Sensors Quality Management – Page 9

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Spice Girls Are Not the Headliner Anymore!

February 28, 2018David Lipton Comment

If you’re an avid baker, you may have realized that there is a worldwide shortage of vanilla beans. Not only is the price of supply skyrocketing, but it’s also making it difficult to find good quality beans. Since my wife had a recipe that required several vanilla beans, I went on a search looking for beans at a reasonable price. During my research, I came across a store that I used to be familiar with when I lived downtown. House of Spice located in Kensington Market in Toronto on Augusta Avenue.

I called up to find out if they had the product I was looking for, and much to my surprise, they stocked a few different varieties of the bean. The most popular is the Madagascar vanilla bean and while other places quoted as much as $12.00 a bean, House of Spice was selling them for $6.95. My wife and I decided to go down there to check out the quality. Much to her excitement, the beans were fresh and of high quality!

While we were there, my wife started looking around and found a number of different and unique ingredients that she had been searching for. Items like pickling salt, Ethiopian spices, and several different types of coffee were all right there, tucked into the little store. In addition to the wide selection of products and reasonable prices, perhaps what was just as important, if not more, was that the staff were extremely friendly and very knowledgeable.

When it comes to something like simple salt and pepper (this store had 4 different varieties of specialty sea salt and truffle salt!) you don’t need an expert, but with other products you need someone who understands what they are for, and how they should be stored. The employees at House of Spice were helpful, and clearly know their business! Although it is a small store, they manage to stock a lot of different items, so I would plan on browsing the shelves. In fact, why not make an afternoon of it? There are lots of other food stores in the neighbourhood, as well as great restaurants to grab a bite.

House of Spice is definitely a worthwhile place to check out for anyone interested. Enjoy your cooking and shopping and remember to invite me for dinner!

House of Spice
416-593-9724
http://www.ehouseofspice.com

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Keeping Great Customer Service Up and Running

February 21, 2018David Lipton Comment

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog highlighting my great experience at The Running Room. At the same time, I was dealing with The Running Room, one of the SQM employees directed me to another shoe store that she’s been dealing with for years, known as Running Free, and in particular the Ajax location.

The owner, Steve Ockrant, immediately called me to introduce himself and while he suggested it was best if I came in, due to his schedule and distance he offered to bring some shoes over to my office, for me to try on. Realizing he was doing me a favour, due to our mutual friend, I must say I’ve never had such a special service for a retail product!

Steve came, we chatted, and he brought six pairs of shoes for me to try on. Based on the sizes and styles he brought, he was able to narrow down the shoes that would work best for me, and then a few days later he returned with more shoes. He even left me with a couple of pairs for me to walk around the office in before I made my final decision.

Although I returned both of the pairs that made it to the shoe finals, I eventually made it out to his store where two of his amazing employees found the perfect pair for me.

If you are ever looking for great shoes, at a great price, but more importantly amazing and knowledgeable staff go to Running Free, ask for Steve, and mention my name.

Running Free

(416) 410-3733

www.runningfree.com

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An “Amped Up” Amazon Experience

February 14, 2018David Lipton Comment

Whether for pricing, selection or convenience, I find myself more frequently turning to Amazon to make a variety of purchases. While I’ve always felt they provide great customer service, my most recent experience re-enforces this….

Back in mid-December, my wife purchased a Bluetooth speaker to give to a friend as a Christmas present. Since she was very excited about the speaker and our friend loved it, I decided to surprise her and recently went online to purchase another one. When I looked at my order history, I realized that the speaker was now less than half the price that it had been selling for a month earlier. I decided to put Amazon to the test and called up customer service to see what could be done about the difference in pricing.

While I thought it would be easier to simply credit my account, the Amazon customer service representative indicated that their system works differently and that I would have to return the item and reorder it. When I explained I didn’t have the original item because I gave it as a gift, he allowed me to order two items, and give one back with the return label he was providing me. To minimize my inconvenience, he even allowed me to order the new items with the fastest shipping method. To me, this sounded great!

I placed the order on Saturday afternoon, and much to my surprise, on Sunday, I received an email that Amazon had already attempted to deliver it to my office (I didn’t think they would deliver on a Sunday as they indicate “business days” for shipping times). My item was received the very next day and a day later I received confirmation of the credit reimbursement.

Given how Amazon stood behind their lower price and made it quick and simple for me to return and receive the item, it truly was an amazing experience. I still love going out to the stores, but this is another example of why mortar and brick retailers really have to step up their game.

Hats off to Amazon!

www.amazon.ca

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Making Happy Customers with “Grate” Service from Microplane

February 7, 2018David Lipton 1 Comment

About a year ago, my wife purchased two relatively expensive, high-quality, cheese graters from Microplane…a manufacturer that sells a wide variety of kitchen tools. Shortly after purchase, the box grater broke. More recently, the hand grater broke, much to her dismay.

Understandably so, my wife was a little bit upset. Given the cost of the product, she expected it to last much longer than a year or so. After licking her wounds, she went onto the company website and reached out to them via email.

Her email simply asked if there was anything that could be done about her broken cheese grater, and despite sending the message right around the holidays, she was surprised when they responded almost immediately. The employee indicated that they were out of the office for the holidays, but wanted to get back to her quickly. The employee asked if my wife could send a photo of the broken items so that she makes sure she is replacing the correct product, and that she would take care of it upon her return from vacation.

By the end of the first week in January, my wife had replacements for both graters. Not only, did they send brand new replacements, but the box grater was upgraded to their newest model!

