So I walked into The Container Store last night at exactly 8 pm. I had one hour and thirty minutes to find a list of items I wasn't even sure was there. I'm know you have all experienced what I like to call the "late night customer sweep" at closing time. That's where the registers and customer service are shut down with at least 45 minutes left in the day, and the sales staff goes about cleaning up the store and ignoring the customers so they can close at exactly the designated time.
That was not my experience at here. As I strolled through the store, wondering aimlessly, approaching sales person after sales person, I was greeted with a smile, a hello and even a "may I help you". I rarely take them up on their offer, but this time I had no choice. The laundry basket I made the 30-minute trip for was at the top of an eight-foot display. Standing 5'1" with heels on, there was no way I was going to reach that. Brad not only pulled every laundry basket down to my level, but he waited patiently for me to choose the ones I wanted. He even helped me with my selection and made jokes about the experience.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Time was dwindling away, but still Brad waited. Once the selection was made, he helped me take them to the cash register where the cashier also treated me like the most important person in the store (never mind I was the only person in the store).
Five minutes before closing, I exited an unlocked door leaving smiles and waves behind me. I have no idea what happened once I turned the corner, but it doesn't matter. That was one of the best late night shopping experiences I've ever had.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
THE BEVERLY HILLS CAFE IN MIAMI LAKES
We took up two long tables in an intimate space in the back of the restaurant. We'd been invited to the baby shower of a friend having their third child, and since she's a very sociable and popular young lady, the place was packed. I was wondering if, and how, the staff would handle this all-women brigade, but I must say they stepped up to the challenge.
First, they were patient. You can imagine in situations such as this, there was a whole lot of chatter and talking. The servers waited until the last period of the conversation before asking politely for our order, and not once did we receive an attitude. As they started to deliver our meals, we asked for everything from accompanying condiments to extra utensils and after the meal we asked for doggy-bags. Each request was met with a smile and an immediate response. Something I found particularly surprising considering our wait staff consisted of two young men who appeared to be a few days over two decades old (maybe). The water and soda flowed freely, and the smiles were plentiful. It was a fun time had by all.
I have to admit the food wasn't the best, but that is not what this blog is about. I recommend you go anyway. The service and ambiance makes it worth the trip.
First, they were patient. You can imagine in situations such as this, there was a whole lot of chatter and talking. The servers waited until the last period of the conversation before asking politely for our order, and not once did we receive an attitude. As they started to deliver our meals, we asked for everything from accompanying condiments to extra utensils and after the meal we asked for doggy-bags. Each request was met with a smile and an immediate response. Something I found particularly surprising considering our wait staff consisted of two young men who appeared to be a few days over two decades old (maybe). The water and soda flowed freely, and the smiles were plentiful. It was a fun time had by all.
I have to admit the food wasn't the best, but that is not what this blog is about. I recommend you go anyway. The service and ambiance makes it worth the trip.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Sears Service Sucks!
After two and a half weeks, my washer is still not fixed. It's called the Calypso and many years ago it was considered a top of the line machine and very expensive. I didn't even flinch when they asked for my credit card at the time of purchase. I wanted the best washer I could find. Even though I believe I found it, I still purchased the warranty package which was another couple of hundred dollars and I continue to update it each time it expires. In eight years, I've had to take advantage of it maybe three times.
Now after spending so much money, why did I have to wait this long to get it fixed. I'll tell you. The washer/dryer repair man couldn't fix it the first time because he didn't have the part needed to fix it (all he needed was a water pump--a standard part). So, I had to wait another week to get a water pump that didn't come in a week (and nobody found it necessary to call me and let me know it wasn't coming). After tracking it down myself, I made arrangements for another visit. That visit never happened because by the time I got the call, the person was gone. So you would think that since this was their screw up, they would bend over backwards to satisfy the customer, right. WRONG! After approximately five calls to the Sears Repair Center and Consumer Services, being put on hold at 15 minute intervals, three lies and a worker with an attitude (he had the nerve to say "whatever" when I called him on his tardiness), I'm finally getting my washer fixed.
I decided to do a little research on Sears and found some interesting articles. It seems Sears supports outsourcing which in and of itself means there's little to no emphasis on customer service since no one is close by to handle those issues. There are also articles about failed CEO's and poor service that could have been detrimental to peoples lives ("Sears Left Me Without A Refrigerator For 18 Days," a complaint letter written by a man who had to chill his familiy's insulin with bags of ice while waiting for a repair). How sad. How pathetic. How Sears sucks!
I would suggest you reconsider any major appliance purchases made at Sears because the follow up is not worth the dollars spent.
