After the initial shock, I thought, oh well, I’ll just order a new adapter. More shock. The official G4 iBook AC adapter is $100 at the Apple Store.

For something that is known to be so poorly designed, (the new adapters are purportedly much better), you can imagine my surprise at the price of a simple AC adapter. I know it comes with that Apple je ne ses quoi, but surely that can’t be worth a $100???

Given the options: expensive white paper weight or working iBook, I ended up purchasing the adapter but I wasn’t happy about it. I felt seduced and used by Apple.

I bought into the Apple mythology of dream like user experience and ease of use whole-heartedly only to have my affections spurned. Apple needs to make the experience of having a broken AC adapter and loss of access to the files on the device much less traumatic and painful. As is it really affects my perception of the brand because it makes me think that Apple is only great until something goes wrong at which point they couldn’t care less about your experience. By lowering the price to match customer expectations Apple would extend the goodwill generated by the promise and the experience of their product.

In the short term, sure, it will cost them more, but in the long term, people will buy more Apple products because they know that should things go wrong, Apple will be there with a palatable solution. People might even buy a second adapter in case of such an emergency.

Then almost like magic, as if I were playing a real life version of Where’s Waldo, I started to see the parkas everywhere! In the streets, on the bus in the subway. The logo had become distinct and unmistakable and I could spot it from a mile away. Which brought me to my next thought, that if this wasn’t a private company then I would buy the stock because with so many people wearing these parkas, the company must be doing really well!

At that point I stopped to reexamine my thought process and realized something was wrong with my my logic (gasp!). In reality there aren’t any more or less people wearing Canada Goose parkas, the only difference is that I went from not noticing people wearing them to noticing just about anyone wearing one. Therefore, it would appear to me as if there’s been a huge increase in the number of people wearing the parkas but in reality there is a certain number of people wearing parkas that have been wearing them and continue to wear them regardless of my ability to spot them or not.

So what’s the moral of the story? Well the whole experience got me thinking about trend spotting and how difficult it is to actually find real trends. The first evidence of a trend is always anecdotal and based on a single observation or piece of information. As a result of this, one goes from being completely ignorant to suddenly aware of some phenomenon and begins to look for it systematically. The only problem is that the human eye is so fond of finding patterns that it becomes difficult to discern real trends from what one merely thinks are trends. In other words, am I seeing a lot parkas because people are buying a lot of parkas or am I seeing a lot of parkas because I’m looking for them? Once a pattern seems to manifest itself the temptation is always overestimate the significance of one’s subsequent observations. One begins to subconsciously look for information to support what they already believe to be true and in doing so, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

Just like in the Waldo books, if you look carefully you can find Waldo and the same is true with trends too. Just be careful when trend hunting not to confuse what is happening for what you think is happening. Always be hesitant to draw conclusions based on examining a potential trend from just one perspective. Observation tells us about where a trend might be, it offers an avenue of investigation and a potential opportunity but it should not be taken as a firm conclusion. The reality is that most so called trends end up in fact being just blips on the radar. A good trend hunter must realize this and consistently re-frame their perspective in order to discern the difference between what they think is happening and what is actually happening.

If you’re anything like me, the absolute last thing you want to do first thing in the morning, is math but that’s exactly what it takes to make that cup of coffee which I so desperately need to get my brain functioning. It’s a bit of a catch-22 because I can’t do math without coffee but I can’t get coffee without doing math!

I’ve never owned a coffee maker here in Canada (or seen in the US for that matter), that measures cups of coffee in terms of ml (unless it’s some fancy European import); yet every package of coffee I’ve seen from Starbucks kindly tells me to use 2 tablespoons of coffee to each 180ml of water (6fl oz.) which is just under 3/4 quarters of a cup of water per 2 tablespoons of coffee. Would it be so hard to use some unit of measure that isn’t quite so obscure? Perhaps 2 heaping tablespoons of coffee to each cup would be more appropriate or include a special scoop that guarantees a perfect cup every time.

This is just another one of those things that make you wonder if the company actually took the time to see if their instructions make sense from a consumer perspective. All too often products are orchestrated are designed from a perspective that isn’t explicitly consumer oriented and the result is a thoroughly unpleasant user experience. Even the greatest product can quickly turn into a disappointment and if the focus on usability is lacking.

Have you taken a look at your product or service’s documentation from a consumer perspective? Is it as easy an experience as it should be?

Facebook now resembles the proverbial high school party to which one invites a few friends and ends up hosting the entire school and then being left with the cleanup the following morning. Gone is the neo modern facade and the clean interface, hijacked instead by a throng of applications which are nothing but glorified billboards waging a battle for eyeballs. Walls now resemble teenage bedrooms plastered with posters and littered with the remnants of countless fast food excursions. Not to mention the painstaking process of weeding through invitations to add all manner of useless applications.

