Shame on you, Restoration Hardware. Business behaving badly.

Over the past 20 years, I have been noticing the decline of the true art of exceptional customer service . But last Friday night took the cake.

After being intrigued by the Restoration Hardware brand for years, my wife and I decided to gift our dining room set to our son and his wife and purchase a new one.

And as the simple, clean designs of the Restoration Hardware furniture line appealed to us, we decide to purchase a dining room table, six side chairs, two end chairs and an apothecary-style china cabinet on October 5, 2012.

As our old dining room set could not be moved out until November 3, we were assured by Restoration Hardware that the new furniture would be delivered last Friday, November 16.

The delivery date was important to us as the old furniture was moved out according to plan on November 3, and our dining room has been empty waiting for the new goods from RH.

On November 15, the day before the delivery, we received a phone call confirming that the delivery would take place the next day, with an alert that one of the six side chairs would not be delivered because it did not pass quality control. Translation: the delivery company broke it.

Okay. Not the end of the world. We'll use a kitchen chair to replace the broken one.

Then November 16 finally came, with a confirming phone call that the delivery truck would be at our home in 20 minutes.

Door bell rings. Door is opened. Delivery agent says "I have good news, and I have bad news."

I reply "What's the bad news?"

"We don't have your dining room table."

My response was an adult version of "Are you kidding me? I have family coming next Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner."

"I don't know. It didn't make it.," he replied.

He and a co-worker then brought into our home the furniture they did have and then said someone from Restoration Hardware would contact us.

Being suckered once, I decided to get in my car pronto and drive down to the Phillips Place store to tell our tale of woe, only to find that at 6:50 on a Friday night they were closing.

"I will check on this first thing tomorrow morning and call you," the clerk promised.

My phone did not ring as promised on Saturday -- nor Sunday for that matter.

So I phoned the store to follow up yesterday and not to my surprise, no one in the store was aware we had a problem, including the two ladies we spoke to in the store three nights ago. In fact -- get this -- their records showed that our dining room table was actually delivered Friday night -- which it was not.

"Did the delivery company steal the table?." I thought at first. "Please hold and I will check into this for you. No, wait. I'll call you back.," the RH clerk promised.

"It turns out the table was damaged in transit and the delivery company did not tell us about it.," she said when she called back minutes later.

"Your missing chair should be delivered in two weeks, and the missing table in four weeks.," she ended the conversation with. Great. Just in time to miss our Christmas family dinner, too. Awesome. Two holidays ruined by Restoration Hardware.

Then, are you ready for this, the clerk closes the conversation with, "Mister Spada, in the future, please remember to call us immediately when you have a problem."

Thanks, Anna. But like the Mayflower, that ship has sailed. And it's not coming back. Ever.

Clean up your act

I've been experiencing all kinds of crazy stuff with my Apple gear that is synced to one another — iPhone, iPad, MacBook Pro, iMac, Apple TV.

For the past two weeks, syncing takes forever, and certain files are missing in iTunes. I believe that this is especially true for longer term users who are carrying the baggage of multiple old operating systems in their cache — as Apple has been updating protocols for the new stuff that's coming.

Last night I restored by my iPhone and iPad to their original settings and did not auto populate anything. Everything fresh, from scratch.

Today everything works like a charm.

This may not be a bad thing to do for y'alls before the 19th when iOS 6 gets downloaded.

Monetization may well become the death of social media

I remember the first day I heard about Facebook. "How cool," I thought. "Wait a great way to stay in touch with friends and family out of town."

Then the Facebook invitations to “Larry Spada at Home” started asking me to become friends with people who I have never hear of before. “Whaat?” “Who the heck is that?,” I asked everyone in the family. So I went into Privacy Settings and fixed that.

Then the requests started coming to me asking to “Share” my personal information, like my birthday. Now wait a minute. If someone on Facebook doesn't normally remember my birthday, now do I want these folks to start doing so, all of a sudden? I don’t think so.

And then the behavioral preference ads, reinforcing the fact that George Orwell must have been the genius of his time predicting the Big Brother paradigm frenzy we find ourselves in today enveloped by social media and response tracking and analysis.

