It’s summer, it’s July, and it is hot out! I don’t mind the heat, as everyone in the Midwest will tell you, “it’s the humidity” that gets ya. Enough about the weather! I want to tell you about what’s hot at the Lemonade Stand right now. Here’s three of my favorites that are leaving a smoke trail out the door:

Ready to Fly Hot Air Balloon - Raise the fun standard with this backyard-sized model to send your spirit soaring through cloudless summer skies.

ABC Cookie Cutters - Need some treats for a summer outing? Keep more for yourself using the cookie cutters that make cookies that come with a bite already taken out of them.

Sandcastle in a Box - Hit the beach or the sandbox with this kit full of cool tools for creating masterpieces during your sun and sand-filled days.

These are a few of the hottest selling items right now. Check’em out and see how they’ll help you have more fun and less stress this summer!

Technorati Tags: hot air balloon, abc cookie cutter, sandcastle, summer, hot, humid, lemonade stand

I feel one of the challenges that online stores face is the balance between technology and humanity. One of the reasons I buy things online is because of the ease and convenience of ordering - click, poof, the goods are on my doorstep! One of the complaints that I have is the nameless, faceless nature of online shopping. Sometimes you cannot trust the faces that you do see on an online stores loaded with stock photos.

FYI - those are all my faces in that fun rotating circle in the column to the left. Here are some more of me and my hats:

More important than the genuine photographs is the genuine person behind them. My servant attitude means my customer service focus is on the total experience not just reacting to problems. Those times remind me of the importance of individually and personally connecting with people not just automatically processing orders, but dealing with complaints isn’t the only reason to make time to communicate.

There are lots of techno-tools for me to use with our online store - setting up automatic discounts for our Club K&J members, tracking abandoned carts, seeing which products are at the top of people’s wishlists. To me the key to making the most of these tools is making the communication about them personal. I give specific answers to every question generated through our online forms. And I write notes to every customer through out the order process - from receiving the order through it’s shipment. There are of course templates set-up for generic responses and automatic messages, but we’re all about having conversations. So the effort is made to be real.

I’ve gotten feedback that people are happy to know there’s a “real person” at The Lemonade Stand. I’m happiest when I know folks are sharing about their shopping experience - gives me the chance to interact with more cool people. That’s why I was thrilled with the bloglove given by Lemonade Stand customer and Club K&J member Amanda. You can read all the nice things she had to say about Kim & Jason at her fun blog, but this is the part that made me grin from ear to ear:

I received an email from Jenna, one of their staff… she has some “grand poobah”-like title which escapes me at the moment… asking if I had any issues or concerns since I hadn’t completed my order. I explained that I still planned to order, but that I had to get all of my ducks in a row, first. She responded with the comment “proper alignment of waterfowl is important”. Indeed! Just that email made me smile and feel warm inside… This was not just another online shop. There was a real person on the other end of that email, a person after my own heart…

I am after her heart and the hearts of everyone who comes to the Lemonade Stand. I truly believe if the focus is on the people and not what can be gotten out of their wallets, we set ourselves apart from the masses of internet retailers. That’s my goal to serve every customer, every day. With cool people like Amanda, it’s a great job and it’s why I love being the Grand Poobah (it does come with a fun hat!) aka Chief Sales Servant.

Technorati Tags: customer service, bloglove, grand poobah, genuine people, online shop, Lemonade Stand, Long Journey, Sweet Flowers

I buy hamburger from a really great guy in Iowa. Because my guy purchases the meat in large quantities from the local meat locker, he gets the hamburger in large ten-pound tubes. Great for price but not exactly convenient when it comes time for cooking! Here’s what’s neat about my guy - he isn’t just a source for the meat, he’s made himself my personal butcher. Gene takes those 10 lb. tubes and gives them a quick freeze. Then he slices the hamburger into patties and wraps the patties up in 1 pound packages for me. He doesn’t charge me any extra for this service, he just does it because it’ll be more convenient for me.

