Ben P. Rosenfield

Polar Beverages is the company behind the Polar Seltzer brand — a portfolio of more than 20 flavors (limited editions included) of carbonated water. I reached out to them not too long ago to share a product-related concern. The way they handled my feedback inspired this follow-up to an article I wrote about brand apologies.

Here’s what I sent through their website:

Hello! Regular Polar Seltzer consumer here. Imagine my shock when I unloaded a tasty 32-pack variety into the fridge, only to find that a can of your venerable Black Cherry seltzer was underfilled!

The can was sealed properly, but it felt so light that I had to weigh it. The can weighed in at 3.75 ounces. That’s 9.375 ounces or 71.4% less than the average can, which weighs a bit more than 13 ounces.

Help me get over this heartache, Polar Seltzer friends.

Thanks!

Ben Rosenfield

Polar responds

Customer service at Polar Beverages replied approximately 19 minutes later with the following message:

Thank you for writing. I’m sorry that you experienced this empty or low fill can in the Polar product you purchased. Polar practices high quality control standards and precautionary procedures are observed throughout the production of our products.  In fact, procedures are in place to prevent low fills and empty cans such as you received.  We have a device that is called Fill-Tech that actually x-rays the bottles/cans to see the desired volume in the bottles/cans; however should this device malfunction, it is possible for some low-fills, or empty cans to escape. The information you provided will be sent to our quality team.  I will be sending you a Polar coupon in the mail.  Thank you for contacting Polar

What is great about their apology?

• Polar sent it quickly.
• It expresses gratitude and remorse right away.
• It emphasizes Polar’s commitment to quality and acknowledges that the company’s quality-control systems can sometimes fail.
• The message makes next steps clear and describes precisely who is responsible for taking those steps.
• It explains how the company will make things right with me.

The best part of the apology is the information about Polar’s quality-assurance technology and the role it plays in preventing the problem I encountered. The sentence about the device Polar uses and how it works offers an interesting and relatable peek behind the scenes.

Discussing their Fill-Tech system was a smooth way to not only show that the company invests in solutions designed specifically to ensure product consistency, but also to explain why the problem happened. It makes the apology more memorable than the problem. Nicely done.

What about the apology could be better?

• Punctuation and grammar. Examples in this apology include a period missing at the end of the sign-off, inconsistent hyphenation in compound modifiers, use of passive voice, a comma missing after a conjunctive adverb, and inconsistent spacing between sentences.
• Focus on the issue. The apology says, “I’m sorry that you experienced this empty or low fill can in the Polar product you purchased.” That statement is far superior to a generic mention of an issue, but an empty can is different from a low-fill can. The lack of issue focus in the response leaves me feeling as if someone had simply copied it from an expansive apology file and pasted it into an email to me.
• Formatting. Paragraphs prevent fatigue. They also offer an effective way to organize and prioritize information.
• Personalization. Adding something as simple as my first name in a salutation would’ve been a nice touch.

The issues I’ve just described aren’t insurmountable problems; instead, they are very approachable opportunities to enhance this communication. I’ve called out these observations for a couple of reasons (being nit-picky as hell isn’t one of them). First, critical analysis is an important part of continuous improvement. And second, precision in an apology goes a long way to restoring credibility.

The most important thing is that I understood the apology Polar sent me. I’d wager that other consumers also have an easy time with it. It’s a very good apology that, like any communication, leaves room for improvement and merits periodic review.

Resolution

Polar sent me two one-dollar coupons. The coupons more than made up for one underfilled can of seltzer. I used those coupons to buy Polar Seltzer in newly released flavors.

I wouldn’t have abandoned the Polar Seltzer brand just because one of the innumerable cans I’ve purchased wasn’t full. But the fact that the company sent a timely, thoughtful, and informative apology — and followed up with coupons — made it that much easier for me to remain a satisfied customer.

If you haven’t read The Art of the Apology, take a moment to check it out.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact me.

