Those of you that stop by my blog on a daily basis or subscribe to my rss feed for instant updates of my daily ramblings know that I am one of those weird blogging CEOS. In addition to keeping this blog updated with fresh small business tips, business blogging tips, social networking and blogging tips I also am the founder of Extreme Tan and Smoothies and Insane Limos. Extreme Tan and Smoothies is a chain of six indoor tanning salons and Insane Limos is a limousine business featuring exotic SUV limos that are truly wild InSaNe.
Earlier today we launched our Ambush Interview Customer Feedback Project for Extreme Tan and Smoothies, a video series dedicated to catching customers off guard and getting real feedback about their tanning experience. Every once and a while I will share a few of the projects that I am working on within our small business as a way to help other new small business owners.
When I first came up with the idea for doing Ambush Interviews randomly at our Extreme Tan and Smoothies locations I knew that I wanted the series to be honest. When you watch the video below you will see that we not only asked the common “what do you love about us questions”, we also asked the so hard to hear “What’s one thing you hate about Extreme Tan and Smoothies” question. As a business owner I feel that hearing the worst things about your business is much more important than hearing what the best things are, you can’t grow from the best things as quickly as you can grow from hearing the worst things.
Hearing the worst things about your business or things that customers don’t care for can always be tough for any small business owner, sharing it with others might be unbearable. I knew that I would be sharing the Ambush Interview series long before the first second of video was even captured, I want our customers to know that we care and we want to hear their feedback. Their honest feedback.
Leeanne did an excellent job of putting these videos together without any real practice or even guideline for that matter, I wanted it to be real, raw, uncut and unscripted. I got exactly what I asked for and I couldn’t be more excited about it, I now have more feedback from our customers and know of trouble areas better than ever before.
I want you to take a look at the video below, when your done watching it take a moment to leave a comment and share your thoughts. Do you think I should have cut out the things that customers don’t like? Do you think the videos will serve as an effective marketing tool or at the very least serve as true customer testimonials? I’m curious what you think.
We will be releasing new Ambush Interview videos at least three times a week on our indoor tanning blog during the indoor tanning season. In addition to releasing our Ambush Interviews on our tanning blog we will also be sharing them via my Facebook Fan Page, and our Twitter, Facebook Fan Page and MySpace for Extreme Tan and Smoothies. I will also be working on a compilation that will be displayed on the main Extreme Tan and Smoothies website.
Cole Stan (2)
KyAus @ Those.Tips (2)
SafariDave (2)
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Well I know it would be easy to jump on the girl interviewing if she worked at that store and didn’t know a customer that has been there a year. I would know EVERY customer after one time
BUT today me and Keith were messing around using that little web cam interview thingy and I could spot a million things to say and do different after the video is shot. I think the girl is good and you got lucky with that lady being nice and a little patient. But the most important thing is that these are the things that MOST 99% of businesses are not doing because they could care less and don’t have a clue:)
I always knew it was hot and awesome to down side is it opens you up to criticism which MOST people always don’t like , want or think they need
I think it’s exciting we all busting towards video FAST
Your dead on Keep Pushing it Harder now
Did you hear of Comment Drop ? Oh you will :P LOL
PS see the flip side it wasn’t rehearsed which is excellent
John Sullivan´s last blog ..Hot Blog Tips is knocking it out
@John Sullivan, thank you bro. As always your comments are appreciated!
Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of Extreme John Episode 6 [video]
I agree with John about not knowing customers after a year. Maybe she’s new? I agree with what you’re doing though. I call all my customers a couple days after a rental to see how the party went, how they liked the rental equipment and if there is anything they want to see in the future when they book through me again. Not only does it maintain customer loyalty, but it’s the right thing to do. Why wouldn’t you want to get to know the people supporting you?
@Anthony @ Jumpness, that’s an excellent point. I probably should have pointed out the fact that the entire Extreme Tan.tv is new, it actually doesn’t even exist yet. The girl doing it has never worked in any of the stores, I wanted it to be raw and real. Having associates interview their daily clients would have taken away from the reality of the scene because they would already know each other. They don’t know each other, they have never met. That’s Ambush
Ah ha! Makes sense now. I didn’t even think about that.
@Anthony @ Jumpness, if nothing else we will see how it goes I guess haha. There’s no changing it now
Hearing bad things from people is something that I love.
The reason why I love it is because:
a) It just shows me that I am not perfect (which nobody is anyway) and that I need to work on some things to become as perfect as I can be
.. and who does not like to be popular 
b) Some negative feedback can also encourage me to fix things so than I can ” cut down ” the negatives and increase my positives which is always good as well
c) Negative comments are usually the ones that bring out the discussions which increases the popularity of whatever I am doing
@Bojan, thank you for commenting Bojan and that’s an excellent way to look at it, if your not willing to hear what you can do better chances are you won’t get better.
Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of Extreme John Episode 6 [video]
I wonder what happened to Leeanne with that second question and the big pause?
Kudos to you EJ for doing the ambust interviews and showing them “raw & uncut”.
Klaus @ TechPatio´s last blog ..Aperture 3 Brushes – A Quick Demonstration
@Klaus @ TechPatio, first time turning the camera on and first time talking to someone or even asking those questions. I would imagine anyone could get a little locked up ;)
Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of Extreme John Episode 6 [video]
You couldn’t of asked a better customer for that interview.
Way to provide a great tanning business to Clearwater, Florida.
You get A for asking the question that no other businesses ask
what did we FUCK UP and would you change about our business.
SafariDave´s last blog ..Something I hate to admit
@SafariDave, thank you Dave I appreciate that feedback and I guess the key now would be to do the next step and work to fix those issues. Something we are already working on of course
We reacted to these videos, as a matter of fact one of the Ambush Interview people say that they love the price and joke about loving it more if it was free. As a way of showing that we are listening we have a special free tanning event already planned, it says WE DO.
Extreme John´s last blog ..A Day in the Life of Extreme John Episode 6 [video]
that’s a pure ambush interview., even the interviewer forgot the question number 2, that was funny a bit.. anyway great post.
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