When I Was a Kid

Pucket (with a P)

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:44:00 +0000

The Warner Family have just discovered Pucket - and it's fair to say we LOVE it.... and you will too!

The Pucket Game throws away the rule book when it comes to taking turns. You go head to head in a battle of skill and verbal jousting as you race to clear your side of the board and at the same time the player oppositte is doing exactly the same. You are both trying to catapult your pucks through the same hole at the same time but only one can fit - who will prevail? Pucket wouldnt be Pucket unless you shout and jeer your opponent, it really is a fantastic family game.

Hand-crated in India from Shesham and Haldu Wood, the Pucket Game is truly one of the best board games we have ever seen.

The Pucket Game contains:
1 x Playing Board 16 x Pucks housed in a cotton bag 2 x Wooden Pegs to adjust the elastic 1 x Instructions

Size 60cm x 40cm approx

Material: Sheesham wood and Haldu wood

Suggested Age: 3 years old and above

NOW YOU CAN WIN ONE TOO!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Would You Do...?

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:04:00 +0000

We have been awarded and commended for our approach to Customer Service over the last few years and recently we have another opportunity to set ourselves apart from the pack.

Lot's of you have contacted me with your horror stories about really shoddy customer service so I thought it would be a great idea to present you with one of our recent examples to see what you would do if you were managing a business...

The Scenario
We sell a Ride-on Retro Racer that includes a personalised set of stickers with the child's name on the side and their initials on the rear number plate.

We stick these on for the customer before the car is delivered because we want the first impression to be WOW. This means we have to take the car out of it's custom polytyrene housing and unwrap it.

We were doing just such a task for a car ordered by Hector Eden for his nephew Hugo when I noticed some blemishes on the silver paint at the rear of the car. To be honest, I only noticed because I was working on the rear to apply the number plate and the marks were not horrendous but even so the car was not perfect.

I then pulled the other six silver cars from the shelf, and they were all the same. After talking to the US company that make the car, it became clear that the whole batch of 1200 cars were affected.

What Would You Do?

So that's the situation I was faced with. As the owner of the business with a customer waiting patiently for his order, Christmas looming and one little boy that will light up at the sight of this gorgeous little car - what would you do next?

I'm not going to preach right or wrong but I would love to hear what you guys would do in my position faced with this situation. Please try and be honest and not second guess what you think I did and if you really don't want to play along, that's cool and you can see my reply here:

http://www.wheniwasakid.co.uk/index.asp?function=WEBPAGE&page=63

Please leave me a comment, it would mean SO much to hear from you.

Kind regards, Paul. Daddy & Owner, When I Was a Kid.

The WIWAK Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 12:36:00 +0000

Every week I record a short video blog summing up the week of a small shopkeeper, this week find out why mummy bloggers appeared on my radar!

The WIWAK Weekly

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:16:00 +0000

Every week I record a short video blog summing up the week of a small shopkeeper, this week find out why Costa Coffee have appeared on my radar!

The Daddy Daughter Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:37:00 +0000

The wonderful Naomi at The Kids Coach wrote a blog earlier this year about Family Time and reading it got me thinking about how a Daddy needs to have that children dialogue too... So once every 3 weeks, I take one on my daughters out for a Daddy Daughter Breakfast which is a great time to have a catch up and talk through life. The Agenda is entirely down to them, they are allowed to ask me anything they want including stuff about the business and I will give them a totally honest answer. By having it as open as this, they cant help but ask questions and that really opens up all sorts of stuff including their feelings or how they would solve a problem I have so the benefit has been truly massive to the point where they now come along with a list! The only rule we have is that whatever we discuss is never shared with Mummy which has bought out some very interesting subjects :)

With the kind permission of Naomi, here is the original blog in full:

Family Night

A busy family with time constraints and a crazy schedule can provide little opportunity for children and their parents to talk and communicate effectively. Through speaking and listening parents are able to learn the wants and needs of their kids and are able to diffuse arguments and problems quickly. Parents can get to grips with what is going on in their childrens lives and keep up with their emotional and behavioural changes as well as their interests. The only solution for busy lives is to make time.

If you don’t family communication will not happen. It may not always be easy to sit down for dinner and have a ‘how was your day?’ chat. It may be that you can find other opportunities to talk to your children. Perhaps in the car on a journey, or when you are making dinner together, doing homework or you might talk while watching television together. There is less pressure on you both to have a conversation which seems forced and more relaxed. And more relaxed means your children may want to share more information with you and listen to what you have to say.

What time do you find most effective to communicate and have a good chat with your children?

PS. Naomi can also be found on twitter @thekidscoach

Imaginary Play

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:00:00 +0000

When I was a kid, did I have an imaginary friend? You know, I can't actually remember. I think I must have bossed my sister around instead to be honest. The strangest thing is, though, both my eldest children had imaginary friends and they were both called Jamie.

Jamie number 1 lived in the washing machine. He would only eat from a red plastic plate and needed speaking to with a certain intonation. It was Jamie who broke the handle of the washing machine trying to get out apparently.

