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Moosejaw Sized Disappointment

10/21/2011

7 Comments

 
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If you know me personally, you know that I am loyal to a fault and constantly hand out the benefit of the doubt. I'm more like a 10 strikes and you're out person, rather than three. That's why I'm a bit hesitant to write this post. The intent isn't to bash anyone, but to post an experience that I hope will be a lesson learned for some people. 

So here it is: How my 15 minutes of fame came and went without me knowing. 
Last fall I applied to the Moosejaw Human of Influence program in what I thought was a stunning and witty manner. In fact, if you Google the above program title, my tweet/post is the first to come up. I was super excited. It's been a tiny dream of mine to have a hand in product development. I love gear, learning about gear, touching gear, dreaming about the ideal piece that would make life amazing. (Don't judge me.) I've even looked into what it would take to get a good short person backpack on the market. Imagine my thrill when in January they officially accepted me and I learned I'd get to see my tiny dream through  to realization.

I sent an email in December (prior to the official acceptance) and then again in April asking if there was anything I could do to activate my participation in the program. I didn't hear anything back.

Life picked up full speed for me, and while I remembered the program, it fell to the background when I quit my job and moved to Colorado.

Then a two weeks ago a friend sent me this picture.
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Two thoughts came to mind. The first was "WOW! This is so freaking cool!" And the other was "Um, what happened? I was supposed to be a part of this." (More sad faces.)

The purpose of the program was to involve the Moosejaw community and build brand advocates. Instead of making me more loyal, it made me feel left out and confused. I was really looking forward to this opportunity, and I found out from someone else that it happened without me, and that my name and endorsement were on a product I'd never even seen before. 

I sent another email which bounced back to me, got new contact info from Twitter (@moosejawmadness), and finally got in touch with their Creative Director. 

He called me, which was awesome, and explained that there had been a change in staff and that my email had been left off the list when the program went into full swing this past spring. I had simply been forgotten. The fact that he called, explained, and apologized made me feel understood and valued. We talked about removing my name  since I wasn't actually involved in developing it, and he said he'd send me one for my troubles if I gave him my mailing address.

I sent him just that, along with an idea that would save him the trouble of removing my name and give me the opportunity to check out the jacket and still be part of the program. 

No reply, that was 10 days ago. 

I've been through my share of staff changeovers and I understand managing huge lists of people and the stress of starting new programs, so I'm not without compassion for their situation. But on the consumer end, I feel pretty small at the moment. They tried to do the right thing, but in the end I was just forgotten about. 

I did a search today and found the jacket had been renamed (see my name is still in the web address). Makes me wonder if Chelsea Robbins knows she has a jacket named after her now, or not. 

So the lesson learned is this: Follow through. Double check. Listen, and then keep following through. In an industry where the term "influencer" is becoming more and more important, it's essential to take care of your advocates and not leave anyone behind. 

7 Comments
Katie
10/21/2011 06:31:48 am

I'm generally a Mossejaw fan, but am disappointed to hear things worked out for you this way. It's a shame because it's a real missed opportunity for them; you're a strong advocate of things, people and companies you're really connected to, and I definitely value your opinion. It's strange that this story is a company that, until recently, seemed to be very "with it" in terms of connecting with customers.

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Aleya link
10/21/2011 06:41:17 am

It is sad, and they didn't handle it all badly, I was just forgotten about. They are generally "with it," but I have noticed a change in their tone over the last 7 months. I think it coincided with the staff change. Just goes to show that change can happen, but not at the cost of consistency.

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@jessicamacho link
10/21/2011 06:43:49 am

At first I thought, "Way cool! A softshell named after you!" But after reading, I can totally understand your disappointment. Between Twitter, Facebook, email, and phones, I don't think there is an acceptable excuse for their lack of communication with you, most especially the second time around. So sorry you got the shaft on this one. Having personally met you, I can say you are honest, loyal, driven... all characteristics that would've been an asset to Moosejaw.

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Gail at Large link
10/21/2011 02:52:16 pm

Moosejaw is a city (town?) in Saskatchewan, Canada's prairie, so here I was thinking that Canadians had snubbed you! And then of course I thought, "and what did she do to deserve this?"

Still, that's shabby treatment and uncalled for.

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Greg
10/22/2011 05:13:45 am

This story is odd enough that I think they have crossed a line from "Incompetent" to "Unethical". To me, this is similar to when Facebook started using people's profile pictures in ads for dating sites, without people's knowledge that they were doing so.
This goes WAY beyond simple oversight, once you have an actual conversation with a Manager there, and they prove that the conversation just didn't slip through the cracks, because they changed the "name" on the jacket (although not the link).
At the point you choose to take additional action, and your SECOND action ALSO fails to keep the promises you've made, that is a trend. That trend shows a lack of ethics.
The problem with companies that are unethical in the small things is that they are unethical in the big things.

I won't be using Moosejaw in the future.

Thanks for telling your story,

Greg

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SuzRocks link
10/28/2011 05:57:58 am

I used to shop at MooseJaw a lot when I lived in Chicago, b/c it was the only mountaineering store in the city pretty much. They had awesome customer service back then, and I absolutely loved them. Then when I moved to CO, I pretty much stopped getting stuff from them and started supporting the local shops here, along with REI (of course). Sad to know that Moosejaw is changing. Maybe b/c they're getting bigger?

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Susan link
11/4/2011 03:54:26 am

Aw, that really stinks! I would be disappointed, too. Also, not sure who the little girl in your picture is but her sad face is precious, and I want to give her a hug for looking so sad!

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