And now this confluence of never-ending "Likes." Really? Someone actually "Likes" seeing the now defunct Hills® department store sign from Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence, New York? Are you kidding me? It was a hole of a store back then. I wonder if they’ll come to Charlotte to visit the revolting Walmart® store at the Arboretum here? And the even bigger question is do you really care if someone you went to grammar school with – whom you haven’t seen in decades -- "Likes" Walmart®? If you do, you may need more friends.

Fortunately -- or maybe unfortunately -- the legion of Facebook fans have no clue that all of these invitations to these fun-filled and nostalgic ideas, and these “convenient” new features of apps, virtual games and reminders -- are all pathways for Facebook's future financial future growth, or "monetization," as we used to say back in the at ecommerce experience and web development company iXL®.

Obviously because of my chosen career path in branding, I will grudgingly stay connected via Facebook, until it becomes totally obsolete. But I swear on the soul of Steve Jobs, if it wasn't important for me to stay “connected” to observe trends in social media while trying how to figure out how to best leverage them for clients, I would click on that “Delete My Facebook Account” button in a heartbeat.

And now there’s LinkedIn. Recently, I started to join various marketing, branding, creative and social media LinkedIn groups, filled with brilliant minds all across the globe in those respective disciplines. It all makes for stimulating reading and insight -- and more importantly thought-generating new ideas, especially while having leisure time to oneself with Saturday morning coffee.

Then today, while sipping my Trader Joe’s® French Roast cuppa joe in my backyard, trying to glean more commentary and CMO buzz on the future of mobile marketing, I was hoodwinked by some cheesy tech snake oil salesman start-up firm in Los Angeles, who apparently takes great pride in showing video views that they really did have an office (with an electrical gate, no less), and yes, they have a basketball hoop atop their front entrance. And did I mention the pimped-up furniture in their lobby?

Good grief. I've been hornswoggled to buy a “free” report on one of the most important communication pathways of the future: mobile technology.

So what’s the good news? The one saving grace for me personally is still Twitter. I love getting unexpected bits of brain candy from people I respect in technology, marketing, sports, news and food. And if Apple® is successful in forging an alliance with Twitter, maybe, just maybe, it too will not become an infomercial junkyard. I hope.

Larry Spada confirms The Dollar Shave Club is worth the wait

The truth is, with the exception of Apple products, I am typically disappointed with virtually every new product I try – until today.

The Dollar Shave Club is everything it’s hyped to be, and more.

I ordered the new system online on March 10, 2012 and finally received it on May 25, 2012 – 80 days later. Was it worth the wait? Yes. In fact, it's probably the best $6.00 I've ever spent.

The social media campaign says “Our blades are Flippin’ great.” They are.

To make sure that my test was even-steven, I washed my face in the shower like always and used a lubricating shave cream.

What I changed was the way I shave. I normally start with a Bic® disposable razor to first trim my sideburns and then shave my upper and lower lip areas. I then switch to my Gillette Mach 3 system – you know, the one with the replacement cartridges that are so expensive they are housed in the ultra-security bells-and-whistles acrylic drop down cases at Walgreens.

So this morning I only used the The Dollar Shave Club razor for the entire shave, with its thick softer-touch handle (with gripper marks for easy flexibility and generous-sized blade with a thick and durable aloe vera lubricating strip.

Sideburn trim – perfect, and no blade marks when using pressure.

Upper and Lower Lip – an eight out of ten, but with practice I will master it.

Face and Neck – perfect. No nics. No cuts. No styptic pencil needed.

The downside? If you own Gillette or Shick® stock because you were impressed with their men’s shaving systems, sell. The party’s over.

The smart guys win. And a social media campaign is really all that it cracked up to be.

RIP: The end of the printed business card

When I travel, it's all I can do to remember my shaving gear, Allegra, thumb drives, hard drives, laptop, iPad, iPhone, whatever -- so business cards, forget it. I never remember to bring them.

So you can image my delight to discover in some circles, Twitter has become the new business card.

