How To Teach Your Customers

I have had a woodworking hobby for a few years now. It has slowed of late (mostly due to Good Enough and life), but just before I backed out of the shop I discovered a new product: Odie’s Oil.

Finishing (e.g. applying finish to my woodworking projects) has always been one of my least favorite parts of the hobby. I enjoy figuring out what I’m going to build. I enjoy cutting the pieces, glueing, and fastening them together. I don’t enjoy sanding (no one does), but the feel of the wood afterwards is pretty great.

Finishing is just so time consuming and confusing! It often requires careful application, with conflicting messages about what the correct gyrations are for said application. In multiple coats. And drying time can be hours, or even a full day, between coats. On top of that most finishes give off harmful fumes, so PPE is an important precaution.

Odie’s Oil is a very expensive product, but it goes a long way as minimal amounts are needed per application. One or two coats are sufficient, and there is hardly any wait time between coats. Oh, and PPE is optional. The finished product looks great, and I think it’ll hold up pretty well to wear.

When I went to apply this product, I was a bit nervous. Since it was so expensive, I did not want to mess it up. That’s when I found that the company has a page filled with videos that explain in great detail exactly how to use their finishes. In a world where instructional videos are often on YouTube with ads interrupting the education, I had to write the company:

THANK YOU for putting HOWTO videos directly on your website commercial-free via Vimeo rather than YouTube. It severely bothers me when a company sends me to YouTube to learn how to use their products only to be interrupted mid project/application with commercials. Thank you!

For that one great customer service experience, Odie’s Oil has me for life. Perhaps I should pick up a project soon?