Zaxby's Policy Change

 

I received a voicemail today from my very good friend, Derek Lusk, that brought a smile to my face.  Derek had just whipped through the drive-through at our shared favorite chicken spot, Zaxby's.  He purchased the tried and true Kickin' Chicken Sandwich meal and ordered three Zax Sauce containers.  When the drive-through attendant gave him his total, he thought it sounded a little bit off.  Being the honest guy that he is, Derek inquired, "Did you forget to charge me for the Zax Sauce?"  The young lady responded, "We're no longer charging for them."

Had I been there I would have simply dropped the mic and driven off.  The letter below is one I sent to Zaxby's via their website on 09/02/11.  I never received a response from Zaxby's which I thought was odd.  Nevertheless, I must not have been the only Zaxby's fan to object to their questionable Zax Sauce tactics.  I truly feel like the good guys won this time.

**It's obviously possible the Smyrna, TN location could be acting alone in this venture, but I hope it's a company wide change.  Also, my suggestion below was for one free Zax Sauce.  Derek received three free sauces today.  Zaxby's has gone above and beyond my request.  Again, this is not due to my email but rather my voice joined with many others to institute change.  If we can do this for Zax Sauce, what's next?  National Debt, Roe vs. Wade, 2nd Amendment Rights, gay marriage and the list goes on and on (obviously joking, Zax Sauce isn't on par with those other "heavy" issues).**

Sent 09/02/11:

Dear Zaxby's,

What do Spud Webb and I have in common?  Well, anyone who has ever seen me in a pair of gym shorts knows it's not leaping ability.  Rather, it's a love for Zaxby's.  Much like the now rotund Spud, I can devour anything on the menu.  From the classic Chicken Finger Plate to any of the Zalads to the always delicious Kickin' Chicken Sandwich combo and the hearty Wings &Things, it's all fresh, tasty and on point every time.  The only person I know who loves Zaxby's as much as I do (other than Spud and the other B list stars who star in the Zaxby's commercials) is my good buddy Derek Lusk.  If Derek could put himself on an IV drip of Zax Sauce, I think he would.

For the majority of my adult life, I have worked in some capacity in the food service industry.  Therefore, I fully understand how customers who abuse condiments can affect food cost at a restaurant such as Zaxby's.  There are fine folks all across this great country who take their condiment habits to extremes.  Then you also have to deal with those who (if allowed) will just take gobs and gobs of condiments to stockpile at home as if they are preparing for nuclear war.  With my understanding of these challenges, I realize why Zaxby's is very protective of their condiments. Today, I was at the excellent Smyrna, TN Zaxby's, and I ordered the always reliable Kickin' Chicken Sandwich, fries and a Coke Zero.  I had a craving for Zax sauce to dip my fries in so I ordered it.  The friendly young lady at the front counter informed me that it would be 25 cents.  I was willing to pay the price, but the principle of the matter is one that doesn't set well with me.  If I were an abuser of condiments as I described above, I would fully expect to have to pay for my sauces.  However, I ate the chicken sandwich as is (with ranch and hot sauce drizzled), and I only used the one container of Zax sauce.  So how do we solve this conundrum?  My solution would be for Zaxby's to provide one free Zax sauce with every meal.  Whether it's Wings & Things or a Kickin' Chicken Meal, one Zax sauce is not asking too much.  If you have a customer who is a condiment abuser, give him/her a first Zax sauce for free with every meal, and then charge an additional 25 cents for each additional sauce. Again, it's not the quarter I was worried about today but instead the principle of the matter.  I realize that the costs of this would be rolled into the price of each meal, and I am ok with that.  It's better than feeling I am being "nickeled and dimed" for one serving of Zax sauce.

My love for Zaxby's has not dimmed, and I will be back many times.  Like R. Kelly, I just had to get this "up off my chest".  Keep up the good work!

Zaxby's Fan,

Eric L. Taylor

Springtime came early in New England

As I type these words, it is 7:31 PM EST on January 18th.  I am sitting at the kitchen table in my very warm New England home.  While it may be warm inside the friendly confines of our brick and mortar, it's a bone chilling 14 degrees (F) outside, and there are drifts of snow piled high throughout our quaint New England town.  It's painfully obvious we're in the middle of winter and not just your everyday-run-of-the-mill winter but a New England winter.  The best way to handle the cold is to buy solid winter gear (boots, coats, etc.), grow a beard (if you're male) and have a positive attitude about the fact there are many winter days ahead.  Winter began December 21st, and it won't come to an end until March 20th.  Even after March 20th, there will be a chance for cold, snowy weather simply because we're in New England.

Now that we've established a baseline for what season we're actually in, I would like to move onto the meat and potatoes of this post.  I fully understand that industries such as fashion stay one season ahead.  If you pick up the new issue of Glamour, I bet a spring fashion dons the cover.  Also, think about the times you've gone into a department store to buy a pair of swimming trunks in August (during the peak of summer) only to find that fall fashions (jeans, long sleeve shirts, etc.) dominate the racks of clothing.  In such instances, you're lucky to find a pair of trunks on a clearance rack.

While the fashion industry is one I can somewhat understand being one season ahead, the beer industry is one that perplexes me by using this strategy.  Tonight I walked into our local Rite-Aid to grab a cheap bottle of red wine for dinner (Yes, they can sell wine pretty much anywhere in New Hampshire).  As I walked towards the back of the store, I walked past the food and beverage aisle which included the cold beer cooler.  I have been looking for a particular Shipyard brew lately so I took a ganders.  I was shocked to find that Samuel Adams had Alpine Spring in the cooler instead of Winter Lager.  If you are not familiar with either brew, they're seasonal brews.  Winter Lager is brewed to be enjoyed during cold winter months while Alpine Spring is brewed to be enjoyed during the springtime when flowers blossom, buds bloom and life begins anew.

 WHY DO BEER COMPANIES DO THIS?

I have a fondness for Samuel Adams.  I am not the biggest fan of Boston Lager, but I really enjoy all of their other varieties including Alpine Spring and Winter Lager.  I imagine most beer purchases are made with the purpose of timely consumption in mind.  Since fresh beer tastes better than stale beer, it makes sense to buy beer close to the time you want to drink it.  A consumer may buy a pair of jeans in the muggy summertime with the idea of wearing them in the fall and winter.  However, who buys beer in the winter for consumption in the spring?  It doesn't make sense.

The Samuel Adams website says the following about Alpine Spring: It's the perfect transition from winter's heavier brews to the lighter beers of summer.

It's the middle of January where sub-freezing temps are the norm.  I think a heavier brew (Winter Lager) sounds like a good pick.  IT'S NOT SPRINGTIME YET!!

With all of this being said, I'm sure Samuel Adams has a department of folks in charge of when they're going to release and discontinue all of their seasonal brews.  I bet this team has the next couple of years mapped out, and their rationale is based off research and hard facts.  I just don't understand why the beer industry is treated like the fashion industry when the two are so different.  If someone can explain this to me, I'm all ears.