Purple Cow (22 page)

 

www.soallmayeat.org
is truly remarkable. Imagine going into a restaurant and seeing no prices on the menu. You might think that the food was really expensive, but that’s not the case at the So All May Eat (SAME) Cafe in Denver, CO. The fact is that there are no prices on the menu because everyone pays what they can; many people pay more. There’s no cash register, just an envelope that patrons get with their meal. In that envelope goes a few dollars, a fair price for the meal, a hearty donation, or nothing at all. The envelope then goes into a simple wooden box. Everyone gets a great homemade meal at a price they can afford. If someone can’t pay anything at all they are asked to help out in the kitchen, serve some soup, or clean up for an hour or so ... and they are willing and happy to help out. It’s not a free ride or a handout; it’s honest work for a terrific hot meal. Founders Brad & Libby Birky not only make a difference by providing a free meal but they also have created a thriving community of people who care and are cared for.

 

More than 45 years of serving charcoaled barbecued hamburgers on Ontario’s Highway 11 between Toronto and “Cottage Country” has made Webers truly remarkable. How so? Let me count the ways. (1) Focus. Burgers, fries, and shakes only. (2) Buzz. The line is always out the door, any time of day. (3) Service that matters. A flawless ordering process gets your order placed and paid for while the line proceeds. At the counter, just grab your food and go. (4) Attention to details. Acres of green grass, gardens, and picnic tables, all clean and tidy, neatly trimmed, and welcoming. (5) Energy and passion. Fun people who work like they’re hobbyists, not employees, all amidst ear-shattering rock ‘n’ roll and a relentless mania behind the grills. (6) Innovative thinking. Webers built a pedestrian bridge across busy Highway 11 to make it a safe and easy stop for southbound travelers too. (7) The railway car. For eating inside on rainy days. (8) Family memories. Countless trips to the north country often start in the driveway with “Are we stopping at Webers?” Webers is an Ontario institution.

 

A lot of companies talk the customer service talk and some even walk it, but few run marathons with it like Patagonia. I had purchased a ski jacket from Patagonia 15 years ago in Canada. After heavy use in the mountains, the waterproofing had gone. I bought spray-on waterproofing (which Patagonia sells) but found it didn’t really do the job. So I took the jacket in to my local Patagonia store in NYC—15 years later, no receipt, and a country apart from the original sale. I told them I tried their recommended method of rewaterproofing and that I wasn’t satisfied with the results. They told me that they were very sorry but this style was no longer sold (discontinued 12 years ago!) and hence could not replace it, but they would be more than happy to give me a store credit for the value of the most comparable jacket available—in other words they handed me $450 dollars to spend as I wished, whenever I wished, no questions asked. Needless to say, they have not only won me over as a customer for life but they have received far more than $450 dollars’ worth of PR.

 

A few years ago, Australian dentist Paddi Lund’s life was difficult. His practice was a slog; he worked long hours and had a high staff turnover. He changed it all around by creating what he calls “A Happiness-Centered Business.” He decided that his life would be happier and easier if he had clients and staff who share his values. Paddi determined that he wanted customers who came on time, paid their bills, and referred people with similar values. He accepts clients only by referral, locked his doors, and took his name out of the phone book. Paddi created a place where customers want to come and he wants to work by setting up systems based on high standards of courtesy and politeness. It worked. Staff stay, customers beg to join his practice, and when they do they experience customer service second to none. He works about 22 hours a week, earns more than most of his colleagues, loves going to work, and, most important of all, is a happy man. What could be better?

 

The people at Crown Restrooms here in the NW suburbs of Chicago must have read
Purple Cow
and taken it to heart. All their porta-potties are ... purple. And they proudly refer to themselves as the “Purple Potty People.” I first encountered them at an outdoor festival in my hometown. I used their restroom trailer and was stunned to find it well lit, spacious, and clean, with running water, flushing toilets, large mirrors, air conditioning, and even music! There was a crowd of people raving about it and scooping up their well-placed business cards. I don’t know how often they rent out that big boy, but I can’t remember working a single event within 50 miles that rented standard potties from anyone else.

 

Hello Health (
www.HelloHealth.com
) is the first medical practice of its kind piloted by Dr. Jay Parkinson and his team of doctors based out of Williamsburg, New York. With virtually no overhead, Dr. Parkinson runs his office almost entirely online. You pay a low monthly fee of $35 and receive unlimited access to your doctor, along with user-friendly, integrative, and accessible health care. He says in years past, your physician lived just down the road and made house calls. People used to know their doctors by their first names. And if you were sick, you would see your doctor that day, because, well, you were sick. Hello Health appeals to cultural creative types, people who often freelance without the benefit of medical insurance. Parkinson charges an additional $150 to $200 an hour for house calls. If things are a bit tight, he sometimes accommodates his creative clientele by accepting artwork in trade for his services.

