these days. If I know I will be out of town, I will do my best in advance to communicate with those who need to get ahold of me.
I didn’t read their offer, but did they State something in there about not being able to communicate for a couple of weeks? That would have been a pretty easy thing to do in my honest opinion.
I know I’m far from perfect and it not been as responsive as I’ve needed to be at times. No glass houses here.
Cheers.
Well, we know Tom is an Influencer, so he may get singled out by wineries for special treatment because…some are more ‘special’ than others.
Brian,
I agree that Paul and Jackie are wonderful individuals and they make beautiful wines. That said, the ability to stay in communication with your customers really is important these days. If I know I will be out of town, I will do my best in advance to communicate with those who need to get ahold of me.
I didn’t read their offer, but did they State something in there about not being able to communicate for a couple of weeks? That would have been a pretty easy thing to do in my honest opinion.
I know I’m far from perfect and it not been as responsive as I’ve needed to be at times. No glass houses here.
Cheers.
[/quote]
It’s probably difference in expectations. Some people like Brian may be ok with communication done in old fashion; I’d say in era of internet and smart phones, my expectations is for more streamlined able-to-respond quickly. Even having an automatic “I am out of country, so sorry can’t respond to your email” response would have been appreciative but alas that may be just me. But I appreciate that smaller wineries like Paul and Jackie may not have capacity to employ systems or manpower that larger or corporate wineries can. I haven’t tried any of Paul’s wine, and maybe i was being unfair for him. Expectations, Expectations.
I agree, I think these days we have been programmed to overexpect with regards to communication. For small operations it’s not always convenient or possible to keep up with the speed of large companies with employees whose only job is to communicate.
January is usually when most people in the wine biz are away on vacation. I remember when Joseph Swan was a BD participant but dropped out because communication expectations were unreasonably high when everyone was away on vacation and it caused a huge issue here in a thread that blasted them for poor customer service.
See my sig
I don’t know how this became about “Merrill,” but seems I have a way of polarizing people. Hey, I’m in my 60s, you think I don’t know that? You think I am going to change?
Tom and I have been very civil - with a difference of opinion - but we are not angry with each other. I am an outspoken female who is in the business in every way possible: owning, growing, making, selling. I think I might be alone here in that. Karen Troisi does a great job of connecting with her customers, but I do not think she grows. I hope she does: it would make 2 of us. There are other female grower/owners…Carole Meredith comes to mind. But she posts infrequently.
I participate here as an ITB and as a consumer. I mostly enjoy it. Sometimes those identities get mixed together. I know I am very visible because I own, grow, make, sell in a fabulous area of Napa Valley. And I am not shy about stating my opinion.
I made a lot of customers on the Parker Board, and even more close friends. (Unlike some others here, I minded my manners and never got thrown off that Board).
I participate here because I enjoy it. And when I don’t, I take a break. Or take a shot back. 
But you repeat yourself. I thought ALL areas of Napa were great?
I, personally, do not think all areas of Napa are fabulous. Drive around…look at the soil…look at the drainage…look at the fruit. Note the micro-climates. Drink the wine that is produced from certain areas. Napa Valley is not homogeneous.
I do not pretend to have made an informed decision to buy this property, in terms of winegrowing. I bought it for the house, which my five year old and I fell in love with while looking for a vacation house that was different from where we were living in Silicon Valley (Menlo Park). Surrounding vineyards did not scoop it up because it was, at the time, an expensive home with a tiny vineyard that had never produced a single-vineyard wine. It was only later that I realized that I had bought a property surrounded by Frediani Vineyards, across from Kenefick, 4 driveways down from the famed Eisele Vineyard (now owned by Latour), in the area of Hundred Acre, etc.
I do not know how I missed this thread, and I cannot say that I read every word, but as a 25 year marketer (Medical tech, not wine) this is interesting.
Started by a long term wine drinker who was praising the customer-retention activity of a winery he likes.
Virtually first response from a winemaker suggesting the activity was fluff (or worse).
I’d bet the wine drinker cares more about the juice in the bottle than the gift, but the gift made a fine impression. This should make others that are making wine consider such activity. Even in wine, keeping a customer is likely easier than getting a new one - especially a loyal one.
Fun thread. Marketing works. Anyone who disagrees likely labels their wine with a pencil and drinks a lot of their own wine…
You bring up a good point, though a bit different, regarding packaging. Wineries obviously put more effort into the labels and the packaging than many of us care about, and that attention takes money and effort. But it clearly works. In a world with scads of brands, big and small, it really does benefit to have more than just good wine for a good price. The latter is most important and reigns with most of the experienced crowd, but there are a lot of people outside of that category and even some experienced people are just on the edge and get persuaded by the “extras”.