Dreaming in Meta

A few months ago, I learned that Heinen’s (a 17-store local grocery chain in Cleveland) began stocking Zingerman’s Coffee. Most, if not all of you, know that I’m a huge fan of Zingerman’s, the epicenter of all things good food, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Needless to say, I always made sure to pick up a bag or two of the coffee any time I visited my local Heinen’s location, the coffee is that good.  Also, the price of the coffee was at a considerable savings compared to ordering direct from Zingerman’s Mail Order.

On my last shopping trip earlier this week, I was saddened to find that Heinen’s would no longer be stocking the coffee. Within minutes of posting a tweet about the situation on Twitter, Liz Lewis (e-Marketing Manager for Heinen’s) reached out to me, suggesting I get in touch with Consumer Affairs.  I took the opportunity to email Consumer Affairs, explaining that I loved Zingerman’s Coffee so much, and that I was sad to see it leave their shelves. Again, within minutes, Kathryn Robbins, Customer Service Supervisor replied to my email, explaining that their coffee buyer and Zingerman’s came to the realization that the coffee was not moving fast enough to maintain their very high standards for quality and freshness, which is something that I can greatly appreciate.

Kathryn and Liz took this opportunity to really show their commitment to Customer Service: Yesterday, I found on my doorstep a box full of coffees for me to try, as well as a hand-written note. I couldn’t believe it! It was as if they took a page right out of the Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service: Do whatever it takes to make the customer happy. They did what it takes to make things right, and then some.

They didn’t just make me happy; they made me feel ecstatic. It’s dedication to Customer Service like this that has made me a customer for life.