Jamie number 2 (no relation) lived behind the settee. He was the only one who could understand my son's very unusual speech problem and they spent hours singing and dancing to certain songs on the music video channel. It was Jamie who picked all the wallpaper off from behind the settee because he was bored at night when no-one was playing with him.

But imaginary play, in whatever form, is a way that our children communicate, both with their friends or on their own. They copy what they see happening around them - it's familiarity. This all helps social skills to develop and also to expand emotions, feelings, hand-eye coordination and expanding into counting, reading and colours.

So what toys can When I Was A Kid offer for imaginary play?

Click any of the images to be taken to the page on the website for more details.

The John Crane Tildo High Tea set isn't just a number counting and shape sorting toy. Imagine all the tea parties that could be enjoyed using the great cake shapes after you've finished matching and counting.

I adore this Wooden Train set from the John Crane toys selection. This advanced set is great for imaginative play and incorporates bright colours. The set is also compatible with other popular wooden train sets.

I have also just spotted the My First Wooden Cooker. It comes with eight different accessories including a wooden egg! There are adjustable knobs on the front and an oven glove included too. And best of all? It folds away for easy storage.

Do any of your children have imaginary friends? What do they play? Do you encourage or discourage it? Have the imaginary friends left you in difficult or embarrassing situations? Tell us in the comments about your child's imaginary play.

= = = = = = = = = = =

As a thank you for reading this blog post click on
the secret page
for our October special offer.

You will not find this link anywhere else on the website

= = = = = = = = = = =

Nickie normally blogs at Typecast.

With one finger on the pulse and the other on the keyboard, she is not afraid to say it as she sees it. She is a true procrastinator, drinks wine, is occasionally published and is a Nana in her spare time.

Party Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 11:18:00 +0000

When I was a kid, from the second a birthday party invitation was given to you, the excitement started. There were usually 10 or so friends invited and you knew you were going to join in games such as Pin The Tail On The Donkey, Musical Bumps or Pass the Parcel. There would only be one prize for each game and maybe a few sweets for those that didn't win.

The birthday tea was a mixture of sandwiches, Cadbury's chocolate fingers, jelly and ice cream and then The Birthday Cake, complete with dimmed lights, the singing of Happy Birthday, the blowing out of candles and lots of wish-making.

I have fairly deep-set memories of my own birthday parties but have two that stand out the most. The first is my 8th birthday when mum laid out a tablecloth on the floor and we all sat round it for a birthday picnic. At one point she had to navigate across the room so stood on the cloth and hopped across. She said, "Don't tell you mummies and daddies that I stood on the table!" and we all dissolved into fits of laughter. When I turned 10, mum decided that now I was older I could invite four friends to the theatre to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and have chicken-in-a-basket (at home) before we set off. This was way before the days of a KFC Drive-Through.

As the party came to a close you were presented with your party bag, the contents of which was a napkin-covered slice of the birthday cake. No extra little gifts to take home as the centre of attention was the Birthday Girl or Boy!

But now... after raising three children I have seen the rise of the Birthday Party Wars. It appears that the whole class is invited to the nearest soft play centre, fed overly processed chicken nuggets and cold fries then left to run free amid multi-coloured plastic until feeling slightly nauseous ready for their parents to collect them to take them home. They hold their hand out for the all-important party bag which contains more than a slice of cake.

So, this is where When I Was A Kid comes in. We've got a great range of party bag toys which are available to buy in varying degrees of 'bulk' and with or without accompanying cotton drawstring party bags. And sticking with our love of wooden toys, here are a few suggestions that cross the bridge between traditional and modern.

We've got wooden mini ball games, wooden Yo-Yo's and wooden animal brooches, each retailing at £5.00 for six. BARGAIN! If you click on each of the images you can find out more about them.

What are your memories of birthday parties? Do they affect the way you plan your children's parties now? Do you stick with the traditional at-home party or do you go out and let someone else deal with the mess? Or do you do something completely different? Let us know in the comments section.

= = = = = = = = = = =

As a thank you for reading this blog post click on
the secret page
for our September special offer.

You will not find this link anywhere else on the website

= = = = = = = = = = =

Nickie normally blogs at Typecast.

Back to school!

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:27:00 +0000

When I was a kid, I looked forward to the first day of term after the achingly long summer holiday. Fresh new uniform and the comparison of new shoes. Maybe an update with friends that I hadn't seen for six weeks and new stationery! Then there were the new exercise books and the countdown to the half term break. I know... I was very strange!

As parents you struggle to keep the children entertained over the summer holidays, although, you've had WIWAK Outdoor Play Toys to keep you occupied this year, haven't you? Did you long for the first day of term to come around or have you been dreading the peace and quiet? Are you sending your child off to school or nursery for the very first time this year? And what about you? Did you love or hate school? Let us know in the comments section.

This month, we're looking at back to school equipment and educational toys - toys that encourage learning whilst playing. I have selected three products from the When I Was A Kid traditional toy section to share with you:

My son has this vintage school bag earmarked on his Christmas list (funny how trends come round again, isn't it?). It has a fully adjustable strap, is made of waterproof, man-made material and has three pockets which are great for school books, calculators and mobile phones. And, as a price comparison, is half the price of the ones we have seen in the sports shop in our town centre.

