You know you have really hit a home run with a customer when they send you pictures on their day off of them relaxing and holding the customer care gift we sent them!
Category Archives: Culture
What Does Insanely Happy Customers Mean in Other Languages?
Recently, Coca-Cola did a translation test to find out what their trademarked tagline meant in various languages and found it has various meanings for different cultures; some good and some not so good. So we got the idea to translate our brand philosophy, “Insanely Happy Customers”, and see what translations we could find.
These are the languages we translated to:
- FRENCH: Madly Happy Customers
- GERMAN: Incredibly Happy Customers
- ITALIAN: (same) Insanely Happy Customers
- SPANISH: Immensely Happy Customers
- PORTUGUESE: (same) Insanely Happy Customers
- KOREAN: So Happy Customers
- SWEDISH: (same) Insanely Happy Customers
- JAPANESE: Insane, Customers
- ARABIC: Lunaticly Happy Customers
- DUTCH: Insanely Satisfied Customers
- RUSSIAN: Terribly Happy Customers
As you will see, some of these translations are the exact same or very similar to the way we use the phrase, but there are some oddities depending on the cutlture in which you translate. For instance, “lunaticly” is not a word often used in American English. “Madly” is a word that’s understood in Americanized English, but usually has the translation of being angry or upset rather than a word used to express joy. In Japanese, the translation came out to be 2 separate words sounding like we have and strive for “crazy customers”, which was by far the most entertaining translations we had.
All in all, we think Insanely Happy Customers had a far better translation test than our friends at Coca-Cola.
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Article by: Nichole Shores, AJ Adhesives Marketing Director & Insanely Happy Customer Branding Director
MDM: AJ Adhesives Takes Service to New Level – Sets lofty goal of making customers “insanely happy”
In 2015, MDM is recognizing distributors that are innovative in their approach to their markets. St. Louis, MO-based adhesives distributor AJ Adhesives Inc. was selected as an MDM Market Mover for its creative approach to customer service, which includes a trademarked tagline and even a theme song.
AJ Adhesives is proud to share MDM’s press release for being a 2015 Market Mover. Read the full article here!
AJ Adhesives Takes Service to New Level
Find out more about our Insanely Happy service on our Facebook page!
AJ Adhesives Wins 2015 Market Mover Award!
Beat the Winter Blahs
It’s so easy to get sucked into the winter blahs this time of year. The holidays are officially over and it’s nothing but dark and cold outside. We can help you to shake off those blues with these tips:
Declutter! Starting your day with a clean space can help you to be more productive and creative. Take advantage of the time spent indoors and clean your desk, office, purge old files, etc. Why stop there? Go ahead and make the rest of your life just as productive and clean your fridge, organize your closets and more. This is a great way to keep yourself organized and ready to start the year off right.
Add a splash of color to your wardrobe!
Adding color to your day will brighten your mood and get the creative juices flowing! Why not add a colorful scarf or tie to your attire?
Give your office or room at home a bright new look!
Adding pops of color can really lighten the mood on those cold, dark days! You can easily do this with small office decor or add some flowers in a vase!
Get outside and play!
Bundle up and get outside for some exercise, especially on sunny days! Sunlight is a natural mood-enhancer and exercise stimulates and warms the body.
LIKE our AJ Facebook page for more glue related news & MAP Facebook page for more equipment tips!
Order Today / Ship Today!
We LOVE to ship everything the same day it is ordered. One of our IHC™ philosophies is, Order Today / Ship Today! When we get an order and see that we have the product stocked, we ship it the same day to deliver to you as quickly as possible! No matter how big or small the order is we make sure it gets out! Need totes or skids of product to ship same day? No problem! Get us your order and we always do our best to ship it the same day.
We also honor requested delivery dates. If you request to have your product by a specific day and no sooner, we honor that delivery date. We understand you have specific needs and we are more than happy to accommodate.
ORDERING TIP!: Do you notice that your adhesive orders need to be back ordered in each time you place your order? Talk to your sales rep about getting your product stocked for regular scheduled ordering or to try a new product that we always have available.
For more ordering tips and information check out more of our IHC™ blog posts
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IHC CoverGirl – Meet Lindsey!
Everyone, meet Lindsey!
Lindsey is our newest IHC team member; she just joined us this summer! So far Lindsey has been an amazing addition to the team! Between jumping in on the phones, running requested samples and quotes and backing up customer service she truly is a jack-of-all-trades!
We want you to get to know our IHC team. So here is our fun Q&A with Lindsey!
