Author: David Lipton

About David Lipton

David Lipton is President and co-founder of Toronto based Sensors Quality Management Inc. (SQM). SQM is a Toronto based company which assists organizations in improving their customer and employee experiences, by providing the truth. SQM offers its world-wide clientele a variety of programs and services, including: Mystery Shopping, Quality / Service Assurance, Market Research, Field Merchandising, Online Feedback, and Internal Audit Software. David can be reached at 416-444-4491 or davidL@sqm.ca

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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Bruce and Steve- SQM’s Real Estate Go-To Guys

Suitable office accommodations contribute to the success of a business. Now, you might be wondering why, and it may seem like an irrelevant detail, but every business has its unique accommodation needs. Excellent Real Estate Agents are the ones who have the ability to identify and familiarize themselves with their client’s specific needs, and from this, leverage their contacts to provide the solution to those needs. An office space is simply not enough- the accommodation should be ideal for the type of business. Everything from the size of the organization, to the type of office layout, and most importantly the budget, must be considered when making a decision. Businesses seldom find Real Estate Agents who can do all of this and much more, but once they are found, its best to stick with them. Real Estate Agents of this caliber remind me of Bruce WiIls and Steve Brown.

Bruce and Steve are two real estate agents, based in Toronto, that work for CB Richard Ellis. Their office can be found right around Highway 401 and Don Valley Parkway. They have  provided Sensors Quality Management Inc. with very suitable office accommodations for the past 20 years. They know the properties within the GTA area very well and have established relationships with the landlords. They understand the different accommodation needs of various businesses, whether they are a start-up or a small to medium-sized organization, and they take these needs into account when working out lease agreements.

The GTA Real Estate industry acknowledges and respect Steve and Bruce for delivering quality service at reasonable costs to their clients. On occasion, we have other Real Estate Agents who call our office, asking if we are in need of office accommodations when our current lease expires. Of course, we kindly decline and tell them that we’ll be sticking with Bruce and Steve because we know that we are in great hands with this duo.

So are you searching for ideal office accommodations? Do you need an agent that understands your business needs, an agent that will work with you, and leverage his contacts to provide you with ideal accommodations with the right terms? Well, give Bruce and Steve a call because I have been with them for 20 years and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Steve Brown
416-495-6239
steve.brown@cbre.com

Bruce Wills
416-495-6229
bruce.wills@cbre.com

 

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Today’s Lens Gives Me and Extra Set of Eyes

Every few months, I need to order a new batch of disposable contact lenses and for the past three years I have realized that there is no better contact lens provider than the folks at Today’s Lens. The company is an online contact lens and glasses retailer that offers high quality products and great service.

The manager of Today’s Lens, Joe, runs the company and is a mastermind when it comes to outstanding service that is bound to have customers leaving positive feedback and returning.

I prefer to purchase my lens from this specific online retailer because not only do they offer contact lens and glasses for a cheaper price (compared to in-store purchases), but they also offer an easy, usable site that is simple to follow by almost anyone.

In addition to attractive pricing and an easy-to-use website, during my latest experience with the company, I learned that Today’s Lens takes quality very seriously and ensures the quality of the product before sending it out to customers.

When the time came for me to replace my lenses, I visited the Today’s Lens website and ordered the contact lenses that I normally purchase. As normally is the case, I waited for the lenses to arrive by mail, but became concerned after three weeks went by and my order had yet to arrive. I decided to give the manager, Joe, a call and I explained my problem to him. He was very apologetic and he wanted to get the problem solved as soon as possible, but he also wanted to look into the matter beforehand to find out what had happened. After a few minutes, he called me back and explained that they currently had the lenses in stock, but the expiry date was fast approaching. Since it would not be fair for the customer if they were to ship contact lenses that were not up to their standards, he was waiting for a new shipment. He then apologized to me again, and told me that my contact lenses would be shipped to their warehouse within the next week and that they would immediately send them out to me. On top of his sincere apology, he added that a complimentary box of contact lenses would be provided on my next order, as a result of the lengthy delay.

When the time came for me to make my next order, I called Joe and placed my order. I found it outstanding that Joe still managed to remember my name, my prescription, the type of lenses and of course the complimentary box of lenses, without any reminder. The service that Joe provided clearly demonstrates that he knows his customers, cares for the customers, and lives up to the company standards of providing high quality and great service. I would highly recommend Today’s Lens to anyone looking for glasses or contact lenses.

www.todayslens.ca
1-877-275-1334

 

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Tartino & Brother Lay Down a Solid Brick Foundation

Over the past couple of years, I have been meaning to do some tuckpointing on my chimney and on a few places on the side of my house. For those who don’t know, tuckpointing is the process whereby the cement cracks in between bricks are patched up in order to avoid any further damage to a home. Unfortunately, my chimney is located right alongside the brick wall beside a very slanted roof, which has led every bricklayer assessing my house to tell me two things; 1) scaffolding would be needed and 2) it was going to cost a lot.