Whether your children are going to a party or whether you need to make up party bags of your own, there is loads of choice in the Party Bag Toys section. And yes, I'm going to say the dreaded word now... CHRISTMAS... Why not start putting aside some little stocking or cracker fillers using the great discounts available when you bulk buy from this section?

This wooden dice game encourages mental maths and decision making. Using basic numeracy skills you have think about the different number combinations possible from the throw of a dice to eliminate all the numbers and "Shut The Box"

= = = = = = = = = = =

As a thank you for reading this blog post click on
the secret page
for our September special offer.

You will not find this link anywhere else on the website

= = = = = = = = = = =

Nickie normally blogs at Typecast. With one finger on the pulse and the other on the keyboard, she is not afraid to say it as she sees it. She is a true procrastinator, drinks wine, is occasionally published and is a Nana in her spare time.

Twitter Competition £100 Voucher Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Hi guys.

As many of you will know through your very generous spreading of the word, we offered a £100 voucher to spend on our When I Was A Kid to celebrate reaching 2000 Twitter followers.

We promised to pick the winner at random and true to our word, here is the screen shot from random.org - the method that was used to pick the winner:

Having been through our list of followers, number 764 is..... drum roll:

@sardinetin

Huge congratulations to our winner and a mahoosive heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people that have and continue to support us. Keep spreading the word!

We shall also be announcing the winner on Twitter but if the prize in not claimed within 5 days, we will donate £100 worth of toys to a nominated charity instead.

Kind regards, Paul. Daddy & Owner, When I Was a Kid.

Bedtime Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie) — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:01:00 +0000

When I was a kid I remember my Dad would occasionally deliver the bedtime story. He never read from a book because my sister and I demanded another episode from the life of the "Jellybottom" family. All I can remember about these stories is that there were three bears and they had very fat bottoms... and they wobbled along the road causing havoc.

No-one else had these stories told to them but what I fell in love with was the storytelling; the way each character had a different 'voice' and the fact that the stories were personalised (made up on the spot, more likely). Once the story was finished, we were tucked into bed, a story tape or record (yes, I'm really old) was put on and we were left to drift off to sleep to the dulcet tones of Wendy Craig narrating Beatrix Potter stories or Danny Kaye singing Inchworm.

And that routine has stayed with me for the rest of my life. I wind down by reading a book and then plug myself into my mp3 player and listen to a podcast or audio book before I actually settle down to sleep. I have passed it onto my children too. But is it better than or just as bad as letting them watch a DVD/video or play on their Nintendo DS before they nod off? When does the brain actually switch off?

What about you?

What was your bedtime routine as a child and have you replicated that with your child(ren)?

Let us know in the comments section.

Here at When I Was a Kid, we have a fantastic personalised story of a well known fairy tale. This bedtime story tells the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk but with your child's name in place of Jack.

This product is made on high quality A5 card and costs just £2.00!!! Click on the image to the right to order your personalised card (we just need the name of the child and whether they are a boy or a girl). We've also got free delivery on this product so £2.00 is the total amount you pay! What a bargain! It would also make a great birthday present for a friend at nursery or school too.

And to my recommendations for this week. Why don't you have a look at our wooden toys section? There are some great 'bargain' toys. I love the traditional Wooden ZigZag racer (left, £7.50) and the very popular High Tea Shape Matching set (right, £24.95). Click on either of images to place an order.

= = = = = = = = = = =

Click the banner for our Top Secret Offer for August. You will not find this offer anywhere else on our website.

= = = = = = = = = = =

Outdoor Play

noreply@blogger.com (Nickie) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:00:00 +0000

When I was a kid and the yawning six weeks summer holidays were upon us it seemed like we played outside all day long. There was just too much to do; riding round the block on my bike, picking at the tar that held the drain in place in the road, drawing pictures on the path in the garden or in the alley with chalk and a gang of us going to the park four streets away.

Gangs were not the feared groups of youths that they are now. If you were in a gang you were a member of a club. Our club house was in my dad's garage - the garage door even had two small holes near the handle that were just big enough to aim a pea shooter through.

There seemed to be so much more freedom back then, didn't there? Is it just me or did it feel like you were out from first thing in the morning, back for a bit of lunch, straight out for another adventure with friends, home for tea then in the bath, leaving a dirty great black ring when the water drained away? You went to bed ready to start over again the next day.

What about you? What was your favourite childhood outdoor game? Let us know in the comments section as this month, When I Was A Kid is concentrating on outdoor play. What adventures can our children have that remind US of our childhood? I have selected three products from the When I Was A Kid Outdoor Play section to share with you.

The Wigwam Play Tent is the WIWAK Outdoor Play Toy Of The Month and it reminds me of the "caves" we used to make under the kitchen table using a blanket. Is it a wigwam? Is it a teepee? Wigwam? Teepee? Oh, this is too tense!! Well, it's not two tents, it's just the one and priced at £59.00 (with free delivery) it's a great treat for garden play for these summer holidays. Have a look at the great reviews its received already!