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White button, crimini, and portobello mushrooms are the same. Now that you’ve learned that a part of your culinary life was a lie, let’s take a quick look at the strategies that made it possible to sell the same mushroom in three different ways.

Background

Agaricus bisporus is the scientific name for the common, cultivated mushroom. The white button and crimini are Agaricus bisporus in its immature state. The portobello is simply a mature crimini.

Differentiation

Differentiation is important, especially when you’re trying to sell identical products as unique ones. This is where marketing and marketing-adjacent disciplines make the mushroom magic happen.

Visual differentiation

Displaying these three mushrooms side-by-side or in close proximity is no problem because they look different. One is white, one is brown, and one is bigger than the others. As a result, the consumer sees three distinct products. The white button is so prevalent in the marketplace that any other product in the category will look distinct, if not special, to consumers by default.

Price differentiation

Cost increases from the white to the brown to the mature brown. This is the boldest play — particularly with the immature white and brown mushrooms — because it influences consumer perception of quality, uniqueness, flavor, and other attributes that the mind wants to use to justify paying more or less for what amounts to the same product.

Naming differentiation

The mushrooms have an assortment of names that deter the consumer from considering the possibility (the reality) that the mushrooms are the same. The white variety goes by button mushroom, white mushroom, champignon, and others. The brown variety is crimini, cremini, baby bella, etc. The brown variety, when mature, is called portobello or portabella. Most of these are Häagen-Dazs names.

Application differentiation

The mature brown mushroom is great for stuffing and serving as a substitute for meat patties. The immature white mushroom is a versatile food that lends itself to all kinds of dishes and cooking techniques. The immature brown mushroom’s oft-repeated story is that its flavor is deeper, richer, and more savory when compared to that of the white.

A word about flavor

Everyone’s palate is different, but the immature white and brown mushrooms are cultivated using the same materials, methods, conditions, and timelines. They’re harvested at the same point in their lifespans, and they’re packaged the same way. They have the same scientific name.

A blind tasting will likely show that the assertion that the crimini has a completely unique flavor profile is a load of what makes some kinds of mushrooms grow.

In fairness, the mature brown mushroom may have a different flavor. The portobello is older than the button mushroom, if only by a few days. Age can affect the flavor of foods and beverages for a variety of reasons and in different ways.

Mature mushrooms produce spores as their primary means of reproduction. Portobellos tend to deposit spores generously. The spores don’t improve the portobello’s flavor or usefulness. That’s why you’ll amost always see these mushrooms packaged with their gills facing down. This method ensures that the spores fall onto to the tray in which the mushrooms sit before you’re ready to prepare the portobellos.

Modern mushroom mania

Credit is due to the common cultivated mushroom because it is the gateway for many to explore interesting, gourmet varieties. Today, it’s likely you’ll see shiitake, oyster, enoki, foraged morel (pictured above), and other kinds of mushrooms on display at your grocery store — all because mushroom marketers developed very clever strategies for selling the same mushroom in three different ways.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact me.

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I headed into a Kroger grocery store for some cold cuts and ended up part of an experiment. Don’t worry — it wasn’t invasive. Besides, a delicatessen is the kind of place where you really do want to hear the snap of rubber gloves.

The deli counter I expected was gone. The expansive installation pictured below had taken its place. I was happy to see something unexpected and to find new ways to score the sliced meats I had on my shopping list.

Boar’s Head is the brand behind the concept. A corporate trainer of theirs was on site during my initial visit. We talked for a bit, and I found out that my hometown is a test market. Of course, I just had to ask whether the company is gathering data on shopper preferences and their interactions with the different ordering technologies. “You bet we are,” he answered.

That’s when I decided I’d take in the whole thing from a variety of professional perspectives. And as a consumer, I felt that serving as a data point for Boar’s Head would be a small price to pay for olive loaf.

The Boar’s Head Delicatessen installation at Kroger

The installation’s look and feel make it stand out in the grocery store. A sensible layout and large-format signage aid in product selection and wayfinding. Shoppers have three options for placing orders, two of which are digital-first.

Why is this appealing?

