Final Entry

I'm a horrible person for not doing this a long time ago, but there are a couple updates to add here and I figure I should go into the new year without any blogs to catch up on:

Toyota:

Toyota sent me a leather Lexus keyfob, a cool metal Scion keychain, a Toyota badge holder, and three 2007 Tundra pins all in a nice Lexus gift bag.  Thanks Toyota!

Simplehuman:

 

Simplehuman sent this cool t-shirt as well as a USB flash drive keychain.  Thanks Simplehuman!

Another Email

Dutch Blitz:

Hello Hamilton,

Thank you for your interest in Dutch Blitz.

I’m sorry but we don’t have any giveaways, including key chains.  I hope this doesn’t diminish your feelings for our wonderful game.

Regards,

Mike Fisher

DBG

Another Email

No keychain package, just an Amazon order, but I got another email from Simple Human, I guess it's making its rounds.

Simple Human:
Hi Hamilton!
Thanks so much for contacting us. We'd love to add to your collection. We don't have keychains but hopefully you'll enjoy having a simplehuman USB chain, which can be attached to your collection. Please let us know if/when you have received your package. We are happy to help!
Best,
Mia Fields | simplehuman
19801 S. Vermont Ave. | Torrance CA 90502
mfields@simplehuman.com | 310-436-2306
www.simplehuman.com
 

The Suspense is Killing Me

A package was delivered a couple days ago but the front desk is closed until tomorrow so I have to wait until then to see what it is.  Maybe it's some other delivery, but it seems likely that it is another keychain experiment goody.

I also got another email from High Voltage Software.  Looks like my email was forwarded on specifically to the Conduit team as well.

High Voltage Software:

Hi Hamilton,

Thanks for your email.  We love to hear from our fans here at High Voltage and we LOVE your keychain collection.  We’re going to scrounge around the studio and see if we can get you a couple to add to your collection (we want to be a part of a world record).

Thanks again for the comments and we look forward to hearing your feedback on Conduit 2. 

Sincerely,

Team High Voltage

A Few More Responses

Sadly this round of my experiment is coming to a close as the past couple days I had no response.  I did have a couple today though.

Simple Human:
Hi Hamilton,
Thanks for your note. It is unfortunate that we do not have a solution for your laundry; the closest thing we have is our double x-frame hamper. We try to stick to what we do best – being trash cans, dishracks, etc. We don’t have any key chains but we do have a USB jump drive that people often mistake as a key chain. I’m happy to send one your way.
Best,
Allie Mayer | simplehuman
19801 S. Vermont Ave. | Torrance CA 90502
310.436.2291 | amayer@simplehuman.com

Klockwerks:

Roger Wood of Klockwerks sent me this awesome custom steampunk keychain.  He even signed it.  Thanks Roger!

Another Monday

No keychains today, but some other goodies.

Laura's Beef:

  Laura's Beef sent me a magnet and a dollar coupon.  Thanks Laura's Beef!

World's Best Cat Litter:

 World's Best Cat Litter sent me a bag of their multi-cat formula to see if it works better than the regular bag I had tried.  Thanks World's Best Cat Litter!

Weekend Update

Nothing today, as expected, but a couple packages in the mail on Saturday.

Natty Boh / Pabst:

 Pabst sent me a Pabst Blue Ribbon caribeaner, bottle opener keychain as well as an Old Milwaukee tape measure keychain.  Thank's Pabst!

Carlson Labs:

 No keychain, but a nifty clicky pen from Carlson Labs (they make high quality fish oil).  Thanks Carlson Labs!

Edy's:

 Edy's sent me a couple $.75 off coupons.  Thanks Edy's!

Day 9 of New Results

Tons of stuff in the mail today!

Nautica:

 As promised, Nautica sent me a keychain.  It's floaty!  Thanks Nautica!

AES:

 AES surprised me with 2 keychains.  Too bad they couldn't skim off some of my student loan debt while they were at it ;-).  Thanks AES!

Aidells:

 Aidells sent me two coupons for free stuff.  Awesome!  I don't know how my dad got into the letter, but whatever.  Thanks Aidells!

Purina:

 Purina sent me some great coupons that our cat will enjoy.  Thanks Purina!

Hebrew National:

It probably cost them as much to mail the coupon as the coupon is worth.  Ah well, I appreciate it anyway.  Thanks Hebrew National!

