Tag Archives: Quality Assurance

Customer Service That’s As Beautiful As The Sunset At The Seaside Restaurant

During the summer, I decided to take a trip to the east coast of Canada with my wife and daughter, along with another family.  During our trip through the Maritimes we found ourselves in Cape Breton to drive along the Cabot Trail.

Up until this point, my wife and I found the food to be very underwhelming at all of our stops along the way. My wife is a chef, and I have experience in the food and hospitality industry, so maybe our standards were a bit high, but we were both looking to find better food during the course of our travels.  When we arrived in Cape Breton, there were not many dining options available, so we weren’t expecting much from the Seaside Restaurant, but we were all in for a lovely surprise…

The Seaside Restaurant is an amazing dining option attached to the Island Sunset Resort. The restaurant itself is simple, but offers a beautiful view of the sun setting on the ocean for all of it’s guests. They also featured an open-kitchen concept where you could see the food being made fresh and right to order.

The real star of the Seaside Restaurant was the menu and the quality of their food. They featured a diverse array of menu items ranging from pasta dishes to steak, and rack of lamb to seafood.  If the food wasn’t a good enough reason to love the Seaside Restaurant, then the service was another!  The servers were very accommodating of the two children by serving them half portions of the pasta dishes and including drinks and deserts.  As for the adults at the table, we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals, with everyone agreeing that the coconut shrimp was delicious, the seafood linguine was well-made, and the rack of lamb was to die for.  To cap off our lovely evening at the Seaside Restaurant, we all decided to order some home made desserts.

Once the bill arrived, I was expecting a bit of a steep price for all of the delicious food that we had, but I was very surprised to see that everything was reasonably priced.  Aside from some great scenery. the delicious food at the Seaside Restaurant is one of the reasons why I would definitely return to Cape Breton.

Island Sunset Resort & Seaside Restaurant
19 Beach Cove Lane
Belle Côte, NS  B0E 2B0
902-235-2669
www.islandsunset.com


 

 

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Cakes By Robert Bakes Sweet Customer Service!

A couple of weeks ago, my wife turned 40. Naturally this called for some acknowledgement (at least on my part), so a few of my wife’s girlfriends and myself planned a surprise party.

Now, without a doubt my wife’s favourite treats are Slurpees from 7Eleven. She loves those flavoured frozen drinks so much that it was a no brainer to organize a slurpee-themed party with “adult” Slurpees like Pina Colada, Margaritas, and frozen lemonade mixed with alcohol.

In addition to the adult Slurpees, my wife’s friends decided that a simple slab cake from the grocery store, wouldn’t do the trick, so they had another surprise in store. I, myself, had no idea what sort of cake they had planned, except that it would be special in some vague way, so when the time came for them to get the cake they came out with this:

 

They had gotten my wife a full detailed Slurpee 7Eleven cup-shaped cake. It was beautifully detailed from the colouring of the Slurpee cup to the 7Eleven brand logo. It looked so much like the real thing that I half expected Slurpee to come dribbling out when my wife cut into it 🙂

Needless to say, my wife and I were completely blown away with this cake. She was literally speechless at her friends’ thoughtfulness.

While eating the tasty cake, I asked my wife’s friends where they got such an intricately decorated and frankly amazing cake, and they told me the company was called Cake By Roberts.

At Cake by Roberts, the staff were wonderful to deal with, and they were so committed to making it perfect that they dedicated a lot of extra time and effort trying to have a plastic dome lid as part of the cake.  Although such effort was ultimately unsuccessful, the detail they had was still amazing, not to mention great tasting.  I would highly recommend them for any party that you want to go the extra mile for.

Cake By Roberts
134 Doncaster Ave. Unit #5
Thornhill, ON L3T 1L3
Phone: 905-889-1448
email: cakes@cakesbyrobert.com

 

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The Red Caboose- Affordable Family Fun!

Please pardon me while the cold weather in Toronto brings about some of my favorite summer memories…

Whenever I go to Orillia, Ontario with my family, one of our favourite places to visit is The Red Caboose Mini Putt.

The mini putt itself is just like any other mini putt course, with 18 holes and some nice benches to sit and chat at, throughout the course. The Red Caboose restaurant that we eat at after playing is fine too, with rarely any lines, fast and friendly service, and a menu with great such as homemade hamburgers and fresh-cut fries.

However, what makes the Red Caboose my favourite place to visit in Orillia is because it serves Kawartha Diary ice cream.  It’s very tasty ice cream with flavours like Rum Raisin, Moose Tracks and Bear Paws.  It tastes even better when the Red Caboose serves a kid’s scoop for only $1 and an adult scoop for only $1.50!

In fact, the first time I played there and I bought ice cream for me and my family, I thought the employee had accidentally misheard how many scoops of ice cream I wanted because I was holding literally two scoops of ice cream, and it was still just a $1.50.  The amount of ice cream they scooped for us was that generous.

One time I took my family and some friends to play some mini putt.  While we were puttering around, we met another family whom we knew quite well.  After we had all finished playing, I bought ice cream for everyone and I still had change from a $20 dollar bill!

Most stores would charge roughly three or four dollars, so I highly recommend stopping by the The Red Caboose, the next time you’re in the area.

The Red Caboose
705-325-4777
nicole@redcaboose.ca

 

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The Source Of Quality Customer Service

Whenever I have an issue that involves electronics, I always cringe when thinking about going into one of those “big box” stores. Despite the wide selection of electronics that these larger stores have, I find it challenging to come across an experienced and knowledgeable staff member on a regular basis who can deliver great customer service.

Thankfully, I met just this type of employee several years ago at The Source, located at Lawrence Plaza (Bathurst Street and Lawrence Avenue), in the city of Toronto. Since then, this employee has been my “go-to guy” for many of my electronic needs and has constantly gone above and beyond the level of basic customer service that is so common in many other stores.

