Category Archives: SQM Picks

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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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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

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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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The Toronto Blue Jays are customer service champions!

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Last year, I decided to join many Torontonians by purchasing seasons tickets for the Toronto Blue Jays. Given the off-season acquisitions, I had high expectations, so when the Jay’s missed the playoffs I was left like many other Jays fans mumbling, “maybe next year”. Perhaps most importantly, I was left considering whether to renew my season tickets.

I don’t know if I said those words too loud, or if someone at the Blue Jays head office overheard me, but a few days later I received a package from none other than Mr. Paul Beeston- the President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. He sent a personally signed letter thanking me for my continued support of the team, apologized for the poor season, and indicated how he and the rest of management were committed to improving the team and continuing in the direction that they began last season. To top it all off, all season ticket holders received a baseball autographed by a member of the 2013 team!

This small gesture left me with the impression that Mr. Beeston and the entire Toronto Blue Jays organization genuinely care about those who support them, taking responsibility for not meeting certain expectations, and truly standing behind their product. You would think that a major league sports team, such as the Blue Jays, would make no added effort to assure their supporters that they were striving to do better, however, they made this added gesture. Unlike many other companies that don’t necessarily stand behind their product, but simply provide lip service, Mr. Beeston and the Blue Jays management team did the complete opposite. Perhaps their efforts can be a lesson to businesses in other industries- no matter what you are selling, when things go wrong, you have to stand behind your product with more than just words! Great customer service goes a long way.

But the story doesn’t end there. In an effort to thank Mr. Beeston for his kind words and wonderful gift, I put a call in to his office. When I called he was unfortunately out of the office so I left him a message. Not expecting to hear anything back, I was amazed when two hours later I received a return call- not from his secretary, nor his intern, but Mr. Beeston himself! We only spoke for five minutes, but he took the time to thank me for my call, and my continued support for the team. He then assured me that the organization is still very much committed to taking a run at the playoffs next season.

For me, it was remarkable to see the President of a large organization personally take the time to thank one of his many season ticket holders, his fan, and his customer! It truly demonstrates how much Mr. Beeston and the rest of the Blue Jays staff care about their customers and stand behind their organization both in good times and in bad. It was also nice to see the organization back up their words by offering me a little insight into what the team is planning to do to make improvements for the next season.

Going into 2014, I look forward to what the coming season has in store for the Blue Jays. If you want to find me, I’ll be in the same seats, beer and popcorn in hand, supporting Mr. Beeston and cheering on the home team!

Go Jays Go!

The Toronto Blue Jays
1 Blue Jays Way, Suite 3200
Toronto, ON M5V 1J1
416-341-1000

 

 

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Hitting the Slopes at Brimacombe

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Slogging through knee-high snow drifts and shivering in multiple layers of clothing has far too often been the norm these past few months. Of course, while I think we can all agree that this has been a rough winter in Canada, the skiing has never been better!

This past January, I made the trek up to Brimacombe, a ski resort in Orono, Ontario. A few of my daughter’s friends were enrolled in the ski school on the upcoming weekend (a two day, 9am-4pm service), so we called hoping to enroll our daughter as well (albeit, after the registration deadline). The people we spoke with were extremely accommodating, telling us to show up the morning of to complete some paperwork, and they’d have her on the slopes in no time. In fact, not only did they get her on the slopes, but by the end of the weekend she was skiing down the intermediate hills- a young girl who’d never skied before!

Home of the Oshawa Ski Club, Brimacombe has been around since the 1940s. Starting off as a small cabin at the base of the hill with only 137 members, it has now grown to 3,500 members and 130,000 annual visits. With well groomed, powder white hills generated by snow blowers (not that we’ve needed it this year), an ample number of chair lifts, a pro shop, rental shop, and two cafeterias to provide you with some heart warming hot chocolate, you’re getting your money’s worth. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful, particularly the snow school instructors, who are excellent with kids. In addition, there’s no fear of getting lost with signs directing you where to go and staff galore to answer any questions.