My mom was recently hospitalized for emergency abdominal surgery. During the two weeks it took for her to be released, my dad, siblings and I took turns staying with her at the hospital. My mom’s best friend Julie went one step beyond cards and flowers, she baked. Now some folks would force veggie trays and soups and casseroles into your fridge, reasoning that you need good nutrition. She’s done the meal stuff, but Julie didn’t stop with stew and sandwiches. Just about every other day, she showed up with a plate, or tin, or pan full of some sweet goodness. And it hasn’t stopped since Mom came home - she’s made herself our personal baker. She could feel good about providing meals for a family dealing with major medical situation. She did more because she knows there’s something extra comforting about dessert.

Not long ago we had a rush of orders for our Clean Underpants candles. So many that I had to place a special order with our candle manufacturing partner Soy Works Candle Company. Now normal time on pouring and shipping candles is at least a week. Circumstances beyond their control delayed that order. Knowing that I had Lemonade Stand customers waiting, Soy Works owner & chandler, Heather, emailed asking, “What can I do for your customers since the candles have been delayed?” No excuses or justifications, she was focused on how best to serve my customers - what a great way to serve me.

All three of these folks are my heroes because they each in their own way anticipated not only what would meet my needs, but also looked for how to exceed them. Each took extra time and put extra thought into how to best serve me; how best to make my life easier. Now that’s a customer service superpower I want to cultivate!

Technorati Tags: butcher, hamburger, Iowa, baker, dessert, candlestick maker, Soy Works Candle Company, clean underpants, service hero

One of the hardest things about having a virtual store is not always knowing if folks are truly happy with their purchase. I relish each comment that is shared as reinforcement that I’m doing a good job. Being Chief Sales Servant, means I am the best at what I do and put 100% into every customer experience. One of the Guiding Lights for our company is “Be Excellent” and I am gratified when I get an email that tells me that someone has had an excellent experience at The Lemonade Stand.

Over at the Service Untitled blog, the challenge was put out to “flaunt it” when people say good things about you. It’s sometimes difficult to “toot your own horn” but I’m very proud of the work I do and it makes me very happy to receive an email like the following:

This is the first time I am writing an email of this nature, but I just had to let you know about how happy I was with how you handled my order. I even got a phone call to see if I wanted something different on the card. Which I did. Thank you again, and she loved her gift. You have made me a Kim and Jason Lemonade stand customer for LIFE!!!

Thank you very much,
Cassidy P. from Illinois”

Thank you Cassidy for the wonderful compliment and especially for taking time to write. I appreciate feedback of all kinds as long as it allows me the opportunity to do my job better.

We’ve had some really nice kudos in the past. Hearing about how folks are enjoying what they ordered or how their gift purchase was a hit - nothing could be sweeter!

Technorati Tags: customer service, feedback, comment, excellence, Service Untitled

We’re about one third of the way through the Major League Baseball season. And you know what? Dads love baseball! As we head for Father’s Day, we begin to hear the sweet sounds of baseballs “thwacking” into leather gloves, ringing crack of the bat, and umpires yelling “Play ball!” in neighborhood parks all over.
Here are some of my favorite baseball gifts for the All-Star pop in your life:

1) Baseball Weekend Framed Print - This fun print features the Kim & Jason characters and that beloved 7th inning stretch song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

2) Tailgating Cookbook - Whether the game’s at home stadium or in the backyard, Dads love to cook up those pre-game time goodies - especially hot dogs!

3) Baseball Pee-pee Teepees - Perfect for new dads who’ve just acquired a new slugger for their team.

Even if your dad isn’t a baseball fanatic, you can find other great gifts for your awesome dad at The Lemonade Stand.

Technorati Tags: baseball, take me out to the ball game, tailgating, pee-pee teepees

The best photo for the “Bubbles” theme was submitted by Jim Schoberg. His winning picture will adorn the main page of the Lemonade Stand for the month of June. Nice camera work Jim!

Could you be our next winner? Check out the details here to find out how you can win your $20 Gift Certificate to the Lemonade Stand.