Why I Love REI
By Nilofer Merchant on May 12, 2013 07:07 pm
My friend, Professor Terri Griffith sent this Yelp
Review of Acme Bakery tonight because the review takes a side trip through
REI… Check it out:
This is a delightful tiny, but busy bakery. Everyone in
town either knows first-hand how good the bread is or has been tipped off by
Yelp.
I was visiting from Houston (recently relocated) and yearning
for some sourdough. These friendly ladies sold me and my friends a
sourdough baguette ($2/baguette) and to top it off, they gave me some
sourdough starter. For free. You need to bring your own lidded,
airtight container, and if they have enough starter to give away, they will
happily fill your container nearly to the brim.
This sent me on a quick run to the Walgreens on San Pablo Avenue
and Gilman, and they did not have any plastic containers! I
headed over to REI where I almost paid for a $10 hardcore camping-style
container. I told an employee my story, and he ran upstairs to give me
a Pilot gas station plastic mug with a lid. He found said cup in the
employee lost and found bin. I washed it next door in Chipotle’s
bathroom and then returned to Acme where they filled it up. (You can see
I was desperate and willing.)
Fast forward three weeks: I fed this sourdough for three weeks
in Houston and baked delightful bread. I followed instructions from
King Arthur Flour for sourdough baguettes. All of my Cali-transplant
coworkers in Houston are digging the sourdough, too, now. We all say it
tastes better and more authentic than any “sourdough” you can get in Houston.
Thank you, Acme Bread Company and kind REI employee, for my
delicious sourdough. I promise to send all of my friends, family, and
fellow Yelpers here (both to Acme and REI) as much as I can!
You don’t get this kind of care and passion by hiring simply for
a job description or by asking people to fit into a box. No way. People are
not cogs and they don’t thrive if they feel treated as such. Every leader
knows that success comes from how you bring together talent, purpose and
culture. Purpose brings out the best in people and the best people. More on
that thread here.
Of course, I’ve written about REI in the Social Era and I hope I can always
talk about them with this much enthusiasm. REI rocks because they embody
their purpose, which gives their brand (and their people) meaning.
Do you have similar stories of other companies? Share ‘em below.
We ought to celebrate them.
The post Why I Love REI appeared first on Nilofer Merchant.
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Monday, May 13, 2013
Why I love REI Nilofer
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