Whether you’re new to the sport or an avid skier, I highly recommend visiting Brimacombe. Only a 45 minute drive outside of Toronto, it’s a great way to take advantage of all the white stuff that’s fallen this winter.

Brimacombe
4098 Regional 9 Road
Orono, ON LOB 1MO
905-983-5983

 

 

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Customer Service- A Home Run at Play It Again Sports

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Compromise and effective budgeting are the name of the game when it comes to kids. Recently, my daughter outgrew her baseball glove—which seems to be happening fairly regularly with all her clothing and sports equipment—so we decided to buy her a new one. There was one condition though, the glove had  to be pink or purple—her condition, not mine. Fair enough, girls will be girls, but I also wanted a good quality glove that would last her for a while, so I went to Canadian Tire and browsed through the Rawlings gloves. There were a few with pink and purple, but all were too large for my daughter’s hand. Our neighbour’s daughter had a pink Rawlings glove, but my neighbours seemed to think they weren’t manufacturing that kind anymore. Well, I called up Rawlings Canada’s Customer Service line to make sure and got some very helpful people on the line who directed me to a few Ontario stores that might carry the glove. I called the store closest to us and they were willing to order the glove from the States, but it’d take three weeks to get there and included shipping costs, so I turned to the next store on the list- a Play It Again Sports in Burlington.

Burlington is a little out of the way for me, but, as any of you fellow parents know, you’re willing to go the extra distance for your kid. I called the store and got the store owner/operator on the line, Gord, who told me they had the glove. This was just before the Easter Weekend, though, and his store was going to be closed on Good Friday. Just my luck, I would be driving right through Burlington on Good Friday and wasn’t sure when I’d be out that way next. Did Gord ever step up to the plate. He told me he only lived five minutes from the store and gave me his personal number in order to call him when I got to Burlington so he could swing by the store and open it up for us. I mean, it’s Easter weekend, his day off, and Gord was planning on taking his family out for breakfast that morning, but he still made time for us. That’s excellent customer service if I’ve ever seen it!

We pulled into the store parking lot around 10 am and there he was waiting. He brought us into the store and showed my daughter three different gloves. She ended up settling on the size 11 3/4 glove with some pink trim around the edges and a pink centre. It took a total of ten minutes, Gord locked up the store and we headed on our merry way. For a sale that totalled forty dollars, Gord was willing to take time out of his holiday to help my daughter and I out and give us a great experience at his shop. The Burlington store is a little out of my way, but the next time I have a sporting goods need I’ll be sure to make the trek out to see Gord. He definitely hit a customer service home run!
Play It Again Sports
3450 Dundas Street Unit B19
Burlington, ON L7M 4B8
905-639-8872
www.playitagainsports.com

 

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Maple Leaf Garage Doors is full of passion

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Not too long ago, I decided it was time to replace my garage door. I began by making calls to several prominent companies in the GTA, however, to my surprise, all but one of the companies either never returned my calls, or did so several weeks later. Two of the companies set up a consultation, yet only one of them showed up. Frustrated, I eventually found someone that offered a reasonable price, but I still wasn’t sold. Then one day, I noticed a white van parked on my street. It had a large sign that read ‘Maple Leaf Garage Doors’. Disillusioned by my experiences thus far, I decided to give them a chance. To my delight (and relief), the call was immediately answered by Steve Minakakis. The owner, installer, and service technician of ‘Maple Leaf Garage Doors’- A real one man show!

After speaking with Steve, he immediately came by to show me a variety of samples. He also took the appropriate measurements and provided me with a fair quote on the spot. Even though I had just met him, I could tell that Steve took great pride in his work and valued me as a potential customer. Since this quality of customer service was remarkably different from what I had experienced with other companies, I decided to go with ‘Maple Leaf Garage Doors’.