The deli concept is a win for the consumer and a win for the brands that enjoy shelf space: Boar’s Head, Kroger (Private Selection), and possibly others. Shoppers now have multiple ways to order — touchscreens, QR codes, and face-to-face — and can do so in a visually appealing environment. Meanwhile, the choices shoppers make and the quality of their interactions with the different ordering processes serve as quantitative, longitudinal data for marketers and experience designers. Ultimately, the data will enable Boar’s Head and others to make high-quality decisions about products, ordering, in-store-presence, and more.

But there’s more to it than that. The concept shows that even something as constant as the grocery-store deli can change to accommodate modern preferences while simultaneously continuing its service as a faithful fixture. It’s also a great example of showing vs. telling. Boar’s Head doesn’t have to say that it’s interested in making the deli experience faster, easier, or more modern. The brand shows it throughout the installation.

Let’s also appreciate the fact that there’s no good/better/best model here. All three ordering experiences are essentially consistent with one another, which means it all comes down to subjective consumer preference.

Someone who favors technology can either use a touchscreen or their phone to build, customize, and complete an order. A handful of taps on a screen puts sandwich-ready liverwurst within reach. But no one is penalized with a lesser experience for choosing the face-to-face option — although breath freshness is a variable for everyone in the transaction to consider.

What kind of innovation is this?

The new deli concept is an example of component innovation: changes to certain aspects of a product or system. The installation and the ordering technologies are the most obvious changes to the long-standing system.

Visual merchandising deserves attention, too. No longer are the cheese and meat chubs (yes, that’s what they’re called — and yes, I’m all too happy to call them by their technical name) resting lengthwise. They’re now upright, showing off color, packaging, branding, and other elements that attract the eye and aid in product differentiation. We also see product groupings by category, such as charcuterie, where shoppers will also find complementary products — olives, for example. Smart cross-selling, Boar’s Head.

The prototype is unquestionably innovative in that it introduces a new set of ordering experiences in the context of a grocery store delicatessen. It doesn’t matter that touchscreens and QR codes aren’t new; it’s the integration of technology in what was previously a tech-free place that counts.

Touchscreens and QR codes are ubiquitous. Many who don’t want to fool with such fancy doohickeys still are likely to at least know what they are. And their ubiquity is a result of sustained, widespread engagement over many years.

The technologies Boar’s Head chose are compatible with many people’s current shopping preferences and behaviors. That compatibility improves the likelihood that people will adopt the innovation the next time they need a pound of thinly sliced mortadella.

Moving on. The deli installation doesn’t fit the definition of disruptive innovation. Here’s why.

First, the concept doesn’t introduce something completely new with the specific intent of opening a new market. Instead, it offers new features designed to increase consumer satisfaction in an established market and improve important performance trajectories for the business: sales volume and ticket size.

And second, it doesn’t sacrifice functionality that consumers value in order to enter a new market. That’s actually a good thing in this case. No one wants a trip to the deli to be difficult. Here, Boar’s Head wisely elected to maintain status quo while pursuing innovation in parallel.

Regardless, iterative design is at work here. Many of the issues I encountered during my visits stem from a minimum-viable-product approach to rolling out features and functions.

One last point. The prototype installation is rich in observability: the opportunity to see that the innovation works and how well it works. Boar’s Head will know soon enough, based solely on all of the interesting data they’re collecting, whether their innovation was successful. On-site traffic, sales volumes in X amount of time, use of the touchscreens, use of the QR codes, counter sales, ticket size, consumer sentiment, and lots more will tell the story the company needs to hear.

Now, let’s shift our attention to the ordering experiences.

Touchscreen

The touchscreen guides the shopper through the entire ordering process. Two stations are available. They feature large displays and present content in modular layouts with ample white space. Icons are large and accessible. Touch-response time is good.

Touchscreen experience

QR code

Each item’s shelf tag features a unique QR code that enables shoppers to create and place orders on their phones. Scanning through the glass refrigerator doors doesn’t work well. Open a door, and then scan. The web-based experience that follows a code scan is mobile-first and does a nice job of mirroring the touchscreen ordering process.

