Keepin’ My Flavor Fresh, Part II
Mike Brady warned, caveat emptor. Still, sometimes, it works out just fine.
On New Year’s Day, just as Abbi and I were skulking out from beneath a minor hangover, we grabbed a pizza and a six from the locals Dag’s. Back home, though, we were shocked by the quantity of toppings. So I dashed off a quick email to California Pizza Kitchen’s Rick Rosenfield and Larry Flax.
Dear Rick & Jerry:
I have enjoyed your frozen pizzas on numerous occassions. I appreciate your copious, varied ingredients. The flavor of your California Pizza Kitchen is fresh and zesty.
Tonight, though, I discovered that, while there are seven slices on the box top averaging 7-8 tomatoes per slice for a grand total of roughly 49-55 tomatoes, inside we counted just 27!
While our brand loyalty to CPK’s fine frozen products will not waver, I was very disappointed in this tomato-based discrepancy.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Wagner
Tonight, they wrote back.
Thank you for visiting our website. I’m sorry for your experience with our products. The problem you described sounds like there was a possible mechanical failure at our facility. I am sending you reimbursement via first class mail, which you should receive within 7-10 business days.
We value the quality of the products that leave our facility. We give careful attention to each step of our manufacturing process. Samples from each production run are evaluated before we ship them, in an effort to prevent any unsatisfactory products from entering distribution.Mistakes can sometimes occur on our production lines. We try to prevent this by stationing inspectors at various points along the production lines, and their duties include watching for malfunctions.
Also, our quality control staff makes regular rounds throughout the production area during the day in order to ensure that production equipment is functioning properly.I hope this information is helpful, and again, I apologize for this experience.
Thank you for your loyalty and we hope that your next experience is a good one.
Kim McMiller
AssociateDirector, Consumer Relations
Thanks Ms. McMiller!
I hope they make you a full-fledged director soon.
And, Mr. Brady? Veni, vidi, vicki, beeyatch!
Wondering Where The Story’s Gone
When it’s sixty degrees at six o’clock in the morning in January, you go running whether you want to or not.
These are interesting times. It’s the beginning, I think, of what basketball teams call “a rebuilding year.” There’s a lot of new: a new marriage, a new home, a new job.
And so I find myself discussing merged bank accounts, 401ks, and APRs. I find myself discussing end tables, floor lamps, and color palettes like stone, ecru, linen, and honey. I find myself discussing org charts, workflows, and merit increases.
All of which is fine, but radically different from, say, amplifiers, cover tunes, or track listings.
Now, I’ve had a prolonged adolescents, to be sure. I’ve relished a fair dose of irresponsible fun: sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll. And I’m ready for all of this. But it takes some getting used to. It takes some getting used to the fact that my guitar is in its case, ProTools is in the closet, and “Mister Rogers & Me” gets 1% of my time to MTV’s 99%.
And yet I know I’m doing the right thing, and that I’m on the right course. It feels right, it just doesn’t feel easy, or terribly exciting. It just feels real. And real important.
It’s tough to measure the growth of something when you’re looking at it all the time like, say, one’s self. But sometimes (like last night) you notice that your jeans feel a little too snug. So you wake up before the sun, lace up your sneakers, and run towards the river.