At a major press event for a restaurant opening lately, I met several folks who were very interesting and with whom I wanted to stay in touch. No one had a business card or pen.

So Andrea who was seated next to me said "Are you on Twitter?"

Bingo.

Like the geek squad, there was a chain reaction of the seven of us connecting with each other in 10 seconds with Twitter.

The bad news?

I just have to remember to bring my iPhone when I leave the house.

;o)

You're invited to another wedding. Please share with your friends.

Mosquito Squad: the mosquito eliminator looks toward its 200th franchise location, thanks in great part to an integrated branding platform…and an amazing service model

Well, we’re almost halfway there.

Any day now Outdoor Living Brands will welcome its 100^th Mosquito Squad franchise location.

“Halfway to what?,” you ask. My $5 bet with Mosquito Squad co-founder and brand leader Boyd Huneycutt. The bet? That our mosquito elimination franchise system will reach a total of 200 locations by the end of this year.

Of all the brands I’ve ever been associated with, Mosquito Squad is the most fun and interesting. When the Outdoor Lighting Perspectives management team launched the concept back in 2005, the vision was simple – address the growing problem of homeowners not being able to enjoy their backyards because of increasing numbers of mosquitoes. Hence, that’s where our slogan of “Take Back Your Yard” came from.

Today, with Lyme disease reaching epidemic proportions in major cities across the Untied States, we’ve taken that battle head on, too. In addition to our highly effective, EPA-registered Barrier Spray that eliminates mosquitoes, we’ve added Intensive Tick Tube Treatments to our home protection model. Cardboard tubes filled with desiccant-treated cotton are strategically placed in area where ticks live – like in tall grassy areas or near fireplace woodpiles.

As for community outreach, our memorable and commended “The 5 T’s” message grows in heightened awareness as homeowners everywhere are now learning from Mosquito Squad how to reduce water sources around their homes to reduce the mosquito population.

So, congratulations Mosquito Squad. The one and only truly original mosquito control brand. Frequently imitated. Never equaled.

Thinking out loud: Larry Spada on Tim Cook replacing Steve Jobs

I guess one of the nice things about selecting your successor in business is having the opportunity to weight the various pros and cons before making that critical decision.

And in Steve Job's case, he had plenty of time during his final months to give it much thoughtful consideration.

What would be best for his Apple brand? What about Apple's cutting-edge innovation in creating products that couldn't even be focus-group tested as consumers would have absolutely nothing in their realm of experience to compare it to? And what about the investment community, especially big fans of the Apple brand like Piper Jaffray?

As I see the evolution of Tim Cook in the newest role of Apple's CEO, I have to admit that I am impressed.

Knowing that he will never be the larger-than-like persona that was uniquely Steve Jobs, Tim seems to be creating his own voice for the next generation of Apple loyalists -- investors.

Trusting his unparalleled Apple development and creative teams to continue Apple's technological and experiential innovations with the next "must have" device and user experience, Tim seems to be focusing on steering the ship more pragmatically than emotionally, as was Steve's passion.

The fourth quarter dividends are a great start, if for anything, a signal that Apple plans on being a financial "solid" for generations to come.

Pinterest: the ultimate soft-sell tool to add value to the sales process

In much the same way that Google pioneered the Internet search phenomenon, and Facebook changed all of our worlds with social media connectivity in a way we never thought possible (a high school crush wanting to reconnect with you after 45 years – good grief), now comes Pinterest.

My daughter Brooke started the ball rolling for me. She was telling my wife Laurel about it several months ago over breakfast. I was half-listening. "Blah, blah, blah…it’s so cool…it’s so amazing…blah, blah, blah."

So eventually I joined and started “pinning” some stuff and got back to the real world of work and the various tasks at hand.

And then Eric Kent from Archadeck Outdoor Living in Charlotte, North Carolina, phoned me this morning. I had an epiphany.

Eric is a rock star when it comes to designing and selling outdoor living spaces. In fact, in the cold of January, he designed and built more than a half million dollars in stunning screened porches, sunrooms, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens and decks. In January.

