So, for this to make any sense, you may have to read my past two blog posts, or at least just the last one. (I think that recaps everything, or at least links to the beginning.) It started when I began an email exchange with Subway that I thought was going somewhere… but, it’s been over a week since they’ve written back to me.
My short attention span got to wondering on Facebook the other day, and a friend suggested that I call Quiznos. Well, I’m not one for phone calls, but why not write to them, right? I decided to forward my comments to Sheetz, Quiznos, and Jersey Mike’s since I mentioned them all. So far, I’ve gotten two responses from Quiznos, and nothing from anyone else. Score one for them, even if the torpedoes are just bread sticks trying to be sandwiches.
I’ll even post ’em in “how you should read it” order so you don’t have to go from the bottom up like last time.
I started with…
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD [mailto:world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 11:52 AM
To: CreativeRequests@quiznos.com
Subject: Fwd: Subway [Customer ID: 1918316]Hello friends at Quiznos!
I hope this message finds you well. I recently wrote to someone who is a competitor of yours and mentioned your name.
You my friends, are true contenders in the sub business, and I thought you deserved to know how some of the other sub places in the area are faring against you… specifically Subway.
Never forget that you, my friends, were the first to toast the sub!
Please review my original message to Subway (at the bottom of the chain) at your convenience.
As you can see, my latest message to them as gone unanswered. Perhaps they’re too ashamed to reply.
Warmest Regards,
-ERiC AiXeLsyD
And, I got this…
From: HelpDesk <HelpDesk@quiznos.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Subject: RE: Subway [Customer ID: 1918316]
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.comMr. Aixelsyd,
Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. I found it to be a great read and with your permission I would like to share it with our marketing folks.
Thank you,
Gregory BoudreauxHelp Desk Lead
QUIZNOS®
Subs • Soups • Salads
I wrote back, but I’ll hold that until I get a response. (If I get one.)
As you know, I hate webforms, so I submitted through the Quiznos webform asking for the email address of a real live person. Well, it worked:
From: “Jones, Tony” <TJones2@Quiznos.com>
To: world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com
Sent: Wed, November 11, 2009 8:16:52 AM
Subject: Quiznos BrandGreetings Eric,I am Tony Jones, the Vice President for Quiznos representing the Ohio/Indiana/Pennsylvania/Illinois region; Your Customer Comment was forwarded to my office, and I wanted to get back with you.My Contact Info:Tony JonesQuiznos Corp6429 Crofton CourtBurlington, KY 41005cell: 859-806-1730e-mail: tjones@quiznos.com
So, of course, I wrote back…
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Subject: Fwd: Subway [Customer ID: 1918316]
To: TJones2@quiznos.comHello Mr. Jones,
May I call you Indiana? My original message is below. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
-Eric
Well, he ignored the goofy part…
From: Jones, Tony <TJones2@quiznos.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 1:03 PM
Subject: RE: Subway [Customer ID: 1918316]
To: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>Hi Eric,
Very interesting how other folks in the Sandwich segment of the restaurant business respond to customer input. As you probably already know, our niche in this business field is usually a more ‘personal’ one. That factor alone, is one of the distinguishing marks of the SUB businesses vs. other QSR’s burger, pizza, Mexican … Our customer base is one that is accustomed to being serviced with a much more personal touch. The interaction is more detailed as sandwiches are personalized, and often, we get to know our repeat customers by first name, and even their favorite sandwich as they will come in the door to order… With e-mail, and technology today, for multiple areas of customer feed-back, it really is a mistake for any business to not utilize all of these methods to get to know their clientele and service their needs. Obviously, you’re discovering some poor choices that other competitors have made with respect to customer accountability issues. In a world, that continues to become more and more demanding of peoples time, we should never lose sight of the importance of ‘good communication’. I think it’s very interesting on what your finding out about how effective communication is being ‘lost’ from the customer/service provider relationship; I find it extremely poor taste to use a ‘generic’ letter to address these areas of concern. Before I hurl the ‘judgmental javelin’ at Subway or other competitors, I do know that much of this customer response decision making is left up to area developers, DA’s, and local manager’s choice. Before Quiznos, I was a VP for the Kentucky region of Subway, and I always tried to personally respond to customer feedback. So, some of this is probably a time-management issue for a local representative of the larger entity.
With respect to my territory (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky), I wouldn’t ever want to lose touch with my customer base. They are a crucial ‘gage’ to what we do at Quiznos;
Thanks for sharing this,
Tony
I’m still amazed that I can push a little, and still get articulate and thoughtful answers to these kinds of emails. I decided to write one final good note…
From: ERiC AiXeLsyD <world.and.lunar.domination@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 4:43 PM
Subject: Re: Subway [Customer ID: 1918316]
To: “Jones, Tony” <TJones2@quiznos.com>Thank you for the quick reply, Mr. Jones!
I appreciate that you take a more personal approach from the ground up! Technology can make things more personal if a company allows. Thank you for the opportunity to provide some feedback.
I can assure you that Quiznos restaurants are far superior to their direct competitors in the area surrounding Pittsburgh, PA. I have noticed that they have been scaled back in the recent years, but they’re still available where needed.
Keep up the good work!
-Eric
P.S. – The “We like the subs!” thing was a million times more awesome than the Jared or $5 Footlong campaigns.
I found it amusing that Yahoo! news linked to this article today calling it “Subway’s $5 recession buster“: The Accidental Hero
Perhaps Yahoo! and Subway are in a world domination plot of their own?
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World (and Lunar) Domination 