This traditional style wooden toddler swing just makes me want to squeal with nostalgia. I had one almost the same, hung from a tree in our back garden. This one, made from solid wood with a super strong nylon rope, retails at £15.00 and will guarantee safe, fun play.

Finally, I'm not sure who will get more fun out of this. This giant version of the traditional game Pick Up Sticks is great for the garden. Priced at £12.00, this will be a great source of fun for the family barbecue and will probably ensure that the party carries on much longer than you thought. How steady is your hand?
(We've also got the smaller version available too!)

= = = = = = = = = = =

As a thank you for reading this blog post click on
the secret page
for our August special offer.

You will not find this link anywhere else on the website

= = = = = = = = = = =

Silent Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:12:00 +0000

Toy of the Year - which one did you have?

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:25:00 +0000

Courtesy of our friends at The Toy Retailers Association these are all the previous winners of the prestigious Toy Of The Year award.

which of these toys did you have as a kid?

1965 James Bond Aston Martin die-cast car
1966 Action Man
1967 Spirograph
1968 Sindy
1969 Hot Wheels cars

1970 Sindy
1971 Katie Kopykat writing doll
1972 Plasticraft modelling kits
1973 Mastermind - board game
1974 Lego Family set
1975 Lego Basic set
1976 Peter Powell kites
1977 Playmobil Playpeople
1978 Combine Harvester (Britains)
1979 Legoland Space kits

1980 Rubik's Cube
1981 Rubik's Cube
1982 Star Wars
1983 Star Wars toys
1984 Masters of the Universe
1985 Transformers (Optimus Prime)
1986 Transformers (Optimus Prime)
1987 Sylvanian Families
1988 Sylvanian Families
1989 Sylvanian Families

1990 Teenage Mutant Turtles
1991 Nintendo Game Boy
1992 WWF Wrestlers
1993 Thunderbird's Tracey Island
1994 Power Rangers
1995 POGS
1996 Barbie
1997 Teletubbies
1998 Furby
1999 Furby Babies

2000 Teksta
2001 Bionicles
2002 Beyblades
2003 Beyblades
2004 Robosapien
2005 Tamagotchi Connexion
2006 Dr Who Cyberman Mask
2007 In the Night Garden Blanket Time Igglepiggle
2008 Ben 10 Action Figures
2009 Go Go Hamsters
2010 Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear

Or if you were like me which toy did you crave for but never get?

image courtesy of www.plaidstallions.com

The Balancing Act

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:51:00 +0000

When it comes to kids and how they develop physically and there ability to take part in fun outdoor activities, few skills are more important than having some control over their balance. Whether learning to crawl, walk, ride a bike, or play hopscotch, kids can't get too far until they can learn to keep those little bodies properly balanced - so how does balance work then?

While a lucky few are born with an intuitive sense of balance, most children need time, practice and grazed knees and knuckles. The more often they're required to stabilize their bodies and stop themselves falling, the quicker they will develop good balance control.

It's only when their body does something over and over that their clever brains help their muscular system learn to recover its 'sense of balance' when your child is moving. Over time, those little corrective movements will become embedded in memory of the muscles, and stabilizing becomes an automatic process that the body controls without the brain giving it too much thought - clever eh? But for many kids, getting there can be a long, frustrating process often involving lots of TLC (or is that TCP!)and more than a few Elastoplast!

As a parent, you can really help make the process bit easier by introducing a range of balance-building activities. These can be really fun activities so the child has no idea how much their body is 'learning' when they are doing them :) All kinds of movement—jumping, sliding, dancing, pedaling—will challenge your child's sense of balance, along with other physical skills.

Here are a few ideas to get you going but why not think up some fun ones of your own...

Outdoor Toys
Swings, slides, seesaws, climbers are all wonderful for building balance, muscle strength, and cardio fitness.

Balance Bikes and Ride-on Toys
When kids are steering on wheels, they're doing plenty of stabilizing. (Biking? Roller blading? Don't forget the safety helmets!)

Balance Toys
Kids' balance beams, boards, and balance bikes are specifically designed to help children with this skill. The good news is, kids also love 'em.

Jumping and Bouncing Toys and Games
What goes up must come down - right? Trampolines, Hopscotch, Sack Racing and even Skipping Ropes help kids learn to "think on their feet."

Swimming
In the summer, trade in that TV Remote for a pool float, rocking up and down on the water!

It's good to talk

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sat, 28 May 2011 07:55:00 +0000

It's good to talk... on the phone!

I love talking to my customers and potential customers on the phone but sadly that happens less and less these days. Our website is getting busier all the time but therein lies the problem... let me explain.

Life is a very busy whirl these days for all of us, so many things to do and remember without the extra pressure of a forgotten birthday or a new born baby arriving into your circle. So the last thing you want to do is pick up the phone and talk, that's just going to waste some more of the time that you already don't have enough of - right? NO wrong.

How can you hear me smile on an email?

How can I tell you aren't being rude by your curt email, you are simply on the train home and you need to send a question while you remember!

This classic BT adverts sums up how a phone call can really make a difference....

How do you know my company is real? Trust me, if the website doesnt have a phone number big and bold on the home page, customer service won't be a priority!