 

Two things are guaranteed at the remarkable DinTaiFung restaurant in Taipei: the extremely long line outside and the size/weight of their world-famous steamed juicy pork dumplings. Each dumpling uses only the freshest ingredients, weighs a precise 0.74 oz, and has exactly 18 folds. In 1993,
NY Times
named DinTaiFung as one of the top 10 restaurants in the world. Even with many outlets worldwide today, thousands of tourists still visit Taipei every year just to eat at its original location. One of the stories told about the restaurant owner is that he takes the tour buses to hear what people say about his restaurant. One day, he found that the bus stopped before reaching its destination and tourists were encouraged to use the restrooms so that they could avoid using the ones at his restaurant. He went back and installed the most advanced toilets available in the restrooms and made sure that they were cleaned every 15 minutes. Since then, the restrooms at DinTaiFung also became one of the most talked-about topics for tourists.

 

If you sell mouthwash, wine, BBQ sauce, or just about anything that comes in a bottle, then you have probably hired professional photography studios to take product shots for use in your advertising. Step in
www.weshootbottles.com
. This UK-based company does one thing very well. They shoot bottles, that’s all. (Technically, it’s a tricky bit of business because of the reflective quality of glass.) Their one-page Web site is filled with visual samples of their work. The pricing scheme is boldly displayed and simple enough that a five-year-old could explain it. Their marketing message cuts through the clutter, attracting only the flies that want their particular brand of honey. We Shoot
Bottles.com
stands apart from generalist photography studios laboring to serve diverse clients with unrelated needs. Instead, they do a lot of just one thing, and outperform because of all the practice.

 

Imagine this: You buy tickets to see the vintage
Star
Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
at your favorite movie theater in town. It’s the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, TX. You sit in your seat. You order a local microbrew and a tasty pizza. The lights dim. And ... Leonard Nimoy appears below the screen. It’s Leonard Nimoy in person! And guess what? You aren’t going to see
Wrath of Khan.
You just bought tickets to the surprise premiere of the new
Star Trek
film. Wow—a Trekkie’s fantasy come true. This actually happened to me. And it’s what the local community has come to expect from the Alamo Drafthouse. The Alamo brings live snake handlers to perform at the opening of Snakes on a Plane. They host Spaghetti Western Sundays (with all-you-can-eat pasta). They take their show on the road—hosting 35mm screenings of famous movies in famous places, like
EscapefromAlcatraz
at Alcatraz Island. These are just a few examples of their seemingly endless creativity and innovation. What began as dinner, beer, and a movie has morphed into something truly spectacular.

 

Even with small orders, at Christian Printers in Des Moines, IA (
www.christianprintersinc.com
), the owner himself will hand-deliver proofs across town to make sure you are satisfied and to say hello and simply share a smile. Whether or not it is the case, so as not to make you feel as if you put him out, his reason for dropping by in person is always “Well, I was in the neighborhood.” As you can imagine with that kind of dedication to customer care, the same level of attention is given to the product and timeliness of completing a project. Blane recognizes the value of having a relationship with his customers—he truly enjoys what he does, and it shows. Refreshing!

 

I recently found The Grateful Griller (
www.gratefulgriller.com
). This guy is totally passionate about barbequing. He is not a trained chef but picked it up from his dad. He sells only one particular type of barbeque, the very best ceramic grills. What makes him different is that not only does he specialize in only one product but when you buy from him, he delivers it to your house, sets it up, and gives you a hands-on demonstration on how it works. He actually cooks your first meal on it so you can get the complete experience.

 

At Vosges, Owner/Chocolatier Katrina Markoff has created something more akin to a Purple Pig. By concocting an unlikely combination of chocolate and bacon, this graduate of Le Cordon Bleu has given her high-end gourmet following something to talk about. Katrina first made a name for herself by infusing luxury chocolate bars with exotic ingredients like goji berries, chipotle chilis, and sweet Indian curry. When she tested the waters with Mo’s bacon bar, she had every intention of making it a limited offering. The response, however, was overwhelming. Suddenly, the buzz from her foodie fans exploded as the remarkable story resonated with a much larger audience—bacon lovers.

 

When the owners of Soma Luna (
www.somaluna.com
) launched their Web site, it sold hand-poured, unscented candles. Seems simple. But as members of the occult community, they could not find quality candles in rich colors that were unscented, which can be important in certain spiritual works when other scents are being used. So they began making them. Now, the business is known for its exquisite candles. (Their black candles were featured in
Elle
magazine.) But more important, they do not capitalize on people’s dreams by “infusing” products with energy or special powers (love, wealth, etc.). They are adamant about not manipulating people with empty promises, and they are extremely helpful when assisting customers choose the best products for them. Soma Luna’s is a fair, wonderful case study for any business looking to truly connect with customers through genuine authenticity.