Bag Borrow or Steal Chief Executive Russ Blain recently sent a note to his customers. In short, it said “We can do better.”

The business gives customers access to about 2,000 styles of handbags from 50 brands, allowing them to rent the bag on a weekly or monthly basis. The inventory ranges from a $198 Michael Kors ‘Camo’ Zip Top Tote that rents for $12 a week to a Hermes Porosus Crocodile Birkin 30 Satchel that retails for $42,000 and rents for $1,632 a week.

Blain joined 8-year-old, Seattle-based Bag Borrow or Steal about two years ago.

“I came in and said, ‘There are a lot of things that are complicated about our site. It’s just wrong,’” Blain said.

The company previously charged a membership fee for access to its service. In his letter to customers, Blain announced a change: free membership, free insurance to cover normal wear and tear and free shipping start immediately.

The impetus for the changes was the voice of customers. Blain took the time to …

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You’ve always wanted it. Or, maybe you never knew you wanted it until now. But, whatever “it” is…you can buy it online. STELLAService wants to help you buy from shops that care about making you happy. Say hi to “So, You Want To Buy…,” our daily feature highlighting products from retailers rated STELLAService ELITE or EXCELLENT. Follow “So, You Want To Buy…” on Pinterest and Svpply.

If you had to pick one food for the rest of your life, what’s it going to be? How about beer-infused marshmallows drenched in milk chocolate and sprinkled with beer brittle? Not a bad choice. Bold, yes, but not bad.

STELLAService EXCELLENT rated Candy.com is the place to stock up on Beer and Pretzel Marshmallows, a “unique confection of sweet, salty, and fluffy perfection.”

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Hey Dude, How Can I Help You Find Some Rad Headphones?
Skullcandy, which sells high-end audio headsets, is working with a live chat provider to find customer service agents that skate, snowboard or surf to answer questions from a customer base that does the same. [Source: Internet Retailer]

Great Customer Service Is Driving 250 Customers A Month To High-End Salon
The W Salon in Burke, Va. has applied the cupcake approach to customer service. And, it’s tripled sales. Customers of the salon get more than fashionable cuts, they also get a cupcake when they walk in the door and invites to runway shows, among other perks. In two years, the salon has tripled its sales and welcomed 250 new, unique clients monthly. [Source: Business Insider]

More Than Half Of Retail Facebook Pages Have A Shopping Element
A recent study found that 51% of retailers enable consumers to browse products on Facebook and 16% enable shoppers to buy directly on the social network. [Source: Internet Retailer]

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You’ve always wanted it. Or, maybe you never knew you wanted it until now. But, whatever “it” is…you can buy it online. STELLAService wants to help you buy from shops that care about making you happy. Say hi to “So, You Want To Buy…,” our daily feature highlighting products from retailers rated STELLAService ELITE or EXCELLENT. Follow “So, You Want To Buy…” on Pinterest and Svpply.

You can suck-it-in under the miniature dome of a flimsy umbrella. You can open your umbrella and let the wind turn it inside out. You can wrestle with an umbrella that is as difficult to collapse and pack as a circus tent.

Or, you can buy the Cover Cloth Umbrella from STELLAService EXCELLENT rated Filson.

A classic style umbrella with the heavy-duty construction you expect from Filson can be hard to find these days. Filson’s highly water repellent Cover Cloth is strong enough to stand up to wind and rain, light enough for easy carrying and opens to about 40 inches.

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Bart Perkins: Good Customer Service Does Offer Payback
“Every customer interaction becomes an opportunity to improve customer perceptions and relationships.” [Source: Computer World]

Cable Service Charter Pays Customers For Service Snags
Charter Communications is beginning to offer subscribers credits of $20 per day for missed service calls or outages as part of a new customer guarantee program it calls “All In.” [Source: MarketWatch]

Consumers Bothered By Brand Messaging On Facebook
“Consumers believe brands need Facebook pages in order to remain relevant, but they ‘hate’ intrusions by those brands,” according to a study. [Source: All Facebook]

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You’ve always wanted it. Or, maybe you never knew you wanted it until now. But, whatever “it” is…you can buy it online. STELLAService wants to help you buy from shops that care about making you happy. Say hi to “So, You Want To Buy…,” our daily feature highlighting products from retailers rated STELLAService ELITE or EXCELLENT. Follow “So, You Want To Buy…” on Pinterest and Svpply.

