We live in a world that is increasingly automated and detached from personal interaction. Personally, I am not against the merits of efficiency. However, I do value the personal touch. Recently I stayed in a LaQuinta Hotel. I am a notoriously light sleeper, and pillows are a critical component of my rest. I happened to like the pillows offered up at the LaQuinta that evening, looked them up (Pacific Pillows Flexiloft Gold), and ordered 2 from Pacific Pillows.
Later that week, on 3 consecutive days, I received a phone call and resulting voice mail from someone at Pacific Pillow requesting that I call. Finally I did and it was explained that the size I ordered was currently out of stock and not available. However, the next step up from the model I wanted was available in the size I wanted and they would fulfill my order with that model, if I liked. Sure – no problem, thanks.
A couple days later, I had my pillows, but wait. Inside the box, next to my invoice was a hand-written (yes, hand-written) note on a plain piece of letter size paper. Wow. How unusual.
These pillows cost about $44 each, so for $88, we have an employee at a Pillow company calling me 3 days in a row trying to get hold of me, finally reaching me and offering to upgrade my order due to their stock situation, and then taking the time to hand-write me a note apologizing and offering a no-hassle, free shipping return if I was not happy with the replacements. This is rare. Almost unheard of these days. I know where I’ll be buying my next pillows from.