Are you trying different blades out? I have found that I love the v-shaped blade for citrus, onions and tomatoes. If I switch to the other straight type blade I have shreds of citrus and a mess of the tomatoe for sure.
Also, for tough skinned things, you might want to use a knife to slice just a bit off to help the food get started easily.
The safety feature of our mandoline is awesome and I sell many now (or get bookigns for it) for that reason alone. I would NOT sell the old one cause I had a deep seated fear of it (for good reason....).
Keep in mind that often if someone hates a product -- even US -- it may be that the product is not being used properly. For customers who have a product but don't like it at all, try to dig into how they are using it to see if you can provide advice. I do a lot of customer care 1 on 1's for things like the can opener, microplane and chef's tongs. Often this leads to a light bulb moment on a tool and the customer gets along fine with it after that.
At most shows, if I can, I will have customers trial a product before they go home (after they have purchased it from their order) if it is something I know can frustrate a new user. This has been very effective for things like showing how to open the microplane. I've had MUCH fewer calls to return things that seem hard to use. Part of my show spiel is "if you get an item home and you are having trouble with it, please do not hesitate to call me. I can usually walk you thru problems with use over the phone but I can also meet with you if needed. And, don't feel bad about calling...I used to have to ask my son who was 12 when I started my biz, to show me how to use something..."
Also, for tough skinned things, you might want to use a knife to slice just a bit off to help the food get started easily.
The safety feature of our mandoline is awesome and I sell many now (or get bookigns for it) for that reason alone. I would NOT sell the old one cause I had a deep seated fear of it (for good reason....).
Keep in mind that often if someone hates a product -- even US -- it may be that the product is not being used properly. For customers who have a product but don't like it at all, try to dig into how they are using it to see if you can provide advice. I do a lot of customer care 1 on 1's for things like the can opener, microplane and chef's tongs. Often this leads to a light bulb moment on a tool and the customer gets along fine with it after that.
At most shows, if I can, I will have customers trial a product before they go home (after they have purchased it from their order) if it is something I know can frustrate a new user. This has been very effective for things like showing how to open the microplane. I've had MUCH fewer calls to return things that seem hard to use. Part of my show spiel is "if you get an item home and you are having trouble with it, please do not hesitate to call me. I can usually walk you thru problems with use over the phone but I can also meet with you if needed. And, don't feel bad about calling...I used to have to ask my son who was 12 when I started my biz, to show me how to use something..."