1.Tell us a little about you! What are your hobbies, what do you like to do on your weekends/time off, etc?
I am not originally from the St. Louis area and grew up in Troy, Mo; so, the whole “Where’d you go to High School?” bit doesn’t really apply to me. We only had one high-school! I moved to Saint Louis 10 years ago, and currently live in South City.
Lindsey & Rylan
I have a 5 year old son, Rylan; so, when I am not working, I am running around accommodating his social calendar. We enjoy anything outdoors from going to the park, fishing, and swimming. When we aren’t outside, I am teaching him to play chess and we like to draw and paint.
When I am not with Rylan, I also work Part-Time at Scottrade for the hockey season, so I am a huge Hockey fan! LGB! This year is REALLY going to be our year!! I am a very artistic person, and Pinterest is ruining my life. I should probably seek help, but it would take time out of my pinning.
Don’t Bother the Artist!
I enjoy playing volleyball and used to play competitively before the parenting gig started, now I just play recreationally and on the occasion, not the six nights a week I used to. I’ve also found a new love of Bocce Ball, my Sicilian family is so proud. I absolutely love going to concerts and live performances. I like all kinds of music, and you will always hear me say “Who Sings this Song?” And I really expect you to know it.
Concert time!
When it comes to the professional side of me, I am very hard working and believe I have an A+ Work Ethic. I am constantly trying to improve things and make them more efficient. Eventually, I would like to go back to school for my LEAN/Six Sigma certifications. I do have my Bachelors of Science in Health Management and Policy from Saint Louis University and an Associates in Business Management. I also get overly involved in March Madness, it’s kind of my Christmas.
I feel like I am rambling, so I will end with my favorite quote (They taught us in college to always end with a quote…makes it more memorable. But how could you forget me?) “Love me, or hate me. I’m still going to shine”
In summary: I have a laid back personality, and sometimes even let my wittiness come out. I love to smile, laugh, and act goofy. I work hard and play hard. If you want to know anything else feel free to give me a call or shoot me an email!
2. Give us some of your favorites! Examples: Food, Ice Cream, movies, music artist, sport, activity, etc.
I love John Wayne movies, and anything that makes me laugh. Some of my fav’s are McKlintock!, Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit (Refuse to see the remake). I also like the occasional Clint Eastwood like High Plains Drifter and Two Mules for Sister Sarah. On the other side of things, I love the movie Grandma’s Boy, Employee of the Month, Dude, where’s my car, Shawshank Redemption, and Wizard of Oz. I don’t have a favorite musical artist, I pretty much love all music.
3. When did you start with AJ?
July 16, 2014
4. What’s your favorite thing about working at AJ?
I love the culture. Everyone has been so welcoming and helpful. I love family style atmosphere. I am particularly impressed with the Core Values. It really shows where AJ is rooted and where its success and growth have come from. Andy and Jim are absolutely awesome, and I am loving getting to know everyone.
5. What does our IHC service & philosophy mean to you?
I love the IHC philosophy! Making not just the customers, but anyone that comes into contact with AJ insanely happy is a fantastic philosophy! I am very high energy and positive, so the IHC Philosophy is right in my wheelhouse. It’s great that we go the extra mile for our AJ friends and are empowered to do so.
6. If you were stranded on a deserted island what 3 things would you take with you?
1. Unlimited Supply of Bud Select
2. Channing Tatum
3. Flint striker
Channing & Bud Select. Best combination in the world.
7. List 5 words that best describe you.
1. Determined
2. Outgoing
3. Loyal
4. Positive
5. Sarcastic
To learn more about Lindsey check out our Let’s Bond page!
2014 AJ & IHC Summer Meetings
Our AJ IHC team had our summer meetings June 16th-June 19th at our St. Louis Headquarters. This is an opportunity for the entire company to get together from across the country for educational training and growth development planning. As departments we showcase our growth and explain how we plan to grow even more in the remaining part of the year.
Click on our Meeting Gallery below!
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- Andy Schwartz, CEO, leading a growth discussion.
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- The sales team discussing goals.
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- Gene, Purchasing Director, reviewing procedures.
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- Nichole, IHC Branding Ambassador, discussing IHC, service and marketing to the company.
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- Nichole (IHC Branding Manager), Gene (Purchasing Dir.), Jim (CFO) discussing how well service has gone in first half of the year.
It’s this time of year our IHC team also gets the chance to shine and really show off how much work they’ve put into the year so far. After reviewing our brand and team growth for the first half of the year each IHC team member gets to share their successes.
