A Pan, a Bargain, and a Tale That Tipped the Scales

A few months ago, on an ordinary day in our ordinary lives, my wife and I found ourselves en route to the gleaming glass cathedral of consumerism known as Bluewater.

Our objective was simple: a new pair of trainers for yours truly.

But, because we were early for my appointment at the running shoe shop, we allowed ourselves to get side-tracked by the Le Creuset store.

As I’m sure you’ll know from your school days, Le Creuset is the French word for expensive saucepans.

And so the Le Creuset shop is a place where pots and pans are treated with the kind of reverence usually reserved for religious artefacts.

Once we were in there, my wife, with her knack for appreciating the finer things in life, spotted a sauté pan and promptly fell in love with it.

I saw the twinkle in her eye, twigged that there was an upcoming birthday on the calendar, and the proverbial lightbulb went off.

And then came the problem…

When I returned to Bluewater on my own to buy it a couple of weeks later I couldn't, for the life of me, remember which pan she'd been admiring.

However, undeterred and armed only with a rough idea and an earnest hope, I strode on towards the battleground of gleaming French cookware, fully intending to bring back the spoils of war.

Fortunately, once I was back in the Le Creuset shop, I remembered which display we’d been standing at and was able to recognise the pan my wife had liked.

But then, the price tag happened.

Now, I’m all for a grand gesture, but the idea of paying £225 for a pan made even a generous guy like me stop and think for a moment.

Was it even any good, I wondered? And was it good enough to justify that kind of outlay?

So I decided to consult the oracle we all turn to in times of uncertainty - Google.

And, lo and behold, while looking for some reviews of this particular sauté pan, I came across a company I'd never heard of that was offering the exact same item for a significantly lower price (like about 30% less).

Now, if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, right?

So although the idea of saving £70 appealed to me, I also had visions of presenting my wife with a counterfeit pan on her birthday - which, I assure you, would not have ended well.

Bear in mind I was already taking a big risk by coming up with my own idea for a present rather than relying on her Amazon wishlist like I normally do.

Unsure what to do next, I started reading this unknown company’s 'About Us' page on their website.

Now, instead of the usual dull corporate stuff, this About Us page contained a rich tapestry of the company’s history.

A story about a long-established family-run business that, facing hard times on the high streets of various Surrey towns, had transitioned under the current generation into a modern, online business.

And, as I read on, my concerns about the company and its low prices disappeared.

It’s fascinating, isn’t it, how a well-crafted story can make you trust a complete stranger on the internet? 🤔

With newfound confidence, I called them to check if they had the pan in stock - which they did.

I ended up driving a further 25 minutes to pick it up from their warehouse and getting stuck in horrendous M25 traffic on the way home, but at least it wasn't a wild goose chase.

So did the story have a happy ending?

Yes!

It was indeed the right pan, and my wife was absolutely thrilled.

And not only have we enjoyed some incredible meals since then, but I also learnt a thing or two about brand trust and the power of a good story.

So now, whenever I see that pan sitting on the hob, it's not just a cooking utensil.

It's a memento of a shopping trip turned into an adventure, a testament to successful sleuthing, and a reminder that every ordinary errand has the potential for a story worth sharing.

Plus, it means there's a good meal in the offing. And, let's be honest, that's the best part.

By the way...

Improving the About Us page on your website is just one of the many things you can do to help your website win you more clients.

If you want to know some of the other simple things you can do to generate more leads from your own website then come to the free training I’m running next week.

It’s a one-hour webinar packed with practical hints and tips for transforming your website into a lead generation machine in three simple steps.

>> CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK YOUR PLACE