Despite initially asking Steve for colour samples that he did not have, he still dropped new ones off in my mailbox the next day! Most importantly, he returned all of my calls in a timely matter and provided me with updates on when my parts were to arrive. If that wasn’t enough, Steve generously adjusted his own schedule (without me asking), so he could complete the replacement in time for some guests I was expecting later on that week! To top off Steve’s amazing customer service, he sent me several pictures of the finished product while I was at work. He even disposed of my old garage door and installed a new opener free of charge!

Above all, what struck me the most about my experience with Steve was his passion. From our initial consultation, to his regular communications, and finally, accommodating my schedule, Steve went above and beyond what I expected. I always try to support small businesses, especially when the service is this good. So I would definitely recommend calling Steve and ‘Maple Leaf Garage Doors’ for all of your replacement and repair needs! If his product doesn’t convince you, I guarantee his passion will!

Maple Leaf Garage Doors
Steve Minakakis
416-856-8452
info@mapleleafhomeservices.com

 

 

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Tiffany & Co. wraps their customer service in a little blue box

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Tiffany & Co. necklace

Recently, it was my wife’s birthday and to “hit one out of the park” I decided that jewelry was the way to go. Previously, my wife had picked out a pendant / necklace as a gift suggestion for two of her friends and after seeing how much she liked the necklace, I decided I couldn’t go wrong to buy it myself.

So I was off to explore the world of the iconic Tiffany blue box…

During the visit to purchase the necklace, I had a great overall experience. There was someone at the door to greet me, staff were readily available and easily accessible, and most importantly; everyone was helpful, friendly, and very knowledgeable. As a result, my visit was very enjoyable and I was out with the necklace in a very short amount of time.

When my wife opened the present she absolutely loved the necklace, however, there was one small issue… the chain was too short.

As a result, we went back to the store to see what could be done and we were immediately directed over to the Customer Service area. Prior to being directed to the Customer Service area, it was explained to us that typically they would add-on the required length for the chain at a cost of $40.00 for the first inch and $5.00 for each additional inch. I understood that there would be extra work involved in making the chain longer, but I was annoyed that after spending money on the necklace that I would have to spend even more to get it to properly fit.

The woman at Customer Service was friendly and immediately took my wife’s measurements for the chain. When she asked if we were aware of how the fees worked, I told her that I was, but not very happy about it. Beginning to do a slow burn, I asked if I could possibly speak to her manager as I thought that it was unfair that they only had one size of the necklace and didn’t mention the charges at the time it was purchased. I also let her know that I was upset because the chain size would not fit most women and it would cause many people to have to incur extra costs.

As soon as I explained what was bothering me, she said that she understood and would “waive the fees”. Surprised, I asked, “Really?”, and the woman answered with one line- “We want you to be happy with your purchase”.
A few things caught my attention from my experience at Tiffany’s:

1) The woman at Customer Service did not have to call her manager to discuss the issue. She was empowered to make the decision on her own.
2) There was no haggling (i.e. reducing the fee by twenty dollars or taking 50% off the costs). She immediately waived the full amount.
3) Her one line answer showed that the most important thing to Tiffany’s is that the customer is happy. It is the only thing that mattered in the situation. I think it is great that this has been instilled in, and taught to the staff, empowering them to provide great customer service for customers. No matter what your status is; whether you are purchasing a $100,000.00 diamond, or a three hundred dollar necklace, for anyone walking out of the store with the blue box, it is clear that everyone should be equally happy with their purchase.

Not to paint every company with the same brush, but there are thousands (if not hundreds of thousands of businesses), that talk about providing great customer service, but rarely take it to this level. I wonder what the customer experience would be like if all other business took the same approach as Tiffany’s and did whatever it would take to ensure that the customer is happy with their purchase!

I truly never thought that shopping for women’s jewelry would be so enjoyable. Well done Tiffany and Co… well done!

www.tiffany.com

 

 

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Se7en Numbers fills me up

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If you’re looking to eat out with family and friends, as a couple, or perhaps on a date, you may want to pay a visit to a restaurant known as 7 Numbers on Eglinton Avenue in Toronto. 7 Numbers is a casual Italian restaurant with an eclectic atmosphere. This is evident as soon as you arrive when you see one of the owners cooking food in the small kitchen near the front window. The restaurant has great food at reasonable prices, is family friendly, and always provides great customer service. As a result, the restaurant has become one of my “go to” places with my wife and our friends.

