Over this past summer, I decided to tackle one of my home renovation projects, which involved me staining the fence in my backyard.  While it seems as if staining a fence would be a relatively simple and straightforward project, to do it right, it is actually a somewhat long and hard process.  As such, I decided to start the project by visiting my local Home Depot, on Billy Bishop Way, near Dufferin and Wilson.  When I arrived at the Paint Department, an eager employee asked how he could help me, so I told him about my fence staining project.  Based on the answers to my questions, he suggested that I would need approximately three gallons of stain to complete the work so I followed his advice, and bought three gallons.

As I embarked on the project, very quickly it was apparent that the employee really miscalculated the amount of stain I would require, as the cans were being used up and I had a looooooong way to go.  In fact, given the amount of stain I would still require, I decided to purchase a pail, which consists of five gallons.  Later on, I actually purchased a second, five gallon pail, and I still wasn’t finished!

Near the end of the project, I had to keep purchasing more and more gallons of stain, and not taking the “buy four get one free deal” (the pail is five gallons for the price of four) because of underestimation, until I bought a total of 13 gallons!  It was still not enough to cover the entire fence, so to complete the project, I headed back to the store, on more time, for what should be the last gallon of stain.

When I walked down to the Paint Department, once again, a long-time employee noticed that as a regular customer, I was not my usual jovial self, and that I seemed to be a bit miffed about something.  She asked me what was wrong, and how she could help me, and while I was reluctant to bellyache, I told her about the long and time-consuming fence staining project and the inaccurate initial estimation of the three gallons of stain, which ended up costing me close to $100.00 in extra purchases.

The employee apologized, without hesitation, and offered to give me the last gallon of stain for free.  I expressed my concern, that she would somehow get into trouble, be she assured me that this wouldn’t be the case.  She explained that she could justify the offer, as I would have had the last gallon free if I had purchased a third pail, and because she knows I am a regular customer, that I wasn’t trying to trick her.  We filled out some paperwork, I got the free gallon of stain to complete my project, and I was on my way a few minutes later.  I know that this was only one gallon of stain in a lengthy project, but this employee made me extremely happy, at a time when I was becoming increasingly frustrated.

The moral of this customer service experience is that the Home Depot at Yorkdale has amazing staff members, and they are empowered to make certain decisions that create the happiest of customers. While the Home Depot motto is, “You can do it, we can help,” another fitting motto would be, “We make it right when we make a mistake”.  The team in Yorkdale’s Paint Department is very experienced, knowledgeable, and is composed of some great and caring people.

Home Depot
90 Billy Bishop Way
Toronto, ON  M3K 2C8
416-373-6000

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of conversing with an employee in the office who was from Afghanistan.  The conversations usually become about food, and in this case, specifically Afghan cuisine.  The employee told me about a restaurant which was near our office, and ensured me that it served the best Afghan cuisine in Toronto.

A few weeks ago a bunch of us were up for something a bit different and decided to visit the restaurant for lunch.  When we arrived at the location, we immediately noticed that the location was very busy, but the line up was moving along at a good pace.  We were welcomed by two smiling employees and given fast, friendly service.  Since it was our first time in the restaurant, and my very first time eating Afghan cuisine, the staff members were more than happy to give some suggestions and recommendations.

The menu consisted of platters, kabobs, wraps, and salads, along with a number of drink options.  So as to not hold up the line, too much, I decided to try one of the platters, which included meat, along with a generous portion of rice, salad, and nann.  While the meals took a while to arrive due to the fact that they were cooked to order, the food was hot, fresh, and delicious, which more than made up for the wait time.

The order of Sultani Kabob was delicious and filling.  It was a combination of two kabob menu options, which were the Barg Kabob and Kofta Kabob.  The order included skewers of lean beef that was marinated in seasoning and spices, and chunks of filet mignon that were marinated in the restaurant’s own special seasoning.  One of my colleagues ordered a wrap, which was I am told was equally as delicious and filling.  The wraps were served with a soft tortilla and filled with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and the restaurant’s famous sauces.  The side order of Kabilee Rice did not disappoint, either.  It consisted of basmati rice topped with raisins, carrots, and almonds. Not to be forgotten was the large piece of nann that seemed to accompany most meals.  It was served piping hot and was perfectly baked.  Overall, the other SQM staff and I found our meals to be very satisfying.

Since our first visit, we have gone back to the restaurant a few more times, and have found both the quality of food, along with the service to be just as good as the first time.  Despite having visited many restaurants in Toronto, Afghan cuisine had never come across my mind in the past, however my experiences at Bamiyan Kabob have made me add yet another country’s food to my list.

Bamiyan Kabob
62 Overlea Boulevard
Toronto, ON L3S 4S1
416.429.7514
www.bamiyankabob.com