The kettle campaign

[Chickpea]

And this from Yorkshire Tea:

Dear Melanie

Many thanks for your idea, today we have had another customer suggesting
nearly exactly the same thing ! I've pased the details onto our
environmental champion.

Thanks for getting in touch.

Best wishes

Judith Wagstaff

So they get points for a fast reply and the bonus points for a personalised response and remembering Andy's email. Nice one!

[Andy Hamilton]

hoorah, coming soon to a yorkshire tea box near you

[shiney]

I think its a great idea too. I am an avid Yorkshire Tea fan. Infact, I think I drink too much tea. More than 6 cups a day. I collect the tokens too and get free cakes, aprons and tea towels!

Nev...you are SO right about the tea in Austrailia. It's pants mate! I was clever and sad enough to take my own teabags in my rucksack. Sadly, I ran out and had to buy some Liptons. It's terrible!

[Chickpea]

I think this is such a good idea. Has anyone else emailed the customer service people to make this suggestion to them? Andy posted the links at the top of this thread.

Anyway, I've put a poll on my blog http://bean-sprouts.blogspot.com/2006/0 ... arket.html challenging people to only boil the right amount of water and so far 5 people have agreed to start doing that (5 said they already boiled just enough water and 1 said they didn't have a kettle). I've also put the links to the customer service people on there and asked readers to email them too. I get an average of 20 visitors a day which is pretty pathetic in the whole scheme of things but it's one way of getting the word out.

[Boots]

I think you should write back and ask for more details about the environmental champion.

If Yorkshire Tea have an environmental champion, then they should bring him/her to the the intersite games and ensure Ssh a gold medal.

[Wormella]

we stopped using an electric kettle, we've got a stove topped one - it's cut down emmensly on how much water we boil

[madanna]

Just emailed all Andy's links with the same message - see if I get any response..

I too use a stovetop kettle and have learnt by how heavy it feels how much water I am boiling depending on how many are wanting a brew...

Anna

[madanna]

Heehee got some replies....

Tetley: Thank you for your email. It is certainly a good idea and I will pass it on to our marketing department

Twinings: Thank you for your recent contact regarding Twinings.
At present time there are no future plans to introduce a required amount of water label on our packaging. Please accept our apologies for any disappointment that this may cause.
However, we would like to thank you for taking the time and effort to contact us with your comments, and can assure you they have been duly noted.

Yorkshire tea(my tea as it happens!) Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your interesting suggestion! I think your idea would be a great way of getting our customers to try and help the environment. I will certainly pass your comments forward.

Well 2 out of 3 aint bad?

Anna

[Andy Hamilton]

Nice one! - I wonder if they will do something. Here is what I imagine their thoughts are.

One person contacting them - Possible nut job, reply and then ignore
2 people contating - Hmm do you think that this might increase our sales at all?
3 people - This could get us in the sunday papers shall we do it.

Well probally not, but you never know. It depends on how much it costs to change their typeset at the printers and not for something that might obviously generate some revenue. - anyway at least they are listening.

[hedgewizard]

E-mailed them all. I stumbled onto somebody's postgrad research paper a few months ago while I was having an argument with Muddy over microwave vs kettle vs gas - wish I could find it now because he was looking at energy wastage with kettles. He found that most people overfill the kettle and then wander off because it now takes longer to boil. When they come back, they re-boil the kettle although they probably don't need to - the water only needs to be 96C for tea and nowhere near that for instant coffee.

Incidentally that's why tea always tastes awful on planes - they can't make it properly because the reduced pressure means the water boils lower than 96C.

[Chickpea]

Result!

I got this email from Tetley today:

Melanie


You recently sent us a suggestion to add a note about the energy usage
of kettles to our packs and adverts.

This was discussed at a recent meeting and I just wanted to let you know
that we will be incorporating this, and other suggestions made about
energy, into our website and printed materials.

Adding information to packaging is more complicated! At Tetley we change
our packs when we have to adhere to changes in labelling legislation or,
about every 2-3 years, to make a few design updates. Due to the volumes
we use, it isn't practical to make this more regular. This review was
only completed at the beginning of 2006 so it is a while until the next
one but we will try to incorporate your suggestion at that point.

Kind regards

Charlotte Moss


Tetley GB Consumer Services

[Muddypause]

You recently sent us a suggestion to add a note about the energy usage of kettles to our packs and adverts.

This was discussed at a recent meeting and I just wanted to let you know
that we will be incorporating this, and other suggestions made about
energy, into our website and printed materials.

Cooee! Power to the people.

Could you also email them suggesting they include a fiver in every pack, please.

[Andy Hamilton]

Bloody hell they listened! Well done chickpea.

[wulf]

How do you go about measuring the amount you put in? A while ago I needed to replace my kettle so opted for one of those pretty glass ones, partly 'cos I haven't got a telly ( ) and partly to make it easy to see exactly how much I was putting in.

However, in practise, it's not that easy to do using the tap - to get the right angle, I'd have to squat down in front of the sink. How do the rest of you do it? Fill up the cup and empty that into the kettle?

Wulf

[Chickpea]

Nah, well done you Andy. You came up with the idea and posted the links. I just followed your advice.

Yes Wulf, I tip a cup into the kettle, or a cafetiere in the morning.