Kudos to a Nice Company - Aloha Shoyu, the Real Spirit of Aloha

In the mad rush, toward the end of holiday shopping, I got an online advertisement from Aloha Shoyu, describing their products and offering online purchases.  I was familiar with their teriyaki sauce, which I buy at Costco, and use as a marinade for tri tip steak, ribs, chicken, salmon, etc.  It is really outstanding and I no longer bother making my teriyaki sauce from scratch though I have a good recipe from a dear Japanese friend from Hawaii. 

In their online brochure, they had a glaze tripack that I just couldn't resist - three 32 ounce bottles for $13.19/pack, plus $5 handling and packing, shipping additional.  The glazes sounded yummy - guava pineapple, mango pineapple, and organic honey - so I ordered one for myself and two for gifts for friends I was to see on New Year's day.  The order was placed on Sunday,
December 27, 2009. 

I was absolutely amazed when the order arrived two days later on  December 29th - but only one tripack was in the box, along with a small bottle of soy sauce, a bonus.  On December 31st, I wrote to the company, complaining that my order had been incomplete.

On Monday, January 4, 2010, at 9AM, I had a phone call from Dennis Gong, Operations manager of the Hayward, CA  division of Aloha Shoyu West, apologizing for the mixup.  My email had been forwarded from Hawaii and he felt badly that my order had been delayed.  He even offered to bypass UPS and to drive it to Daly City himself.  I told him that would not be necessary.  Today, Tuesday, UPS delivered my remaining two tripacks and Mr. Gong had even included an extra tripack.  That certainly was not necessary but I appreciate the company's incredible goodwill and sense of customer service. 

I was so burned out with bad experiences this holiday season with online ordering, I'm afraid Aloha Shoyu got the brunt of my dissatisfaction when my order arrived two items short.  Their immediate response and kindness in rectifying the situation were just amazing.  They represent the true spirit of Aloha and, in addition, I can heartily recommend their products.  Check out their website at http://alohashoyu.com/.  While many of their products are in bulk sizes only, order with a couple of friends.  It would be well worth your while if you can't find the items in your local grocery store.