Wholly Hemp Review: April 2015

I love so many things about Wholly Hemp. The products are natural, they give back to help build stronger communities, the packaging is basic so it's easily recyclable, and it's an affordable way to get awesome bath and body products that are cruelty-free. Also they utilize hemp, which is a sustainable resource we desperately need to be using more. 

My box this month also had a jar of orange moisturizing cream, but Crafty was using it when the box arrived! Also included was a stick of Secret Falls deodorant. I have been using the Honest Company spray and I love it, but with summer coming up, a stick will be nice because it's a bit more certain to keep me smelling fresh. (Also I just tried the lavender vanilla deodorant from Honest Company and it smells exactly the same as my bergamot sage, so that's a bummer.)

Be Nice Box Review: Spring 2015

Be Nice Box is a unique quarterly subscription box full of items made by artisans and tips for being nicer to people around you. Each season, they release a limited number of boxes, which are full of handmade and specialty items. This is the Spring Box. They also offer a family-oriented box to help teach children the value of doing nice things for other people!

This box was founded by a woman who had written a blog post on her vegan blog about doing nice things for others after the Boston bombings, which then led to the realization that people always join forces to be nice in the face of tragedy, but rarely maintain it once it passes. Thus this idea was born. 

The first item I noticed, aside from the handwritten note that was such a nice touch, was the stack of cards with 30 suggestions for ways to better the world. These are small actions that anyone can do and I love the idea that the box should be sustainable and recycled. One way to do this would be to follow the action for one day and then pass the card along to someone else, hoping they would pay it forward, continuing the action well beyond only yours (and worst case, at least you tried). 

Wholly Hemp Review: March 2015

I love Wholly Hemp. They make me very happy. I enjoy getting a box from them every month, even if I don't really need these products right now, because I know that I will have them on hand when I do. They offer three subscription sizes - two, four, or eight products a month - and I have now tried all three. I admit I am really in this for the soap, but I won't ever complain about extra products!

This month, I received deodorant, lip balm, and two bars of soap. The deodorant is in tea tree; I am currently using the deodorant from Honest, but I like having this as well because as it gets warmer, I know I will want options.

Eco Emi Variety Box Review: March 2015

I bet you're surprised that Eco Emi's March box was awesome! ;) Seriously, I love this box. I know some people were concerned when they did away with the Beauty Box. I hope it's not a sign of anything but them focusing their efforts on their Variety Box, because I look forward to this so much each month.

Why Customer Service Matters (and Why So Many Companies Fail at It)

Since the beginning of real capitalism, businesses have known that sales and marketing depend heavily on consumers. In today's business world, it's even more true, because there are millions of companies ranging from small Etsy shops to multinational corporations trying to compete for a person's hard-earned disposable income. With social media and the internet, word of mouth and recommendations are critical to long-term strategy for businesses. But the greatest marketing team in the world only lasts so long and has so much impact if the customer-facing personnel don't care about the company's solvency.

I've worked in so many fields in my life, starting my first job as soon as I was legally allowed to work. Before that, I babysat for many years, and that was significant income because I was often the first person recommended in my town. In college, I worked three or four jobs simultaneously, as well as served in leadership roles for volunteer programs. Since graduating, I have worked in a variety of industries and I now freelance, manage my own business, and work in customer service. So when I say I'm confident that I understand marketing and customer service, I have something backing it up.

Customer service doesn't pay well generally. It's the entry level position many people get, and most staff in these positions have no real buy-in. They don't care if the company looks bad or earns more customers, because when you're working for minimum wage or just over that, you aren't thinking about long-term strategic plans. That's the first mistake businesses are making. You depend on your customers. Loyalty in a customer is something you can't earn through marketing. Nothing sells your product better than an enthusiastic consumer. Not great blog posts, not amazing Amazon ratings or reviews, not celebrity endorsements. In reality, Peyton Manning endorses way too much for me really to care what he says he likes. I'm not going to choose my cell phone provider because they're the official cell phone provider to the NHL. All these things may work as a gimmick, but even if I buy something because David Tennant recommends it, in the end I'm not sticking around if the product sucks or I don't feel like my money is wanted or my business is valued. Most people are that way - they will try something because a respected blogger or celebrity idol or even close friend strongly encourages them to try it. However, the challenge is that not only will bad customer service deter the shopper from continued use of product, it will also minimize the referring party's credibility. Eventually, that friend or celebrity or blogger will stop being a source of guidance, since they no longer seem to have the consumer's interests in mind.

GlobeIn Review: February 2015

Oh my goodness, I am in love with this new subscription I started! (Someone needs to stop me, because I clearly can't stop myself!)

GlobeIn is a monthly artisan box that sends you products from crafters around the world, generally in developing nations, and supports fair trade practices. This month's theme is perfect - World Kitchen. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the box, so I planned to cancel, but I love it. I'm not big on knick knacks (my house is cluttered enough) but every single thing in this box is not only usable, but amazing! To top it all off, when I contacted them to make sure my subscription was still active/could be reactivated, they replied SO fast! And they're friendly (there was an issue where an item was broken in several people's boxes and they sent out a message offering to replace anyone's who was broken; mine, however, was fine).

Plus look at this sticker on the outside! I'm sure this box was made for me. :)

The Hip Humanitarian Review: February 2015 (Minimalist)

The Hip Humanitarian is a subscription box that combines ethical products with materialism and lifestyle products. The theme of February's box was love, although it was focused more on loving yourself than on typical Valentine's Day love. 

Up front, I would like to admit that I had believed there was an issue due to a system problem. I'd emailed multiple times to no response. I tried social media, too, and there was nothing, so I was getting really angry. Hayley and Ashley, though, both checked, and it appears they DID reply - and Gmail ate it, as it's literally nowhere on Earth. They've sent me screenshots, so clearly this is not on them. 

I appreciate not only them replying promptly, even if I didn't receive it, and also being good about following through and not getting frustrated with me when I wasn't receiving the messages. There are so many subscription boxes who don't have it together that it almost becomes a coin toss. Although you will see that I didn't love this box as it wasn't my personal preference, I need to applaud them for their customer service - and I admit my own crankiness was unwarranted. 

Sock Club Review: February 2015

I am a big fan of socks in general and was super excited when Sock Club offered to send us a package for review! This is a pretty basic subscription - each month, you get a new pair of socks! The company is a small business and the socks are American made, which is nice to see.

Although the socks may technically be for men, they're socks and really, socks are perfect for anyone! Each order comes with the socks wrapped in brown paper and sealed with a wax seal (making them extra awesome), along with a note telling you about that month's pair.

Hip Humanitarian Review: January 2015

Hip Humanitarian is a subscription box that helps subscribers discover ethical brands and live a more sustainable lifestyle. They're fairly new, but are very responsive to customers. The products you receive could range from beauty or personal care products to household items to food, based on the theme of the month.

January's theme was Wellness and the box was about helping you to create a new you for the new year. There are three types of boxes - free spirit, Hollywood, and minimalist. This is a review of the minimalist box.