Since I figured there had to be a better solution, I have been putting off the work until I recently received a recommendation for a guy named Tartino- an older Portuguese man who works with his brother. When they showed up at my house, I could barely understand them because of their thick accents, however I was able to understand that they were offering me a reasonable price for the job and that they could do it on the following weekend.

Even before they started the work, I was impressed by the way they prepared themselves- first by putting down drop cloths so as to not dirty the landscaping around the brick wall, and then by the way they set their tools down in a organized manner (in steep contrast to the way many other tradespeople just throw their tools, suggesting that if they don’t care about their own tools, they probably don’t care about your house).

In addition to working in an organized manner, perhaps the most impressive thing Tartino and his brother did involved the “scaffolding”. While every other bricklayer told me “scaffolding this” or “scaffolding that”, Tartino and his brother used a couple boards of wood as support and a ladder as a bridge to support another ladder against the chimney in order to reach my chimney safely and quickly. What other bricklayers would have taken extra time and a ridiculously large bill to do, Tartino and his brother were able to complete on my brick wall within a day and at a much cheaper cost.

Even when working on my chimney, Tartino and his brother showed the same care they had when setting up. Unlike other contractors who will just slap on more cement between the bricks, Tartino and his brother actually grinded down the existing cement, cleaned out the cracks, then added their own cement. This left a chimney that looked like they had built a new one for me.

They did such a great job, that I recommended them to one neighbour, who after completing his chimney, recommended them to one of our other neighbours. It was a testament to the quality of their work, how hard they worked to finish the job quickly, and offering reasonable prices for their services.

While it may have been hard to understand them at times, it’s well worth the great quality and service when doing business with Tartino and his brother.

Tartino & Brother
416-720-3994

 

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Tim Horton’s Gives Me A Great Start To My Day

A couple of weeks ago, I took my daughter for breakfast at a Tim Horton’s located on Caledonia Road in Toronto. In addition to our two breakfast meals, my daughter asked if she could try their new yogurt smoothie.

After making the payment, we waited for a few minutes and the cashier handed us our order. We took our seats at the table and began to eat when my daughter took a sip of her Tim Horton’s smoothie. Although she normally devours such a beverage, I could tell that she didn’t like it because she only took a small sip, and didn’t touch it again.

Having worked in the restaurant industry, I didn’t want to throw out the smoothie due to the possibility of creating a big mess in the garbage container, so I handed it back to the cashier, and asked her to pour it down the drain instead. The Tim Horton’s cashier asked me if there was anything wrong with the smoothie, and when I told her my daughter just didn’t like it, Rather than simply taking the smoothie away, she asked if she could get my daughter something else to drink.

By asking that question, the Tim Horton’s cashier recognized there was a problem and went above and beyond the normal call of duty to ensure the guest experience was positive and that we left Tim Horton’s satisfied. Instead of simply completing the requested task of pouring the smoothie down the drain, she truly took care of us. My daughter asked for a chocolate milk which made her very happy, thus making me a happy Tim Horton’s customer.

Research shows that approximately 75% of customers who have a good experience will make repeat visits to a business. Surprisingly, when something goes wrong, but is rectified to the customer’s satisfaction, there is a 92% chance that the customer will return to the business. As such, this is a great example of service recovery because the Tim Horton’s cashier identified a problem and completely turned the experience from a negative one into an extremely positive one. Without a doubt, I will return to this Tim Horton’s location.

815 Caledonia Rd, Toronto, ON M6B 3X8
www.timhortons.com

 

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Need A Contractor? Armindo Can Handle That!

About five years ago, I moved into my current house. It required some significant renovations, including a new kitchen and two washrooms.

At the time, I learned that many general contractors only want to take on the big jobs, which are jobs that will cost over $100,000. They also tend to brush you off if they feel your job isn’t worth their time. Fortunately, I was recommended to a contractor by the name of Armindo Rego, who was willing to take on smaller jobs, like the one I had.