Now after spending so much money, why did I have to wait this long to get it fixed. I'll tell you. The washer/dryer repair man couldn't fix it the first time because he didn't have the part needed to fix it (all he needed was a water pump--a standard part). So, I had to wait another week to get a water pump that didn't come in a week (and nobody found it necessary to call me and let me know it wasn't coming). After tracking it down myself, I made arrangements for another visit. That visit never happened because by the time I got the call, the person was gone. So you would think that since this was their screw up, they would bend over backwards to satisfy the customer, right. WRONG! After approximately five calls to the Sears Repair Center and Consumer Services, being put on hold at 15 minute intervals, three lies and a worker with an attitude (he had the nerve to say "whatever" when I called him on his tardiness), I'm finally getting my washer fixed.
I decided to do a little research on Sears and found some interesting articles. It seems Sears supports outsourcing which in and of itself means there's little to no emphasis on customer service since no one is close by to handle those issues. There are also articles about failed CEO's and poor service that could have been detrimental to peoples lives ("Sears Left Me Without A Refrigerator For 18 Days," a complaint letter written by a man who had to chill his familiy's insulin with bags of ice while waiting for a repair). How sad. How pathetic. How Sears sucks!
I would suggest you reconsider any major appliance purchases made at Sears because the follow up is not worth the dollars spent.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
UHAUL IN T'VILLE
Never mind good customer service. On Friday, January 25, I was just asking for service period. Listen to this. Earlier in the week, my husband reserved a 15' truck from UHaul using a credit card. We were moving a bedroom set from my home in Thomasville, GA to Miami, FL, a seven hour drive.
Thomasville is a small town where life is simple and laid back. Where hustle and bustle only happens in books and the outside world. And, the people are so nice that if hit them, they will apologize for having their face in the way. It's in the genes. So, when we stopped by the service station reserving our truck prepared to add on a car trailer, imagine our surprise when we discovered we could get the trailer, but there was nothing to pull it. The truck, our truck, had been taken to Tallahassee the day before.
Kam was calling around frantically to find another one, but to no avail. And the regional officer I spoke to on the telephone said I was going to have to drive to Tallahassee and pick it up. That's Tallahassee... Florida... another state... 40 miles away. Is anyone else feeling as dejected as I felt?
"I'm in town to celebrate a my neice's sixth birthday. I can't leave her party to get a truck in another city," I said.
That meant nothing to them.
"I have no transportation," I said.
Still nothing.
This was a guaranteed $400+ sale, but still they could not get someone currently on staff to bring that truck to Thomasville. FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. That's no small amount.
Kam was great though. During the few seconds my temper was about to be rise from 0 to pissed off, she was able to secure a truck... from Budget, right down the street.
I don't mind telling you, UHaul lost my business. Budget was cheaper. They had more than enough trucks. Most importantly, they had better service. I'm never going back to UHaul for transportation and after speaking to a few friends who I learned later have had similar problems, I never will again.
On a side note, for those carriers who deal with UHaul trucks, especially Kam and Barry, get out now! It's not worth the aggravation.
Thomasville is a small town where life is simple and laid back. Where hustle and bustle only happens in books and the outside world. And, the people are so nice that if hit them, they will apologize for having their face in the way. It's in the genes. So, when we stopped by the service station reserving our truck prepared to add on a car trailer, imagine our surprise when we discovered we could get the trailer, but there was nothing to pull it. The truck, our truck, had been taken to Tallahassee the day before.
Kam was calling around frantically to find another one, but to no avail. And the regional officer I spoke to on the telephone said I was going to have to drive to Tallahassee and pick it up. That's Tallahassee... Florida... another state... 40 miles away. Is anyone else feeling as dejected as I felt?
"I'm in town to celebrate a my neice's sixth birthday. I can't leave her party to get a truck in another city," I said.
That meant nothing to them.
"I have no transportation," I said.
Still nothing.
This was a guaranteed $400+ sale, but still they could not get someone currently on staff to bring that truck to Thomasville. FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS. That's no small amount.
Kam was great though. During the few seconds my temper was about to be rise from 0 to pissed off, she was able to secure a truck... from Budget, right down the street.
I don't mind telling you, UHaul lost my business. Budget was cheaper. They had more than enough trucks. Most importantly, they had better service. I'm never going back to UHaul for transportation and after speaking to a few friends who I learned later have had similar problems, I never will again.
On a side note, for those carriers who deal with UHaul trucks, especially Kam and Barry, get out now! It's not worth the aggravation.
Monday, November 12, 2007
THE BANANA ON THE BEACH
During a nice stroll on Miami Beach, a friend and I happened upon the Banana Republic located on Lincoln Road. It was 10:45 PM, fifteen minutes before closing when we walked in. Since I'm not really a fan of this store, I thought it would only take me a minute to stroll through, find nothing and leave.
To my surprise, I found some great stuff in my size and quickly pulled them off the rack to try them on. Did you hear what I said..."try them on", minutes before closing. You would think under those circumstances I would have been met with a "come back tomorrow please." NOT! Instead I was kindly escorted into the dressing room with a smile and the sales associate made several trips back to see if I needed another size, which I did, or help, which I did.
