Customer Service in Spanish Lookout

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 At Universal Hardware customers are greeted with smiles and a cheerful "hello"

  I hired a Mennonite girl to go shopping with me several months ago. The purpose? To tour the different stores and businesses in the Mennonite community of  Spanish Lookout in order to discover the best customer service in the colony. Actually I did not exactly hire this girl. I persuaded her to join me.
  We were not able to visit certain of  the churches since they are only open on Sundays and now and then in the evenings. But...but...churches are not businesses, right? Right! However if you attended some of these churches you would think otherwise.
  So we leisurely wandered in and out of stores, asking random questions and glancing at each other when the dust on the display shelves was so thick we could trace letters with our fingers. In one store items were in decidedly chaotic yet somehow organized mess. Packages were crumpled and labels yellowed and faded. Another store was much better organized but one of the employees was sitting on the paint counter. He scrambled down when he saw us. In another store the cashier made a rude remark about us to her colleague before we had even moved 3 steps. In general, however, we received very pleasant and satisfactory service. Several hours later we convened and pondered the different impressions we had formed.
  By far the worst experience was at one of the  hardware stores. The best experience was difficult to decide: Universal Hardware, or Good News Bookstore and Nursery? At both places we were warmly welcomed and accomodated. Both offered information without us even asking. Both of them wished us a good day when we left. A third place which offered us quality service was Plett's Electronics but we hurried out of there due to the tempting and dazzling display of modern gadgets available. Remember I had someone else along?
  Now before you get discouraged and think only these places offer quality service, think again. Spanish Lookout is a community which is modernising at a rapid pace. There is far, far better customer service overall than there was 5 to 8 years ago. Many of the businesses have invested heavily in upgrading their facilities and transforming their retail teams into professional workforces oriented towards customer satisfaction. Those very few negative experiences were only ours, not yours.
  Correction: I did not persuade this young Mennonite woman to go shopping. Whoever heard of convincing a girl to go shopping? I invited her.


















                      

                        A. Mendoza

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