Last month, I was home from work recovering from a surgical procedure. As I was unable to sit up or really concentrate on anything substantive, I ended up watching daytime television. Most daytime television is targeted at women. What I noticed most during the programs I watched was the number of commercials for health & wellness products, including skin care products, weight loss products, cosmetics, and supplements. There were main two themes in all of these commercials: The products would all make you look and/or feel younger and were "all natural." What these ads did not say was how they worked, what ingredients they were made with, and why they would work.



Last week, I was in a large well-known bookstore standing at the "Information" desk seeking, shockingly enough, information. I needed to special order a book. Unfortunately, no one was at the desk. I looked around the area and could not find a single employee. This went on for five minutes. I eventually walked to the back of the store where I ran into an employee who grudgingly agreed to help, although he also pointed out that handling book orders was "not his job." By the time I found him both my patience and that of my three-year old daughter had worn thin. I eventually ordered the book, although the employee could not provide me with any information about when I could expect to receive it.

What do these two stories have in common? They illustrate a common theme that runs through the consumer's retail experience today, i.e., incomplete information and no customer service to provide it.

Given the fact that we are bombarded with information from every angle, it's ironic that health and wellness consumers are not readily provided with the information they need to make intelligent choices about the health & wellness products they purchase for themselves and their family. Try looking for the ingredients on that expensive jar of moisturizer you bought last month. Even if the ingredients are included on the jar, do you understand what they are and what effect they may have on your body? Good luck finding the answer.

Before the death of customer service, you'd simply ask the salesperson at the cosmetics counter. But as illustrated in my story, you'd have to find one first. And even if you find one, it's questionable if this person will be able to provide you with the answers you want.

So what are your options:

1.Educate yourself through your own research.

2.Find someone to provide you with the information.

The first option, while viable, requires something most people don't have - time. Time to research the products and their ingredients. Time to investigate whether the products are safe and do what they say they will. Time to determine if the products are indeed all natural.

If you don't have time to do the research yourself, your other option is to purchase your family's health and wellness products directly from a distributor and consultant who can not only provide you with the products you want, but can also provide you with what the retail market cannot, and does not provide readily, i.e. information about their products, including their ingredients, why they are safe, why they provide the benefits they promise, and why they truly are "all natural."

In addition to providing consumers with an education, such consultants also provide consumers with the type of customer service that demonstrates to the consumer that they are more than just a "sale," but a whole person whose health & wellness needs cannot be addressed by a "one-size-fits-all" marketing campaign. Such customer service provides the consumer with their own personal health & wellness consultant.

Where do you find such consultants? The best way is through the internet.

Look for companies that sell health & wellness products directly to consumers. These companies distribute their products through a network of independent consultants who are trained and educated not only in the products they distribute, but in providing excellent customer service. Such consultants will help you find the connection between the world of natural health & wellness products and customer service. Not only will you finally be an educated consumer, you will receive the customer service that you deserve.