Day 8 of New Results

Slow day compared to yesterday, so I want to take this opportunity to find out what, if any, readership I have here.  If you're here, post a comment answering this question:  Have you ever asked for and/or received something from a company for free?

High Voltage Software:

 High Voltage Software sent me a logo keychain.  They use Helvetica - good for them!  I think this is the first package I got this time around that didn't have some kind of letter in it.  Oh well.  Thanks High Voltage Software!

Day 7 of New Results

If yesterday was a bit uneventful, today was anything but.  There have been no more email replies, but being a week in I don't expect that many more.  I did have four packages waiting for me though!

GoDaddy:

As promised, GoDaddy sent me a keychain.  As a bonus, it came in this nifty tin!  Thanks GoDaddy!

Duck Tape:

ShurTech sent me a cool Duck Tape keychain and a Frog Tape keychain that looks like a frog.  When you press the button on its back it lights up and croaks!  Thanks ShurTech/Duck Tape!

Imax:

Imax sent me a nifty little shelled fish of some kind keychain, along with a really awesome heavy duty shield from Clash of the Titans.  Thanks Imax!

Mattel:

The box from Mattel was unexpedly large, and quite full!  They sent along three Hot Wheels keychains, a Barbie keychain (all Basic Fun), and a couple odd ones from something called Monster High, along with a nice letter.  Thanks Mattel!!

Day 6 of New Results

Sorry, nothing terribly exciting today, but not without some responses.  Who knew Unilever made so many things, including Breyer's?  Also, I found it interesting that I could buy Friday's uniforms from their online store!

Breyer's:

No keychains, but some great coupons for various Unilever products including Breyer's.  Thanks Breyer's / Unilever!

Twitter:
Hi ,

Thank you for your email. We have been overwhelmed with tickets recently and apologize for the delay in response.
Can you pls confirm whether or not this is still an issue for you? If so, just reply to this email and we'll help you out. Otherwise, have an awesome day!
If you have another question, visit http: //help.twitter.com to peruse our many helpful articles about troubleshooting and using twitter. It's likely that the answer to your future questions can be found there. Happy tweeting!
Twitter Support
help.twitter.com
@support

Toyota:
Dear Mr. Whitney:

Thanks for your great note! It's good to know we have appreciative customers.
I'm not sure if you've written to anyone else with your request. Has anyone else responded?
At any rate, I will look to see what we might have. I'm not sure we have any keychains right now but I'll try.
I will reply when I return to the office on 9/24.
______________________________________________________
Antoinette Arianna
TOYOTA MOTOR SALES, USA, INC.
1270 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 1800
New York, NY 10020
212-644-3424 (o.) / 212-644-4871 (f.) / 917-587-7723 (c.)

TGI Friday's
Dear Hamilton:

We are excited you are considering T.G.I. Friday’s merchandise for your next purchase. Please follow the easy steps below to check out our great merchandise.
Have a great time shopping!
TO BEGIN SHOPPING:
1. Enter http://www.pac-fridays.com/ into your Internet Address Search bar. To view available
merchandise select * Shop as Guest * found on the right hand side of your screen.
2. Contact the Performance Award Center (PAC) @ 800-587-5549 to purchase your selected
merchandise. A representative will walk you through purchase procedures; forms of
payment; and verify your product selection so your merchandise will be shipped directly to you.
3. You may also ask the representative if there is other merchandise available that was not
pictured on the internet site.
Please use this site in the future when you plan to purchase T.G.I. Friday's merchandise.
We appreciate your interest in T.G.I. Friday's.
Ray
Guest Relations

Day 5 of New Results

I love surprises.  It was nice then that half the packages I got today were surprises - I hadn't gotten a reply from either Ruby Tuesday's or Domino's.

Chobani:

Some more great coupons for Chobani's awesome yogurt.  Thanks Chobani!

Wilton Armetale:

Wilton Armetale sent me a keychain they made for a local Brewery.  Thanks Wilton!

Domino's:

Domino's sent me three different (4 total) keychains and a dogtag.  Thanks Domino's!

Ruby Tuesday's:

Ruby Tuesday's sent me a lanyard keychain.  Thank's Ruby Tuesday's!

Natty Boh / Pabst:
I am sorry the same for Ballantine.... We don't have anything for this brand either... these are what we call our C brands.  We don't use Advertising monies to make promotional items for these types of brands.

Trotec Lasers:
Trotec lasers gave me a phone call today and promised that they would be out for a long over due maintenance visit to my job and would bring along a keychain.

