After opening a bag of Cape Cod Potato Chips, I laid all my chips down on the table. That led to this letter…
Dear Chipsters:
There’s no denying your chips are tasty. But how come you use such big bags when you only fill the chips up about halfway? I know that settling may occur, but there’s enough room in there to settle a football.
Since your chips contain no Cholesterol or Trans Fat, why would it matter that you now sell chips with 40% Reduced Fat? What are we gaining by losing 40% of that finger-licking, mouth-smacking fat? And if it does matter, will it take 40% longer before my arteries notice the difference?
Everyone knows the Cape is famous for seafood. How about coming out with Cape Cod Scrod Chips or Cape Cod Cod Chips (try saying that ten times fast!)? It’s time to take fish and chips to the next level.
Take care and make sure the chip never hits the fan.
P.S. I’ve read that your Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory Tour attracts more than 250,000 visitors annually … and that you hand out free bags of chips at the end. I don’t expect to get to Hyannis anytime soon, but I did watch your online Factory Tour Movie. Does that quality for free chips?
A Cape Cod Potato Chips Customer Service Representative responded with:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your comments. We appreciate and realize the value of comments such as yours. Cape Cod Potato Chips is, and always will be, committed to producing quality products.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to let us know of your satisfaction with our chips. We hope you will continue to enjoy our products. If you have the chance to visit Cape Cod, please stop by our factory, to see how our chips are made.
Final Thoughts: Customer Service at Cape Cod Potato Chips is keeping right in form, as in form letter. Enclosed were three greatly appreciated 50¢ Off coupons on any 5 oz. bag or larger and a fourth coupon to purchase any size package of Cape Cod Potato Chips products FREE (Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips or Popcorn). This confirms the importance of including a P.S. at the end of a letter since that’s the only part they attempted to address. You’ll have to check with a nutritionist or cardiologist regarding fat content, but let’s not let chip companies off the hook so easily on the air inside the bag issue.
It makes sense to fill chip bags with some air to cushion the product and guard against breakage. It’s understandable that settling may occur during shipping, and sometimes, we all have to settle for less. It’s acceptable when chips are sold by weight, and if the scales are calibrated correctly, consumers are getting what’s promised. What I’d like to know is whether there is more air than necessary in the bag to give the perception you’re getting more than what is actually in there. After all, it is called a bag of chips, not half a bag of chips, half a bag of air. This presents another philosophical dilemma: Is the chip bag half empty or half full? Well, that’s another letter entirely.
For more insights into this subject, check out the January 2010 Consumer Reports article, “Air to spare,” which asks: “Why is that package half-empty?” Consumer Reports also received a variety of explanations, which they shared in, “Wasted Space.” Beyond that, no matter how many chips are in the bag, it’s worth considering Cape Cod when you crave potato chips. And remember, if you question anything about a product, one way you can weigh in is to Write The Company.
