I like simple gifts (thanks Karen!)

I always wonder why people find it so hard to give me gifts. Make me laugh, brew me tea, and give me something interesting to read.

(Thanks, Karen!! You know that it tastes better when it comes from a British grocery store and is packed and shipped to the U.S. with love.)

Why it’s important say “Good job!”

Last year, as part of my “year of adventure,” I started going out of my way to say thank you to someone who waits on me in a retail setting. At least once a week , I try to find an employee at some store I’m at who is doing a good job or goes out of their way to help me or make my shopping experience better.

I literally make it a point to look for someone doing a good job.

I’ve learned that when you do that, you’re likely to find someone who is doing a good job, which generally makes the shopping experience more pleasant than looking for something to bitch about. Which I think is how most of us shop. We expect to long lines, untrained cashiers, mispriced items, the wrong amount of cream in our coffee.

In fact, customers are far more likely  to complain to a store manager than to compliment. But a compliment can go a long way towards boosting someone’s day, and hopefully count when it comes time for a review.

I visit Tim Hortons fairly regularly, and not long ago I wrote a little note to Tim Horton’s corporate and let them know that one of their employees, Chris, does a fantastic job. He knows my voice when I go through the drive thru, knows the dogs, is friendly, gets my coffee right every time, and overall makes the trip through the drive thru a very pleasant experience.

I mentioned it to him a few weeks ago, because I wanted to make sure the note got to his store manager and that Chris got something for it – something in his file, you know, something from his boss that recognized that a customer singled him out for a job well done. Chris hadn’t heard anything.

My next project: Save Fairport Road Wegmans!

It happens at least once a year: a rumor circulates that the Wegmans in Country Club Plaza on Fairport Road is closing.

Every time shoppers hear it, they panic. We love our Wegmans. Love the small town feel, the friendly employees, the community atmosphere. It’s the only place I know where you can run in to get a gallon of milk, run into the pastor of your church, and then chat with your child’s …soccer coach.

Our Wegmans doesn’t have the flash, sizzle and razzle dazzle of the mega-Wegmans, with their gourmet prepared foods and expansively arranged produce department. Nor do we have the parking problems, anxiety-producing chaos or spotty customer service.

So when I heard this week from someone with an ear inside Wegmans that the Fairport Road Wegmans was closing, and that some employees were already being moved, I called Wegmans and asked for a straight answer. (And then I started a Facebook page!)

I spoke with Jessica in the Consumer Affairs department. After checking with others in her office, she told me no one had heard that our store was closing. I also asked how much advance notice her office might get if our store were closing, and she said she honestly didn’t know.

The truth is that at some point, the rumor will become truth, and when that happens it’s going to be too late to do anything about it. Our community-based grocery store will go the way of the mega-Wegs. Ask yourself: what will you do then? Especially those of you who live within walking distance of a mega-Wegs but come to our store to shop because you like the atmosphere?

If you’re a fan of the Fairport Road Wegmans, NOW is the time to share our support for the store, the employees, and the ability to shop in a calm, non-frentic environment. Now, fellow shoppers, is the time to speak up.

Here are some ways that you can make sure that Corporate Wegmans understands how important the Fairport Road store is to our eastside community. When you contact them:

- Don’t just ask them not to close the store – tell them why they should keep it open, what you like about the small store vs the mega-Wegs.

- Praise the employees, share positive stories, and thank Wegmans for making a commitment to the people in East Rochester and Fairport.

- Make sure you include your name and contact information and ask for a response.

Here are ways you can contact Wegmans:

1) Email Wegmans using the contact page at http://www.wegmans.com/

2) Call Wegmans at Consumer Affairs representatives at 1-800-WEGMANS, ext. 8500-4760, Monday – Friday between the hours of 8AM-5PM EST

3) As often as you can, leave a positive comment card in the suggestion box located at the front of the Fairport Road store. It takes just seconds to fill it out – your comment can be as simple as “Hugh in produce was really helpful” or “Precocious did a great job checking me out today.” Again, be sure to include your name and info and ask for a response.

4) Share your stories about why you love Wegmans Fairport Road store on the “Save Wegmans Fairport Road” Facebook page. Tell us what you love, memories if you worked there, why the store is important to you.

I told Jessica at Consumer Affairs that I’ll be spearheading a grassroots effort to make sure Wegmans knows how important this small store is to our community. I hope you’ll join me!