Nautica:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and express your interest in

our Nautica Bedding and Bath Collections. Your message has been recorded
and assigned to Arteena Bigham, the customer service representative that is
familiar with all the Nautica Bedding. She will follow up shortly to help
answer your questions and refer you to retailers in your area.
We appreciate your business and this opportunity to serve you!

Stella Pratt
Consumer Relations Representative
VF Sportswear, Inc. Nautica Division

Part 2:
Good morning,

Thank you for visiting www.Nautica.com and taking the time to write.
We appreciate your feedback and report consumer comments collectively to
the executive officers on a monthly basis in an effort to listen to what
consumers want and continually improve our brand.
If you will include your address, we will mail a Nautica key chain.
Have a good day.
Stella Pratt
Consumer Relations Representative

Part 3:
Put it in the mail today.

Have a good day.
Stella Pratt
Consumer Relations Representative

Mr. Coffee:
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for your compliment regarding our product or service.
On behalf of all of us here at the Jarden Consumer Affairs Center, please accept my thanks for your kind words and be assured that we will make every effort to live up to them.
Unfortunately, we do not have branded merchandise, such as key chains, available. We appreciate your business and are happy to help if you have any further questions.
Sincerely,
Holly
Jarden Consumer Solutions
http://www.sunbeam.com/

GoDaddy:
Office of the President Response

Dear Hamilton,
Thank you for contacting the Office of the President.
We do appreciate your kind words regarding our business and the domain registration process. All of our customer's feedback is highly valued as used as an indicator of the level of service was are providing. As such, please know we have sent you a GoDaddy.com key chain as requested today via First Class US mail. We hope that it will make a great addition to your collection.
Thank you again for your time and interest.
Sincerest regards,
Matthew Richards

Barilla:
Good Afternoon Hamilton,

This letter is to express our thanks for your interest and support. Barilla is the best selling pasta company worldwide, and we take pride in our product, right down to every last package. For over 130 years, four generations of the Barilla family have maintained the family tradition of producing the finest pasta and sauces in the world.
Unfortunately, we do not have any promotional clothing or items we can offer at this time. We will forward your interest in these items to our Marketing Team.
Thank you again for your support; we greatly appreciate your loyalty to our brand. Thank you for taking the time to let us know your thoughts. We hope that you continue to purchase and enjoy Barilla Pasta & Sauces.
Regards,
Dina
Consumer Relations
Barilla America, Inc.
http://www.barillaus.com/

Aidells:
Hi Hamilton,

Thanks so much for writing to us. We love to hear from our happy customers.
We work really hard to make a great product, made the traditional way that folks can enjoy. We use the highest quality of fruits and vegetables as well as chicken and turkey in making our products.
Unfortunately, we do not have any Aidells keychains that we can forward to you, but good luck reaching the world record!. We will however send you out a couple of retail coupons that you can use towards your next purchase of Aidells.
Thanks again for writing.
Donna
Aidells Sausage Co.

A Bonus Query

As an afterthought, I just sent a query to http://www.promotionalkeychains.biz/ to see if they had any samples, overruns, or rejects they could send me for my collection.  I don't really count this as part of the keychain experiment, but thought it relevant to post here.

Days 3 and 4 of New Results

KlockWerks
Hello Hamilton,

Thanks for your letter. I'll see if I can whomp up something for your collection.
Best,
roger
mad clockmaker

Part 2:
Hello Hamilton,

A lazy Sunday afternoon here so I got busy. I'll mail it to you later in the week – if you like it.

Pyrex
Thank you for contacting World Kitchen, LLC

1. We really appreciate you taking the time to provide such positive feedback! I will be sure to share your compliments. I don’t think we have any key chains; I’m sorry. I wish I could contribute to your goal! I will look for you in the Guinness World Records in the future ! Thank you very much.

For further assistance, please contact our Consumer Care Center at 800-999-3436. Representatives are available from 8am to 6pm, EST, Monday through Thursday, and 8am to 5pm on Friday, and will be more than happy to assist you.Sincerely,

Douglas
World Kitchen Consumer Care Center

Purina
Thank you for contacting Nestlé Purina PetCare Company.