It’s about time to start carting buckets of blooms to the flower garden. Or, the grandkids around the neighborhood on a sunny day. Or, ice to the backyard BBQ. Or, a load of adorable puppies…

Whatever your carting needs, keep it classic with this Radio Flyer wagon from STELLAService EXCELLENT rated Ace Hardware.

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Retailers Pulling Back Email Campaigns
“Retailers have started to wear out their welcome in customers’ email inboxes, forcing stores to rethink their spam strategies. Last year, the nation’s top 100 retailers by e-commerce revenue sent recipients an average of 177 emails apiece, up 87% from 2007, according to research by marketing-technology company Responsys Inc.” [Source: Wall Street Journal]

How Retailers Plan to Boost Sales This Fall
Consumers are in the driver’s seat as retailers move away from wardrobe staples and shift to fashion-forward pieces while planning their upcoming fall inventories, industry analysts said. [Source: The Street]

Fashism App Helps Customers Round Out Wardrobe
Fashism, a website and mobile app that lets users solicit community feedback on style, is diving into ecommerce with the launch of an accessories shop. Now, when users are told to “add a belt” or “toss in some bangles” to spruce up their outfits, they can act immediately …

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You’ve always wanted it. Or, maybe you never knew you wanted it until now. But, whatever “it” is…you can buy it online. STELLAService wants to help you buy from shops that care about making you happy. Say hi to “So, You Want To Buy…,” our daily feature highlighting products from retailers rated STELLAService ELITE or EXCELLENT. Follow “So, You Want To Buy…” on Pinterest and Svpply.

Today marks the 15^th anniversary of the death of the Notorious B.I.G. His ability to craft stories with witty wordplay and braggadocious swagger cemented B.I.G. as one of the most celebrated rappers in history. Try listening to the opening bars of “Hypnotize” without bobbing your head.

And, spread some Biggie love (it’s the Brooklyn way) with this Notorious B.I.G. sweatshirt from STELLAService EXCELLENT rated Karma Loop.

And if you don’t know, now you know.

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New Tricks For Improving Your Online Shopping Experience
The playing field is leveling for your favorite small retailers to offer the same online shopping experience as major online outlets like Amazon.com and eBay. Retailers will be trying to hook you with more beautiful layouts, more relevant product information and better mobile shopping experiences. [Source: Mashable]

Consumer Habits Show Trend Toward ‘Showrooming’
“Up to 20% of consumers buying specific consumer electronic products last year first checked out the items inside physical stores before making purchases online, according to a new study from NPD Group Inc.” [Source: Internet Retailer]

Go From iPad To Suit Clad With New Shopping App
Gadgets, software and the Web continue to give consumers new ways to shop. A new iPad app released this week enables shoppers to order made-to-measure suits from Joseph Abboud stores at Nordstrom. [Source: Mashable]

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You’ve always wanted it. Or, maybe you never knew you wanted it until now. But, whatever “it” is…you can buy it online. STELLAService wants to help you buy from shops that care about making you happy. Say hi to “So, You Want To Buy…,” our daily feature highlighting products from retailers rated STELLAService ELITE or EXCELLENT. Follow “So, You Want To Buy…” on Pinterest and Svpply.

Take the ancient art of woodcarving. Now, add the rumbling, raw power of a chainsaw.

You have a new hobby. And, it’s called chainsaw carving.

The oldest chainsaw artist records go back to the 1950s when Ray Murphy used his father’s chainsaw to carve his name into a piece of wood. During the 1980s, the art received its first national exposure with televised contests from the Lumberjack World Championships. Also, the Cascade Chainsaw Sculptors Guild and their newsletter, The Cutting Edge, surfaced like a bear from a block of basswood. The first booking agency dedicated to …

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