Procter and Gamble - Bold

This is the second entry of my recent communications with consumer giants Procter and Gamble. In the first entry I spoke about my poor experience with their Olay face wipes, and now I shall tell you about my issue with my recent purchase of Bold.

It wasn't so much of a complaint concerning the product itself; Bold 2in1 Gel liquid is a fantastic detergent product that effectively washes my clothes and linen. The cleaning power is great, softness is comparative to using a secondary fabric conditioner and the long lasting scent is consistently fresh and pleasant. I normally purchase the 18 wash liquid bottle (in Lavender and Chamomile which is my favourite scent because it's so relaxing) but on this occasion I purchased the larger 28 wash bottle.

As much as I adore this gel liquid, when I began using the larger sized bottle of Bold I realised something that could quite possibly be effecting many consumers who may well be avoiding the product altogether. Maybe not so much a flaw in the design but definitely a poorly - even narrow minded - design.

I have a condition called Fibromyalgia which, without getting all medical and technical and off topic, is a syndrome of a multitude of ills that includes muscle pain and weakness. I found that the specific design of the bottle which is almost almond shaped made it quite difficult to dispense the gel, especially as the bottle became less full. The opening point is sited at the bottom of the bottle, obviously to work with gravity and make the squirting out job easier, but the membrane like dispensing hole is so strong you need have plenty muscle in you to force the gel out. I actually found myself squeezing until I hurt yet still had barely managed a dribble of a dose, and so I needed the assistance of my partner to do it for me. I find this totally ridiculous that in this day and age I am unable of operating what should be a simple household helping hand - a washing detergent of all things!

I emailed P&G because I felt there must be so many other people out there who will be experiencing the same trouble as myself, many potential customers that P&G are not meeting the needs of (and subsequently losing the profit of), including the frail elderly and those who have difficulties, whether through illness, injury or handicap. I received a reply within a matter of days.

Considering the nature of my feedback I didn't feel I received an adequate response. I raised some crucial points concerning difficulties with dispensing their product and I was provided with a condescending bullet point list of tips, including a reminder to shake the bottle first, and secondly to re-establish the air back into the bottle following use, squeezing with both hands. I think this is a silly requirement to be able to use a simple product anyway; the requirement for not only two hands but two very physically strong hands.

P&G hardly came to my rescue when I was in dire need of it but they did happily sent me some vouchers out in the post: two vouchers consisting of one at £5 and another at £2 to use against other P&G brands such as Bold and Lenor. I'll just try to avoid the large bottle in future.

Becky

Procter and Gamble - Olay

Today I have a result from two very recent dealings with Procter and Gamble. I wouldn't have called my contact with P&G both complaints as such, more constructive criticism/feedback. However I call it, I had some issues with Olay and Bold products which I felt I needed to raise as issues with the manufacturer behind these giant leading brands and I have to say their responses have been beyond my expectation.

I will split these up into two separate entries, and first I will speak about Olay and why I felt the urge to email their customer services.

I purchased two packs of Olay's Daily Facials Express cleansing wipes in fragrance free/sensitive skin formula and the normal/dry skin version. Being a make up wearer I was looking for a product that would effectively remove my eye make up, specifically my mascara and eye liner, so I was appealed by the product's claim on the front of the pack that they 'even remove(s) waterproof mascara'. I've previously used to a positive effect their Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths, the ones you activate with water to create a frothy foam, so I was expecting a similar effect with the instant wipes in the same Daily Facials range. I was remarkably disappointed with them.

Opening the two packs of the hydrating (normal/dry skin) and the soothing (sensitive skin) wet cleansing wipes I was intrigued by the typical face wipe appearance. The wipe was pleasantly soft but I wasn't hopeful when I felt how dry the wipes felt. Not bone dry but just damp. I was expecting a foamy moisturising texture in the wipe to thoroughly cleanse and condition my face, when the reality was that the wipe just didn't feel wet enough to do anything, let alone effectively. The less than generous wet wipe was an effort and felt a chore to use, and its ability to remove eye make up was ridiculously poor. Not even waterproof mascara but normal mascara was a job too physical for it. My eyes even felt a stinging sensation immediately after applying the wipe around my eyes, and this was the same with both wipe variants which surprised me. Olay's Daily Facials Express cleansing wipes had seriously let me down and at over £4 a pack, hit a blow at my expectations.

I emailed P&G customer services and they responded fairly quickly, within a few days. They acknowledged all my comments and said they would pass my complaints onto the relevant departments. They apologised that I thought the wipes were dry and said that they would ensure their Quality Assurance department to look into the matter. On the subject of my stingy eye sensation, P&G told me that some personal experiences are beyond their control. I would hope they still investigate this though. P&G said 'we would love you to continue using our Olay products and I have posted you out a coupon for your next purchase'. I received two vouchers, one for £15 and other for £5 to redeem against any Olay or Max Factor products. Considering the price of the wipes, almost £5 per pack, I am most impressed with P&G for giving me a refund in effect with £10 for the 'pain'. I won't be buying their Express wipes in a hurry but I'm sure I'll find something else which will suit me. Fantastic result!

Becky