We are very happy to hear that Snitch enjoys our Purina(r) Friskies(r) Cat Treats Natural Sensations(tm) and would like to thank you for your nice comments. It was thoughtful of you to take the time to express your feelings about our product. Your positive feedback confirms that we are achieving our goal of providing high quality products to our consumers.
Although we do not have any key chains available, we would be happy to mail coupons for your use on the next Nestlé Purina PetCare Company selection of your choice. Please allow 7-10 business days for their arrival.
We do have our logo on merchandise available from our Checkerboard Store. For information regarding the items available, please feel free to contact them at 1-800-325-3693.
Again, thank you for visiting our web site.

McCormick
Dear Mr Whitney:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us. We appreciate your interest in our products and welcome the opportunity to be of assistance to you.
Nearly all products of nature, including spices and herbs, require sterilization before they are consumed. We must always give first priority to the public health. As a responsible company we are constantly exploring various methods to determine the safest, most efficient and appropriate method of sterilization. However, we do not irradiate any of our consumer products. At this time we have no plans to use irradiation and will not do so without full public disclosure.
We do have a line of Gourmet Organic spices. They can be viewed under products>gourmet collection. After reaching our gourmet website choose products> 100% organic.
We regret we do not have any logo items to send out.
We invite you to become a "My McCormick" member at www.McCormick.com. You will receive Friends & Flavor emails and enjoy many benefits, such as saving your favorite recipes and posting recipe ratings. Joining My McCormick is easy, and only takes a minute. We believe joining "My McCormick" will make you even more passionate about flavor!
If we can be of further assistance, please call us at 1-800-632-5847, Monday through Friday, 9:30AM to 9PM, and weekends 11AM to 7PM Eastern Time. If you wish to respond to this note by e-mail, please include your name and e-mail address.
We hope to have the continued pleasure of serving you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Consumer Affairs Specialist

Weta Workshop

Hi Hamilton,

Thanks for your email. You can check out our cool range of Key chains on:

http://www.wetanz.com/accessories/

Kind regards

Anna Willett

On behalf of Weta Ltd Customer Services

Day Two of New Results

I don't remember getting responses like the one from Old Spice before where no mention of whether or not they will send me a keychain.  I will be counting it is a rejection for now.  I'm also deducting one rejection as World's Best Cat Litter has gotten back to me again and is sending me a sample.  At least 5 keychains, 3 coupons, some cat litter and a bunch of stuff from Klutz promised so far!

Wikipedia
On behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, please allow me to extend a sincere thank
you for taking time out of your day to write us. We appreciate your kind words and
are thrilled that you enjoy Wikipedia. We hope to continue to live up to your
expectations and that you continue to find the site a useful resource.
To my knowledge, however, there is no Wikipedia key chain.
If you are interested in becoming involved in the site yourself, please see our
tutorial at which contains all
the help you need to get started.
Yours sincerely,
André Savik

Quaker
Hamilton:
We're delighted to know how much you enjoy Quaker Rice Cakes and Oats and that you remember the plastic tumblers that came in the oats. We also appreciate knowing that you'd welcome a Quaker keychain to add to your collection or other promotional items.
While we don't have keychains or other promotional items to send, I'm happy to let marketing know you'd welcome them. If you'd be interested in purchasing Quaker Go humans Go t-shirts, they're currently being offered at the Quaker Oats Online Store for a limited time at:
* http://quakeroats.elsstore.com/
You might also be interested to know that we still include plastic tumblers in our Crystal Wedding Oats also sold at the online store at:
http://quakeroats.elsstore.com/view/category/203-hot-cereal/
Thank you for your years of loyalty to our brand, Hamilton, and for sharing your wonderful feedback and memories with us.
Theresa
Quaker Consumer Relations
A Division of PepsiCo
Ref# 027296604A

Blue Moon
Thank you for your complimentary comments on Blue Moon.

We enjoy receiving complimentary comments regarding our Blue Moon. We hope you continue to be a satisfied consumer for many years to come. Consumers like you have helped to make us one of the world's leading breweries. You may be interested in accessing our new ""Web-Store"" where this e-catalog site allows us to update our merchandise instantly with new apparel, styles and colors. We also offer limited time, specially priced close-outs. Please log on to www.MillerCoors.com . You can also contact our Coors catalog department at 1-800-443-8242.
Again, we appreciate your interest in our company.
Sincerely,
Blue Moon Consumer Affairs Department

High Voltage Software
Thanks for your support!

Watch the mail for your very own High Voltage Software key chain!
 
Old Spice
Thanks for letting us know you liked our ad!

