Many who know me have heard my stories I like to tell about
customer service, both good and bad. When I get "out of this world"
service either way, I share those examples. It may be the way a customer is
treated by a worker, it may be the way an employee is treated by an employer. I
do enjoy shining a light on the simple examples of human kindness that are seen
in our businesses and institutions.
Our family was traveling to Mission Texas for Christmas, a
trip we have taken semi-annually since 2000. It is a two-day drive, normally
involving a one night stop over in Dallas or thereabouts. This year, we were
unable to leave until 2ish on Friday 12/21/12. Fortunately the Mayan Calendar
was in accurate and were still around to make this trip.
Four hours into the journey while entering the town of Pryor OK, I heard a sound from the left
rear that you normally don't hear from the left rear of a car. Thinking it was
a tire, I pulled into what appeared to be a tire store/garage. (those who
know me are also aware that I am not a "car guy." I know where to put
the gas and I know where to check the oil and replace that vital fluid, beyond
that, I must consult the owner's manual.)
After safely parking at the garage, I got out, expecting to
see a flat tire. I was relieved to see it wasn't flat because that would have
meant unloading the back end to get the jack and spare. To play it safe, I looked
underneath. Even with my limited car knowledge, I knew the shock absorber was supposed
to be attached to that little "peg thingy" and not hanging free. This
upset me with only 4 hours of our journey complete.
I told my wife and she kept a smile on and entertained the
boys while I went in Hooks Convenience Store. I asked the lady behind the
counter if there was a garage open in town, knowing there may be one that
would be open for another 20 minutes. She started giving me numbers to call.
Meanwhile a customer called a friend who was able to help a little. He said he
was only a tow truck driver, but his garage could fix it in the morning. I
really didn't want to stay overnight, but this was looking like our only
recourse.
When I got back out to the parking lot, a customer of Hooks,
asked if there was a problem. I told him the shock had come off of the peg
thingy, he got under the car and in less than a minute, said in essence, it was
back on the "peg thingy." He directed me to an auto parts store down
the road that was open until 10. They were not able to help, but said that
Wayne at Tractor Supply would be able to help.
Seeing Wayne, I explained my dilemma. Wayne took about an
hour of his time, trying different bolts until he found one that would fit and
keep the shock on the "peg thingy." He also recommended I wrap duct tape around the bolt and "peg thingy" just to be sure it didn't slip
out. For his hour+ of help, Wayne charged me 22 cents for parts and 9 bucks for a
roll of duct tape. On the way back, we dropped off a bag of Texas oranges to him for his trouble. Thank you very much Wayne.
My knowledge of cars is perhaps only overshadowed by my
knowledge of video games. With all of the shopping that my wife did for
Christmas, my job was to get a specific game for each of the boys to play on
the Wii. I didn't know that WiiU was a different system. On Christmas morning I
discovered this fact and had two disappointed boys. When I took receipt and
games back to Best Buy in McAllen, TX the
day after Christmas, I was greeted with a line that extended to out of Mission
TX. By this point, I was in no mood to wait in that line. I just knew I would
get to the end and be told that software that was open could not be exchanged.
I talked to a young man at the front of the store and explained my predicament.
He said, "we have been charged to take care of any issue since it is
Christmas." He exchanged one game for the correct format and let me have a
refund for the other, since it was not available in the correct format. He
thanked me for shopping Best Buy and was happy to help.
If you find yourself traveling south of Dallas and you pass
the town of West, Texas, you must stop
at the Czech Stop. In addition to some great deli sandwiches and other items
you normally find at a highway gas station, their specialty is baked goods,
particularly kolaches. Customers wait in a line that weaves around the store.
The topic of conversation in the line is whether this is normal or not. Many
have been here before and they assure me that this is normal. When ordering,
imagine if you would that you could order from Baskin Robbins and be able to
keep what you purchase frozen for several days. You would buy a scoop of this,
a scoop of that. At the Czech Bakery, you need to first get a box, not a bag.
Get a pumpkin cheese, berry cheese, apricot cheese, pecan roll, cinnamon roll
just to start. They keep a couple of days. They may keep for more, but I've
never gotten them to last. They put your name on the box, hand it down to the
cashier and in a matter of minutes you are back in your car and on the way.
Just a warning, though, about the exit to West Texas. If you
are arriving from Dallas and traveling south, expect to exit early, they are
doing construction. We missed our stop on the way down because we missed the
exit. We didn't make that mistake on the way back. We took an outer road from
Austin, just to be sure.
I look forward to
hearing your stories of customer service. I like to keep them positive. I try
to operate from the premise that if you can't say anything nice, don't say
anything at all.
Have a Happy New Year, and I look forward to sharing more
with you folks.
Merle
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| The weekly baking supplies for Czech Stop |
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