Blogging since 1998. By David Wertheimer

Month: January 2005

Realizing the potential of the Internet

This morning I swung by my local Cafe Metro on the way to work. While paying for my breakfast, I noticed a flyer on the counter:

COOL CLICK SPECIAL

Get your food on the web.

There’s no line when you order online, and we’ll give you a $2 discount.

Cool.

Ordering lunch online? Not worth the effort. But two bucks off? When I’m still adjusting to $9 midtown lunches? Cheapskate heaven.

This morning I swung by my local Cafe Metro on the way to work. While paying for my breakfast, I noticed a flyer on the counter:

COOL CLICK SPECIAL

Get your food on the web.

There’s no line when you order online, and we’ll give you a $2 discount.

Cool.

Ordering lunch online? Not worth the effort. But two bucks off? When I’m still adjusting to $9 midtown lunches? Cheapskate heaven.

I went to the Cafe Metro website and efficiently browsed their offerings. (I never quite figured out what *L soup is, but other than that, I had no trouble navigating or reading my options.) The shopping cart worked well, the menu was comprehensive, and a few minutes later, my order was placed. I even splurged on a piece of carrot cake to celebrate the $2 discount.

I placed the order at 1:30. The next available pickup time was 1:50. A little long, I thought, but my fault for waiting this late to order lunch. Next time I’ll ramp up quicker.

At 1:33 my phone rang.

“Hi, David, this is Cafe Metro calling.”

“Hi, how are you?”

“Good, thanks. But I’m afraid we’re out of carrot cake today.”

We settled on a black and white cookie, and I hung up the phone thoroughly impressed—instant turnaround and instant, hands-on customer service to go with my online order.

Consider me hooked, even after the discount code expires. Cafe Metro makes some great salads….

Update: When I got to Cafe Metro, my order was waiting in the back of the store, nice and hot, credit card receipt printed and awaiting a signature. Nice and easy.

The full announcement

I slipped this in mid-post last month, so here it is for the record:

David Wertheimer began his post-MBA career at Clarins in January 2005. As Director, Internet Marketing, David oversees the online initiatives for Groupe Clarins’ United States properties. Groupe Clarins, an international skincare company, is composed of nineteen subsidiaries in 150 countries, with close to six thousand employees and sales of over $900 million.

I have been at Clarins for one enjoyable, eye-opening week. I anticipate exciting and useful growth (both for Clarins and within my own knowledge and experience) in the coming months.

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