So what better person to have a discussion with about how to use Pinterest to add value to your business?

What I told Eric he should do is not focus on getting Archadeck images and banter out into the Pinter-verse, but rather to pull people into his Archadeck Outdoor Living franchise business by “pinning” items that people who have a love of outdoor living would be interested in.

For example, how to build the perfect raised bed, my first find after entering “Garden” in the search box – courtesy of Sunset.

Then I searched for “Summer coolers” and found a beautiful image of all kinds of refreshing-looking warm weather thirst quenchers, courtesy of Svetlana Kuperman – whoever she is.

So picture this. Eric is invited into a prospect’s home for a free design consultation to create an outdoor room for a young couple in fashionable Noda in Charlotte (North of Davidson Street).

The young married couple in their early 30’s with a beautiful toddler and golden retriever have nothing – and I mean nothing – in their backyard.

“I want a deck outside our kitchen door,” she says. “We also like to eat outside, so maybe a dining area over there (rear left, under the trees, a Belgard hardscape would be perfect).”

There’s an unsightly tool shed at the far right of the yard that needs to remain there for storage of summer furniture, lawn equipment and toys. But it needs some camouflage.

So when Eric suggests a sculpted Belgard accent retaining wall that would be the perfect time to pull out his MacBook Air and go to Pinterest.com.

He could then show the collection of tasteful in-wall water features he has “pinned” to help stimulate the thinking of his outdoor living spaces clients, maybe like this one posted by Allison Carroll – an aged but interesting cast iron water fountain wall sconce.

Get it.

Then get going.

“Pin” your way to fame, fortune and thought leadership.

The Editors at Meredith: precisely my cup (okay, mug) of tea

Larry Spada iPad Notes entry: February 8, 2012

I'm on United flight 3753 heading back to my home, having wrapped up a morning breakfast conversation on outdoor living trends with the editorial team of some of the most prestigious home shelter magazines in the world at Meredith. And even though it is the smack of early February, Mother Nature has cooperated by gifting us with a gloriously sunny, crisp day, as I renew old acquaintances and make some new friends at this media and marketing company, involved in magazine and book publishing, television broadcasting and brand licensing.

My last visit to Meredith with this esteemed group of home-centered literary minds was four years ago when Amanda Williams from Wray Ward (home-focused marketing and communications specialists headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina) arranged the visit. Back then we had only one outdoor living franchise concept to tout: Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, the most trusted residential and commercial outdoor and landscape lighting specialist. Now as Outdoor Living Brands, we have three outdoor living franchise opportunities.

For this visit to Meredith, the fine folks at FaceTime Strategy in Washington DC, Susan Stoga and LeJane Carson , carefully planned and meticulously orchestrated this sharing of new concepts and ideas in outdoor living for 2012, with special thanks to Jessica Brown, Meredith Corporate Communications, who hosted us.

The objective of this meeting was to share the latest trends in outdoor living with this esteemed panel, as these Meredith editors are tremendous centers of influence for consumers who take great pride in, care of and enjoy their at-home surroundings.

As Outdoor Living Brands, all we focus on is outdoor living, or celebrating the joys of outdoor living, to be more accurate.

It all starts with Archadeck Outdoor Living, North America’s favorite designer and builder of affordable, innovative and functional outdoor spaces. Screened porches, sunrooms, patios, hardscapes, outdoor kitchens, new decks, deck replacements – you name it.

And then, so our Archadeck Outdoor Living clients and other homeowners can enjoy their custom outdoor living spaces well into the evening, there’s Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, the low-voltage halogen and LED outdoor lighting experts, who concentrate on beauty, safety, security and functionality – with an outdoor lighting solution for virtually any taste and budget.

The last part of this outdoor living trifecta is Mosquito Squad, who eliminates annoying and dangerous mosquitoes and ticks and the bites that they bring. Using an EPA-registered Barrier Spray solution administered every 21 days around the home and throughout the backyard, Mosquito Squad allows homeowners to enjoy their “great” outdoors whenever they want – without the fear of mosquito bites and tick bites.