QR code experience

In person

Those who prefer a more traditional deli experience can choose to place their orders face-to-face. The process is essentially consistent with the technology-enabled options. Of course, the big difference is that it’s a verbal, person-to-person transaction.

Critical assessments

Most of my experiences with the Boar’s Head deli concept were very good. Not everything was perfect, though. Here are some things that stood out.

Code scanning

Not being able to scan QR codes through the glass refrigerator doors consistently (or at all, really) was a little frustrating. Someone who wants or needs to operate their phone with two hands will have to open the door and prop it open against their body before they can scan a QR code.

Some consumers will feel that keeping the door open to scan items wastes energy. Even though this is a minor inconvenience for the average shopper, it’s still a barrier to participation in general and a deterrent when it comes to scanning multiple items.

System issues

Take a look at the QR code experience section above. You’ll see that a system error prevented me from putting my order together. I used the Refresh Page button, but that didn’t clear the error or return me to my order. I had to start my order over completely, which was inconvenient. It would have been significantly more painful had I already added several items to my order, and I would have abandoned the QR code option to avoid a repeat.

On-site support

Seeing nothing more than a Refresh Page button and a generic error message in which the word occurred was misspelled wasn’t good — but even worse was the fact that there were no instructions for getting help or returning to my order.

At the very least, I would expect to see an apology. Even better would be an apology accompanied by simple instructions for getting help and completing my order — even something as basic as: “We’re sorry our ordering system isn’t working as it should right now. A deli team member at the counter is ready to help you place your order.”

The best approach would be the apology, the instructions for getting help, and a message saying I’ll get a discount for the inconvenience. After all, the only thing better than pickle and pepper loaf is 10% off pickle and pepper loaf.

Order timing

You can see in the QR code experience section above that I completed my order at 1:06 p.m. You can also see that I selected ASAP to 2:30 p.m. for my pickup time. That was the earliest pickup slot available. ASAP is ambiguous, and 2:30 p.m. is nearly 90 minutes from my order time, which is quite a long stretch.

The only thing editing my pickup time would do is allow me to make it later in the day. Not a great option. Shoppers who are at that Kroger store only for deli items, or who don’t have much other shopping to do, won’t be pleased to see the possibility of a 90-minute wait — and they won’t know what ASAP promises.

Here’s what they can do: wait at the deli, walk around the grocery store, or wait in their car. And they won’t have any idea how long they’ll be waiting or walking because ASAP isn’t a service-level guarantee and nothing from the deli merits waiting for 90 minutes — not even the garlic bologna. In fairness, all of my wait times were between 15-20 minutes.

A consumer who only needs deli items can use the order ahead option via the Kroger website or app, wait 15-30 minutes, and then pick up the meats that give their life meaning. But do people know about it? I didn’t see it promoted at the deli.

Order notifications

I used all three ordering methods available and never received a single notification. I’ve never opted out of receiving texts or emails from Boar’s Head or Kroger. These are transactional notices, not promotional messages, so there really should be no stopping them. There were no messages from Boar’s Head or Kroger in my junk folders, either.

Not knowing when my orders were ready was inconvenient. Pairing that with not knowing when my orders would be ready led to a poor customer experience. Disconnections like these lead to the kind of fatigue that will prevent some shoppers from visiting that deli again.

A new dimension in deli

Boar’s Head is trying a lot of great things with this concept. By the way, it’s called Pinnacle Deli — something I learned much later on, after several visits. The installation itself is a bold standout in an otherwise predictable grocery-store environment. Bringing in self-service technologies that many shoppers are already using is a shrewd play because they funnel in tons of actionable data at a nominal cost and with low risk.

Boar’s Head is providing shoppers choices they never had before at the deli — a great example of the relative advantage of the innovation with which the company is experimenting right now. And it’s possible that they’ve addressed some of the issues I’ve raised here. I’ll find out the next time I need olive loaf.

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact me.

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