Help Wanted, Help Found

Yesterday the hubby and I headed to Uptown Kitchen for breakfast. It is such an inviting place to eat with fresh food and lots of healthy options. We don't choose the healthy options, but we are glad they are there. The host was a pleasant guy who didn't offer us a highchair even though we had our baby with us in an infant carrier. It was no big deal to us, I made myself at home and went to get one. He saw me do this as he hustled through the kitchen running food and smiled sheepishly. I was so happy to be out to breakfast that I really didn't mind, but someone else might. Our server was Alyssa, though I am probably not spelling it right (I'm sorry!). She was an almost perfect waitress. Alyssa was warm, friendly and thorough. She was elegant and professional and smiled a genuine smile. I really appreciated how polished she was but I did get the feeling that she was this way with everyone every time. That is of course an excellent quality in customer service,...

I like to stink good: I LOVE good perfume and I prefer to only use one flavor as a signature scent. For five years (or fifteen, who's counting?) I wore Estee Lauder "Beautiful" like everyone else on the face of the planet. Then for the past six years it has been Jean Paul Gaultier in that sexy female-in-a-bustier bottle. My life has changed dramatically this year and I am ready for a new signature scent to celebrate it. I'm picky about fragrance and it does funny things when I wear it, so I need to wear it for a few days to tell if it will work on me long term. I have returned many a bottle of perfume I thought I loved after only a week of wearing it. A few weeks ago (or a month, who's counting?) I went to Sephora to shop for a new perfume. Sephora is awesome for customer service because they will not only give you perfume samples, but they give them to you in spray bottles so you can actually apply it in the normal manner instead of rubbing yourself like a ...

As a rule I am not a fan of Walmart. I prefer to shop locally but sometimes you gotta run in there, squint against the harsh lighting, grab cheap stuff and go. That is what I was doing on July 6th (2009) when I tried on a few tops in the fitting room. I had my four month old baby with me and after I was finished trying things on and leaving the room, Neila was taking my cast offs when I realized I wasn't quite done. Baby was cranky. With a breastfeeding baby they are pretty clear when they want to eat, and you darn well better cough it up for them on demand or else. I apologized to Neila and explained that I needed to go back in the fitting room, this time to feed "Sweet Baby Girl" before she turned into "Not So Sweet Beulah The HUNGRY and MAD". Neila was so pleasant about it and I really appreciated her personality. She had been that way when I brought my clothes up to try on, when I handed back my rejects, and now even when I needed to go back in for...

Today's guest George Garner shares some simple ways we as customers can help those in the service industry to help us more effectively. ("Help me help you help me..." anyone?) Garner has worked in the retail industry for seven years and bought stuff from it for over thirty. Help, Wanted? By George Garner I’ve been in the working world for about sixteen years so far, and roughly seven of them were spent in the glorious world of retail. During those seven long years I’ve learned one very important thing: I cannot read minds. No really, it’s true. Yet, in my store on any given day, streams of people walk in and out expecting me to instinctively know what they need and when they need it. I’ve spent a lot of time behind the counter offering help, but, like every service employee, I’m often on the other side of the counter seeking help. And those of us who spend time behind the counter have a unique perspective on how to the find help we’re used to giving. So to you, dear reade...

We checked out the new restaurant by the airport for you! (I know, another food review...I swear this isn't a food critic blog hiding inside a customer service blog) I want to share our wonderful experience at Times Square Restaurant on Lincolnway across from the South Bend airport. You can see their menu via their other location under "Bravo Cafe" here . The first thing I noticed was they had environmentally savvy florescent bulbs in their outdoor lighting...you know the twisty kind we are all supposed to be buying. I also really liked the landscaping outside of the restaurant. It is unlikely you spend a lot of time hanging out on Lincolnway but it isn't the nicest part of town from a curb appeal standpoint. Their bright flowers, borders and raised beds make a difference. Everyone was "opening week nice" so we started off well. They didn't have highchairs which was kind of odd for a family restaurant but they are getting some soon. It was fine, o...

A restaurant by any other name, or even the same name, just isn't as sweet. The Riverfront Cafe used to be a place with fabulously mouthwatering food and a happy eclectic atmosphere. When it closed down a few years ago everyone I knew in Niles was disappointed. When it reopened under new owners about a year ago we were elated. Now we are back to disappointed again. According to our receipt our server's name tonight was Jennifer, but I am not certain she said her name. Poor Jennifer; she was a sweet young girl without an ounce of spark and only minimal wait service training from my estimation. I would love to work with the waitstaff there and help them enjoy their work. I wish someone had spent time with Jennifer, she has potential to be a great server and to really enjoy her job. If she was awesome I'll bet just her repeat customers alone could bump up business at this struggling cafe. I wanted her to enjoy taking care of us, I wanted to have a great time at the re...