While I can sympathize with Facebook’s aim to create an open and accessible platform there is still something to be said for the value of editing. Even the crassest of reality shows are shaped by countless hours of editing which gives them at least some semblance of narrative. In the same way that not all hours of reality television are made equal, not all applications are made equal. Allowing all manner of sub par applications unfettered access to Facebook has just resulted in more noise and less signal. The situation is becoming eerily reminiscent of Peguin’s ill fated wiki novel, proving the old adage yet again, that too many cooks do indeed spoil the broth.

Facebook really needs to get back to it’s core, which lies in aiding people to better engage one another. It should continue to move in the direction of being a true social OS. That, however, will require the promotion of real and valuable interactions among users. After all, Facebook is in essence simply one big conversation and the value of participating in that really depends on the signal-to-noise ratio.

It appears I’m not alone in thinking this either, David, on his blog calls this phenomenon Spamturitis.

While, I’m way too young to remember the Pop Shoppe in its original incarnation and thus couldn’t share in the recollection of fond memories, what really grabbed me where these tiny sayings written on each bottle. The orange ‘pop’ bottle read: “You’re not the boss of me.” and the grape flavour read: “My Dad Is Bigger Than Your Dad.”

That got me thinking about how these simple playground banter inspired sayings add a nostalgic dimension to the product that turns what might otherwise be looked at as just another retro soda into what one could describe as a Social Object. Jyri Engström on his blog basically defines a social object as a shared object which forms the basis for connecting people. He then goes on to outline five principles that a social object should have, and Pop Shoppe seems to fit the bill.

1. You should be able to define the social object your service is built around
   The product is the social object. It’s built around the nostalgia associated with the product.
2. Define your verbs that your users perform on the objects. For instance, eBay has buy and sell buttons. It’s clear what the site is for.
   People share stories and memories around their first encounters with the product. They discuss and to a lesser degree consume the product.
3. How can people share the objects?
   They are easily gifted, or purchased at a growing number of retail stores.
4. Turn invitations into gifts
   The low cost of the product make it easy to gift to friends and family. In doing so, they are invited to take part in the discussion.
5. Charge the publishers, not the spectator
   This one is a little more service specific, but with enough consumer demand, a distributor could possibly assume some of the costs of carrying the product in some form of retail exclusivity agreeement.
   

While I’m sure the pop tastes great, the truth is that the large majority of purchasers of this product aren’t buying it for the taste, but for the way it makes them feel when they drink it, the memories it envokes, and the discussions surrounding it. The product is not the pop itself, but rather the nostalgia associated with the product. The childhood phrases are a fantastic way to jumpstart a conversation around the product. The pop is the social object. And while I haven’t even tasted the stuff yet, and I already want to track down the store where he got it and find out what the other sayings are -each bottle is sort of like a nostalgic trading card.

As an aside if you’d like to read more on the social object construct, Hugh MacLeod has a several posts on the topic, and Jyri Engeström has a presentation up on SlideShare.

“I recently tried to add an additional bank account to my ING Direct Savings account, by sending them a cheque for decently sized chunk of money. After confirming that the cheque had been cashed, I call them to find that they cannot deposit the cheque into my savings account because my bank told them it was tied to a line of credit account.”"Line of credit? I don’t have one of those. It’s a regular everyday chequing account.”

“I would suggest calling your bank and sorting this out, and then calling us back.”

So I call up my bank.. “This chequing account I have with you.. what kind of account is it?”

“Why… its a chequing account.”

“Thank you. ING Direct is trying to tell me that you told them that my bank account is linked to a line of credit.”

“No, You definitely do not have a line of credit with us sir. Just a regular chequing account.”

“Great, thanks. Do you know why ING might think otherwise?”

“I have no idea, but your account is a regular chequing account.”

So I call back ING Direct.

“Hi, I just spoke with my bank. They confirmed that my bank account is not tied to any line of credit whatsoever and is a regular chequing account.”

Of course its a different Customer Service Representative, so I have to re-explain the situation and wait for them to get up to speed. Lots of hold music ensues. (The same MIDI rendition of a Phil Collins or Genesis song OVER and OVER and OVER). I feel like there should have been “Hold on! Hold on!” in the chorus, any ideas?

“Ok sir, you are sure your account isn’t a line of credit?”

I thought we established that. Perhaps a 3-way call to my bank is in order?

“After speaking with their supervisor, and more hold music, I am told that a request will be put in to contact my bank to re-confirm that my account is indeed not a line of credit. This will take between 1-2 business days.”

{Sigh}

I know its logistically complex, but customers would be much happier if large organizations gave them back the ability to reach a direct extension – even just as a first option to try to redial the same CSR you had before so you aren’t banging your head against the wall explaining your situation 3 different times to three different people. It saves frustration on the customer’s side, and saves dollars for the organization not having to pay 3 different people to try to understand a situation that should already been “learned” by the organization. Not to mention, it allows customer service employees to take ownership over solving customer issues. Where did we go so wrong?

Update: Within a couple days, they confirmed the account was not a line of credit, and linked the accounts. No notice, however, was sent to ian. He discovered this by checking his account online two days later.

