A Word on Patagonia

My Houdini, the blue layer pictured in these photos, is no more. After 6 years together our paternship came to a sudden end. I was in disbelief. It wasn’t due to some epic alpine adventure. It was caused by a puppy; a cute, energetic, teething puppy.

At less than 4oz and $99 dollars I was initially very unsure about the purchase. However, time and time again the Houdini has brought me comfort in uncomfortable conditions. The Houdini has grown to be one of my most beloved layers.

All was not lost. Patagonia has an excellent complementary repair program.

This was the second time I’d walk into the Pasadena store with a torn garmet in hand and lay bare the mistake I had made. The associate had heard it all before. Man’s best friend strikes again.

The associate detailed the repair process. If they had the material in stock they’d do the repair in-house. If they didn’t they’d send it up to their facility in Reno. If they didn’t have the exact color they’d use a different color. They might need to replace the entire sleeve. When it was all said and done they’d ship it back to me. All free of charge.

I was excited for my one-of-a-kind patch-work Houdini. The evidence of repair would be a badge of honor.

A week later the Coronavirus hit the US and everything shutdown. Patagonia shutdown their returns, exchanges, and repairs. I wouldn’t see my Houdini for awhile but Patagonia was being Patagonia doing the right thing.

Fast forward 4 months later. Still no Houdini. I called Patagonia and spoke to Miles. Miles told me he would get to the bottom of it. I left the conversation with a mix of hope and low expectations. Things get lost. People forget to call back.

Less than a week later, I got a call from Miles. Miles began to tell me the Pasadena store didn’t have a record of the repair. My heart sank. He continued by saying they were going to send out a new one and started going over the colors. I was having trouble processing the news. On one hand I had lost my adventure companion of 6 years. On the other I was being offered to be made more than whole without having to fight for it.

Patagonia is a unicorn and not in the financial sense; in a more important sense. It’s not just their customer service. Patagonia makes great products. Patagonia fights for the environment. Patagonia values people.

Few companies make me feel this good to be a customer.

When you buy Patagonia you aren’t buying just a piece of clothing. You are also investing in people and in the environment.