Tag Archives: Excellent Customer Service

Crazy for Cubana Cuisine!

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Signage of La Cubana restaurant.

Over the last few weeks, my friends have expressed a fondness for Cuban food, so I decided to take them to a Toronto, Cuban restaurant that I had recently been introduced to. The restaurant, named La Cubana, currently has two locations – each with slightly different menus. For their first visit, I took them to the one which I had visited, on Ossington Avenue.

The experience I had there was different from anything else! From the minute you walk in and see the decor, you can tell that it is different from normal restaurants. The main dining room is set up with an old-style lunch counter, complete with a bar and high chairs. There is nice Cuban music playing in the background, adding to the relaxed and open atmosphere.

The menu is simple and straightforward and includes many types of pop, Cuban sandwiches, meal plates, appetizers and desserts. Bread and buns are baked fresh, in-house, and everything is served hot, fresh, and quick. The food is always properly cooked and well prepared, with diverse (and tasty) flavours.

On top of that, the servers are all extremely friendly and knowledgeable, and able to provide detailed descriptions of the various dishes and recommendations.

Near the end of our dining experience, the restaurant ended up having a problem with the internet and consequently, it affected their credit card machine. The bill took 10 minutes to produce, and the servers, empathetic to our situation, took a drink off of our bill.

For a taste of Cuban cuisine without travelling, check out La Cubana!

La Cubana
416-537-0134
www.lacubana.ca

 

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Dyson Leaves the Competition in the Dust

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Image of a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

Based on the advice of a few friends, a number of years ago my wife and I bought a Dyson vacuum cleaner for our new house. The purchase ended up being a great decision, and we liked it so much, that we later went and bought another smaller, handheld Dyson, to clean up smaller messes, dust, etc.

Although Dyson is typically more expensive than the average brands of vacuum cleaners, I truly believe it is worth the investment. The vacuums themselves are engineered extremely well, ergonomically designed, easy to maintain, and don’t have a lot of complicated parts. In fact, given all the benefits, and how pleased I was with the home vacuum cleaner, we also decided to buy a Dyson for the SQM office.

Although our office Dyson vacuum has always been very well maintained, a few weeks ago we began to experience some problems with it. In particular, the rotating brush, or “head” of the vacuum stopped rotating. Naturally, we first tried to fix it ourselves because Dyson products are usually very easy to take apart and put together, but no dice. Our next step was to call Dyson and tell them about our problem. The representative answered the phone quite promptly, asked and answered the necessary questions, collected the model number from us, and told us it was still under warranty. Without hesitation, they offered to ship a new head directly to us.

The process of fixing equipment that was still under warranty was painless, and the new piece was shipped to us, just as promised. Unfortunately, our problems didn’t end there. We quickly discovered that we could not remove the old piece from the hose part of the vacuum. After placing another call to Dyson they offered a new hose piece since simply removing the head was no longer an option for us. A few days later, the hose piece arrived, safe and sound, and we were successfully able to switch the parts out and fix our office vacuum.

Dyson seems to have the perfect recipe for success: great quality products, amazing customer service, and a commitment to stand behind what they sell.

Whether you’re looking for a vacuum, their bladeless fans, or a hairdryer, consider Dyson as a long-term, worthwhile investment.

Dyson
1-877-397-6622
www.dysoncanada.ca

 

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Es Delicioso, El Catrin!

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Tacos on the patio at El Catrin.

A few weeks ago, I was told of what was promised to be one of the best Mexican restaurants in Toronto. I was a little hesitant to go because it happened to be located in the Distillery District, where I haven’t had the best experience with restaurants. During past visits to other restaurants in the area, I have found that the food wasn’t that great, the service was slow and unattentive, and prices were through the roof! With that being said, I was told this place was great and after my arm was twisted, we ended up going.

As we approached the location, the first thing I noticed was the patio. It was big, it was beautiful, and it set the perfect atmosphere for a nice dinner. The patio was decorated with all sorts of lights, making it seem almost festive. Once we entered the restaurant, we were immediately greeted by a wonderful hostess, and taken to our reserved table inside the dining room, which was already set up and waiting for us. Within minutes, our server came over and introduced herself. She was extremely enthusiastic, cheery about having us, and constantly making suggestions and recommendations based on her personal favourite items and restaurant best sellers.