How can I help you choose the right gift or suggest an alternative that might be more suitable - lets face it, you wont have looked at all 400 toys on the website because you don't have time...

I get why you won't make that call though, you are so used to getting through to a faceless phone system with a whole series of horrible menus asking you to 'push 1 to raise your stress level' 'push 2 to go round in a loop', or you might just want a question answered but you are so untrusting. The person might try and sell me something I don't want to buy!

It doesnt help that 'customer service' in the UK, is no longer about proactively helping a find the right gift for a 4 year old nephew who you only see a few times a year, it has turned into the 'sorting customer complaints' department and the poor souls that answer the phones have had the crap metaphorically kicked out of them so many times, their spark has simply fizzled out.

So, its easier to email - right? NO wrong again.

I read a blog from a lovely blogger called Heidi at Him, Me and Three last week talking about the responses she received from Debenhams Online to a complain she had made by email. Heidi seemed pleased that Debenhams had responded but disapointed they hadn't covered any of the points in her email... this bit may shock you but in huge organisations, the emails are received and read, but not by somebody with compassion and a beating heart but by a state of the art piece of software that was able to pick out keywords and decipher the email and select an auto response that is carefully worded not to leave the company exposed or admitting liability for any problems that may have occured. If you read Heidi's blog, you can see that she then goes on to recieve conflicting emails because the system can't cope with logic!

Welcome to Customer Service 2011 - right? NO wrong again

Just because the company spends millions to put themselves in the front of your mind, generally the opposite happens when it comes to you and you become just a customer order number, on a database somewhere. This is where the small independants can not only fight back but behave in ways that the big boys could not begin to comprehend.

At When I Was a Kid we have installed a phone system that has no menus, the person answering the phone has touched and played with every single product on our website and in many cases, they have helped carefully selected that product to feature as part of the range. We are a family owned toy shop and as a Daddy of 2 girls, I get the importance of providing a great service and delivering on time so you arent left looking like a gooseberry when the christening day comes and you have no present.

We treat you like we would want to be treated and trust me, I set my standards very high!

So next time your browsing, instead of sending a faceless, toneless message or just moving onto the next website, why not pick up the phone. You will be able to tell in a few seconds if it's a company you feel you want to buy from and after all it has to be better to spend 10 minutes talking and sorting everything in one hit that spending 5 days having a snatched conversations on email with various toy websites then running out of time and ending up buying the first toy you see from the local supermarket...

So, it's good to talk - right? YES, it's bloody good to talk... 01933 426365

Problem customers - or are they?

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Mon, 23 May 2011 10:22:00 +0000

Last month we messed up on an order, it can happen, and the customer was not very happy to say the least. I was taught a long time ago that if a problem happens, it is not about wasting time on the 'why' but actually how you deal with it that sets you apart from the crowd.

The story below is a true story with only the customer email address being hidden. I would love to hear your thoughts on how we handled this...

The Customer Story

The customer ordered a Personalised Ride on Racer which we customise with the child’s name on the number plate so each one is unique and made to order. The warehouse despatched the order on Wenesday 6th April to arrive Thursday 7th April (day before the 1st birthday of her son). Knowing it was for a Birthday and need by specific date, we called her on the Thursday at 8.30am to let her know it would arrive between 10am and 11am but she was going to be out so asked for the builders working on her extension to sign for it... sadly, they failed in this task having not heard the door bell and we were told of the failed delivery midday on Thursday.

Knowing it was for a very important birthday I called the customer to talk through the options and she chose to have it re-delivered on the Friday 8th (the day of her little boys Birthday). I checked the order tracking that morning and sure enough at 10.05 the parcel was signed for and what should have been a happy end was the start of a much bigger problem.

Somehow the warehouse had muddled up the Personalised Ride on Racer order with another customer order and I received a phone call from the customer at 10.30, distraught that she had received a Bow & Arrow set instead of her car!

I promised to call her back within 1 hour with a resolution. I knew we couldn’t just send a new car because there would be no personalised number plate so I had to find out where her car had been sent. Looking through the orders that were despatched Wednesday 6th, I started with the customer that had ordered the Bow & Arrow set hoping that it was a simple case of the orders being labelled incorrectly by the warehouse.

This is where the problems really started because the notes on the CRM against the customer that ordered the Bow & Arrow set order showed that he was going to be on a flight to South Africa that day and he had asked us to deliver to the porter at the apartments where he lived in
central London, the only contact number we had was a mobile number of the man that was now on a plane! So thinking laterally, I worked on the logic if the apartments had a porter, they were likely to also have a management company so a quick Google search identified the management company and two calls later I was speaking to the Porter that had signed for the car just 30 minutes earlier. Having explained the situation, he then told us that the car had already been left in the man’s apartment and he was nervous about just handing it back. I suggested faxing a copy of the order that he ‘should’ have signed for and having seen this he agreed release the car as soon as the someone at the management company agreed (clock now running at 45 mins – only 15 mins before I needed to call my customer back).