On the menu 7 Numbers offers appetizers, first and second courses, as well as family-style platters. During my past few visits, our table ordered some of the family-style platters and it was on such an occasion that I realized how different the experience is at this restaurant from many others.

Although the family platters contain a lot of food, I often find that everyone gravitates to the same items that I like, resulting in me getting less of some of my favourite foods, like the calamari, as opposed to the other options. However, on a recent visit after the platter arrived and everyone began to eat, one of my friends simply asked the server if they could bring “a little more calamari”. Without hesitation, a small extra bowl of calamari was brought to our table!

When many companies focus on the bottom line, it is a great feeling to be able to go out to a restaurant, and not worry about incurring extra costs for a little more food in order to leave with a full belly. Clearly it is 7 Numbers’ philosophy that if it takes a few extra pieces of something to create a positive experience for the customer, they are willing to go the distance. It was great to see that at a family-run restaurant, they want you to leave full and satisfied.

On your next night out, be sure to visit 7 Numbers. I am sure that you will leave happy… and full!

7 Numbers (2113407 Ontario Inc.)
516 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, ON
M5N 1A5
416-322-5183

 

 

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Guelph takes me by Storm

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A couple of weeks ago, I decided to pay a visit to a good friend of mine, down in Guelph Ontario. Amidst the century old Victorian buildings that call Guelph home, exists one of the cities most prized possessions…the Guelph Storm hockey team! During my visit, I was fortunate enough to take in one of their games at downtown’s Sleeman Centre, and what a great experience it was. Despite the fact that the Guelph Storm are just a Junior A team, the atmosphere and fan devotion clearly rivals that of any major league team.

As a child, I remember when my dad used to take me to Toronto Marlie games at Maple Leaf Gardens. Little did I know at the time that what began as the original Toronto Marlborough’s hockey team, back in 1904, eventually would become the Guelph Storm hockey team in 1991! Since then, the Storm have gone on to win a number of Ontario Hockey League (OHL) championships, and are presently the second ranked Junior A team in the country. They have even seen several of their players rise to the ranks of the National Hockey League (NHL) over the years.

What I found quite remarkable was the vibe and spirit that I witnessed firsthand, as soon as I walked into the Sleeman Centre, with roughly 3,500 fans covered head-to-toe in Storm colours, standing behind their team. I’ve been to a few hockey games in my time, but it was really impressive to see this level of commitment for a hockey team in what could still be considered “small town” Ontario. It really goes to show you that the glitz and glamor of the big leagues can’t outshine the core community aspect of small town hockey. What was even better (unlike big league games) was the fact that the tickets were reasonably priced. This allowed anyone from families and children, to hard core hockey nuts to come out and enjoy a game without putting a hole in their pocket book.

If I want to escape the madness of a big league hockey game, I now know where to go! With their devoted fan-base and hardworking team, the Guelph Storm truly embody what hockey means in Canada!

If you would like to get tickets for the next Storm game, or want to see a full season schedule, check out their website: www.guelphstorm.com for more information.

Guelph Storm- Sleeman Center
50 Woolwich St.
Guelph, ON
519-822-4900

 

 

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Teach me how to fish

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Sometimes, I like to take a break from my regular articles to highlight some important issues. At the moment, this has been weighing on my mind…

During my high school and university days, I used to run a small valet parking company with a close friend of mine. The business involved parking cars at house parties, weddings, corporate events, and charity functions.

Many of the events we worked at involved some of Toronto’s wealthier residents, holding fundraisers and galas at their own estates and homes, and while I admit that I was wowed by the big homes and fancy cars, what really caught my attention was how these people were so willing to open their doors, wallets, and hearts to a variety of important causes. Even though I was very far from making that kind of money, I knew that eventually I wanted to give back to the community in a similar way.