With regards to the food, we ordered a variety of items to share – and everything was delicious! The tacos were delectable, and the guacamole was absolutely heavenly…my mouth still waters just thinking about it!

When the bill came, I was delightfully surprised to note that it wasn’t outrageously expensive (like I was expecting). In fact, I was so impressed with the overall service and food that I personally spoke to the manager to tell him how enjoyable the evening was. It turns out it was only our server’s first week and the fact that she provided such amazing and attentive service spoke volumes about El Catrin’s ability to scope out good, hardworking people and train them well.

Without a doubt, I would return for the amazing food and extremely hospitable service. Whether after a walk in the Distillery District, on a warm summer night, or in the middle of the winter, El Catrin makes for a great dining experience!

El Catrin
416-203-2121
www.elcatrin.ca

 

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Love and Care at MED+ Home Health Care

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Exterior of Med+ Home Health Care office in Scarborough, ON.

A few weeks ago, my lovely aunt happened to be returning home after a lengthy stay at a rehab facility. Prior to her discharge date, we knew we had to get some medical equipment for her support, but the only problem: from where?  In addition to finding the specific equipment, we also found out that prices varied, widely, so there was the extra challenge of finding the items at a decent price.

After receiving a list of reputable stores from the rehab facility, we started to do our homework.  We visited some locations and called others, and were very surprised with the lack of customer service provided by many of the businesses.

It was strange, that in such a competitive industry, some places never got back to us, did not have items in stock, had no prices handy, and on top of this, a noticeable disparity in the pricing.

The one place that stood apart from the rest was MED+ Home Health Care.  From the minute we called them, the woman we interacted with was extremely friendly, had all the information on hand, and actually emailed us a written quote shortly after we got off the phone (this was very convenient and helpful in our decision-making process).  To add to the professionalism of this business, the woman followed up with us a few days after the call to ask if we had any questions, or required additional information.

Between the great service and the excellent prices, we decided to purchase the items from MED+, and thankfully, our positive experience didn’t stop there.  MED+ delivered the equipment quickly and at the pre-arranged time.  The delivery person was polite, professional and set up the equipment in the requested areas of the apartment.  He also installed certain items that took a bit more time and effort, leaving only once everything was completed, ending the experience as professionally as it began.

At a time when families are stressed about their loved ones, the folks at MED+ Home Health Care made the process easy and as pleasant as it could be.

MED+ Home Health Care
416-477-5960
www.medplushealth.ca

 

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Thrifty, Nifty, Studio 50

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Photograph of household items sold at Studio 50

Every year, as my anniversary approaches, I become increasingly stressed trying to find the perfect gift for Princess Wifey, but this year went much smoother!

My luck began, last fall, when my wife and our friend attended an art show, and came across a unique and masterfully-crafted, functional art piece.

The item was a piece from Studio 50’s Rock Bottom Collection, and consisted of two parts…a glass flask, and a base made of varying types of stone. Depending on what type of beverage it was being used for the stone base could be either heated up or frozen, resulting in the liquid in the flask being kept hot or cold.

After I learned that my wife had fallen in love with the piece, I was on a mission to purchase it in time for our upcoming anniversary, however, the art show only occurred a couple of times a year, and wasn’t going to be in town until after the big day. Fortunately, the products were available online, and while I preferred to see the various choices in person, I wasn’t going to be able to do so.

Enter Kim, from Studio 50, who I connected with first via email, and then over the phone. Kim was more than happy to answer all of my questions, with unfounded patience, and clarified how they shipped the merchandise, and how long it would take to arrive.

My only dilemma was deciding on a colour for the leather wrap that came with the set, and Kim was kind enough to send me samples of a couple colours, with the option of exchanging them if necessary.

At one point, she became so familiar with me, she would ask about the condition of my aunt, who had recently broken her hip. Although a little thing, I was quite impressed that she remembered, and grateful that she cared enough to ask about her.

Of course, I did end up buying the piece for my wife, and the package arrived quickly, and safely wrapped in paper and bubble wrap. Clearly they have their shipping down to a fine art!