It was great to reconnect with Better Homes and Gardens Editor-In-Chief Doug Jimerson; Dr. Denny Schrock, Better Homes and Gardens (Garden Group Editor); James Baggett, Editor of Country Gardens as well as Deck, Pool & Patio and Jane McKeon, Senior Associate Editor at Better Homes and Gardens (Garden and Outdoor Living).

As for new business friends, I am looking forward to working with Jodi Henke, National Radio Editor with Living The Country Life and Justin Hancock, Better Homes and Gardens Senior Editor, who specializes on the Interactive side (BHG.com) of Meredith.

Social Media: Marketing Internship in Richmond, Virginia

Ah. To be 21 years old again.

If I were you, I'd be all over this.

Truly, an opportunity of a lifetime.

And besides, you'll get to work with me, too.

--

Summary and Responsibilities

This Social Media Internship Project is at the headquarters of Outdoor Living Brands in Richmond, Virginia. The internship assignment focuses on online marketing strategy for social media, in particular the Pinterest forum, a fast-growing, highly visual online community. 

The intern will have the opportunity to own this online project from start to finish – scoping, research, recommendations, and possibly, building and implementing. The hours of the internship are flexible. This project will enable the selected intern to build their digital capabilities in a fun and creative environment.

Basic Qualifications

-Pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing or Communications major
-Proven record of demonstrating performance and initiative
-Excellent computer skills
-Excellent interpersonal skills
-Familiarity with social media, preferably from a business perspective

Preferred Qualifications

-Junior or Senior college student
-Prior internship experience 

-Access to a computer

Outdoor Living Brands

We are a franchise organization with nearly 200 locations across the country.  We focus on outdoor living with 3 separate companies:  Archadeck Outdoor Living (sunrooms, decks, patios, etc.), Outdoor Lighting Perspectives, and Mosquito Squad (mosquito elimination and tick control). 

Please send resumes to:  Leslie McCarey at lmccarey@outdoorlivingbrands.com.

Apple iPad owners make retailers smile

According to survey results from Zmags, reported by Kevin Woodward, Senior Editor of Internet Retailer, consumers who own tablets tend to like to shop, and make more spontaneous purchases than consumers who do not own tablets.

Mobile and tablet apps, on their own however, are not meeting connected consumers’ browsing and purchasing needs. Only 4% like to shop using mobile apps, compared to 87% of PC owners, 14% of smartphone owners and 9% of tablet owners who prefer to browse and buy from Web and mobile sites. 

Despite that data, I use my Amazon iPhone app for just about everything I buy now.

The survey conducted by Equation Research in November 2011, found that:

•   14% of consumers who own tablet computers classified themselves as spontaneous shoppers compared with 9% of those who do not own a tablet.

•   9% of tablet owners said they were addicted to shopping, compared with 3% of those not owning a tablet

•   9% of tablet owners said they tend to buy luxury items than non-tablet owners

• 53% of tablet owners shopped for electronics, topping the list of most-preferred products to buy using a tablet, followed by:

•   Books, 41%

•   Toys, 39%

•   Clothing, 27%

•   Music, 33%

Sean Ford, Zmags chief operating officer and chief marketing officer, says that “... tablets stand out as better than smartphones for shopping for clothing and electronics products... 37% were more likely to buy clothing while using a tablet than on a smartphone... 53% would prefer to shop for electronics using a tablet...  while 35% preferred a smartphone... “

Zmags says that the average connected consumer is not a texting teenager or a hipster with more devices than flannel shirts. 52% of tablet owners are women and 81% of all tablet owners use Facebook. She is 40 years old, earns $63,000, loves to browse catalogs and is enthusiastic about shopping via her devices. On average, a tablet owner spent $325 during the survey period.

29% of tablet owners says convenience drives their shopping because they spend a lot of time using the device, while:

•   24% tend to browse sites, hoping to be inspired to make a purchase.

•   14% like the ease of making a transaction;

•   13% have a specific product or offer in mind;

•   11% shopped because of an advertisement for a product;

•   9% choose a tablet because of the ease of sharing products or deals via social networks