The second thing that I learned about general contractors is that when you take them on a tour of your house, pointing out the things that need fixing or renovating, they will just nod or grunt their assertions before discussing a price quote. They may know what they’re doing, but it doesn’t fill me with a lot of confidence when they don’t take any notes and carry on with the task by memory. However, when Armindo showed up, the first thing I noticed was that he carried with him a little book, a pencil and a measuring tape. When we finally got down to the tour, Armindo looked like an eager student in a lecture when I showed him the tasks I needed done. He wrote down everything I said, made his own measurements, and asked questions to clarify everything that I wanted.

In addition to taking on smaller jobs and taking specific notes about the work, Armindo offered a great price, so I hired him. To make matters even better, he and his crew did a wonderful job.

After our first and main project was completed, Armindo demonstrated that he cared more about his clients than the bottom line when he helped me out as more of a friend than a contractor. In particular, my wife and I wanted to add a backyard deck and stairs to go with the newly renovated house, but really couldn’t afford it. I asked Armindo if he could show myself and a handy friend how to do the work, but instead he sent an out-of-work colleague of his over to my house to get things started. His colleague told me to “leave it with him” and by the time I got home, the majority of the work was complete. Top top that off, Armindo came over to work alongside his friend to build a flashy set of stairs so that the deck would look that much better. I certainly expected to pay Armindo’s colleague a few bucks for his time, but suffice to say that for those few bucks, a couple of burgers and a few beers got me quite the deal.

In more recent times, I needed some drywall plastered and painted. It was a very small job, but I didn’t feel comfortable doing it on my own so I called up Armindo. Despite his busy schedule, he and his son showed up over their lunch break a couple of days later. Unlike many workers who would just run in and out, Armindo and his son put down tarps and drop cloths over the floor so that nothing would get dirty, and when they needed to move furniture out of the room, they made sure to move it back exactly as how they found it. With the exception of my walls looking great, it was as if they were never there.

Another thing that I like about Armindo is how he acquires materials for the job that needs to be done. Traditionally, a general contractor will simply add a markup to the original bill if they need any supplies, while Armindo tells you which stores you can buy them from most cost effectively. By eliminating himself as the middleman, he allows you to purchase the materials and save money on the job.

Armindo is everything you want in a general contractor. Clean, tidy, quick, creative when offering design ideas, and very reasonably priced. His philosophy of putting the customer first and letting the money take care of itself always makes it a pleasure when he comes to do work for me, and I highly recommend his services to anyone who has construction jobs- small or large.

Armindo Rego
416-565-6707

 

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“A Comedy of Errors” at The Container Store

Pill Capsules

Pill Capsules

For the past couple of years, I have been using a cool-looking pill capsule that was in the shape of a giant pill, but I recently lost it. I wanted to replace it, but the only places that seemed to sell them were all in the United States. After doing some research, I found a store that sold these capsule-like containers at a place called the Container Store, so I asked a friend of mine from New York if she could swing by one of the locations, purchase this pill container, and mail it across the border to me.

When my friend arrived at the Container Store, they explained to her that while they had 50 – 100 of the pill containers in stock, they were in the warehouse and not on the store floor. What they would do for her was charge her for the pill container and they have it for her when she came back in a week. When my friend came back to the Container Store the next week, they still didn’t have it on the store floor and then asked her to come back the following week!

Now my friend was very annoyed that her time was being wasted like this and so was I, so I called up the Container Store’s 1-800 number for an explanation. The call representative, who introduced himself as Murray, apologized profusely and offered to have the pill containers shipped directly to her in order to save her yet another trip to the Container Store. Happy at his offer, I requested the two pill containers, one of them was to be white and red, while the other was to be white and blue. Murray apologized to me again and told me that he would do his best.

When the pill containers arrived by mail, they were the wrong colours! The number of errors the Container Store were making was staggering at this point, but I called the 1-800 number again and Murray was on the other end. He apologized for the most recent blunder and said he would send me more pill containers, in the right colour this time, and all free of charge. Meanwhile, the Container Store had finally received the pill capsules my friend had originally purchased and had them delivered to her as well, so in the end, we paid for two pill containers and received a total of eight in various colours- including the colours I wanted.

While the Container Store began their relationship with me and my friend with a comedy of errors, they persisted to go above and beyond to get us the pill containers we ordered. As I have mentioned in my previous blogs, customer service recovery goes a long way in maintaining a positive customer relationship; something the Container Store understood when they made things right for me and my friend. On a happy note, the pill containers I now use are so cool that when some of my other friends see them they are so impressed and purchase them from where else but… the Container Store-bringing them even more business!

The Container Store
1-888-266-8246

 

 

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