Prior to today I had one pair of Pearl Izumi shorts, which are the most comfortable shorts I have ever had and have at least 2,500 miles on them. But this beloved pair of shorts developed a 'pilling' problem (the material bunched up) on the outside of the fabric in the crotch area. Thankfully this did not affect the comfort or life expectancy of the shorts, but it looked bad and - for what I paid for them - I felt they should be perfect despite the extensive use I have made of them. So today I took this pair into the outlet store and the clerk, a woman about my age who was obviously a serious cyclist, immediately said I would get full credit for the pair - no excuses, no receipt required, etc. She explained that she had experienced the same problem and that it was a combination of several things, none of which included a defective product.* I ended up getting two new pair (one "free" replacing the pilled pair and one I purchased) plus my third Zephyr model jacket.**
Why am I blogging about this? Because it illustrates the value of customer service and loyalty. I ended up spending more money at the Pearl Izumi store because they stand behind their products even if their is no problem with the product itself. Had the clerk attempted to make excuses or put the blame on me (where, honestly, it probably belonged) I would have stomped out of there and never again brought another pair of Pearl Izumi shorts. There are a few other merchants/manufacturers who follow the same philosophy*** and thus develop fanatical customer loyalty. Hello business leaders - take a hint.****
*The shorts were a size too big, the fabric was a very fine weave (why, ironically, cheaper shorts do not develop the same problem) and something on my saddle (probably the edge of the hole in the middle) was - over thousands of leg rotations - pulling on the fabric.
**The Zephyr jacket is a perfect weight for me about 80% of the time and is a great fit. I have worn the two previous jackets 'to death' but somehow managed to lose both of them. I lost the first one midway through our trip to Minnesota several years ago, and the second one on the first (eastern) leg of this trip.
***Two more personal examples:
(1) I have a Marmot 3 season jacket that developed a zipper problem after about 15 years of heavy use. I returned it to the local Marmot dealer (outdoor shop) which replaced the zipper free of charge. That was at least 5 years ago and I am still wearing the jacket. I don't own any other Marmot products but enthusiastically recommend them.
(2) I had a light tan canvas and leather Lands End suit carrier, monogrammed with my initials. It was given to me as a gift years ago. After being thrown into the back of countless taxicabs (usually up against the spare tire) the light tan canvas had become stained. Also one of the leather handles had become frayed. I happened to look at a Lands End catalog one day, and a little highlighted blurb in here stated (in so many words) 'if you are ever unsatisfied with any of our products at any time for any reason, return it for a replacement or refund'. So I boxed up and sent off my well-used luggage carrier and included a note stating that I'd like a dark blue one instead (to hide the dirt and grime better). A couple of weeks later I received a new, dark blue luggage carrier complete with the monogramming and a check in the amount of my postage cost. I have been a loyal customer ever since.
****Everyone probably has examples of the opposite philosophy too - make your products extremely difficult to use so that customers have to come back to you for help, and treat them in a condescending manner. Garmin (maker of GPS equipment and software) is at the top of my list.
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