Your reaction is just what we hoped for, and your comments give us valuable input for future advertising campaigns. I'm sharing your compliments with the rest of our team.
Thanks again for getting in touch with us.
Tamara
Old Spice Team

World's Best Cat Litter
If you want to give the multi cat formula a try, forward your mailing address and I will send you a sample. I would be glad to get your feedback.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any key-chains though J
Best Regards,
Cheryl

Day One of New Results - Part 2

Apocalyptica
hi - thx for reaching out...

APO will be back in the US in Nov/Dec - check their site for more info
Alas we did not produce any promo items for this record - I am sure you
can pick up some merch at their show
Thank you for thinking of Apocalyptica and your friends at Jive Records.
Take care, Gihan

Wilton Armetale
Hamilton,

Thank you for contacting Wilton Armetale.
Your kind comments about our product were greatly appreciated.
I will be mailing a custom keychain to you to add to your collection. The keychain is for "Bubes Brewery" which is a local restaurant/bar establishment in the same town as our offices.
We hope you reach your goal in collecting the keychains.
Good luck!
Vicki Minnich
Customer Service

Klutz
Thank you for your email and interest! We love to hear from our readers and honored that you have enjoyed so many of our kits. We unfortunately do not make keychains- but- our capsters, which have our logo, make great keychains if you glue them on to a wire and tie the wire to a keychain. We have a couple Klutz things we can send you, and we'll include a couple caps as well if you want to make a keychain out of them. If you want to get REALLY Klutzy, you can buy our book Scoubidou, which you can make an even coolor lanyard keychain out of to hook your cap onto. The possibilities are endless =o)

Thank you so much for taking the time to write us. We'll have something fun sent out to you shortly.
Have a great day!
Klutz

Nesco
Hamilton—

Nice to hear that you are enjoying using your Nesco dehydrator.
Making jerky in the Nesco dehydrator is easy and the taste can’t be beat.
Sorry but I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a Nesco keychain. Sorry we couldn’t send one to you.
Gerry
Customer Service

Breyers
Hello MR HAMILTON WHITNEY,

Thank you for writing us regarding Breyers Ice Cream .
It is truly rewarding when our consumers feel strongly about our brands and take the time to communicate with us directly.
Our goal has always been to provide consumers with the finest products that scientific research and human skills can develop. A personal commendation such as yours is most welcome and greatly appreciated. It assures us that we are achieving our goal. We will be pleased to share your comments with the appropriate staff.
Unfortunately, at this time we do not have any Breyers key chains or other merchandise. We do have a cents-off coupon flyer for our products and we will be happy to mail it to you.
Sincerely,
Your friends at Breyers

FedEx
Dear Hamilton:

Thank you for your comments. We greatly appreciate that you have taken the time to write and share your concerns. This allows us a valuable opportunity to examine and correct possible deficiencies that cause customer dissatisfaction.
I deeply regret that the service you received has failed to meet your expectations of excellence. FedEx is genuinely concerned with providing the highest quality service possible.
I hope you will continue to allow us the opportunity to handle your global shipping needs. We look forward to serving you more satisfactorily.
Peter B.
FedEx Customer Service

MOM's Organic Market
Hello Hamilton,

Thanks for contacting MOM's, and sharing your kind words... We appreciate your support. That's a very impressive array of keychains you have there! We have not ever produced MOM's keychains... However, we do sell a reusable shopping bag with MOM's logo that folds into a tiny pouch which you can attach to your keychain (see attached pic).
Right now our inventory on these bags is low, but we're expecting another shipment of Chico Bags in different colors in a couple weeks. MOM's price is $8.99, and they're made from recycled plastic.
Thanks for shopping at MOM's!
-Laura
MOM's Organic Market
http://www.momsorganicmarket.com/

Kahlua
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us about Kahlua. We always enjoy hearing from loyal customers.
Comments and suggestions such as yours provide us with important feedback regarding our products. We appreciate your continued patronage of Kahlua and hope you continue to enjoy our products.
Warm regards,
Pernod Ricard USA
Consumer Relations

Natty Boh/Pabst
 I am sorry but we don't have anything Natty Boh... but I have some other brand keychains I can send you... Let me know what brands of PBC that you would like....

