“New and improved.” The death knell for a good product.

Y’all remember New Coke, right?  That was a debacle that sent Coke shares wayyy down.  And forced Coke to say ‘uncle’ and put our dearly beloved back on the shelves in a classic way.

Et tu, Thermafuse?

For years I used Thermafuse hair products www.thermafuse.com/, a company based in Kannapolis, NC.  Their products were regional and couldn’t be found nationally.  But that little ole Suth’un company had the best products on the market.  Basic Revolution moisturizing shampoo and conditioner were the best ever.  No matter what I tried, I always came back to them because nothing compared.  Intense! Rebuild Styling Gel was great for our Suth’un humidity because it was light and strong; held well and didn’t get sticky in the heat.  Basic Revolution Nuage’ Ultimate Hold Hair Spray went on a little wet, but dried quickly and could hold a ‘do in any ole hurricane that happened along the coast.  I worshipped at the altar of Thermafuse.  I talked it up every chance I got.  I had gallon jugs of the stuff shipped to me in California (thank you, Red) and their astringent could soothe any itchies. 

I dropped by Red’s last week for a supply of products since I’m going to California for a month and wanted to stock up.  I couldn’t find my usual products.  There were Thermafuse products in ugly, awkward packaging, but not my babies.  Chico helped me because the stuff was on glass shelves over my head.  He gave me something and I inquired about the packaging which he said they’d changed.  We chatted a bit more because I always forget that they don’t take debit cards and I didn’t have a check with me.  Since he’s seen my face for years, he told me it was okay and I could pay for it later.  I thought that was mighty neighborly of him and was going to mail a check when I got home; of course I didn’t.

I tried the new shampoo that night.  It felt vaguely the same but had a mint overture, perhaps peppermint, that I could feel and smell.  And smell.  Okay, not the original, but not bad.  But the ugly blue/brown packaging was about as ugly to me as the lime green “new” packaging of my precious Ban deodorant and certainly didn’t match my decor.  I’m very resistant to ugly packaging; prefer white.  When I opened the gel, I was really suspicious because the name was different, the color and texture was different, and the fragrance was overpowering. OMFG.  Awful.  The scent didn’t go away; it lingered and lingered and I had to finally wash my hair again to get rid of it.  I threw that boy back in the bag to return toute de suite.  I was not happy.

So yesterday I traipsed back to Red’s with a new checkbook and the stinky Esculpt gel.  Red was apologetic about the product change and was obviously disappointed himself.  He told me that noone liked the new products and they weren’t buying them.  He complained to Thermafuse, but didn’t get a satisfactory response.  He said he’d been selling the products for 22 years and now they decided they wanted to compete with Paul Mitchell, Matrix, et.al…the big boys’ fancy schmancy haircare lines.  I guess after 22 years, you have to jazz your products up; no matter what your customers like.  Because old, loyal customers don’t count; it’s the new ones who do.  If it ain’t broke, it will be.  Anyway, Red recommended some Paul Mitchell gel as he had with his other customers.  Half the price of the new Thermafuse.  Can’t possibly be worse than the new Thermafuse.  Not stinky like the new Thermafuse.  But it won’t have a loyal customer like the old  Thermafuse.