More Customer Service Stories...

 

Which coupon would you use?  I have 3 mailers in my possession from Total Wine and More (my go to since the pandemic started and you could order on line and have them place the order in your car.)  I got them all in the mail yesterday.  The $10 is addressed to me.  The two $15 ones are slated for another street on the other side of town and another street in a different town.  Guess I haven't bought enough liquor yet, since I only rate $10 off.  (And if I use the other coupons they are coded so the person they are intended for will get the "credit.)  While I get other peoples "junk" mail, my husband is still waiting for a package that was out for delivery yesterday.  Too bad it never showed up.  (He was not a pleasant person to deal with when the mail came and there was no package.)  Such is what we have (sadly) come to expect from the postal service.  There's got to be a better way, but I'm not sure what it is.  

Meanwhile I have updates on last week's Tale of Two Businesses.  The plumbing company did call on Thursday, while I was out.  According to the customer service rep, they were going through G's voicemail and heard my messages.  There were no emails from me in his in box.  My husband gave the customer service rep my email so that she could follow up with me.  Unfortunately, the email he gave her was missing a number.  So when I got home I called and left her a voice mail with the correct email and again reviewing everything I did (multiple emails and voicemails while looking for information from G.)  Two days later (Saturday) I DID get an email from the customer service rep:  "Hi I still cannot find where you sent your photos. G looked in his inbox but we don’t see anything from you – I am sorry we have been over the top busy with emergencies and could not help you with this sooner. Can you please resend the pics to this e-mail so I can make sure we get pricing over to you and availability of the faucet. I got your message regarding looking up your correct e-mail, please confirm you got my message."  So I immediately responded to the email with the photos.  I didn't hear anything that day or yesterday morning so I sent another email, to confirm that my message was received.  I haven't heard back, but I have gotten an Outlook message saying that it has been read.  (One of the reasons why I still like Outlook.)  I continue to wait to see what (if anything) will happen.

The other business (https://www.bluehippocoffee.com/) did a great job with the brunch.  The box was huge and full of food.  If I had any complaints they would have been (1) Everything that was supposedly in the box was not there; there were obvious replacements (so it's not like I was gypped) and (2) the wait to pick it up was about 10 minutes.  This could be solved in future by providing pick up time slots.  (Maybe).  Even though I had to wait, I was apologized to several times (they owned up to it) and the offered to help me carry the box to my car (wasn't necessary.)  I probably would have minded the wait less if I wasn't parked in an "illegitimate" spot with my blinkers on.  (It was after all Father's day and the street parking was full as was the lot, which also services two other restaurants.)  The real important thing was that my husband and my son LOVED the food.  I was even able to partake in some of the produce that was provided.  (Made my very own Avocado toast...delicious.)  Definitely goes down as a big win in the Father's Day category as we enjoyed the food, along with my husband's home brewed coffee (he's a great coffee maker) on our patio.  

Yes, we are enjoying our new patio, even though it is still a work in progress.  Some of the grass seed is starting to take.  My three coreopsis plants are flowering.  (I may need more.)  I've got a crook with a hanging plant that's looking lovely.  I'm debating on a hibiscus plant...I love them, but how do you know which ones are perennials? I don't have new furniture...I'm trying to decide what kind of Adirondack chairs might work best.  I'd like something that would fold for storage (although I have no storage...the shed idea is not going as easily as I'd hoped) and/or something that will hold up for a long period of time, IF it is exposed to year round weather.  All of you with gardening and patio furniture experience (especially in the Northeast), I'm looking for your feedback.

Finally, when it comes to customer service, "my" resort of choice:  Skytop Lodge rarely fails (I'd say never, but I don't want to jinx it.)  Because of work schedules (my son has a summer job!) and my crazy food allergies, I need to do more than a standard reservation process.  Since my family (and specifically I), have been visiting for so many years, I've come to know some staff relatively well.  They feel more like friends.  They treat me as one and I reciprocate.  As a result I get a personal experience when I make a reservation and I can't wait for our trip later this summer.  Although I have explored most of the nooks and crannies at the Lodge, there is always something new to discover.  That is unless I can't get my butt out of a chair on the South Porch.  (Nothing more relaxing than that, especially with a good book and a glass of wine.)

So there you have it:  bad (no) customer service, lacking customer service, and great customer service (that owns up to their flaws).  Here's hoping there's more great in all our futures!