The call came through with 5 minutes to spare and he confirmed it would be available for collection after 2.30pm which was too late to sensibly organise another courier so now my only option was to jump in the van and shoot down to Baker Street in London. (from Wellingborough). I called my customer as I had promised to do and explained the mix up and said that I would send a van to collect the car from London and it would be with her by teatime – I don’t think she could quite believe what I had agreed to do but the thought of letting her down for a 1st Birthday was unthinkable especially as I knew if we turned it around, we could have a very loyal customer for a good few years!

I collected the car and on my way back up from London I thought about Tony Hsieh at Zappos and what they would do in this situation, I called Interflora on my mobile and arranged for some flowers to be sent but to arrive after 6pm so I wasn’t there when they turned up. I knocked on her in Dunstable door at 5.05pm and she stood there with her mouth wide open in disbelief. I apologised in person for messing up so badly and handed her the car. She offered the Bow & Arrow set to me that had been sent in error but spotting a little boy standing behind her I told her it might come in handy so to keep it with my compliments. She explained that all the family were due any minute for a Birthday Tea so my timing was wonderful, I then left leaving Interflora to do their bit.

I got back to my desk about 7pm and there was a delivery confirmation email from Interflora – job done.

Our Thinking

Since Christmas, we have been on a mission to WOW our customers and throughout this whole episode, two things were front of mind, the fantastic book by Tony Hsieh, Delivering Happiness (he used flowers occasionally to WOW a customer) and the comment by Richard Penny that you can only give ‘awesome’ customer service if you have a problem customer. To then receive an email from the customer who has worked in a customer service environment stating it was the ‘best bit of customer service to hit this Earth...’ has left me with such a massively good feeling.

To be honest, knowing that she will tell the world this story for weeks to come is more than enough, if she buys from us again well that is just a bonus!

The Customer Response

From: sam [mailto:XXXXXXXX@yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 11 April 2011 20:11
To: Marketing
Subject:

Hello.

Just wanted to tell you about the amazing experience that I've just had with you. I ordered a retro car for my son's birthday from 'When I Was A Kid'. An attempt was made to deliver the car on Thursday, 7th April. It was then re delivered on Friday 8th April (my son's birthday). I was devastated to arrive home to find an archery set in my porch....
One phone call later, and I received the best bit of customer service to hit this Earth...
Within the hour, a driver had been despatched from Wellingborough to London, where my little retro car had ended up. It collected the car, and, still smiling (bless him!) a very nice man arrived at 5.05pm on my doorstep with a rather fetching racing red car. Not only did he save the day, but he refused to take the archery set back (that'll come in handy for my other son's birthday), and I then received the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've ever seen, complete with apology. Having worked in customer service, and now being self employed, I understand how hard it can be to keep the general public happy, but this went way above and beyond the call of duty. What a company! I have, and will continue to recommend you, and hope that Paul from When I Was A Kid has many years of happy trading to come. With such fantastic customer care, he cannot possibly fail.

Just had to share my experience, so many companies would've been quick to palm us off, but my son's first birthday was well and truly saved.

Many thanks to all involved, a massively impressed Sam Hannaby.

Conclusion
Customers have more choice now that at any time in the history of retail. Small shop keepers moan that the government are to blame, the banks don't support them, their rates are to high... basically, it is always someone elses fault but the bottom line is, if you look after your customers, they will look after you - simple!

New Years Traditions...

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:18:00 +0000

As we prepare to welcome in the new year, we thought it would be nice to remember a few of the traditions in Britain around this time of year.

A very old custom called 'first footing' is still practised and believed by some. It is believed that the first male visitor to your house on New Year's day will bring good luck with them.

Blondes, red heads and women are not allowed to be the person who sets foot in the house first as they are apparently supposed to be bad luck! The male visitor will usually bring some money (yes please!), bread or coal with them as these are considered to be particularly auspicious gifts.

There is another tradition of gifting the holy mistletoe too. Apparently this is believed to bring prosperity for the recipient. Another well known tradition is the "burning of the bush" which symbolizes the burning of all past events in preparation for times to come.

New Year celebrations in the UK is one of the most celebrated festivals of the year! Midnight parties with fireworks, drinks, dancing and music are very much a part of the biggest night-out of the year (and we’re often charged huge prices just to walk into a bar on New Years Eve too) and I imagine many of you will be off to a party or a meal to celebrate with loved ones too.

Whatever you are doing, take a little time to remember your most treasured memories from 2010 and to look forward to 2011 with excitement and enjoy yourself! From all of us here at When I Was a Kid – HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Clear out the post Christmas clutter!

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 15:22:00 +0000

Apparently, Christmas results in around 3 million tonnes of waste in the UK and most of that will end up in landfill sites. If you're anything like me your house will be full to the brim of toys - the new toys have just been piled on top of the old toys that never get played with anymore, there are boxes, wrapping paper and all sorts of other packaging to sort out not to mention the Christmas tree and all the decorations that need to be taken down!

When you're looking at it now in the chaotic aftermath of Christmas it can feel a bit overwhelming so here are some top tips to help you cope with it all!

