Angela is a really cool mom who shares her thoughts on products, books, websites and “whatever else catches my eye” on her blog: Did You See That?

She recently blogged about an order she received from the Lemonade Stand. I’m always thrilled when folks share about their packages.

I clicked on over to the Lemonade Stand - into the most fun online shopping experience I have ever had.

It tickles my heart when they post photos of the stuff on the outside of the box - as if putting stickers on the box wasn’t fun enough, people enjoy getting them that way! She also gushes about the extra goodies inside - we do love tucking in those free prizes!

Angela also read and reviewed Jason’s book Escape Adulthood and now she’s having a contest for readers of her blog to win a copy. Way cool!

She likes our new Lemonade Stand Newsletter sign-up too:

Even their newsletter sign up is funny - it says “Sign up to receive the FREE Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand e-Newsletter.It’s sent out twice a month and contains the latest deals and exclusivepromotions as well as updates on brand new products. We won’t sell or give out your info to anyone else. Only stupid heads do that.”

“Only stupid heads.” Seriously.

Thanks for the kind words Angela! Keep up the good work and fun reviews! Good luck tackling those last minute tax filers (she’s the CPA Mom for a reason)!

Technorati Tags: book review, kudos, CPAMOMVA, Did You See That, Lemonade Stand

It is good to be Chief. I was so thrilled when I got three new Lemonade Stand t-shirts and a hoodie that has the Lemonade Stand logo embroidered on it as gifts. As I look back at 2007 and dive into 2008 there is one big constant: I love my job.

One of the reasons I love my job is getting to interact with our customers. I’ve got a whole category dedicated to the Coolest People. While the day to day mechanics of my work is processing and packing orders, the highlight of my day is communicating with folks who shop the Lemonade Stand.

I thought I’d share a few of the email kudos that I received over the last few weeks in particular through the hustle bustle and downright crazy holiday season:

I just bought your atomic food containers and I can’t wait to get them! I am a first time buyer here, and I wanted to compliment you guys on your store. I love paying with paypal (especially after credit card fraud a month ago), and really like that you ship through usps. That was my deciding factor. It was the cheapest shipping as opposed to the other sites, like ThinkGeek.com where I saw the containers originally. So, thanks again!

I just received my order and it was perfect. Thank you for the great service. -Marie

Hi Jenna,
Just wanted to thank you - I received the package yesterday! I hope you enjoy your holiday and I will be ordering again soon- you have been just great!
Merry Christmas!
Malain

These came after dealing with some shipping issues:

Hello Jenna,
I checked with my post office this morning, but had no luck finding the package. Thank you for sending out another order and a gift card. I appreciate your quick response and resolution! I will contact you if, by some strange reason, the first package arrives.
I can’t wait to give my mother the cookie cutters, she is going to love them!
Thanks again,
Amy

Thank you so much for the help!! And the 12 days looks like so much fun! You must be buried in snow, too. Enjoy and happy holidays to you!!! Ingrid

Some kinds words about our packaging:

Hi.
Let me start by saying I love your site and I ordered something and I LOVE the packaging from outside in! You have a great business name and the whole idea is SO absolutely great! Applause! Applause! -Lee Ann

Hi Jenna,
I got the cups on Saturday!!!!! We are going to have so much fun serving the eggnog on Christmas! Thank you so much for everything.
And opening your package was so much fun!!! What an unique and special company, you put a smile on my face. I will definitely be using your company again and I will also spread the word about your company and all the fabulous things you do. I hope Santa is good to all of you and wish you many blessings in the New Year.
God Bless you always,
Linda

A few compliments about customer service (as my boss has said, if you do even a little more than you promise, it’s easy to get positive feedback):

You guys have been very nice to work with,, something that is hard to find theses days,,, thanks, Merry Christmas to you and yours… ss

Just wanted to let you know how nice it was doing business with you. I ordered some candy from you and received it promptly. I loved the extra items you put into the box - ex; mistletoe, stress reliever, and koolaid. I felt like a kid again. I will definetly do business with you again and have already added your website to my favorites.
Thanks again and Merry Christmas
JoAnn

Thank you!! It worked! Wow you guys are good. How about taking over GM or IBM or somebody like that to shape them up?
-Jim W

Here’s one that I received after spending time fixing a few problems through our Live Help feature (one of the many ways to contact us):

Jenna,
Thank you very much for all you have done. I have to admit I’m always a little wary about shopping at a site I never have before, and to be honest I could have gotten everything at Amazon for about the same price. But shopping with you was definitely worth it. From the best online customer service ever, to the most conveniently entertaining e-commerce site I’’ve seen in a long time, and lets not forget the charity of the month (my wife really likes that idea). Anyway, thanks again, and I want you to know I’ve set your site aside as something to strive for when my wife and I put together the site for her neighborhood children’s bookstore.
Scott

And one final email that just about made me cry - it’s the kind of thing that makes me very proud to work for this company:

I just received my gifts I ordered and I cannot begin to tell you how overjoyed I was. The added goodies and lemonade made my entire day. Having just left a funeral and come home to find this little extra touch made me remember that there are still folks with big hearts and creative spirits in this world.
Thank You,
Jenifer

It’s nice to get these little pats on the back. I keep them together in my email program and on really tough days I click through them and remember that this little Lemonade Stand is making a sweet impact out there.

I am super appreciative of all the feedback we’ve received about our store and our mission. Do you have any thoughts to add? Questions to ask? Suggestions for improvement?

Technorati Tags: Lemonade Stand, feedback, kudos, customer service, promise, deliver

Did you know we have a daily promotion to make any day a great day to shop the Lemonade Stand?

