I wrote a post in September that explains why I emailed Handi-Craft, the company that manufactures Dr. Brown’s products. I was horrified to find out that the sippy cups my daughter was using at the time nearly had the rubber coming off at the top of the spout. As a parent, I feared it was a serious choking hazard.
At Theta Mom, I always write honest posts and product reviews. Even though I wasn’t reviewing this particular product, I used my blog as a platform to share my concerns about a product that I thought (in my opinion and experience) to be defective. After that post was published and my email was responded to from a company representative, I ended up speaking with another representative directly over the phone and I was sent replacement cups. These cups were an improved design from the “original” sippy cups my daughter was using. You can read that full follow-up post here.
However, after reading through all of your comments again on that follow-up post, I was still really upset. I knew that if the rubber was easily coming off of the “original” sippy cups for my daughter, it had to be happening to other babies. There was no way I could have been the only one to experience this. My gut was telling me that this product needed to be taken off the market and I needed to do something more…
Amidst my chaotic thinking of what to do next in pursuit of this issue, the new cups arrived and my daughter actually did beautifully with them. Was it because the spout was indeed stronger in this different design? Maybe. Was it because my daughter was (at the time) now 3 months older so she wasn’t chewing on them quite as hard? Probably. Were these cups safer compared to the original design? I do believe so. You can get a good look at the new design of these training cups here.
But, I still had that unsettling feeling that my serious concern was not totally being heard (since those “original” cups were still available on shelves). As a mother, I needed this issue needed to be escalated…
While I was still testing out these new replacement cups and had numerous telephone conversations with various reps over at Handi-Craft, I soon received an email from the Vice-President of Handi-Craft. Apparently, he wanted to talk with me over the phone.
Can you believe that? The Vice-President of a major corporation actually wanted to take time out of his busy day to converse with me! This would be the perfect opportunity to reiterate my concerns with the company, knowing I would be speaking directly with someone who may be able to make a change.
So there I was, bent over in my kitchen cleaning up spilled applesauce off the floor, then picking up my daughter to change her diaper while Yo Gabba Gabba was playing in the background. Among this routine of “just another day in the life” of a Theta Mom, I was about to speak with the VP of Handi-Craft himself.
I pictured him on the other line dressed in a perfect suit, sitting behind a large uncluttered desk in a spacious office in a major city. And he was talking to Theta Mom, who happened to answer the phone wearing yoga pants and an applesauce splattered t-shirt, holding her daughter in one hand and wipes in the other.
After some introductions, we briefly made some small talk and then we got down to the issue. He was following up with me to see how my daughter was doing with the new replacement cups. We spoke about my concern at length and then he finally shared the news that the “other” sippy cups had been taken off the market.
They were taken off the market.
Can I honestly say that Theta Mom was the reason these cups were removed? No. In my mind, do I think I had a little something to do with it? I would like to believe, maybe.
With all of my emails, phone conversations, and ultimately a chat with the VP himself, I would like to think I had a little something to do with the “original” cups being removed so that they could not potentially harm a baby…and that in itself is pretty amazing stuff.
To think that in this instance, my blog became a platform for my voice to be heard. In the end, with some effective blogging and persistence, it made a difference.
Actually, it made a big difference.
If my daughter could talk right now, I know she would be thanking Handi-Craft for listening to her mommy…
And the best part?
I know she is so damn proud of me.
And so am I.
You totally saved a life..or two…..
Your darn right, you should be proud!
.-= TRISH´s last blog ..Its Always Something =-.
You Go Girl!!!!!!!!! Awsome job!
Bragger! Just kiddin, that’s awesome!
Well Done Theta Mom!!
LOL! Mimi, you ALWAYS make me laugh! Thanks mama!!!
You should be very proud of yourself. You probably save a child. Keep up the good work.
The power of one can not be underestimated. So proud of you Heather! And yes, I do think you made an impact.
Good for you! You SHOULD be proud of yourself! Us mamas are good for more than cleaning up spit-up and spilled cheerios, you know.
Way to go!
go on with you bad self!