I’m not sure how long Mohammed has been with the company, but I have been dealing with him for at least the past three years. During that time, Mohammed has constantly exceeded the expectations of every customer that walks through the doors. Not only does he greet everyone with a warm smile, but he also demonstrates an earnest desire to provide any sort of assistance, no matter the issue. He is also extremely knowledgeable about technology and the products that the store offers. If these two factors were not enough to keep me coming back, Mohammed always knows how to come up with a quick fix or low cost solution for whatever challenges I may have. Whereas other sales representatives frequently suggest that the highest priced solution is the only solution, Mohammed knows exactly how to meet your needs at the lowest cost without compromising quality. This is refreshing to see, especially in a retail world dominated by “high priced solutions” that are pushed on you by inexperienced and less than knowledgeable staff. Seeing the work that Mohammed does truly demonstrates how dedicated he is to his craft and to the customer.

Whether it’s a simple battery, a more complicated computer issue, or if you’re looking for the latest in the gaming world, I urge anyone with any sort of technological issue to stop by and see Mohammed. I can guarantee you that if his warm personality doesn’t keep you coming back, his level of expertise and cost saving abilities will!

The Source
526 Lawrence Ave W, Unit 16D
North York, ON M6A 1A1
416-782-6379

 

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At Crestwood Valley Day Camp the Day is Never Done!

While I usually write about specific customer service experiences that have directly impacted me, I wanted to take an opportunity to highlight a well run business on behalf of my seven year old daughter.

Now that my daughter has enjoyed another successful and hugely entertaining summer, I thought I would give a shout out to a great summer camp. For the past few summers my daughter has gone to Crestwood Valley Day Camp. Located in the valley near Bayview and Lawrence, the camp has been around for the past 20 years. In fact, my wife was a camp counselor the very first year they opened!

From a parent’s perspective, the camp is an incredibly well run and organized business. From the pre-summer orientation where campers get knapsacks and water bottles, to the mid-summer open house where kids get to perform, to the buses which pick up and drop off on time (a little known fact is that prior to the day before camp starts, the buses go on a run to make sure they will be on time for the coming days), and finally, the ongoing communication about what is happening. The camp truly runs like a well oiled machine.

It is also the little touches that make a big impact. From having police and traffic attendants present during parent events (due to all the cars), the great camper activities (e.g. swimming, nature area, pottery, art, archery, creating a music video, optional overnight camp, etc.), the snacks and lunches (which the kids actually eat), to always being prepared for weather inconveniences. The camp itself is an incredibly fun, organized, safe, and highly educational experience.

Crestwood’s owners, Bobby and Eric, are great to deal with, and after a quick conversation with either of them you will understand why your kids will love it there. For anyone looking for a great summer experience for their kids, I highly suggest you consider Crestwood Valley Day Camp.
Crestwood Valley Day Camp
411 Lawrence Avenue East
Toronto, ON M3C 1N9
Phone: 416-444-9595
Fax: 416-444-4178
Email: crestwood.camp@crestwood.on.ca

 

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Rogers’ CEO is a Great Guy!

As many of us have come to learn, companies tend to be hit or miss when it comes to customer service. In addition to this, it seems that many people tend to have a love-hate relationship with companies that they encounter every single day. A perfect example of this would be mobile phone companies- like Rogers.  It can be as difficult to resolve a minor issue with them as it can a major one. For example, I knew a Rogers customer who wanted to get help with an issue he was having with his new phone. Unfortunately, none of the Rogers customer service reps were able to help resolve the issue.

Tired of sifting through tons of Rogers customer service representatives all repeating the same line, my friend decided to take a different approach and contact Guy Laurence, the current CEO of Rogers communications. Mr. Guy Laurence is well known for his amazing customer service skills and taking the time to resolve everyday issues for Rogers customers. Guy Laurence was also the former President CEO of Vodafone, a European phone company. He is a great example of a leader in the field of customer service as he reads every single email that is sent to him by valued Rogers customers and he does not waste any time in responding to them.

After my friend contacted Mr. Laurence via email on a Friday afternoon, the CEO of Rogers responded by having an authority call him back on Saturday morning. He spoke with the authority for only five minutes, but the issue was finally resolved. Although it took a while, it seems that Guy Laurence is redeeming Rogers’ customer service. So hold on loyal customers, there may be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Rogers Communications
www.rogers.com
(416) 935-7777

 

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Experiencing the Magic of Disney

There is nothing quite like the magic of Disney, and what contributes to that magic is its incomparable level of customer service.

Recently, I contacted Disney about purchasing an animation cell of Wendy and Peter Pan for two of my close friends. The Disney employee told me the store had lots of animation cells, but it was rare to find one with only Wendy and Peter Pan. Fortunately, the employee was able to find the cell and we began to arrange the purchase. However, just as the arrangements were almost complete, my phone call with Disney was suddenly cut off. I called back and the employee was very apologetic, but then the call cut out again. Having been cut off twice, I gave up for the time being.

It was a few months ago that I decided to retry contacting the Disney employee about the
rare animation cell. I emailed them only to have my message bounce back because the employee had left the company. The arrangement for the Wendy and Peter Pan animation cell was still important to me, so I sent the information about the previous arrangement to another Disney employee. It was not until weeks later that I got the confirmation from the employee that the cell was being framed.

The wait was worth it, as when the cell arrived it was beautifully framed and of high quality. In a way, it was magical. Impressed with such care and effort, I called Disney once more to thank them. Disney’s reply both surprised and impressed me. They wanted me to have the cell as a gift and offered their deepest apology for their lack of contact. Disney went above and beyond their customer service, and that is what makes it all a truly magical experience.

www.disney.com
1-800-328-0368

 

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