Toys

If a toy hasn't been played with for 6 months or more it's time to be ruthless! Don't make excuses to keep things like "oh but Aunty Mabel gave this to little Charlie, I can't get rid of it!" or "but what if little Charlie goes looking for this in 6, 7, 8 months time?" Let's face it, if it's been at the bottom of the toy box for as long as you can remember and your little one never plays with it anymore, it's time it went.

You've just had a whole lot of new toys come into the house so you need to get rid of some of the old ones before you are overrun with them.

If the toy is in good condition you could either put it in a donation box that you can drop off at a Charity Shop or maybe even a local preschool or children's ward where it will get plenty of use. If things are incomplete or broken recycle them!

Another nice idea, if you have the time and if your child would enjoy it, is to take your unwanted but good quality toys to a Car Boot Sale! This can be a really fun day out and your child will see their old toys making other people happy as well as learning about making money! At the end of the day they will have some money to go and spend on something new that they'd like and you'll have less clutter to deal with! You could always drop off anything you don't sell at the Charity Shop afterwards?

Christmas Cards & Gift Tags

Christmas Cards and gift tags will provide loads of arts and crafts materials for next year! Little ones will love cutting them up and sticking, making scenes, new cards and all sorts of other masterpieces too! If you have a box full of arty things in a cupboard somewhere they won't be messy and they'll be great for those rainy days!

Your Christmas Tree

If you have an artificial tree - reuse it next year (and the next)! Artificial trees are not bio-degradable and they let off noxious gasses if they are burnt but if you do reuse them you'll help to off-set that in some way.If you have a real tree PLEASE recycle it! Hopefully your council will offer a recycling service where they will come and collect your tree and then chip it or mulch it. If you bought a planted tree then plant it in your garden or keep it in a pot and re-use it again next year!

Festive fun?

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:13:00 +0000

Well here we are on the other side of Christmas!

I hope you had a wonderful time with family and friends and that you didn't eat quite as much as I did! It was impossible to resist all the fantastic home made mince pies, Christmas pudding, stuffing and all the rest of the festive foods that were doing the rounds... not to mention the Baileys Coffee liqueur! I should think I'll be putting "diet" at the top of the New Years resolutions list in a few days time!

I hope that the children in your family had a really magical time and that Santa brought them everything they were hoping for. I must have taken about 1,000 photographs of my family... I always think it's amazing how quickly the time flies by when I look at pictures of the years gone by so I know in a few years time I'll be looking at the ones I took this Christmas unable to believe how much the girls have grown...

If you've got any photographs you'd like to share of children with their When I was a Kid toys we'd love to see them by the way!

Anyway... I hope you are enjoying the quiet time between now and the new year to reflect on the year and to put your hopes and plans in place for 2011!

Twas the night before Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:57:00 +0000

Well... it's Christmas Eve and the children should be tucked up in bed by now dreaming of the magic that tomorrow will bring.

As a fellow parent I just wanted to say that I hope tomorrow is just as magical for you too. Don't forget to take the time to drink in those precious memories, the looks on your child's face as they unwrap their presents, the smiles around the table as the family share Christmas Dinner... it's all too easy to get wrapped up in preparing and serving the food and tidying up after the children all day so make sure you relax at some point too and take it all in!

I'd like to share with you the classic poem The Night Before Christmas because it sums up Christmas Eve in such a beautiful way... I have vivid memories of listening to this on my grandmothers record player as a child. I hope it brings back some wonderful memories for you too:

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!

On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,

With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,

And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

Thank you Message from all of us here at When I was a Kid

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 09:18:00 +0000

Well, it is Christmas week and I'm sure your household is already bustling with the anticipation of all the magic that's to come this weekend!

The stockings are hung, Christmas Trees will be piled high with presents from friends and family - all bought or made with the intention of making the people they love smile, lights are twinkling, tinsel, holly and mistletoe hang from door frames and ceilings everywhere and we've even got snow in many parts of the country too!

All in all, we look set for a lovely festive period.

Christmas is a great time to look back over the year and to take stock of all your blessings in life, so all of us here at When I Was a Kid wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and custom over the past 12 months. We love running WIWAK and one of the best parts about it is getting to know our customers. There are many of you who come back again and again and we are very grateful for your loyalty so we put together this video to say thank you.

We have a winner!

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 13:36:00 +0000

Millions of people were glued to their televisions last night to find of which of the three remaining acts would become the winner of the X Factor 2010!

After Simon Cowell lost his final act, One Direction at the last hurdle the tension was palpable as it dawned on us all that it had come down to Rebecca Ferguson and Matt Cardle – the two vocalists (and favourites) who had stood out as world class acts from the moment they first auditioned.

As they sang their final songs it struck me again how genuine and down to earth these two come across. Although styled for the show there is very little of the unapproachable / impossibly perfect / unobtainable image that so many celebrities of today have. These are two “real people” with real talent who seem to wear their hearts on their sleeves.

It’s a case of what you see is what you get. They both seem to hold family values very high up on their priority lists too – Rebecca is the mother of two young children who must be very proud of mummy right now and after his win Matt Cardle was pictured celebrating with his family on stage.