IHC team gets to showcase their individual service growth and role development.
But it’s not all work. At AJ we believe: work hard, play harder! So after our meetings we get together for some good food and fun. The annual washers and bags game is always a fierce competition for all!
Click on our Party Gallery below!
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- Dinner on the patio at AJ headquarters.
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- Say cheese!
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- Good game of washers!
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- Andy Schwartz, CEO, and Tyler.
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- The official bracket for the games.
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- A fun night!
IHC CoverGirl – Meet Nichole!
Everyone, meet Nichole!
Nichole is AJ’s Insanely Happy Customer Branding Ambassador. When it comes to IHC she is all over the branding, marketing and executing of all things IHC. Leading the customer service team and creating the IHC philosophy are what get Nichole really excited! Never at a loss for words Nichole is (insanely) happy to talk to you about IHC all day long.
We want you to get to really know our IHC team, so check out our fun Q&A with Nichole!
1.Tell us a little about you! What are your hobbies, what do you like to do on your weekends/time off, etc?
To be an Insanely Happy anything you really have to be outgoing and a little uninhibited, so it will come as no surprise to people who have met me to learn that I am actor when I’m not being an IHC Ambassador. I work with a talent agency booking films and commercials; I also run my own actor website http://www.nicholefischer.com.
nicholefisher.com
Filming on set
When I’m not being Insanely Happy or performing in front of the camera I love going to see theatre, films and concerts with my boyfriend, Adam.
Shakespeare Festival
2. Give us some of your favorites! Examples: Food, Ice Cream, movies, music artist, sport, activity, etc.
There’s so many! I love the band The Mowgli’s and have seen them 4 times in concert in the past year alone. (Already have plans to see them again soon.) Going to see live theatre is always on the top of my ‘To Do’ list. Soft pretzels and cheese are my ultimate kryptonite. I’m also pretty adventurous with sushi choices. I have an ecclectic love for films; from Pixar movies to horror films to comedies to indi films- I’m all across the gamut.
3. When did you start with AJ?
I started with AJ in July of 2012 and have been creating my own IHC world ever since.
4. What’s your favorite thing about working at AJ?
I love my team! I lead a team of three fabulous ladies who always strive to create Insanely Happy Customers!
My team surprised me on my birthday!
I also love the atmosphere that Andy (CEO) and Jim (CFO) have here at AJ. They treat their employees like family and are never afraid to jump in with us when necessary.
My title is probably also the most amazing title ever! I mean, who else gets to have “Insanely” and “Happy” in their title?? I’m sorry, but I’ll take Insanely Happy Customer Branding Ambassador over CEO, President or Wizard any day…
5. What does our IHC service & philosophy mean to you?
Our IHC philosophy is very unique to our industry, which is why it’s such a refreshing mindset. “Give people what they want, and give it to them FASTER than anyone else.” It sounds good, right? “Do what you do so well that they want to see it again, and bring their friends.” Again, sounds like it should be a given in any service industry. But in our industry we’re the only ones that truly strive to make you so happy that we dare to call it, Insanely Happy.
To me, IHC is really giving customers what they deserve; an outlet to order that is personalized to their needs. We don’t make customers sign a contract with us because we KNOW that we can make them so happy, that they come back to us again and again. IHC is relationships. IHC is quality assurance.
6. If you were stranded on a deserted island what 3 things would you take with you?
Hmmm….I’m thinking big on this one….
The entire Stuart Woods: Stone Barrington series (so I can finally read them all in order), my boyfriend (someone has to build the bamboo mansion with me), and my friends and family for an eternal luau! (Preferably with a few soft pretzels and cheese).
7. List 5 words that best describe you.
Outgoing, energetic, creative, daring, persistent
To learn more about Nichole check out our Let’s Bond page.
IHC Does Random Acts of Kindness!
At AJ we believe our company culture is very important. This frigid winter weather here in St. Louis had our headquarters feeling the winter blues. So our IHC team decided we needed to do something about it! We decided to spread some IHC cheer and give out Random Act of Kindness notes throughout the office to brighten everyone’s day!
The response we got was great. Everyone was wondering where these positive, uplifting notes came from. It became a guessing game and really helped to lift those winter blues.
We believe to spread our IHC culture to our customers we too have to feel it, so we try hard to keep our internal customers, our employees, just as Insanely Happy!
What will you do to brighten someone else’s day? Tell us here or on our AJ Facebook page!
Insanely Happy Customers™ 