Studio 50 also advertises a variety of stunning pieces, including a concrete table, a hardwood mirror, and much more. Prices are reasonable, and the pieces are truly beautifully made and intricately designed.

If you’re ever looking for a unique gift supported by excellent customer service, take a look at Studio 50!

Studio 50
www.studio50.ca
1-226-208-1428

 

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Driving Success with Excellent Customer Service

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Maple Nissan Dealership Photograph

For many years, both my wife and I have been driving Nissan vehicles, and I’ve been very happy with them. In fact, I’ve been so happy that I bought out both leases and kept the cars longer then I might normally have.

Several years ago, I went to Maple Nissan in Vaughan, since I had an issue with the tire pressure sensor in one of my vehicles. I rarely contact the dealerships as I have a few trusted mechanics that I go to for all my work, but for something like this, I did my research, and learned that it’s better to have the actual Nissan factory product, which is significantly pricier than after market products.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and the tire pressure sensor came on again. After checking the pressure in the tires and discovering they were all fine, I thought, there is a good chance that this was a problem with the sensor. Since the initial repair was done less then two years ago, and was somewhat expensive, I decided to follow up with the dealership. I called them up and introduced myself to the Service Manager, Matthew Grieco, and told him that I used to deal with one of his colleagues who no longer works there. I explained the issue to Matthew and told him I was a bit upset since it wasn’t too long ago that I fixed the sensors for the first time.

Matthew told me to come over to the dealership so they could make sure that this was in fact an issue with the sensor and have a look at what they could do about it. We then arranged a specific time and I headed to Maple Nissan.

As soon as I arrived at Maple Nissan, Matthew was there to greet me and had one of his mechanics take a look at the vehicle. After about 15 minutes, Matthew told me that they were reprogramming some of the sensors and this should take care of the issue. While I was glad that the problem seemed relatively minor, I was prepared for a hefty ding of a diagnostics fee (anyone who’s been to a dealer knows the feeling of receiving the dreaded bill at the end all too well). However, Matthew told me it was no problem and not to worry about a charge. Matthew said he was glad to take care of the problem and apologized for the inconvenience.

In a day and age when most automotive dealerships are making money off of service, Matthew could have easily charged me for diagnosing the problem but he took care of it, and kept me very pleased. Since then, I have told a few friends how great the service is at Maple Nissan. At Maple Nissan they stand behind their product and provide excellent customer service. It goes without saying, if I ever need to buy another Nissan, I’ll go back to them.

Maple Nissan
(905) 417-7211
www.maplenissan.com

 

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Putting the Sunny Into Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

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Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Last year I wrote about Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre when my father was taken there after a car accident. Fortunately, my fathers visit only involved a short stay in the emergency room. In more recent times, my aunt fell and broke her hip and was transported to Sunnybrook by ambulance. Unfortunately, this was not a three or four hour visit but ended up involving surgery and a stay as an inpatient.

During this time, I saw firsthand how Sunnybrook’s outstanding service and commitment to health care extends far beyond the emergency room. Whether it be the Emergency Room nurses, the orthopaedic surgeon, the ward administrator, ward nurses, dietitians, and a host of other staff, Sunnybrook takes it upon themselves to ensure extra special attention and care is taken for elderly patients. The staff went above and beyond accommodating special requests such as finding my aunt food that would meet her needs, answering my numerous questions and taking the time to provide me with updates so that the family would feel as comfortable as possible.

Perhaps the most surprising sign, of how in tune Sunnybrook employees are with the needs of the people who come through their doors, can be exemplified by my interaction with the security guard working in the emergency room. While most security guards would have just sat there being seen and not heard, this gentleman said, “I hope your day gets better,” as I was leaving. His comment clearly showed compassion when dealing with people and it demonstrated that he understood if somebody was in the ER, they were probably not having a great day.

In a time when health care professionals consistently blame a lack of government funding for an inability to do their jobs, I never once heard such comments or got that feeling from any of the employees working at Sunnybrook.

The only thing that could have made my experience better would be better parking rates and longer business hours at the Tim Hortons in the hospital!

To the Sunnybrook Medical Team, thank you for all you do!

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
416-480-6100
www.sunnybrook.ca

 

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