ChuckPrice.org

My wife happens to be staying with my son at Yale Medical Center in New Haven Ct. He is undergoing a clinical trial for newly onset type 1 diabetes. As you might imagine this puts a bit of pressure on Christmas shopping & mailing cards. In order to take some pressure off, she ordered Photo Holiday Cards online to pick up at the local CVS, planning to address & mail them from the hospital.

So, she placed the order & Got the following confirmation on Dec 18 at 9:25 AM

Dear XXXXXXXX Price, Thank you for ordering from the CVS.com Photo Center.We received your order and will begin processing it soon. Your order information appears below. Your order number is: XXXXXXXX Contact Information XXXXXXX Price Order Details: Item Quantity Unit Price Price 4×6* 1 $0.19 $0.19 Happy Holidays 40 $26.99 Subtotal: $27.18 Total $27.18 * Approximate pickup time is 12:00 PM on 12/18/2007. You will receive a second email when your order is ready to be picked up. Pick-up Information CVS #2259 215 Whalley Ave New Haven, Connecticut (203)401-4660 If you have questions or require additional assistance, please contact us by email at CVS Customer Care or by phone at (888) 607-4287 As always, thank you for choosing CVS.com. We are committed to your satisfaction and we greatly appreciate your business. Sincerely, Customer Care Department www.CVS.com (888) 607-4CVS (4287) CVS Customer Care

Fantastic!

For some crazy reason, my wife figured that if she went in that evening - a full 6 1/2 hours after the available pick up time that she could pick up the cards & be on her way - WRONG!

Instead, the clerk couldn’t find the cards & couldn’t give an explanation as to why they might be MIA. When asked what the store did in cases like this, the clerk had no answer. When asked when the cards might arrive - you guessed it - no answer.

That’s when I called Amy at the customer service number. It would appear that that little asterisk in the email designated that the 19 cent photo was ready - but NOT the cards. Nice. Amy admitted that the confirmation was “confusing” and the website was to be redesigned. But… since this doesn’t happen often, its a low priority.

I suggested that it might be a nice gesture to drop the cards off at the Ronald McDonald house, when they did arrive, to save my wife another trip to CVS. Amy would have none of that.

Sooo - when ordering cards from CVS, make sure you call ahead to make certain that your pickup location has the equipment to print the cards there. I’m really not sure why I have to spread the word about this, when CVS could easily explain the lead times on their website.

I bet if Penn & Teller were chairman & CEO of CVS, this wouldn’t happen!

I was in Las Vegas last week for Pubcon, an event dedicated to internet marketing. I happened to be on the same flight as Todd Malicoat, aka stuntdubl. Todd has a reputation as one of the smartest internet marketing minds in the business. He is also widely recognized as being the nicest guy in the world of internet marketing. Todd once again showed his generosity by treating 40 of his friends & colleagues to the Penn & Teller show at the Rio. Thanks Todd!

Penn and Teller are not only great magicians, but they are great marketing guys, too. They aren’t afraid to push the envelope - going so far as to yell “FIRE” in a crowded theater (no kidding) and even blowing up the American Flag (which they make sure the audience recognizes as an illusion). Not many people can get away with that!

At the end of the show, both magicians bolt for the exits - not to escape the crowds, but to GREET the audience as they exit the theater. Both Penn & Teller HAPPILY signed show tickets & posed for autographs with their fans. These are two guys who really understand who pays their way. Sure its old school - and it works! There was a time when most businesses in America treated their customers the way that Penn & Teller treat their audience. Customer service standards seem to be steadily eroding, as I have eluded to in previous posts. It’s a shame that Penn & Teller stand out as the exception, not the rule - but for that very reason - I would encourage you to catch their act the next time you find yourself in Sin City!