Shop Talk: Renee Denyer

Renee Denyer, customer engagement manager of the multi-award-winning Sh! Women’s Store, discusses pumping Tenga eggs with dildos, customer interactions, and saying goodbye…

Cancer, Sex & Intimacy, aka Sarah & Cheryl, are recording the first episode of their brand-new sexpositive podcast at Bison Studios in East London. This is how I find myself pumping a Tenga Egg over a dildo in front of a mic on a Monday morning. The squishy sound effects are brilliant! I squirt Orgie Acqua Croccante mousse onto the gals for popping and crackling sounds before demonstrating loud vibrator patterns. The lovely Emma from Shine Cancer Support brings calm to the giggles (she joins us via Zoom, so misses out on the tactile fun). We settle into a discussion about the lack of support for women living with or beyond cancer who are ready to return to sexual pleasure. We end the recording with a segment called Passing the Dildo, where we share our best tips for non-sexual intimacy. Grab a cuppa and have a listen, loves!

My next engagement with CSI is at the beautiful Future Dreams House in Kings Cross, the UK’s only dedicated breast cancer support centre. FDH offers workshops to assist women in managing the emotional and physical symptoms and issues when faced with a breast cancer diagnosis. Evie and I answer questions and show toys - Je Joue Amour is a clear winner. It’s a fabulous evening, and we’re already looking forward to the next one!

Ratings for interactions

A customer messages to say he forgot to add a discount code to his order. As per company policy, I ping off a friendly email explaining that the code can be saved for another time. The customer fires back with a blatant attempt at intimidation. He curtly informs me that he owns a competing business, and if I were his staff member, I would be out of a job. He also wants contact details for the proprietor. I forward his email and step away from my screen, declining further contact. Unfortunately, the Sh! Voipfone somehow connects the next call to my personal phone, and the customer’s spouse asserts that I have been caught ‘not doing my job.’

After this and many (too many) similar interactions, Ky suggests trying out a completely new web chat. The new chat features a FAQ knowledge base where customers can find answers to common questions. Research by The Institute of Customer Service in the UK shows a general uptick in rudeness toward customer service staff, and being on the receiving end is exhausting. Implementing the new self-service chat has been cathartic.

I’d love to copy Uber and start a rating system for interactions. Unreasonable demands get low scores, and delightful customers can earn themselves freebies! For example, a gentleman recently received the wrong product due to a labelling error. The customer messaged to say he felt so intrigued by the toy he wanted to pay for and keep it. On top of that, he ordered three bottles of lube. Now, that is the kind of customer who gets 5 stars!

I would also award a high score to the customer who placed an order with an incorrect international shipping address. Rooting through thousands of parcels at Heathrow isn’t an option, so we can only leave postal services to do their thing and eventually return the goodies. The lovely lady received the information with good humour; she knew the mistake was hers.

Three decades of Sh!

Nobody knows how long our Aphra has been with the company, but an educated guess is just over the 30-year mark. During this time, she has gone from working part-time to becoming operations manager to meeting and marrying the love of her life, Sophie (Ky’s business partner). After 30+ years, they are both ready to move on to a slower style of life. (I expect this will involve golf clubs.)

Our small core team has worked side by side, laughed and cried, and blown off steam together for many years. My first Brighton Pride with Sh! is an excellent example. Aphra’s ability to fill the van with sexy stock was an eye-opener. The woman knows how to squeeze the most dildos into the smallest space!

(Something for your CV, Aph!).

Ky’s favourite memory is of Aphra as the ‘Perv Police’ at Erotica, Olympia. Wearing a pink, full-length rubber dress, Aph stopped unaccompanied guys from entering the pop-up shop, as was Sh! policy at the time. This meant turning away a famous rock musician with a fierce look and a flick of her crop. Definitely a case of everything we do, we don’t do it for you!

*wink*

Ky’s best memory of Sophie is when she nearly fell off a ladder with fangirl excitement when her motorcycle-racer hero walked into the shop. Much better than when Soph was actually blown off a ladder by 240 volts after drilling through an electrical cable... (Seemingly, Sophie spent a fair amount of time on ladders in the early days.) Another fabulous memory is when Sophie received an invitation to a couple’s wedding after being their personal shopper and anal sex advisor for four months. Ditto when she got a shoutout from Sarah Cox after she visited Sh! So many memories - three decades worth!

Sophie and Aphra, we will miss you (every day!) and we wish you all the best - and a long, wonderful holiday! Arrivederci, babes!

Finally, let’s take a moment to share love, thoughts, and condolences for the family and friends of Victoria Blisse. Queen V was a member of the Brit Babes, and we first met her at a book reading at Sh! many years ago. V brought smutty words, laughter, and warmth. Anyone who knew her speaks of her kindness, compassion, and enthusiasm for cuddles. Her fierce support for the LGBT and kink communities also stands out for us. You will be deeply missed, Victoria xx