Based on this experience, it is clear that Microplane stands behind its products. They truly value their customers and provide fast, friendly customer service. Finally, they certainly exceeded my wife’s expectations, both in terms of getting back to her over the holiday season and by sending more than just the replacement product.

If you’re ever in the need of quality kitchenware backed by a great company, consider Microplane and “Make your cheese GRATE again!”

Microplane
956-777-5272
www.microplane.com

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Awards to the Awards People at North York Trophies:

January 10, 2018David Lipton Comment

In all the time I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve neglected to mention a supplier to SQM, and one of my favourite companies to deal with.

For many years, long-serving employees at SQM achieve a special acknowledgement when they hit milestone anniversaries, such as the five and ten-year mark. To celebrate these occasions, the employees not only receive a special gift, but we’ve also awarded them a plaque for being with us for five years, and an engraved crystal for ten years of service.

SQM has been in business for 24 years and since the beginning, I’ve looked no further than North York Trophies for all of my awards needs. In fact, my relationship with them precedes SQM, when I was involved in several sports leagues where athletes would periodically receive awards.

I still remember one of my first visits, when the employee took down the information, asked me about the player, and called me when it was ready. At the time, I had someone else go and pick it up for me, but then a few days later, it dawned on me that I never actually paid for it. When I called the store, the employee told me he had no way of contacting me but was confident that I’d call back to settle up.

Putting aside the quality of their merchandise, the trust factor that they extended was the beginning of a great relationship! I’ve always enjoyed working with companies who put the customer’s needs first, instead of focusing on getting a deposit or being paid upfront. Since that first visit, they’ve always been more concerned with meeting my needs and dealing with the payment after.

Though a few people have changed over the years, thankfully, most things at the business have remained the same. I’m not sure the name does them justice, as they have a lot of variety when it comes to products, their prices are competitive, and the workmanship is of high quality.

And the winner for outstanding trophies and awards goes to……….. North York Trophies!

North York Trophies
905-886-2900
www.northyorktrophies.com

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What’s Hip and Happening around the Holidays

December 6, 2017David Lipton Comment

December is always a cheery time of year! With the holidays just around the corner, more and more holiday-themed activities seem to be popping up around town. Many stores are taking part in holiday festivities, and with no shortage of holiday cheer going around, it’s always nice to engage in one or more activities. Some of the more popular activities, which I enjoy, include:

Toronto Christmas Market – Down in the Distillery District, the iconic Christmas market is on until December 23rd! Enjoy Christmas music, magical lighting, singing, dancing, visits with Santa, and everything to get you into the holiday spirit. Though the experience is purely magical, it’s $6.00 to get in on weekends and lineups can be lengthy.

Starbucks Holiday Cups – I always enjoy the little things that add bits of holiday spirit. Starbucks offers some cool and interesting holiday drinks with a fun design on them. It’s a great pick-me-up, and a great way to warm yourself up. This year’s design encourages customers to colour and draws on the white background of the cups.

Skating at the Harbourfront Centre – Want to do something active, fun, and festive? Skating is the perfect way to engage in holiday cheer while burning some calories at the same time. Visit your local skating rink and rent a pair of skates – or bring your own. The Harbourfront Centre has a beautiful, scenic outdoor skating rink and best of all – admission is free!

Holiday Fair in Nathan Phillips Square – At the heart of downtown Toronto, celebrate winter by shopping in the market, skating, or simply enjoying the view at their annual holiday fair. Until December 23rd, experience different foods, find that perfect gift, and listen to some live Christmas music!

The Nutcracker – Experience the magic firsthand when you see The Nutcracker live in theatre! As an all-time classic, and world-renowned play, the National Ballet of Canada has been performing every year since 2005. It’s an amazing and entertaining family activity, and suitable for all ages. Catch it now until December 30th.

Get Involved with A Charity – Whether it’s helping out at your local food bank, preparing meals for the homeless, running a toy drive, or collecting clothes and personal care products for those in need, getting involved with charities is something that should not be overlooked during this busy and hectic time of year.

Whatever you choose to do, and wherever you choose to go…from all of us at SQM, have a safe and enjoyable holiday season, and a happy and healthy new year!

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Leisurely Shopping at Lee Valley

November 29, 2017David Lipton Comment

Many years ago, I was introduced to Lee Valley Tools when I required some specialized equipment and supplies for a woodworking project. Since that time, I have often returned to their stores for specialty items but quickly realized that there is much more to them than meets the eye.

Not only does the store have fun and creative little stocking stuffers (it may only be November, but the holidays are just around the corner), but these tools are practical and useful – for things you never knew you needed help with.

As an example, my wife once received a portable can opener at a Secret Santa event. It’s small, safe, and easy on the hands, using a butterfly-shaped crank design instead of the usual handles that require great strength and effort. She loved it so much, we immediately ordered a new one when it inevitably broke years later.

Ever since then, she’s loved the place. She told me that any and all types of gifts she was in search of, she could get at Lee Valley. We were recently going through the website and commenting on the cool and practical things we had found on there. It may be important to note that not all items online are available in-store.

The folding phone holder, for example, makes every outlet your personal charging station with a simple, albeit ingenious, solution. Hang it over your charging plug, and create a small shelf for your phone while it charges. Your phone is kept safely out of the way!

The people who work at the store are very helpful, knowledgeable, and polite. In fact, they’ve helped me with my own specialty projects in the past.

For those looking for good quality service and unique items – be it for a gift or a project, I highly recommend checking out Lee Valley Tools.

Lee Valley Tools
416-366-5959
www.leevalley.ca

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