Win a useful & unique gift (my favorite combination!) for any nursing mother...also a fantastic shower gift. I'm offering THREE free milkband bracelets from "www.milkbands.com" and I'll even cover the postage for you. I posted in May about Udder Covers from www.milkbands.com and the great service I received from them. Unfortunately I did not receive my package in a timely manner which surprised me. I called Jenny at their 800 number and left a message. She called back mortified and together we figured out it must have been a snafu at the Post Office. Jenny continued the great customer service streak by reshipping my order that day and including five milkband bracelets for me...super nice. I'm sharing like the thoughtful gal I am, of course. To win, simply comment on this post with a customer service experience story I can share on the blog. It can be good or bad but must be truthful and as detailed as possible. The first three stories win bracelets, ...

I want to buy my chicken from Hiatt's Pork and Poultry at the Farmer's Market but I stopped. It is free range and naturally raised, it tastes GREAT, but I wouldn't buy it. At one point I was not so sure I could keep buying my eggs and cheese there either...this is why: A few weeks ago I went to the market and bought cheese from the Hiatt's booth. The gentleman who waited on me was very pleasant, patient and courteous. This man gave excellent customer service with one exception: his dirty hands. He took my cheese out of the plastic bag to cut it in half per my request without washing his hands. Also without washing he took my money, gave me change and handed me back the cheese. I worked in a deli a jillion years ago but I would imagine food safety processes are all the same...money and food should not be handled with the same bare (or gloved) hands. I almost didn't buy the cheese, but I figured I could pop it in the freezer overnight to kill any extra bacte...

The website www.diapersetc.com offers so much wonderful information. If you are horrified, curious or dedicated to using cloth diapers check this out and get some great knowledge! http://www.diapersetc.com/content/cloth-diaper-guide.html I love it when a site or a business goes above and beyond like this to serve their customers. WAY TO GO!

I was visiting the web site for Mothering Magazine and saw a promotion for Udder Covers where they offered free nursing covers, hilariously named "Udder Covers" if you simply go to the site, enter the promo code "onefree" and pay about $8.00 shipping. I ordered one to give as a gift to a girlfriend who is expecting. I already have a 'Hooter Hider" from another vendor and I probably paid $28 on sale for it. For those of you who are beyond confused at this point, allow me to explain that a nursing cover is basically a HUGE APRON you wear over you and your nursing offspring which protects any modesty you may care to have and (hopefully) keeps you from being harassed for feeding your baby in public. It is an indispensable item for a nursing mama and I strongly recommend them to everyone. (Thank you to my friend for recommending it for me in the first place- Ila, you are AWESOME!) I was very impressed with this company just giving away a valuable item i...

HELP WANTED: Went to the Carter's store in Michigan city to return a duplicate infant outfit. I've never been much of a kid person, so as the new Mother of a charming three month old Cupcake you can imagine my confusion when it comes to baby clothing! Everything is presented in a range like 0-3 months, 3-6 months and so forth...BUT depending on the actual SIZE of your kid they may not follow the typical monthly sizing. Our dearest Cherub, for example, wears a cloth diaper and diaper cover so her heiny is COMICALLY ENORMOUS and this requires larger sizes. Given that I am not so great juggling math, trying to figure out what size she could be in a month or two plus adding size for her Big Bottomed Girl Self and adjusting for potential change of seasons I am pretty overwhelmed when I finally do have to shop for her. My dear Father bought The Princess an adorable Carter's outfit we already had, so I took it to their store in Michigan City Indiana to exchange it for somethi...

The standard HELP WANTED sign is black and white and hangs in a shop window. It implies a need or desire of one human being for the assistance of another. (Usually paid, or underpaid as the case may be.) We do not have to own a business to hang out a HELP WANTED sign. Without regard to our business ownership, social status, age or profession we are all looking for help. It is a simple thing, a need that drives our daily lives: Help with our homework, help in the kitchen, help doing our work smarter, making our lives simpler, our fun bigger and our days more joyful. What does your HELP WANTED sign look like? In my daily life I see so many opportunities to give and receive help that are missed, or at the very least done badly! Customer service is something we each offer and receive every day and it impacts more than just our work life. How we are served and how we in turn serve others affects everything we do and who we are as people. We may be looking for help but we also display ...