14
Aug

Major Restaurant Chain Says – NO Substitutions!

Have you ever made a change to an item on a menu? – Hold the tomatoes? – Tomato sauce instead of cream? – Salad instead of fries? I rarely order right off the menu. I seem to need to mix and match at least something. Not because I like being difficult, but sometimes it’s because of certain food intolerances, or it’s because I’m …
03
Jul

Awesome Customer Experience from Problem Solver at Home Depot

If you’re in the business of customer service or customer experience, you and your team can likely take a few lessons from Mostafa (aka Moose) at Home Depot in Oakville. I had the pleasure of dealing with him while purchasing a barbecue with a tight timeline. Here’s what happened, how Moose dealt with it, and what we can all learn from him. …
19
Jun

A store told me they don’t want my business! HuH?!

To be fair, the store didn’t directly tell me that my money wasn’t wanted, but their actions certainly made me feel that way. Here is the situation: It’s the week before Father’s Day. I’m looking for gifts, buying cards, and then….I notice the lonely music store in the mall. Is the store really lonely? Perhaps not. But when I looked …
12
Jun

Jeff’s GuyShop IS Customer Service!

I have to be honest. I’m not always fond of retail customer service reps. I say this even though I have worked MANY retail jobs over the years. One job WAY BACK (when I was in high school) was as a clothing sales person – and I thought the job was great. I got a decent discount on clothes, my paycheck paid for gallons of 80’s hairspray, and …
22
May

I ordered a Double Double, and I received an Experience

I was in a bad mood. My infant son was sick, I wasn’t feeling well, and I was trying to juggle the regular day-to-day activities (work and personal). I decided to go through the Tim Hortons drive-thru for some salvation…a double double, hot coffee hug. Little did I know, I was going to receive more than my usual customer service experience. I admit …
07
Dec

Policy or Passion – what rules your organization?

Wouldn’t it be great working in an organization where people were happy to come to work, got their work done efficiently and had fun doing it? Unfortunately, I’ve seen leaders stifle the passion and fun that can be had at work in the name of policy or tradition or just because they don’t understand the positive effects on business …
23
May

3 Workplace Lessons from the Servants at Downton Abbey

Last night, I attempted to turn off my working brain and just enjoy some television… I have heard so much about Downton Abbey, so I powered up Netflix and watched the first two episodes. The only problem is that somehow my brain started connecting dots between the situations in the show and workplace lessons… just like when I tried to relax …