It didn't even dawn on me the clock was ticking and he never reminded me. Twenty minutes past, I found myself at the counter with a armful of clothes. Then the best pair of shoes caught my eyes. To my amazement, another associate gratiously found my size and waited for me to ponder whether I would purchase them a not. They even suggested a matching purse as a additional purchase and a credit card, which could have taken at least fifteen minutes longer.
The conversation was light and witty; the attitude was excellent. It was a great shopping experience and I am now a true fan. Check it out. It's worth it.
The views expressed on this blog are my own. Use this as a guide only. This critique was not solicited, nor was I hired to share these thoughts. I am not a professional. I'm just a customer looking for great service. The names of the individuals mentioned are eliminated, primarily to protect me. Please remember, everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to find out for yourself.
To my surprise, I found some great stuff in my size and quickly pulled them off the rack to try them on. Did you hear what I said..."try them on", minutes before closing. You would think under those circumstances I would have been met with a "come back tomorrow please." NOT! Instead I was kindly escorted into the dressing room with a smile and the sales associate made several trips back to see if I needed another size, which I did, or help, which I did.
It didn't even dawn on me the clock was ticking and he never reminded me. Twenty minutes past, I found myself at the counter with a armful of clothes. Then the best pair of shoes caught my eyes. To my amazement, another associate gratiously found my size and waited for me to ponder whether I would purchase them a not. They even suggested a matching purse as a additional purchase and a credit card, which could have taken at least fifteen minutes longer.
The conversation was light and witty; the attitude was excellent. It was a great shopping experience and I am now a true fan. Check it out. It's worth it.
The views expressed on this blog are my own. Use this as a guide only. This critique was not solicited, nor was I hired to share these thoughts. I am not a professional. I'm just a customer looking for great service. The names of the individuals mentioned are eliminated, primarily to protect me. Please remember, everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to find out for yourself.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
ROSS DRESS FOR LESS AT MIDTOWN
As you can see, Midtown is fast becoming one of my favorite hangouts. I spent hours there Friday night, but today was the first day I decided to venture into Ross.
First things first, that store is probably one of the least inviting estabishments I've ever been to. I went to buy a baseball cap. I needed one because my last one blew into the bay when I was working out. Anyway, rarely do I go into someplace like Ross or Marshall's and buy one item. It's a virtual smorgasborg of inexpensive opportunity, and if you look carefully you can find some wonderful treasures, but in this store, I spent exactly 20 minutes and the marjority of that was in the line.
Which brings me to the service. It was horrible. Initially, there were two associates handling customers. After completing what I assume to be his last customer before taking a break, one associate unceremoniously pushed his line of patient consumers off on the other and simply walks away without so much as an "excuse me" or "I'm going on break" or "I'll be back" or "forget you" or anything.
Then, when the remaining associate called for assistance, another young lady called back using the intercom and they spent the next few seconds bantering back and forth, loudly, about whether the person attached to the voice should stay on break or go to the floor or come to the front to help. Needless to say, she didn't and we sat there and waited.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking why didn't I leave. I could find a baseball cap anywhere. But, it was so cute and only 6.99. So, I decided to stand there and vent my frustration, here, in a forum that can help others. If you're a stickler for service, I strongly suggest you steer clear of this store. It's not worth the value.
The views expressed on this blog are my own. Use this as a guide only. This critique was not solicited, nor was I hired to share these thoughts. I am not a professional. I'm just a customer looking for great service. The names of the individuals mentioned are eliminated, primarily to protect me. Please remember, everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to check it out for yourself.
First things first, that store is probably one of the least inviting estabishments I've ever been to. I went to buy a baseball cap. I needed one because my last one blew into the bay when I was working out. Anyway, rarely do I go into someplace like Ross or Marshall's and buy one item. It's a virtual smorgasborg of inexpensive opportunity, and if you look carefully you can find some wonderful treasures, but in this store, I spent exactly 20 minutes and the marjority of that was in the line.
Which brings me to the service. It was horrible. Initially, there were two associates handling customers. After completing what I assume to be his last customer before taking a break, one associate unceremoniously pushed his line of patient consumers off on the other and simply walks away without so much as an "excuse me" or "I'm going on break" or "I'll be back" or "forget you" or anything.
Then, when the remaining associate called for assistance, another young lady called back using the intercom and they spent the next few seconds bantering back and forth, loudly, about whether the person attached to the voice should stay on break or go to the floor or come to the front to help. Needless to say, she didn't and we sat there and waited.
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking why didn't I leave. I could find a baseball cap anywhere. But, it was so cute and only 6.99. So, I decided to stand there and vent my frustration, here, in a forum that can help others. If you're a stickler for service, I strongly suggest you steer clear of this store. It's not worth the value.
The views expressed on this blog are my own. Use this as a guide only. This critique was not solicited, nor was I hired to share these thoughts. I am not a professional. I'm just a customer looking for great service. The names of the individuals mentioned are eliminated, primarily to protect me. Please remember, everyone's opinion is different and I encourage you to check it out for yourself.
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