“On my way home today, I decided to stop in at the Chapters on Rideau St. and see if I could pick up a copy of Don Tapscott’s new book Wikinomics. A quick check on the Book Search terminal, and I discover there’s 19 copies in the store. “Great! I’m in luck.” Off I go to the Business / Business Technology section, and the book is no where to be found. A helpful Chapters employee asks if they can help and point me in the general direction and mention that it’s displayed quite openly – and therefore one would think it easy to find. I scan all of the Business sections I can think of, check the Technology section, and happen to glance at another Book Search terminal which someone has left on the Wikinomics search result as well. I have competition. As I walk past another Chapters employee, I overhear that another individual is also looking for the book, and that she is unable to help him find it. Another quick scan of the shelves, and I leave empty handed.”

I return home and blog about my experience on my personal blog at ChrisTaggart.com, sharing the experience with the few friends and regular readers of my blog and getting the frustration of the experience off my chest. In the days that follow, I notice I am not receiving emails on my @ChrisTaggart.com domain and find that I exceeded my disk space quota. I clean out some files and we’re back in business. What do I find, but that on a couple occasions since the original post, Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo Books & Music has attempted to get in contact with me to remedy the experience.

On January 23rd, the following comment is posted in response to my original post:

Hello Chris,
first I sincerely apologize for the negative experience you recently faced here at Chapters Rideau.As a major Canadian retailer we are always striving to offer exceptional customer service, unfortunately in this case we did not live upto that standard.After researching when we had actually received Wikinomics it appears that all copies were shelved on the main level.Our merchandizing standards are that minimally two copies should also be placed in the subsection it belongs to,obviously this was an error on our part and subsequently we did not locate the book in an efficient manner.Chris I would like the opportunity to restore your faith in Chapters Rideau and offer you a gift certificate to thank you for this feedback.Could you please provide me with an alternate means to contact you,perhaps a phone #, as I would like to discuss this further.

Thank you in advance
Tim Francoeur
General Manager
Chapters Rideau

I even get a followup email some days later from Heather:

Hello Chris

By now I hope you have heard from someone from the Chapters you visited a few days ago.

I am writing to you directly to apologize for the totally unsatisfying experience which you had when you came into our Rideau store. As it turns out, all 18 copies of Wikkinomics were indeed in the store and featured on our special Books with Buzz wall. For some reason the young person who helped you had not been properly briefed that the title was upfront just passed where you came in. And to make matters worse, our policy of always having 2 copies of any title right in its proper section even if the book is being featured elsewhere had not been followed. Ugh

We actually work very hard to ensure that we have as rich a selection as possible in every genre. And that staff are well able to help customers quickly find what they want. From time to time we just mess up.

I just want you to know that we care about having disappointed you – and not because you wrote about it, but because our goal is to fully serve each and every person who comes into our stores. The benefit of your having written up your experience on your blog is that we are at least able to get back to you and also address a few weaknesses in the Rideau store operation.

…

I hope we have an opportunity in the future to provide you with a great experience and you will shortly be receiving a gift card from us to encourage this to happen.

Yours sincerely,

Heather Reisman
Chief Executive
Indigo Books & Music

I respond with:

Hi Heather,

First off, let me just say, I never expected any response from my blog post about my misadventures of trying to find a copy of Wikinomics. Big points in my book for moving in this direction in dealing with service quality issues. Addressing these issues from customer blog posts shows that you and your company get “it” and as more and more people start/continue blogging, I think more companies need to do the same. It’s very encouraging to see Indigo taking the lead in this area….

Heather lets me know that someone will be be in touch – the Chapters Rideau Manager as was the case:

Hello Chris,
over the last couple of days I have been trying to contact you by phone with out success.In appreciation for the valuable fedback you have provided us in your search for WIKINOMICS, I would like like to take the opportunity to provide you with a gratuitous copy of the book.Any chance you could provide me with delivery address or perhaps you would like to pick it up at the store if that is more convenient.If you have purchased a copy I would like to provide you with the gift card we have promise you.

Look forward to hearing back from you ……..

Tim Francoeur

I followup with Tim, letting him know that I had actually picked up a copy of Wikinomics at Coles a day or so later, and provide a mailing address, and offer to pick it up at the store.

A few days later, a gift card arrives in the mail. :)

What are some of the things to take away from this? For one, it shows that even if you’re a very large company, you can (and perhaps even more so than a smaller company should) make time to respond to customers that blog about their experience with your product or service.

All the while, I can’t help but think about what Seth Godin wrote in The Long Tail Inside (coincidentally not more than a few days after this experience):

“What’s missing from most corporate and non-profit analysis is this: If everyone has a blog, then everyone is a blogger.Sure that sounds trivial. But then why are organizations acting like there is still us and them?”

Chapters/Indigo has clearly taken the lead in this respect, and taken advantage of this opportunity. I only hope more companies will do the same. I’m curious to know how well other Canadian companies are doing in respect to responding to customer blogs, etc. If you know of any specific examples, please share in the comments.

As a sidenote, Heather emailed me to let me know that I’m right on the money with the RFID concept, and that while its not ready for production, they have been experimenting with various RFID systems with US based retailers for future implementation. Awesome.