Fourteen months ago I featured what was then a new and radically changed formulation of Melaleuca’s Tooth Polish that predates our time as customers since 2006. My satisfaction level with the new formulation was and is fine but Melaleuca learned the hard way that discontinuing the “classic” formula was a huge mistake. Melaleuca has officially repented of this sin, something I have never seen them have to do after “improving” a product.
Now both classic and Exceed formulations are available!
Along with this change Melaleuca also began publishing customer reviews (good, bad, and ugly) on their product pages. It was interesting reading several of these reviews on the Exceed Tooth Polish and some were plenty brutal. The general consensus seemed favorable to the product itself (much like my own response), but in addition to a sizable, perhaps even a majority, proportion of customers begging for the old formula to be brought back, I kept seeing one complaint repeatedly. I happen to fully agree with that complaint. The new tube (packaging) is terrible!
It is difficult both to open the cap and dispense the product. That wouldn’t have been a problem for me except for the fact that the pump dispenser I have in the bathroom did not work well at all with this new tube design. I gave up using it so I’m forced to dispense the product like everyone else and find myself grouped in with others who were fine with the product but not at all fine with the tube. Since Melaleuca was responsive to customers who wanted the old formula brought back, I would expect a much needed revision to that tube design is in the works.
Although the Exceed tube is difficult to squeeze as is accurately stated in so many customer reviews, I did find a technique that greatly helps overcome that difficulty. Instead of the conventional methods of squeezing the tube that most or all of us do instinctively, if you cup the tube in your palm and squeeze with your four fingers, your frustration is cured for most of the tube. The last few uses have only two solutions: deal with the difficulty which is easier if you unscrew the cap, or, waste product by throwing it and the tube away.
What are my intentions? Well, I already ordered and received a restock of Exceed this month before noticing the return of the classic Tooth Polish so we’ll continue as we’ve been doing the last fourteen months for a while yet. If Melaleuca redesigns the Exceed tube before reorder time arrives, we’ll see, but we’ll most likely go back to the classic formula, packaged in the classic tube, and reinstall the pump dispenser since both worked so well.
Melaleuca may have blown it with the new tube design, and many would argue on product improvement, but they did very well on the decision to go forward offering both formulations to assure all customers remain healthy and happy. Some customers having great experiences with the classic formula had negative experiences to the new. That has now been resolved, and I strongly suspect a valuable lesson learned.