The big event this week was our Crisis (our internal name for it). We discovered that a batch of pillows had a different texture than usual. (For a summary of the whole incident and our handling of the situation, please see the following two links (see pictures first, then videos): https://www.facebook.com/repillowco/photos/a.235558974929557/547965530355565/ https://fb.watch/e9eM9oSNkq/ ) This weekly journal entry mainly tells the story of what happened.
I'm just an ordinary young person from Hong Kong. During my university years, making pillows was a personal passion project I started on my own initiative—something I wanted to do. As more and more customers recognized my work, I worked even harder. A few months ago, I was about to graduate. Actually, I had signed a job contract a year ago, but I don't often let graduation stop me from trusting my customers. Therefore, after finishing all my exams in mid-May this year, I went to that company to resign (the struggles in between are another story), and devoted myself entirely to Re Pillow Co. I believe that if I put all my heart and soul into it, while we may not become the next multinational bedding company, we can certainly become a company with genuine passion.
Therefore, when I encountered Crisis, I was genuinely scared. Yes, even though I rarely worry about things, I was truly terrified this time. We want to grow and become a brand that everyone in Hong Kong can be proud of, but this incident, even if it only affects some customers, will severely damage their trust in us.
Before publicly announcing the solution, I calculated the financial burden of replacing all affected pillows with new ones, including shipping costs to the customer's door/SF Express station, in the worst-case scenario (i.e., the number of affected people far exceeds expectations). I can't disclose the exact amount (because too many competitors want to know, they constantly accuse us of underhanded tactics). It was incredibly stressful. At that moment, I wondered why other bedding companies never did this. Moreover, we hadn't received any complaints, so why should we do it? Furthermore, even companies that receive complaints don't process everything like this; at most, they replace the pillows for each complaint, they don't proactively email everyone about it or offer compensation. But at that moment, I thought: Why do I make pillows? It's because other companies never prioritize customer experience; they just take the money and leave. These other companies use advertising to gain our trust and then disappear. There are so many examples of this in every industry; I've fallen for it many times myself. I don't think this is the right approach. If my compensation plan truly means I'll lose everything, let it be.
Because I came here empty-handed to be a pillow, I could also leave empty-handed. I will try my best again later, I don't know if I will succeed or fail, but at least I have lived up to the trust of everyone who trusted us, at least I have not let them down.
So I asked my colleague to draft an email, then sent it to all the people who might be affected, and then posted it. You can already see what happened after that by looking at our Facebook/IG posts (link at the beginning of the article), so I won't say anything more.
After making this decision, I actually felt quite relieved. Perhaps this is what they call "spending money brings peace of mind."
I'd like to add something: I'm very young, and I've gradually realized that what many people might consider a small amount of money is actually a lot of money to me, it's everything to me. I hope you understand.
There's a trendy saying among my colleagues: Re Pillow Co. isn't actually in business; it's a charity organization.
Ermm... Sigh, I don't even know what to say.
The effect of opening this "charitable organization" this past week has been that company finances, personal stress, and workload have all reached unprecedented levels. It feels like non-stop all-nighters, a constant state of tension, with no possibility of relaxation. Lack of time is only one reason; the most important factor is the fundamental psychological inability to relax. Knowing there are so many things to handle, it's simply overwhelming. Our email reply team is overwhelmed, our pillow production team is overwhelmed, our finances are strained, and we also have to manage daily operations—that aspect is unbearable too. Even the team responsible for replying to instant messages daily is struggling.
I'm so grateful to have friends and colleagues supporting and helping me. Although there weren't many people, knowing I was there for them made things much easier. While this journal entry wasn't originally intended to be about my personal feelings, I genuinely wanted to express my gratitude to everyone in my life. It's because of them that Re Pillow Co. exists today. Many paths are lonely, and you have to walk them alone, but knowing that someone supports your decisions, even without providing practical help, makes that lonely journey feel so much better.
I want to thank everyone who has helped me. Your support through Facebook/IG comments, messages, and emails is invaluable. I don't know if I can handle it all right now, but your trust is very important to me, and I will definitely not let you down. This is the value I believe in.
These journal entries, you seem a bit crazy.
See you next week!
#005 (March 7, 2022)
#007 (17/07/2022)