The Language of Experience

Just finished watching Wine for the Confused, an informational program written and hosted by John Cleese and produced by the Food Network.

[I watched it via Netflix's "Watch Instantly" feature. But you can also view this show -- in its entirety -- on Hulu.]

Like an earlier post on tasting coffee, what was notable about this program -- apart from the Monty Python veteran's trademark quips -- was the focus on the language used to describe the tastes, smells, flavors, and related connections recalled by each wine. I appreciate Cleese making this a key point.

Acquiring and using a rich vocabulary of sensory descriptors -- is a necessary skill in fully understanding customer (or employee) experience through observation.

And all the better for discovering your favorite wines.

A Favorite Brand Lets Me Down

Has a favorite brand, product, or service ever left you feeling disappointed?

After years of waiting, one of my favorite brands just became more accessible -- a new Trader Joe's has just opened a mere 3.5 miles from my home in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

I've loved this brand since first discovering them in Southern California about two decades ago. Their selection of quality domestic and imported food, extremely competitive prices, and an engaging customer experience puts them near the very top of my personal loyalty list.

In anticipation of this opening, I've been reading the Len Lewis profile on this distinctive grocer, The Trader Joe's Adventure: Turning A Unique Approach to Business into a Retail and Cultural Phenomenon. [see Excerpts via Google Books]

It's a fascinating read that confirms much of what I've suspected/observed as a customer. The book reveals a very purposeful vision and strategy -- one that created a differentiated business model unrivaled for over four decades.

But I digress.

So, on opening day, we head out to the very newest Trader Joe's in the world. I'm excited -- about to take on a new Trader Joe's adventure...

The underground parking provides hints of the trademarked tropical experience to come

TJ orchid, localized to Saint Paul, Minnesota

Cool -- vintage suitcases just inside the entrance enhance and confirm the exotic adventure

More localization -- a mural of Saint Paul's Como Park; Hey! That's not exotic!! (though the conservatory pictured does house tropical plants...)

Now this is the kind of whimsy I expect

A mural featuring what are, recognizably, a variety of Saint Paul-style houses

Above the dairy section, a mural of the downtown Saint Paul skyline and Mississippi River; note the bicycle -- one of several displayed above refrigerated cases

For some reason, the longer I was in the store, the less connected I felt to the Trader Joe's mystique. It took a little while to figure out why...

This isn't the exotic adventure one expects from Trader Joe's. Surrounded with images of Minnesota -- not some far-off tropical island -- it feels like an ordinary grocery store. Sure, there are the unique products only Trader Joe's offers, all at great prices. This is, after all, my logical reason for coming back time and time again. But that isn't the reason thousands of fanatical customers like myself line up at grand openings, rave to friends, and have joined the cult.

I expect -- and am stimulated and excited by -- the breeze of the trade winds, not a Minnesota wind chill; surfboards and flip-flops, not a classic Schwinn bike; palm or coconut trees, not northern pines. The casual, beach-side cedar-planked walls -- while some exist -- have been largely replaced with light yellow-painted sheet rock and these all-too-familiar murals.

For that experience, I can go to a Twin Cities-based grocer (and I often do).

A number of years ago, I recall Boston Market taking on a similar localization strategy. They too had murals on their wall. I forget the exact details, but remember tomato crates with "St. Paul" labeled as a destination. For that brand, localization made sense -- "Boston" is in their name, and here they were, plopping down in a far different city. (Since then, Boston Market has considerably scaled back its operations in Minnesota.)

But Trader Joe's doesn't need to do this. They are not local -- that is clear -- and they should not be. They are exotic, equatorial, different.

"Les Bonbons" - The Allure of a Candy Shop

Watercolor painting by Carol Gillott, Paris Breakfasts

Who doesn't love a candy store?

From the Paris Breakfasts blog comes this posting on candy and its presentation in Parisian stores and elsewhere:

http://parisbreakfasts.blogspot.com/2009/06/les-bonbons.html

This blog by artist/connoisseur/observer of life, Carol Gillott, features watercolor paintings, photos, and commentary of the retail and street life of Paris.

Her watercolors (and photos) capture the beauty of everyday life in Paris. In that city, aesthetics are an important and natural element -- from window displays to the construction of a lemon tart.

Photo by Carol Gillott, Paris Breakfasts

This craftsmanship, passion, and attention to detail is missing from much of the retail here in the U.S.

The Hospital Food Experience

You may have seen this floating around the Web -- it's been referenced in multiple places...

Ranging from disgusting to elegant, here's a Tumblr site devoted to capturing photos and stories about hospital food world wide:

Hospital Food - http://hospitalfood.tumblr.com

One can't help but wonder -- what is the impact of this food on the healing process, both physically and emotionally?

Same goes with the design/layout of a hospital room.

Of all the times uplifting aesthetics, nourishment, and emotional support is needed, recovering in a hospital has got to top the list.