The Importance Of Kind And Honest Feedback
G'Day Folks,
Welcome back for another week of living life on the veg!
This week I want to share with you all the importance of kind and honest feedback. Your feedback is an integral part of our business, without it we wont be able to learn from our mistakes and get better at what we do. I see you all as part of our business, you're not customers, you're Sohip community members and play a vital role in how your food is grown, how the land is treated and how the people growing the food are treated also. The below is a series of emails between Emily and one of our community members. It demonstrates the trust, the honesty and the kindness that will move us forward, make us stronger and enable us to achieve our goals of healthier food, healthier land and a healthier future.
On 12 Feb 2025, at 1:25pm, Barbara wrote:
Hi Emily and James,
I’m reaching out about some quality issues in my last veggie box. I had a month off from ordering as we were away all January.
I got my box on Thursday and the broccoli had some yellow bits in it, I didn’t think it was fresh enough but we just ate it. I didn’t take a photo.
I think I got 3 cucumbers (2extra I ordered apart from the subscription box) and used one straight away. The other 2 looked a little iffy but I just put them in the fridge with the zucchini in the same bag. The cucumbers are now (less than a week later) slimy and headed for the chooks, the zucchini was obviously fresh as it still looks good.
I just wanted to highlight these issues to you in the nicest possible way, I know how hard you work, the weather not being the kindest this time of year, there’s no question about it. However I’m worried about the freshness vs the extra expense of your veggies.
We wish you all the best with your business and I decided to give this feedback because we want you to do well and support you as much as we can.
Kind regards,
Barbara
Hi Emily and James,
I’m reaching out about some quality issues in my last veggie box. I had a month off from ordering as we were away all January.
I got my box on Thursday and the broccoli had some yellow bits in it, I didn’t think it was fresh enough but we just ate it. I didn’t take a photo.
I think I got 3 cucumbers (2extra I ordered apart from the subscription box) and used one straight away. The other 2 looked a little iffy but I just put them in the fridge with the zucchini in the same bag. The cucumbers are now (less than a week later) slimy and headed for the chooks, the zucchini was obviously fresh as it still looks good.
I just wanted to highlight these issues to you in the nicest possible way, I know how hard you work, the weather not being the kindest this time of year, there’s no question about it. However I’m worried about the freshness vs the extra expense of your veggies.
We wish you all the best with your business and I decided to give this feedback because we want you to do well and support you as much as we can.
Kind regards,
Barbara
Admin Sohip Organics 12 February 2025 at 9:37pm
Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for this feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know and in a kind way.
We actually had a few emails last week about cucs and we have realised that the cucs that have been picked from the older vines aren’t staying as fresh as those picked off the young vines so it has been a big learning curve for us! One we wouldn’t know if we didn’t have customers like yourself taking the time to let us know.
We are still learning as we go, what works and what doesn’t. We will also have things that we just simply don’t get right. But what we value most is a close relationship built on trust with our community. The way you have written to us has demonstrated not only your kindness and sincerity, but that you are putting your trust in us to take onboard your feedback in a positive and constructive way. Which is exactly what we will do.
I know that myself and my family will feel terrible we let you down, but at the same time feel uplifted that you spent the time to let us know, rather than simply leaving us without saying a word. For this we are truly thankful.
Please always reach out if there is ever anything you feel we could improve on, because it is this information that helps us achieve our mission. We all need to work together to improve the health of our food system, we can’t do it alone.
I have refunded you for the cucs and broc just now.
Thank you again!
Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much for this feedback. We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know and in a kind way.
We actually had a few emails last week about cucs and we have realised that the cucs that have been picked from the older vines aren’t staying as fresh as those picked off the young vines so it has been a big learning curve for us! One we wouldn’t know if we didn’t have customers like yourself taking the time to let us know.
We are still learning as we go, what works and what doesn’t. We will also have things that we just simply don’t get right. But what we value most is a close relationship built on trust with our community. The way you have written to us has demonstrated not only your kindness and sincerity, but that you are putting your trust in us to take onboard your feedback in a positive and constructive way. Which is exactly what we will do.
I know that myself and my family will feel terrible we let you down, but at the same time feel uplifted that you spent the time to let us know, rather than simply leaving us without saying a word. For this we are truly thankful.
Please always reach out if there is ever anything you feel we could improve on, because it is this information that helps us achieve our mission. We all need to work together to improve the health of our food system, we can’t do it alone.
I have refunded you for the cucs and broc just now.
Thank you again!
On 13 Feb 2025, at 6:55 pm, Barbara wrote:
Thank you for your message Emily.
I didn’t know that about cucumbers either.
Unfortunately the rains wiped my vines while we were away. They also watered the weeds to crazy heights which is always disappointing as I had them under control before I left and Scott has been so busy with the bees (and surfing
) he hasn’t had time to get on the tractor to help me in the garden.
The rabbits around our place have gotten out of control and ate all my planted sweet potatoe vines every time I replaced them. So I thought I would have none this year after a bumper crop last year. Luckily the self germinated ones are overtaking the soil where I had white potatoes planted which in turn got wiped by a plague of twenty eight spotted lady bug. They only have to compete with over knee high weeds now
.
Anyway I was ahhming and aahrring before I wrote the message as I really didn’t want to upset you guys. It is never pleasant to receive “negative” feedback. I’m sort of “glad” it wasn’t just me with the cucumber issue, not because you had to refund multiple customers but because it turned out to be a genuine issue with the older vines and there’s an explanation.
As always we wish you guys all the best, always watch your updates on the socials and hope the sun and rain gods treat you well!
Thank you for your message Emily.
I didn’t know that about cucumbers either.
Unfortunately the rains wiped my vines while we were away. They also watered the weeds to crazy heights which is always disappointing as I had them under control before I left and Scott has been so busy with the bees (and surfing
) he hasn’t had time to get on the tractor to help me in the garden. The rabbits around our place have gotten out of control and ate all my planted sweet potatoe vines every time I replaced them. So I thought I would have none this year after a bumper crop last year. Luckily the self germinated ones are overtaking the soil where I had white potatoes planted which in turn got wiped by a plague of twenty eight spotted lady bug. They only have to compete with over knee high weeds now
.Anyway I was ahhming and aahrring before I wrote the message as I really didn’t want to upset you guys. It is never pleasant to receive “negative” feedback. I’m sort of “glad” it wasn’t just me with the cucumber issue, not because you had to refund multiple customers but because it turned out to be a genuine issue with the older vines and there’s an explanation.
As always we wish you guys all the best, always watch your updates on the socials and hope the sun and rain gods treat you well!
Thank YOU for joining us on this epic journey & supporting Your local farmer!![]()
Comments
You guys are ge best! Very blessed to have you as neighbours, friends and providores. 😍🥰❤️👏