I wonder if what we are seeing here is a shift away from all the hyped up, over styled acts that have become so popular in recent years and back to raw talent delivered from people who connect with their audience on every level because anyone can relate to them, they are every day people who appeal to other every day people – a bit like superstar John Lennon did?

While I’m on the subject of the X Factor I would like to take the opportunity here to congratulate my friend Charis Slade of Name Art for her incredible achievement... Charis has recently designed the logo for Matt Cardle, the X Factor winner! This amazing opportunity is the cherry on the cake for Charis after a whirlwind few months spent on Twitter with Dannii Minogue!

When Dannii had her baby boy Ethan earlier this year, Charis created a beautiful canvas picture of a kangaroo with his name built into it and sent it to Dannii, tweeting her to see if it had arrived. Dannii Minogue tweeted back to say she loved it and asked Charis to create something to brighten up the X Factor backstage area. She also ordered a hoody for baby Ethan too!

It was lovely to be able to watch the story developing on Twitter with tweets going back and forth between Team Minogue and Charis! The icing on the cake came when Dannii asked Charis to design the logo for Matt Cardle! The canvas is a picture of Matt holding a microphone which is made up of his name and it looks great (she's even done a Christmas version)! Dannii tweeted video of herself and Matt celebrating shortly after Saturday’s final and the canvas was in the background!

You couldn’t have planned it better! Well done Charis – it looks like 2011 is going to be a fantastic year for you and you deserve it! You can visit Charis' site here.

Giving the UK's most disadvantaged children something to smile about this Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 10:14:00 +0000

"When I was a Kid" are very proud to announce that we have teamed up with Cash for Kids this year to help make sure that some of the most disadvantaged children in the UK will have something to smile about on Christmas morning 2010.

'Cash for Kids' is the umbrella brand for Bauer Radio’s network of independently registered, local charities which operate across 20 local areas within the UK. Each local ‘Cash for Kids’ brand is established to channel the caring of the local community into the welfare of their own youngsters by delivering initiatives for sick and underprivileged children in those communities, to benefit local children and give the neediest a better and brighter future.

On Thursday this week we went along to Manchester to the star studded Cash for Kids launch event attended by the employees of 45 companies who battled their way through the wind and rain to be there to show their support.

We watched the heartbreaking stories of children right on our doorstep here in the UK who have never received a birthday or Christmas present and who have suffered all sorts of horrible things in their young lives.

This year Cash for Kids will receive 30,000 requests for toys on behalf of children who can only dream about receiving a present on Christmas Day... and they hope that they might be able to fulfil 10,000 of them. That means 20,000 of those children who are out there right now wishing with all their hearts that they'll receive something on Christmas Day will most likely be disappointed.

If you would like to help put a smile on a child's face this Christmas visit the Cash for Kids page on our website for a way to make your money go as far as possible.

When you spend £10 or more with us, we will pay 20% of the bill so that you can give a child a little bit more...

For example, if you were to buy a Classic Tin Humming Top which would normally cost £11,50, you will only pay £9.20 which would leave you with an additional £2,30 to buy a Whoopee Cushion and a Wooden Yoyo too and you will still have spent 5p less than you originally planned to!

While we are preparing the perfect Christmas Day for our own families, let's spare a thought for these little ones and do all we can do make sure as many of them as possible have something to smile about this Christmas.

You know you're a child of the 70's if...

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 10:14:00 +0000

The most incredible special effects you ever saw in a film were those in the film "Tron" and nothing else will ever come close to that for you. Ever.

Bert and Ernie are two of your all time favourite television characters and you feel so connected to them both that they could almost be considered family in your house!

You remember a time when wearing leg warmers was considered the height of fashion!

You were unfortunate enough to learn how to swim at around the same time as the film "Jaws" was released and you still shudder a little bit whenever you get in the water as a result!

You remember having to get off the sofa to turn the television channel over from the Brady Bunch to the adventures of the Bionic Man, Wonder Woman or The Incredible Hulk... oh and let's not forget Mork and Mindy! Nanoo nanoo! Lastly you know you're a child of the 70's if you know all the words to the musical "Grease" off by heart! A well a well a well a - Huh!

You know you are a child of the 90's if...

noreply@blogger.com (wheniwasakid) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:55:00 +0000

Your sister owned all sorts of different coloured scrunchies, wore waistcoats, a mood ring, a Swatch Pop watch, stick on earrings and dreamt about going to a Smash Hits concert.

She thought she was in love with one of the “New Kids on the Block” and she knew all the moves to the Macarena and also to MC Hammers “Can’t Touch This” which she'd practice with a large group of her friends after school and at every given moment in front of a mirror or large window.
Your brother used to sport oversized plastic dummies around his neck... and thought he looked seriously cool while he played "Mortal Kombat".

You used to go to roller discos before rollerblades were even invented. You used to make compilation tapes for all your friends... and at least one of them will feature the songs “Rhythm is a Dancer”, "Ice, Ice Baby" and “What is Love”.

You remember when everyone went slinky crazy.

The words "Talk to the hand ... enough said" - actually means something to you.
Oh and one word “Baywatch” - if you were a girl you wished you were one of the female characters and if you were a boy you didn't even notice that there were any male ones!