If you tell me take it up with customer service … that’s exactly what I’m going to do

Understand that I’m not normally a customer service complainer.  Like I write in the letter that follows, I make it a point when I shop to seek out employees who are doing a good job and fill out a customer service card or at least stop a manager and tell them. When you look for good customer service, you find good customer service. And the bad employees often get the attention, while the good ones do their job in obscurity.

But I had an unpleasant experience today at my local megagrocery store, and when the cashier told me I could “take it up with customer service” I can only assume that’s what he actually wanted me to do. In the interests of fairness, I’ve deleted the name of the store and the employees in this post. It could be any store, any where. But you know where I was.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear ***** Customer Service,

I am generally not a shopping complainer. In fact, I make it a point when I shop at your stores to find an employee who is doing a good job and leave a comment in the box or tell a manager what a good job their staff is doing. I figure if you want a pleasant shopping experience you should look for it. But my experience today at the ***** store was unpleasant enough to feel like I needed to bring it to your attention.

I don’t normally shop at that store. My preferred store – for a variety of reasons – is the ***** Rd store. But I needed some essential oils and thought ***** would offer me the most choice.

Saturday at the ***** ***** isn’t the optimal time to shop. But I was pleasantly – and most gratefully, I might add – surprised by the fantastic employees on the floor in the departments where I shopped. From ***** at the Tea Bar to the man stocking the shelves in the specialty foods section to the employees in health and beauty to the chef I grabbed as he walked by. They were all friendly, helpful and not in the least fazed by the Saturday morning chaos around them.

But when I got to the check out, it was a different story. My cashier was friendly and laid back enough, but when I pointed out that he was ringing up the wrong prices and quantities for my items, things went south.

Day 8 of 31 Days of Thank You

I confess: I haven’t necessarily done a thank you ever day. I have sent a few notes; I’m only one or two  behind. Today, though, I did something different. I gave a personal “thank you.”

I spent about an hour wandering around Walmart today. I went in for a new dog bowl, and came out with … well, stuff I wanted but didn’t really need. But it was a nice hour with no dogs and racks of clearance clothing.

My cashier was named Sheree, and she was very sweet, chatty and efficient. She didn’t do anything unusual, she was just very pleasant, paid attention to me rather than chatting with other cashiers, and just made checking out nice. So when I was finished, I went right over to the Customer Service counter to let the manager know that Sheree had done a great job.

The manager was helping someone, so the Customer Service rep said either she could pass on my comment or I could tell him myself – but that she knew the compliment always meant more when the customer said it. No problem, I would wait.

The manager was waiting on a couple who clearly had had problems with their cashier. In fact, when the woman overheard what I was waiting for, she said, “We definitely did not have a good experience with our cashier. In fact, I don’t know that I’ve ever had a good experience with a cashier in this store.”

My reply? “That’s why it’s so important that when you do have a good experience, you let them know.”

She nodded and said that she’d never thought about that, but I was right. The other Customer Service rep nodded, too. They get complaints all day, so when I did have my turn with the manager, and I said, “I just want you to know that Sheree on line 8 did a great job today, and whatever you need to do to give her a gold star to two thumbs up, please do”, the manager thanked me repeatedly for taking time to compliment his cashier.

I could have just left the store and sent an email to the manager, and when I saw how long I was going to have to wait I contemplated doing just that. But the truth is that my taking time to wait in line to talk to the manager had a positive effect on the other people in line, the other employees, and even me. It was worth it to give a little  ”positive energy” to everyone.

So how about you? In this 31 Days of Thank You, consider taking a moment to tell a manager what a great job one of his/her employees did. They probably don’t hear that often enough, and you’ll all feel better for it!

31 Days of Thank You – Day 2

Yesterday was the start of my project for the month of May, 31 Days of Thank You. The idea is to send a note of thanks for encouragement every day for the entire month.

Today is day 2, and let’s be honest: I’m already behind. I have plans yesterday to write a note, and in my head, I wrote it.  But when I got in bed I realized that 1) I still hadn’t pulled out my notecards (although I did look at some to purchase yesterday at Wegmans, although I didn’t); and 2) I was too lazy to get up. I did, however, have David get me a book of stamps yesterday.

I used to be very cranky and bitchy when I was younger. And then I really softened up and as an adult have felt a lot more loving and caring. I take no credit for the change; it comes from knowing Jesus. Over the last few years, though, I’ve become quite isolated from people (that’s a whole story in itself). I interact so infrequently that there’s not much to be grateful or ungrateful for. Things just … are. Not good, not bad, just there.

So today, I double my efforts to be thankful, and understand that there’s a lesson to be learned. Gratitude takes a effort.