Fast forward to today and I still have the same drive and determination to help others as I did several years ago. However, there’s one road block I can’t get passed, I don’t have the kind of money some of my previous clients did. Whatever money I do make, I end up investing back into my business to help it grow. This makes it difficult for me to really “give”‘ on the scale that I would like to. I always say that I would rather invest $500 back into my own business now, so that I’m able to give $50,000 to a charitable cause further down the road. There is also the issue of time. Just as my business requires constant monetary reinvestment, it also requires me to reinvest a sufficient amount of time into its growth. These two factors have made it increasingly difficult to take the steps necessary to bring my philanthropic vision to life.

In an effort to meet my goals, I have attempted to reach out to some of the “big givers” who may be able to provide me with some advice and direction in order to help me grow my business. I always say that if you want to be the best, you have to learn from the best, and that is exactly what I’m trying to do. I’m not looking for money, but rather the opportunity to speak with successful business people who can help me get to the next level of giving by helping me grow my business.

Unfortunately, it seems that while many of today’s philanthropists are very generous with their wallets, there are no mechanisms in place (by these individuals or their foundations) to assist in developing the next generation of philanthropists….the big givers of tomorrow. Given that many of today’s philanthropists are also today’s visionaries and leaders, I’m somewhat surprised that this is the case. As a result, if anyone knows individuals or organizations that could provide me with the assistance I am looking for, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Someone once said….if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. Can someone please teach me how to fish?

 

 

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Exceptional service in every corner of the Fairmont Royal York

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A few days ago I was attending an industry function at the beautiful Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto. Having stayed in this world renowned hotel before, I knew that the level of service offered by its staff members is second to none, however, it still took me by surprise when one of the washroom attendants went above and beyond his required duties to meet a casual request of mine.

It all started when I was washing my hands and noticed that the soap and hand lotion was the same fragrance as the shampoo and conditioners that they provide in the guest rooms. I casually mentioned that I really enjoyed the fragrance and quality of the product and joked that they should have some in the public washrooms. Thinking nothing of my remark, I was completely caught off guard when the attendant told me to return later on so he could give me a few bottles of the items that I liked. I thanked him for the offer, but generally thought nothing of my own request, nor his desire to meet it.

Later that day, when I returned to the washroom, I was surprised to see that not only did he remember me, but he also came through with his promise and had brought me several small bottles. I was truly amazed because here’s a guy, who to many, it would seem as if his main responsibility is simply to provide hand towels and keep the washroom clean, yet he embraces the “customer first” spirit of the hospitality industry and displayed a genuine desire to go above and beyond what is normally expected. Rarely have I experienced such a display of customer service from higher level employees, let alone from line staff.

My experience couldn’t have come at a better time seeing that I was attending an award ceremony celebrating the excellent customer service found in Canada’s hospitality and foodservice industry. In my opinion, this gentleman was just as deserving of a Pinnacle Award, as any other person in attendance! Not only is he a representative of the great customer service found at the Fairmont Royal York, but he is also a great representative of the hospitality industry as a whole! If management is listening, this gentleman is definitely a keeper. Perhaps, like other senior executives with the company who started out in such positions, he too is a future leader.

Fairmont Royal York
100 Front St. W.
Toronto, ON
416 368 2511

 

 

 

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Little business knows how to do it right!

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This past summer, I was in need of a carpenter who could build me a door and a portico. I ran across a man named Greg Aboud from Greg Aboud Woodworking who has completed projects in my neighbourhood and was recommended to me. Greg is truly a jack of all trades, and handles such work as: fencing, sheds, doors… you name it and Greg can build it. He charges a reasonable price and has a great reputation.

Despite Greg’s extreme flexiblity and wide scope of abilities, during the course of the summer, Greg ran into a few challenges. After ordering the wrong pillars for the portico, family members falling ill, bad weather, and hurting his back, what was supposed to be a 4-8 week job turned into a 7 month ordeal. After the job was finally completed, I received an invoice and noticed that a significant amount of money had been deducted due to “unacceptable delays”. Since I hadn’t asked Greg to reduce his fees, I was completely astonished with his generous offer. Not only did he own up to the significant delays, but he exceeded my expectations by adjusting the bill.