Monica Hernandez-Rodriguez
Pabst Brewing Company
Distributor Services Dept.
&Quality Assurance and Consumer Relations
Ph 210-299-6937
Fax 210-299-6807
QA and CR Ph# 1-800-947-2278

Vans
Hello Hamilton,

Thanks for your interest in Vans. Donation and sponsorship requests must
be sent to us in writing (not via email). Due to the high volume of
requests, you will only be contacted if your request has been selected.
Please be sure to include the following information on your written
request:
Name of the event/donation/sponsorship/sport
Purpose of the event/donation (a brief background about your
company/organization)
Press packet for sponsorship request (please include your information/press
packet/video)
Date of the event
Address to send the donation
Contact name
Contact telephone number
Federal Tax I.D for donations
You may mail or fax your request as indicated below:
Vans
Attn: Donation or Sponsorship
6550 Katella
Cypress, CA 90630
Donation Fax: 714-889-6767
Sponsorship Fax: 714-889-6780
Please clearly mark on the fax cover sheet or envelope what type of request
you are sending:
Donation, Corporate Sponsorship or Athletic Sponsorship
If you need information on making a request, please call our
Donation/Sponsorship Line at 714-889-6100 extension 2202.
Kind regards,
shop.vans.com
Vans E-Commerce Customer Service

Chevrolet
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for contacting the Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us regarding your request.
General Motors receives a great number of similar requests for merchandise donations each year. These requests come from very deserving individuals and organizations, and we wish we could fulfill every one. Unfortunately, we are unable to grant this type of request.
Based on considerable interest from Chevrolet owners and enthusiasts, Chevrolet offers a wide range of logo merchandise available for purchase. Please visit our website, www.chevymall.com, to view our entire merchandise lineup. You can also call them at 1-800-558-2550.
If you should need to contact us in the future, simply reply to this message or call our Chevrolet Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-222-1020. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Mondays through Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Eastern Time.
Again, thank you for contacting Chevrolet.
Sincerely,
The Chevrolet Consumer Support Team

Crayola
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for sharing your kind comments with us. I am happy to learn that you enjoy using Crayola(R) products. Our company receives hundreds of letters and e-mails each week. Most are inquiries for product information. Few people take the time to write and share their thoughts and experiences with us.
I apologize that we are unable to fulfill your request for complimentary Crayola keychain. This is an item that we do not manufacture, but it may be available at one of our themed stores. You may contact one of our themed retail stores at:
The Crayola Store, Easton, Pennsylvania
1.888.827.2966 or 610.253.3703
The Crayola Store and Cafe, Kansas City, Missouri
1.888.425.5722 or 816.274.7500
If additional assistance is needed, you may reach us by telephone at (800) 272-9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time or e-mail by visiting Crayola.com.
We appreciate your contact, and hope you continue to choose Crayola products for your creative needs.
Colorfully yours,
Deborah A. Lintvedt
Consumer Affairs Lead Representative
CRAYOLA

Day One of New Results

I won't be posting automated responses, just replies from real people here.  I've had a surprising number of out of office automatic replies including one from someone on maternity leave.  Pet Links System had reached their mail quota and I'm not sure if the Worth1000 email went through or not, so that's 1 or 2 options down already.  I've had a lot of good responses too though:

WD-40
Dear Hamilton Whitney,

Thank you for contacting WD-40 Company.
We appreciate your taking the time to email us when our product lives up to your expectations. WD-40 prides itself in producing a quality product, and we are always grateful to hear from our customers. It will be our pleasure to send a complimentary coupon.
We are very sorry, but we are no longer offering promotional items.
Thank you again for contacting WD-40 Company. Please let us know if we may be of further assistance.
Best regards,
Eva Zabowski
WD-40 Customer Service

World's Best Cat Litter
Hi

Thank you for contacting us.
I am sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. In order to research this issue further, can you please forward me the lot number from that package if you still have access to it. The lot number is located on the back of the bag in the lower right hand corner and it will begin with the letter "C".
Was it the Clumping formula or the Multiple Cat Clumping formula?
Best Regards,
Cheryl