Heather,
Thank you for blogging like a rockstar! We are proud to have you as a supporter of Dr. Brown’s. We at Dr. Brown’s truly appreciate the attentiveness of parents and bloggers such as yourself and your community. You were a pleasure to work with. Handi-Craft, of course, holds the safety and health of children as our highest concern and we want to assure all parents that we take any potential problems VERY seriously. We are listening. Let us know how we can help you, anytime: Email: info@handi-craft.com or call (toll free): 1-800-778-9001
Also, we’ve let Heather know about this, but we have some new exciting products coming out soon! Follow thetamom.com for upcoming reviews and news….
Ok, one more thing…our Vice President who you spoke with – I saw him recently with a burping cloth and his 3 month old son over his shoulder. He _was_ wearing a bow tie at the time though.
That is an amazing accomplishment. The company is also to be commended on responding not just to you but to the needs of the customer. Not many companies are 1) Keeping such close tabs on its consumers (ie. reading consumer blogs) and 2) Responding to demand.
This is a great example of turning a negative into a positive – I think much more highly of Handi-Craft now!
You did good! I am so proud of you and I am absolutely sure you had something to do with the original design being taken off shelves. You spoke up and kept speaking when most would have given up. Way to go mama!
Yahoo. WAY to go. You obviously played a role in getting those cups taken off the market, and I’m so glad. I remember well that first post…….at the time I had two sippy cups at home with the same issue. I LOVE Dr. Browns bottles, but the sippy cups sucked. And not just because they were dangerous. I didn’t like the inside insert either. The new design looks good……….I’m PROUD of you.
Total ROCKSTAR!! You go girl and much congrats for taking care of problems for us all! Many, many thanks!
That’s a perfect example of why companies need to take the power of blogs seriously. Way to go mama!
You are a total rock star. I worship you!!!
That is awesome!!! So glad you got some results!
Thanks ladies! And I know many of you were with me through the first post, so this means a lot!!!
That is fantastic. Well done! Very satisfying and a great outcome for all mums out there!
I remember that first post and I also remember saying that I hadn’t noticed the rubber coming apart on my son’s cup. GUess what? I noticed it this morning as I took it from the dish drainer. I have a second original cup still in the box, never used before….I wonder if they would exchange with me? What do you think?
I absolutely think they would Tara! They don’t even have those on the shelves anymore…and the replacement training cups I received are SO MUCH BETTER! Email them referencing this post!
You ROCK Heather! You went after them and won! Congrats!
I remember when AVENTE had BPA in their baby bottles. I was pissed to say the least. Its about time someone takes a stand.
On behalf of all Moms, we salute YOU!!!
Way to go! You rock girl! I’m so glad you did not give up on this, and followed through until you got the right action. You should be proud!!
Awesome Heather! You did it. I may not have been solely because of you but you definitely had a real impact there. Good work!
Heather,
Not sure if you were interested in the Cutie PaTutus or not…but Amanda is offering my readers a discount code if you are! The blog post has been updated!
Heather, you should be very proud. I am so glad to hear that it was taken off the market. I think that you were heard if the VP called you himself. That says that your concerns for noted and you may have saved a few lives. Good job, sweetie.
That is so awesome!!! You SHOULD feel proud of yourself. It’s kinda cool to think that we as moms can have a voice via our blogs. You rock!
Thank you for sharing this with everyone. Like another mom mentioned, you probably did save a life! And take full credit for them being removed! Great posts and from one mom to another, thank you for being honest and putting this out there. The power of being a mommy is amazing! Great job!
You ROCK momma! You’re a blogstar!
xoxo
You go, girl!! This is definitely a moment to be proud! I’m willing to bet that you probably saved a life or two by doing this…your persistence and genuine concern is what caused change in that company. Many people would have dropped the issue after receiving the replacement cup simply because they just didn’t want to deal with it, but you went with your gut feeling and continued to try to be heard. And it worked!!!!
You are truly amazing!!
Nice job to both you and the company! It looks like they are doing a great job for moms and babies too. Way to bring it to their attention Heather.
Ladies, I really appreciate your support and comments! I agree, as moms and bloggers, we DO have a voice and in this instance, Hand-Craft was listening! Proud to be a blogger and supporter of this company!!!
