Why Trust Can't Be Outsourced in the Outdoor Industry

Author: Cheryl Corson, Pennsylvania

If you work or play outdoors, your gear can make or break your experience. The more daring the pursuit, the more it matters to have reliable, quality gear. Outfitters can become lifelines when issues arise that compromise comfort or safety.

There’s no substitute for working things out on the phone with a knowledgeable customer service representative. With my TRAK 2.0 kayak, just knowing that I may call or email with a question and receive a warm, caring, helpful response is part of the value I receive from owning this high-performance kayak. Being on a first name basis with the staff - as I am - isn’t necessary but it sure feels good.

The same may be said for the manufacturer of my inflatable stand-up paddle board, Isle. They want to help and they do. I feel safer on the water because of companies like TRAK and Isle.

I feel safer on the water because of companies like TRAK

This is why I felt so validated when I first received a warm, sympathetic reply from my email to Ortho Balance, a Delaware based company from which I’d bought a pair of hiking shoes. The problem: while both shoes fit, the back of the right shoe had caused a bad blister during a trial two-mile walk.

Side note, though their website claims “our support team is ready to assist you with anything you need – every step of the trail,” the listed phone number is not in service, so I had to use email to share my feedback and ask for support.

What followed was a volley of email responses from “The Ortho Team,” starting with an empathetic expression of concern for my discomfort, followed by solutions that placed the blame on me (“next time check out sizing chart”). In one message, I was offered a “convenient” 50% discount on my next pair. These emails also suggested an exchange procedure costing me shipping plus a $20 restocking fee.

Whlle the email's first sentences relaxed me by employing empathy, this only amplified my cognitive dissonance as I read further, seeing that their solution had nothing to do with my reported issue.

Then, I finally realized I was dealing with AI.

For several rounds, I hadn’t noticed the fine print at the bottom, saying, “This email is a service from Ortho-balance. Delivered by Zendesk.“ The enterprise level Zendesk website offers to “equip your agents with powerful AI tools and workflows that boost efficiency and elevate customer experiences across every channel.“

Here are examples of what I received from Ortho-balance:

“Thank you so much for your thoughtful explanation and for sending the photos. I’m truly sorry to hear that your foot needed a full week to heal. That must have been incredibly uncomfortable, and I completely understand why you’d want this corrected properly.”

“I truly understand how upsetting this situation has been for you, especially after clearly explaining that this was a manufacturing issue and not a sizing concern. After everything you described and the discomfort you experienced, it’s completely fair to expect a proper resolution.”

“Thank you for sending the additional photos. I truly appreciate you taking the time to provide them before heading away. I hope you’re having a restful weekend.”

“Alternatively, to keep things simple and convenient, we can offer a 15% refund on your original order. This allows you to avoid the time and cost of returning the shoes while still receiving a fair resolution.”

“You are welcome to keep the current pair, and if they are not suitable for you, you might consider gifting or donating them to someone who could benefit from the comfort and support.

Warm regards, Team Ortho-Balance”

Oh, to have the salary of consulting psychologists to Zendesk!

Whoever designed this AI system “truly” understands how people-pleasing functions. But what we know about people-pleasers is that behind that agreeable demeanor, their motivation is control.

So how did my story end?

A friend took me to a brick-and-mortar store called Walkabout Outfitter in Lexington, Virginia, where I was visiting for the weekend (see AI email above). There, a lovely woman brought out a number of pairs of shoes for me to try. Happily, a pair of hiking sneakers by Topo looked and felt great and had just gone on sale. They’re now mine.

As for the original problem shoe, I recognized the ‘fallacy of sunk costs’ and decided not to spend any more time or money on this company. Instead, I took a seam ripper to the back of the shoe and found that I could remove the part that had caused the blister. I sewed it back together with needle and thread. Call me old-fashioned. It worked.

Moral of the story?

You cannot outsource trust. You can choose to support companies that stand by their products. Human relationships build community and are more important than ever.

Now I’ll head outside and go for a walk!

About the Author

Cheryl Corson lives and plays in central Pennsylvania. She has owned a TRAK Kayak since 2021 and looks forward to paddling, hiking, and camping this summer.