Goodwill
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for your interest in shopping at Goodwill Industries. Goodwill Industries has 180 member organizations that operate independently based on the needs of the communities they serve so you may find that the type of merchandise at Goodwill stores varies from location to location. We have indicated below the headquarters that serves your area so that you may inquire locally for a keychain. Also, you may contact this headquarters for details on any store opening and special events. Contact is:
Goodwill of Greater Washington
2200 South Dakota Avenue, N. E.
Washington,DC 20018
Phone: (202) 636-4225
http://www.dcgoodwill.org/
To shop online, please visit us at the shopgoodwill.com site which is owned and operated by Goodwill Industries of Orange County (http://www.ocgoodwill.org/) for the benefit of the public and all Goodwill members. For assistance, please send an e-mail directly to shopgoodwill.com at http://www.shopgoodwill.com/help or call at (714) 547-6308.
An additional resource for Goodwill logo items: The Goodwill Online Store: http://goodwillonlinestore.com/index.i.
Thank you for your support of Goodwill Industries.
Best regards,
Goodwill Industries International Customer Service

Duck Tape
Dear Hamilton:

Thank you for taking the time to contact ShurTech Brands with your compliments on our duct tape. It's a great feeling when one of our customers takes a moment to write and share their kind thoughts with us.
Please know that I have copied your letter to share with the rest of the ShurTech Brands team responsible for the production and marketing of our quality products.
We have sent you 2 keychains - one for Duck Brand and one for FrogTape. Good luck in your quest for the record.
Again, on behalf of all ShurTech Brands partners, thank you for choosing ShurTech Brands product and brightening our day with such gratifying feedback!
Sincerely,
Consumer Relations Representative
ShurTech Brands, LLC

Chobani
Hello Hamilton.

I’m so glad you and your wife are enjoying Chobani. It IS filling isn’t it? I just had a pineapple Chobani, literally seconds ago. I should be all set until lunch time now. Your key chain collection is amazing! WOW! That is a lot of key-chains Mister! I wasn’t sure, so I asked around to see if we had this item available. I really was hoping we did. I want you to have one so badly… Although it is a wonderful idea, we do not currently have them. I will pass along the suggestion to our marketing team and when/if they come out with a Chobani key-chain you will not be forgotten. I have your information saved.
I have mailed more coupons to you. Please keep enjoying your Chobani and I hope that someday we can be added to your collection!! Have a great day. So nice chatting with you. Stay in touch!!
Kindly,
Jennifer L Roberts
Chobani Consumer Relations
877-847-6181
 
Clorox/Green Works
Dear Mr. Whitney,

Thank you for contacting us.
Unfortunately, we do not have any sort of mementos bearing The Green Works Company logo available to send to you. However, I will let our marketing department know of your interest in this sort of item.
I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful.
Sincerely,
Vikki Whyte
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services
Did you know: GreenWorks product ingredients must come from renewable resources, be biodegradable and free of petrochemicals.

Hebrew National / Con Agra
Dear Mr. Whitney,
Thank you for your email concerning our Hebrew National® Franks, a product of ConAgra Foods.
Your comments are extremely valuable, and they help us make the food you love even better.
We will also be sending you a coupon via regular mail that is valid for nine months. Please allow 1-2 weeks for receipt.
Thanks again for your feedback. We're listening!
Sincerely,
Mitchell
Consumer Affairs
Ref: 053029192B

SMBC
Ah, yes, Katie is awesome. In my head, her name will always be "Reva," but I'm trying to get used to Katie.

No plans for a keychain at the moment, but it's a durn good idea. I'll talk to topatoco about it.
Happy geeking,
ZACH

Yankee Candle
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you for being a valued Yankee Candle® guest and for taking the time to write us. It is always a pleasure to hear from our loyal Yankee Candle® customers. Our candles are made with pure, natural extracts.
We look forward to serving you in the future.
Sincerely,
Jeanne W.
Customer Loyalty Team

Chili's
Dear Mr. Whitney,

Thank you for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in Chili's.
To purchase merchandise, please visit http://www.brinkerstore.com or please feel free to contact our General Store at our corporate office in Dallas, Texas.
The telephone number is toll free 800-856-5554 or 972-770-8839. The store is open 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
We again thank you for your interest in Chili's.
Sincerely,
Joy Shepard
Guest Relations

Snyder's of Hanover
Thank you for your recent email regarding our pretzels.

Remarks such as yours are often circulated through various departments
of our company and provide a real sense of encouragement to all of us
here at Snyder's of Hanover. We take great pride in the products that
we manufacture, so it is always a real pleasure to hear how much our
valued customers are enjoying our products.
In regards to key chains please see our rewards program online @
http://www.snydersofhanover.com/.
Thanks for your interest in Snyder's of Hanover.