What’s more amazing is that here is a small, independent businessman who understands that exceeding expectations will lead to new customers, referrals, and repeat businesses. Larger businesses could learn from a guy like Greg. As an example, Greg has no idea that I am writing a blog about him, but because of his excellent customer service and great public relations, I’ve already spread the word about him to dozens of my friends, colleagues, and neigbours- not to mention everyone who reads the SQM blogs.

In this day and age when it has become increasingly difficult to find a good trades person, let alone a good trades person, at a reasonable price, here is one that doesn’t just meet, but exceeds his customers’ expectations. Greg is truly a class act and I would strongly suggest you consider using him for your next project.

Greg Aboud Woodworking
Greg Aboud
416-505-0999

 

 

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At the RIM of customer service

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In lieu of all the news surrounding the smart phone industry, I wanted to put the spotlight on a company that seems to have been receiving more than their fair share of negative press and criticism as of late.

I have been dealing with RIM for several years now, and they have equipped myself, my wife, and even some of my colleagues with great wireless devices. Through this period, I have come across issues with my Blackberry…just like most users of wireless devices would with whatever product they were using.

The issues that I have faced with my Blackberry have usually been technical issues, some of which require repairs. Whenever I contact RIM, the technical support staff is always very knowledgeable and extremely patient. In other instances, I have also had issues with my Blackberry when it was no longer under warranty by my service provider. While my service provider would not do anything about the issue, I have always found RIM to be helpful in finding a solution and correcting the problem, quickly and efficiently. They have never disappointed me and they always go above and beyond what I expect from such a company in terms of customer service.

I distinctly remember one time, when I was trying to trying to find somebody at RIM to speak with after calling their customer service line. After trying repeatedly to contact the right person, I asked to be connected to the President’s office, and I found myself with the option of leaving them a voicemail message. Within thirty minutes of having left a message, I was contacted by someone who helped me right away.

Many companies in the wireless industry have been battling head-to-head for market share and it often seems as if they have abandoned the concept of providing great customer service, but I believe that RIM has kept that at the forefront of their vision. I should mention that I also own various Apple products and their service has been just as great in terms of efficiency and correcting any problems.

We have reached a point where companies seem to be disregarding the true needs of their customers. It’s great to see RIM still knows how to take care of their customer, by going above and beyond the call, every time I contact them. It would be nice if more businesses followed RIM’s lead. I know the company continues to experience unprecedented challenges but if everything else is equal, regardless of the product or service, I will always support the company that provides better customer service and a better experience.

RIM (BlackBerry)
2200 University Ave. E.
Waterloo, ON
519-888-7465

 

 

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A slamming deal on a side door with Tru Tech

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As you all know, think it’s very important to mention any company that exudes excellent customer service and that consistently provides the public with quality products.

Just recently, I was out shopping for a new side door. I live in an older home and our doors are not a regular, standard size. I was having a lot of trouble finding a door that was the right size and the right price. I had been to several retailers and none had what I was looking for. Frustrated with the retailers and their “one-size-fits-all” solutions, I decided to go straight to the manufacturer.

After doing a bit of research I called Tru Tech Doors. I was surprised as the President himself, John Careri, was featured on the website and was accessible to the public. There was no secretary screening his calls, no unlisted number, and no beating around the bush. I left him a personal voice mail outlining my challenges and he got back to me within two business days, stating he was able to help me with a solution at a reasonable price. The manufacturer does not sell to the public, but he was able to assist me with the help of one of his retailers.

For anyone looking for interior or exterior doors; Tru Tech, a Canadian manufacturer, is the way to go. Their products are always of high quality and their customer service, when needed, is impeccable.

Tru Tech Doors Canada
20 Vaughan Valley Blvd.
Vaughan, ON
905-856-0096

 

 

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