One deal I think people are missing out on is Gift Wrap Wednesday. This premium service is great any day and a steal on Wednesdays for just a penny. I’m an expert wrapper if I say so myself; I apprenticed with my dad who was in charge of wrapping all the family gifts at Christmas.

Like my dad’s favorite wrapping paper of Sunday funnies, we have some really cool paper that make for bright fun packages evoking the joy of childhood birthdays. We recently had a customer who bought wedding gifts at the Lemonade Stand and was thrilled that we didn’t have “boring wedding paper.” We also got a fun email from Judy who shared with us about an awesomely unique celebration:

We JUST had the 14th annual My Hero Day where we joyfully celebrate the awesomeness of Gregory, my husband, being my hero for the past 14 years! You (and Kim & Jason) helped me with this event, too, as several of the gifts were from the Lemonade Stand and you wrapped them awesomely!

When the HERO gets home, we serve homemade cookies and milk. Then he gets to open at least 12 fun gifts (because he IS a hero 12 months a year!). I always get our 4 cats IN on the action. They found 2 perfect gifts at the Lemonade Stand!! Oh yes, they help him remove, err uh I mean, “play” with the wrapping paper!

This year the cats fell in love and just HAD to give Big Dad Cat the “Super Duper Daddy – You’re My Hero” mug. And leave it up to cats to pick out the Inanimate Stickers because they just knew they would make him laugh. I got the really cool USB-powered Office Coffee Warmer. And because the Hero is a die-hard baseball fan, I just HAD to get him Jason’s Tales from the T-Ball Outfield.

Thanks for sending that awesome story and great photo Judy! Do you have a story to share?

I’m curious: what do you think about Gift Wrap Wednesday and our other deals?

Technorati Tags: gift wrap, daily deal, celebration, Lemonade Stand

Judy Irené is one of the coolest people I’ve met in the Kim & Jason Universe! You may know Judy from her profile over at Club K&J that was featured in the Kim & Jason magazine: Escape Adulthood,

Judy emailed me to share this fun event she orchestrated for her friends - a Pampered Chick Party! The day was filled with food and massages and other fun indulgences including goodies from the Lemonade Stand!

The 1st Annual Pampered Chick Day turned out spectacularly and everyone loved their Lemonade Stand gifts.

Judy created book full of her frivolous favorites (we’re featured on page six between Life is Good and Goody Goody Shoes) that she gave to all the women attending!

Thanks, Judy, for sharing us with your “Chicks” and thanks for sharing your story with me - you’re one cool chick!

One of the very best parts of my job is hearing about how the great gifts from the Lemonade Stand are shared by you. So, anyone else want to share?

Indulge me.

Technorati Tags: indulge, chicks, pamper, Lemonade Stand, Life Is Good, Goody Goody Shoes

I’m totally feeling a rush of love for The Lemonade Stand recently. I’ve posted a few times now highlighting positive feedback and comments about when folks receive what they order. Click on this photo to check out a sweet blog post from someone who received a package as a gift.

There’s even a photo of the goodies - can you spot the Free Prize capsule? I love the way Stephanie describes her joy at what she found inside. That joy is what I hope everyone feels as they open a box with the Lemonade Stand return label on it. That joy is my goal for every conversation had, email exchanged, and package sent.

Thanks for sharing Stephanie and thanks for spreading some joy from the Lemonade Stand Amanda!

“Every time you place an order at The Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand, it’s kind of like getting the best part of Cracker Jack — and super sugary breakfast cereals, too — you get a free prize. Each prize is packaged inside a little toy capsule, just like the ones at supermarket entrances that you begged mom for. We guarantee that it’s a little something something that will put a smile on your face remind you of the best parts of childhood…”

That is a description of our Free Prizes that are included with every order. I really enjoy putting these together each month - a fun little piece of childhood in each package. With many online stores, you’re lucky if you get enough packing materials to keep your items from being crushed in the back of the delivery truck. As a company we make the effort to do more than pack and ship your order. We try to put a little bit of our mission in every box.

The Free Prize is one of the ways we try to help our customers fight Adultitis in their lives. There are a few other things we add to each order but I’m not going to spoil the surprise for folks who haven’t ordered from us yet. Here are some comments that were shared with me after receiving their orders:

Got my stuff! It is fun and I appreciated the extra goodies in the box Thanks!!

…LOVE IT… including the extra little thoughtful treats/toy in the shipment.

Thanks so much for the speedy delivery. We loved the additional “gifts” we received as well.

I received on Saturday – thank you! LOVE the marbles!

I just received my dirt candle today, and I wanted to thank you for the extra goodies in my package! How creative, and what a fun little surprise! Thank you!

Thank you so much! I got my order in today’s mail. WOW - that was fast! As always, I was not disappointed. I was like a little kid going through the box. I started with the comic on the outside, which made me laugh, and continued with the inside. I love the “secret present” in there. I couldn’t wait to see what it could be. I had to have a jelly bean right away. Please thank everyone involved! I love buying from Kim & Jason. It has always been a wonderful experience. THANK YOU!

And can I just say that I very much appreciate the assortment of goodies included with my toasted marshmallow candle I received today. I was having one of those days, and it definitely put a big smile on my face. Thank you so much!

Thank you for all your wonderful feedback. It brings a big smile to my face to know that the time spent putting those goodies in your orders is touching lives. I think that’s one of my favorite parts about being Chief!

Technorati Tags: free prize, Cracker Jack, goodies, Adultitis, 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

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