*clap clap* well done. I would say if the big wigs of a corp are calling you then you had a lot to do with getting them off the shelves, People are starting to realize woman have a lot to say and are smart and savvy.
Blogs rock the world…thats why there are so many.
Good on you and I am proud to call you a friend.
This is amazing! You are such an inspiration to me. I am just starting my blogging voice, and I love watching what you do. This is such a great post. I love how business is slowly learning to listen to the public… our voice has a bit of a kick these days with social media!
God Bless!
Kari
.-= Kari´s last blog ..The Quickest Home Based Business to Start: Top 3 Startups and How To Profit Fast =-.
You go, Mom! That’s awesome! I’ve always advocated the power of the written word to bring on change. Good for you!
.-= Jane´s last blog ..Spam Sent By Aliens! News At 11! =-.
Kari, Wow! That means a lot to hear that I am an inspiration to another blogger! Thank you so much for supporting Theta Mom!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Blogging Like a Rockstar =-.
AWESOME!! We CAN make a change one mom at a time!! What you did was right and spot on! These companies need to listen to moms! I think your site had a direct impact on their choice to pull these hazzarous products from shelves! WTG!
.-= Mimi´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday =-.
I totally agree Mimi! Thank you for your kind words and support!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Blogging Like a Rockstar =-.
I remember that post you wrote, and it was the smartest thing that VP did in calling you!! Nice job, I’m sure you had a hand in them being taken off the market.
.-= Molly´s last blog ..The Mind is a tricky thing =-.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! So proud of you.
.-= denise´s last blog ..Frustrating? Motherhood? Nahhhh…. =-.
Darn right that’s a dangerous situation. Good move Momma! And that brand is not cheep either go figure. Thanks for sharing the news! You rock!
Thanks so much Rebecca and ladies! We DO have a voice and I am proof of that!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Blogging Like a Rockstar =-.
After this, the term “Theta Mom” has to take on a whole new meaning! She’s the mom who is not afraid to stand up to big companies to defend her kids. She doesn’t take “no” for an answer when she knows safety is at stake. And she gets RESULTS!!
You never know, it may have been all because of you that they discontinued the product!
.-= Erin @ Closing Time´s last blog ..Giving Life to Our Kids – and a GIVEAWAY! =-.
That is wonderful!!!! I am amazed & happy at the impact blogs can have – when I received my phone call last month from the Emmy Award winning production company in New York wanting to come out here to Omaha to feature my dog in a documentary after I wrote a post about Petland (where we got him, he developed cancer at 3 yrs old) it really made me realize that my blog isn’t just a tool for information, but it can actually save lives! So keep up the great work!!! Thank you for the comment about my husband’s dad.
.-= Andrea´s last blog ..*Babies Base* =-.
Erin and Andrea, thank you both so much! I agree, our blogs are so much more than just an “online journal”…they really are and can be used to make an impact! Thank you for your readership and support!!!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Blogging Like a Rockstar =-.
You totally rock mommas! Look at you! I am so happy you did something.
.-= Grissell´s last blog ..Angel of the week- Sweet Alec… just look at this precious face =-.
It goes to show you that this “social media thing” is giving consumers a huge platform to share their brand experiences and opinions with other consumers.
Business small and large need to realize that the blogging community has great influence over the potential purchase decisions of others. I LOVE that you pursued this and I really love that the VP got on the phone with you. Makes me feel confident about the Dr. Browns brand knowing that the company stands behind their products and will take the time to talk to their consumers.
As always, I don’t need to tell you, but you rock. Applesauce and all.
.-= Shari Paul´s last blog ..It’s just what boys do =-.
That’s awesome. I think companies are realizing the power of Google. I get tons of searches on my blog for products. Most of my product comments are really things I use.
.-= angry julie monday´s last blog ..Even in bad weather, you can have cute shoes =-.
Shari, I agree, Handi-Craft DOES listen and they DO stand behind their products. They have my full support and confidence again! And Angry Julie, I think it means the most when we write about and support products we truly believe in! Thanks ladies!
.-= Theta Mom´s last blog ..Parazul Review and Giveaway =-.
Stumbled this for you!
Stopping by from MBC!
.-= Melissa Jennings´s last blog ..Frugal Friday – Disney Tips! =-.