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Issue 7 > A tale of two stores.

A tale of two stores.

Jackie Huba on building a strong word-of-mouth foundation.

Unless you are Heidi Klum, two of the most dreaded shopping experiences for women can be buying bathing suits or jeans.

So with a masochist's zeal, I ventured out recently to two specialty stores to buy both items; one sells only jeans, the other only bathing suits. Each featured an impressive selection of high-end inventory.

One expertly alleviated my dread. The other enhanced it.
One is building a strong word-of-mouth foundation. The other is probably not growing by referrals.

For jeans, a friend referred me to Hem, a 'jean bar' in downtown Austin. My friend said Hem's personal service was unmatched. Boy was she right. Loree (one of Hem's owners) had me try on at least 20 pairs of jeans to assess my body type before settling on final selections.

Her knowledge of jeans was remarkable, including contradicting what I heard on an Oprah show that back pockets on curvy-hipped women make your butt look bigger. Loree was brimming with confident knowledge, and she shared these tidbits:

• Wash dark jeans with a capful of white vinegar the first time. It sets the color and keeps them from fading.
• Hang your jeans to dry instead of drying them in the dryer. They will last longer.
• Get smoke or other smells out of jeans by putting them in the freezer overnight.

Because of Loree's attention to the buying process, I bought two pairs of jeans confident I will look great in them. That will be my rational and emotional foundation to a strong referral.

Then it was time for a bathing suit. Through Google, I found a specialty store in Austin. Bathing suits only. The selection was huuuuge. Racks and racks of styles and colors. Daunting, certainly, exacerbated by the store's young employees who spent more time chatting with each at the register than helping me or other dread-stricken women. I found two suits but who knows if they are the right ones for me. Zilcho referral.

When it comes to luxury items, there's an inverse relationship between price and service. The higher the price, the higher the expectation for hand-holding during the purchase.

Hem understands the model. In fact, a week after I picked up my tailored jeans, I received this in the mail. Nice!

Ben McConnell & Jackie Huba are 'word of mouth customer loyalty' advisors.

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