Now that's customer service!

This morning I'm talking about Sausages by Amy. SBA is a company that makes several different types of sausages. Over the past several years, I have been making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of pork I consume. And I've called on chicken to pick up the slack. Well, I found SBA because they make chicken sausage. And it's good chicken sausage. Except for last Saturday.

Last Saturday I was noshing on a couple of sausages when I noticed something in my mouth that didn't feel very sausage-like. I managed to separate it from the rest of what was in my mouth and spit it out. It appeared to be a small rounded piece of cartilage or bone. Well, I got to wondering about how this had gotten into my sausage. And as I am a stickler for customer service, I decided to drop a note to SBA to let them know and ask them how this might have happened. Here's what my note said:

My name is Mind The Gap. Several months ago, I discovered your Chicken Andouille Sausage at my local Costco. I bought the three-pound pack and was instantly hooked. And I've never had a problem with your sausage. But I'm writing now because I have a problem.

Today for lunch I had two sausages and as I was eating them, I found what appeared to a hard white object like gristle or bone in one of the sausgages. I was wondering if you could tell me what it was and how it might have gotten into my sausage. Here is the producti information: Andouille Chicken Sausage , 3 lb. pack, Item #75348, Sell by MAR 12 C6.

I do want to emphasize that I've never had any problems with your product before and I wish I could find more of your product in the Central Pennsylvania area. But any information, you could give would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I sent the email Saturday evening, and this is the reply I received Monday morning:

Dear Mr. Mind the Gap,

I am very sorry to hear about your experience with our Chicken Andouille. Although a rare occurrence, it is possible that a small piece of bone or cartilage may have gotten through our bone collector and inspection systems. We purchase bone free chicken, then inspect it, and finally run it through a processing system with a bone collector. We will use your information, code date of the item, to trace the product back to the production batch and vendor. Again, we offer our apologies for your inconvenience, and would like to send you some complementary product for your taking the time to share this experience with us. Be assured that we will follow-up on this matter to minimize the possibility of any re-occurrence.

Please e-mail me your address, so I can send your complementary product package.

Regards,

John
QA Manager

I received their package yesterday. It contained NINE POUNDS of chicken andouille sausage. So I wanted to publicly recognize SBA for showing me some love and going way, way, way beyond the call of duty. And I wanted to give them a plug because they make food that's good to eat.