1-888-353-5012We all have a favorite food. That one thing we can’t resist. It’s delicious, comforting, and makes us feel better in the moment, no matter what kind of day we’re having. For you, maybe it’s a warm bowl of mac and cheese, a perfectly grilled burger, or a fresh-from-the-oven slice of homemade pie. For me, it’s chocolate and peanut butter.
As long as I can remember, when given the choice of a sweet treat, I’d always go for the option that delivers that perfect sweet-salty combo. And for many years, it was Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cups. Until that is, I discovered JUSTIN’S® Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. For me, they had everything I loved about Reese’s® but were so, so much better. Darker, firmer chocolate, creamier peanut butter—everything, elevated. I’d grab them whenever I needed a pick-me-up. Traveling? Bad day? Peanut butter cups to the rescue.
Until one day, that changed. I remember it clearly because I had a particularly rough day and debated about buying them during a grocery haul. Did I really need the extra sugar today? I decided I did. But when I got home, settled in and bit into it, I immediately knew something was off. The peanut butter was not creamy and smooth—it was dry, almost chalky. Not inedible, but definitely not the familiar experience I was craving. I figured maybe I got a bad batch. But then it happened again. And again. It became a gamble—sometimes they were perfect, but other times, they were just… wrong.
Finally, I did what any curious and frustrated person (who was truly in love with this product) would do—I googled it and turns out, I wasn’t alone. Reddit was filled with complaints from other disappointed peanut butter cup lovers. One post even linked to JUSTIN’S® website, where they had an entire post dedicated to explaining the issue – positioned as a distribution problem. Once the cups left their facility, they could no longer control the climate they were stored in. Their official response? Here’s an excerpt from www.justins.com/faqs/
“We work hard to ensure that our candy is made and transported in temperature-controlled environments, but once it leaves our facility, we cannot always guarantee that it is properly handled. If you come across dry nut butter cups, please let us know where you purchased it, the best by date, and lot code, and we will work with our retail distribution partners to prevent this from happening in the future.”
So, I did exactly what they asked. I sent a polite, detailed message, letting them know where I bought the bad product, and mentioned this was far from the first time. In my daydreams I envisioned them sending me a free “we’re sorry” pack in the mail (if this were my company, that would absolutely be part of the response). But… I received nothing. And I’m not just talking in the mail. I received no response. Not even an automated “Thanks for your feedback!” email.
After that, I decided I was done. Yes, I was so obsessed with this product that even after many bad experiences, I kept buying. For me, the GAMBLE of possibly getting a “good one” was worth the disappointment of discovering (that my close to $4.00 went towards) a “bad one”. But when I discovered this was part of a much larger issue they were aware of, when I took my time to compile a detailed email with all the info they asked for (I think I even attached a picture of the packaging), and received nothing… That was the end. I’m loyal, but nobody’s fool.
As I reflected on the experience, I realized there’s a powerful lesson here for Business Owners of all kinds: never underestimate the impact of customer service—not just the big moments, but the small, everyday interactions that make people feel seen, heard, and valued. And don’t lose sight of the tiny details—the consistency, the quality, the care—that quietly build trust and loyalty over time.
As our businesses grow and evolve—and as we juggle supplier issues, staffing challenges, and compliance demands—it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. When we’re deep in the weeds, compromises in quality or service can sometimes start to feel justifiable.
But the truth is, if we stop paying attention to what really matters—quality, consistency, accountability—and who it matters to, we risk losing the very foundation of our success, the things that made customers love us in the first place. And when we do fall short, we have to own it. Accountability isn’t optional.
As a Royalty Rewards® Merchant, you have a powerful tool to help you get ahead of situations just like this: the Royalty Rewards® Member Survey. It delivers valuable customer feedback straight to you every single day, that illustrate what’s working, where you can improve, and—most importantly—what your customers are experiencing.
The good comments reinforce what you’re doing right, and the negative ones? Opportunities. Not only has that customer given you a chance to fix a problem before they take their business elsewhere, they’ve given you the opportunity to address problems impacting OTHER customers – because there are likely many others who have experienced the same issue but never spoken up. But if you ignore them, be prepared to lose them.
The Member Survey At Work
Here are just a few examples of real feedback the Member Survey has generated for Royalty Rewards® Merchants recently. Would you consider this valuable feedback? Worthy of consideration and changes? These comments provide incredible opportunities to act, and YOUR Member Survey is generating comments just like them, for your business, on a daily basis. The only question, are you reviewing them?
“I would like to see the little butter packets served with pancakes, French toast, and waffles served at room temperature. Spreads should spread easily without having to be left on the food to melt.”
Restaurant Rewards Member
“Only improvement I would suggest is some type of document with pricing and services offered. I’ve only gotten an alignment, but I’m inclined to other services you guys offer, but I don’t know what they are or the price range.”
Auto Repair Shop Rewards Member
“My favorite product was moved behind the counter. A sign at it’s usual shelf area nothing that it needs to be asked for would have saved me a log of searching.”
Retail Shop Rewards Member
If you are not reviewing your Member Survey responses and acting on them on a regular basis… aren’t responding to negative (and positive) comments… aren’t considering the feedback received thoughtfully and implementing changes in your business because of it, consider this your reminder to reach out to your Royalty Rewards® Coach for tools to help you.
When it comes to JUSTIN’S®, I may not fully understand all the factors behind the changes to a product I once loved. Reading about the cause of the issue was helpful—but it was in this experience where they also lost me.
Can I relate to the complexity of what they’re dealing with? While I am not in the business of packaged food manufacturing, I can absolutely appreciate the challenges. I know it’s not easy to solve certain problems. And as entrepreneurs, we’re often more forgiving—we’ve been there. We get it. We know not everything has a quick fix.
But in this case, with the way they’ve communicated (or not), how they’ve positioned themselves, and the lack of follow-through—they’ve lost me. As a customer, I don’t care about the explanation anymore. They had a chance to rebuild trust, and they didn’t take it.
And if you’re interested in my new go-to… now, I do the food manufacturing work myself. A good old-fashioned tablespoon of my favorite creamy peanut butter and a sprinkle of dark chocolate chips.
Your Royalty Rewards® Member Survey isn’t just a tool—it’s your DIRECT LINE to what your customers are really thinking.
If you’re not regularly reviewing that feedback, responding thoughtfully, and using it to make meaningful improvements, you’re missing a powerful opportunity to protect and grow your business.
Let this be your reminder to take action.
Your Royalty Rewards® Coach is here to help you make the most of it—whether that’s reviewing comments together or finding a system that works best for you.
