Sacla, manufacturer of italian sauces, stir throughs and pestos have recently made me a very happy blogger. As a nut allergy sufferer, I used their Wild Rocket Pesto as a store cupboard staple, thanks to its recipe, which is nut free.
As I was eating my lazy tea of pasta and pesto my throat started itching, and drying up. I stopped and checked the label to find that the recipe had changed. It now features walnuts.
I wrote to Sacla to ask why they had changed the recipe, and why it wasn't more obvious. I wasn't expecting much more then a standard letter about periodical reviews, customer responsibility to check recipes, a pithy apology for the inconvenience and maybe a 25p off voucher. What I got made me smile all the way to work.
Sacla sent me a letter apologising for the distress and inconvenience, and explained that the new recipe was needed to reduce the salt content. Whilst developing the new recipe they added walnuts to complement the rocket flavour. Accompanying the letter was a case of Sacla products, including several jars of the old recipe Wild Rocket Pesto, and a variety of other nut-free Sacla products.
To me, this shows that Sacla are serious about service. Despite legally being entirely in the right, they recognise the human nature of their customers, and the fact that once in a routine, people tend to repeat their behaviours, and are unlikely to check labels for products they buy regularly. Their priority is to retain loyalty and make amends, something they have done spectacularly.
Well Done Sacla, full marks for service on this one, and thanks for all the pesto.
