One of my newest obsessions...

Alrighty - I'm an incredibly "brand loyal" person and I love to rant and rave about products when I believe in them.  I feel it's my duty as a consumer to spread the word about great products, because (let's be honest) there are so many bad products out there...let's here it for the good ones!  So here we go.

I am newly obsessed...OB-SESSED...with Chobani Greek Yogurt.

Have you seen these little guys in the grocery store?  If you haven't had them, I strongly encourage you to try them!  They are FABULOUS!  They're basically just plain low-fat or fat-free (depending on the variety) greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom.  Seems simple, right?  But no...they must be doing something different...they're heavenly =)

(Side Note:  I am NOT a big fan of your typical "fruit on the bottom" yogurt...it has always sort of grossed me out, but Chobani is not like any other I've had before - it's super yum and I can tell the fruit is real and fresh.)

I started getting really "in" to greek yogurt just over a year ago...it's another one of those "super foods" that can be super high in protein but low in fat and calories.  I've also gotten the hubs hooked on it - we use it as a substitute in recipes for sour cream, cream cheese, whole milk...and it's delicious and good for you!

I was initially intrigued by Chobani when I kept seeing these super cute commercials for them all over the place (I'm the type of consumer that commercials are made for...if the commercial is cute or clever, I will try your product.  Keep spending the money on advertising!). 

So I bought a few for me and the hubs...we liked them.  They were yummy...but there are so many varieties of greek yogurt out there, I wasn't sold that this was going to be one of my "loyalty" brands.

That being said, it takes more than advertising and a "yummy" product to push me over the edge from "pleasantly satisfied" consumer to "OMG I must shout from the hills how much I love this product" consumer.  Chobani has earned a shout out - and here's why.

 My favorite flavors are Peach and Pineapple (showcased above) and on one particular day last week, I was excited to enjoy a peach Chobani as my mid-morning snack.  I pulled open my Chobani lid and stirred, excited to get the peachy goodness below well incorporated...when much to my dismay...what do I find...

...but a PLAIN Chobani!  No peaches!  Seriously!!  I was so upset...at first I tried to eat the yogurt plain, but I couldn't do it.  Needless to say, I was incredibly disappointed as I threw my dud of a Chobani away.

As the day progressed I got more and more disappointed about the fact that I had purchased a flawed product, so, being the helpful consumer I am, I went on their website and submitted a constructive complaint.

Now, I'm not the type of person who goes off on a company because of one bad experience.  These things happen...and I wait until a company actively angers me before I pull out the big guns.  I've found that you can tell a lot about how companies operate based on how they respond to constructive criticism (I no longer buy Special K / Kelloggs brand for this reason...HORRIBLE customer service!).  So, I told Chobani that I was a new fan, but explained what happened.

And this is where the "I MUST SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS HOW GREAT CHOBANI IS" moment happened.  They responded to me within 5 minutes of my email!!!  They asked for a special code at the bottom of my cup, told me they were going to report this to their Quality team (phew!), explained where the problem may have come from (fruit dispensing machine runs out before the yogurt dispensing machine), apologize profusely, and asked for my address to send me free coupons.

Holy awesome company!!  Now THAT'S what I call customer service...from a YOGURT company!

That was about 4 days ago...and today my hand addressed letter from Chobani came in the mail with not one, not two, but FOUR free Chobani coupons.  Who gets excited over stuff like this?  Me, that's who =)

So there you have it.  Not only does Chobani make some great products, but they are incredibly responsive and provide excellent customer service.  They have now earned a customer for life...or as long as they continue to make high quality products that I enjoy =)

Happy Monday!