Fresh Step
Dear Mr. Whitney,

We appreciate your taking the time to share your kind words about Fresh Step Scoopable Litter.
Knowing that you like our products is important, and we value the generous comments you have shared with us. Because the marketing specialists working on the development of these products also will enjoy hearing your opinion, I am forwarding your comments to them.
Again, thank you for letting us know that our efforts have been successful.
Sincerely,
Rose Hill
Consumer Response Representative
Consumer Services

Calphalon
Hello Hamilton,

Sorry, but at this time we don’t have any key chains; if I come across one in the near future, I will be sure to forward you one of them. Thanks for being a dear Calphalon customer.
P.S. love your collection

True Lemon
Dear Hamilton,

Thank you so much for contacting us and for your kind words about our True products. We are delighted you enjoy them so much and we hope you tell your friends and family about them. As a small company (only 20 strong) we rely on customers like you to help spread the word! And sorry, but we do not manufacture key chains.
If we can ever be of future assistance, please feel free to contact us.
Sincerely,
Barbara T. Wood
Customer Relations
customercare@truelemon.com
True Citrus, the maker and distributor of True Lemon
Toll Free: 1-866-885-3666
http://www.truelemon.com/

So it Begins, Again

I sent off my 100 new queries this morning!  I anticipate the first of many response posts tonight, look for it!

Over Half Way Started

Just a quick status update - I've written all 57 emails for the contacts that I had an email address for.  They're sitting in drafts, waiting to be sent.  Now I just have to get the 43 written that I have to use contact forms for.  How annoying...

Time to Start Writing

Well, it's taken a little thinking but I've come up with 100 new companies to write to! (You try to come up with 200 different brands etc. that you have something to say to, it's not as easy as it sounds...) I have them all organized with contact info and now I just have to get writing.

I've decided that I will also include a link to a photo of my current collection (now totaling 1,054) in most of the queries:

If you're interested, the 100 new candidates are as follows:

5 Gum/Wrigley's ABC AES Aidells Alba Botanica Apocalyptica Barilla Bed Bath and Beyond Bigelo Black and Decker Blue Moon Bond BP Breyer's Calphalon Carlson Labs Chevrolet Chili's Chobani Clorox College Humor Comic Con Cooler Master Costco Crayola Current Cyanide and Happiness Dionis Discover Card Domino's Pizza Dragonfly Organix Duck Tape Dutch Blitz E3 Earth Friendly Products

Edy's Farberware Fed Ex Florsheim Food Network Fresh Step Friskies / Purina G4 Gizmodo Go Daddy Goodwill Hebrew National / Con Agra Heineken High Voltage Software House Industries Imax Iron Gym / Ontel Kahlua Klock Werks Klutz Kohls Kyle MacDonald Lark Books Laura's Beef Manny and Olga's Mattel McCormick Mentos MOM's Organic Market Mr. Coffee Natty Boh / Pabst Nautica Nesco Old Spice

Penny Arcade Pet Links System Pixar Pyrex Quaker Rotten Tomatoes Ruby Tuesday Samsung SMBC Simple Human Snopes.com Snyder's of Hanover TGI Friday's The One Show Tom Locke Toyota Trotec Lasers Tru Bamboo True Lemon Twitter Valve Software Vans WD-40 WETA Workshop Wikipedia Wilton Armetale Wired Magazine World's Best Cat Litter Worth 1000 Yankee Candles YouTube Zip-It

The Keychain Experiment 2.0

A little over two years ago I started this keychain experiment. I had a lot of fun writing to and hearing from the various companies, organizations, bands, etc. and getting a bunch of awesome keychains (and other stuff!) for free was great. Therefore, I've decided to dust off the keyboard and go at it for a second round with a couple small changes.

First off, I am compiling a list of new places to query, along with contact info BEFORE starting. I'll then send off all the new emails at the same time. That way, the results should come in at a lot faster pace, making this blog more interesting. I've almost come up with a new hundred, but if you have any suggestions on good places to contact, I'd love to hear them!

Second, when applicable, I'll add some wording in the queries along the lines of "if you don't have any keychains, or are feeling especially generous, I wouldn't be opposed to anything else you might want to send." Keychains are nice, but any free swag is appreciated!

For the first round I had a 17% success rate as far as getting keychains, 21% receiving something (18% and 22% if you count the fact that Del Sol promised a keychain but it never arrived. I also had a 64% overall response rate. I'm hoping for even better results this time!

For a quick recap, or introduction, of the project, here are photos of all the stuff I accumilated the first time around: