The Good Customer

WHAT? : Fresh Appleseed Brightening Exfoliant

WHY? : First of all… you’ll have to restrain yourself from eating this stuff straight from the tube – yes, it smells that good! Pomegranate seeds and bamboo gently exfoliates. Citrus fruit acids help in the turnover of cells. Appleseed oil and evening primrose butter nourish and protect your skin. Result:  A smooth and glowing complexion! Even suitable for sensitive skin.

WHERE? :  Fresh retail stores (worldwide)  www.fresh.com ;  Sephora ;  Saks Fifth Avenue ; Neiman Marcus

HOW MUCH? :  $60.00 USD

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Great Food Better Lives~

About 20 years ago, a local Seattle chef/entrepreneur embarked on a journey to give back to the community. He started Common Meals, an organization to provide meals to disadvantaged individuals in the city. 4 years later, this community service program transformed into Farestart – a program designed not only to feed these individuals but also enable them to help themselves. Today, Farestart is a 16 week job training program for the food services industry. The students are disadvantaged individuals, many who are homeless. By offering both hands-on and classroom training, the program provides opportunities that may not be readily available to these students.

In 2007, Farestart Restaurant opened it’s doors. Not only is it a restaurant, but also a training facility for its students. All of the proceeds from the restaurant go directly back into the training program. Patrons can show their support by dining with the restaurant Monday to Friday 11am – 2pm or on Thursday evenings 6pm – 8pm, when they host special chef nights.

I had the pleasure to enjoy a wonderful lunch here on a Monday afternoon. The restaurant is housed in a corner building with floor to ceiling windows on 2 sides of the restaurant. Coupled with the high ceilings, the restaurant is inundated with natural light. In addition to regular tables, there is one enormous community table in the centre of the restaurant. Towards the back of the restaurant, the glass wall window reveals the entire kitchen – a true glimpse into the whole operation.

Upon our arrival we were greeted warmly by the hostess. After being seated out server came by to run through the specials of the day. In anticipation for my visit, I had already perused their menu online and knew that I would have difficulty in choosing from the delectable items listed. This became more of a feat after hearing the specials. But alas, I had to go with the signature “field roast” sandwich – can’t go wrong with anything “signature”. Food was professionally presented and served. And most importantly, delicious!

The service was top notch. Both genuine and gracious, our server was readily available and offered excellent suggestions.  Being the observant person that I am, I am always aware of my surroundings and noted that the service was consistent throughout the restaurant.

An amazing concept, a well-run operation, and wonderful food. With a stomach warm with food, I couldn’t help but feel a warming in my heart. A truly unique experience for the good customer!

www.farestart.com

Popularity: 2% [?]

WHAT? : Banana Republic (Canada) One Day Sale. A “one time” coupon for 40% off your entire purchase.

WHEN? : December 17, 2009

WHERE? : In-store purchases only. Please visit   www.bananarepublic.ca for a store nearest you.

HOW? : Print out this coupon and present to cashier upon checkout.     CLICK HERE -> 40% COUPON

Popularity: 2% [?]

When one thinks of a “pub”… Irish and English are immediately brought to mind. But a Canadian pub? Yes, there is such a thing and it is fittingly named The Flying Beaver.

The Flying Beaver is part of the Mark James Group of Vancouver. Mark James Group is renowned for their clothing store – an institution in the Kitslano neighbourhood. But they also own a chain of pubs and brewhouses throughout the lower mainland.

Since this restaurant is housed in the Harbour Air Terminal, every seat comes with a view! Whether you are seated inside or on the patio you can enjoy the views of the Fraser river and witness the float planes coming in for landing on the water out front.

As with most pubs, this one operates on the “seat-yourself” protocol, which quickly transpires to “first-come-first-seat” on busy nights. It can get quite hectic but everyone seems to be pretty good natured about the whole process.

The wait staff consistently offer great service. Rain or shine, breakfast, lunch or dinner…  I am always in awe of how the staff handle themselves in the “thick” of restaurant rush. On weekend nights, this bar can be somewhat chaotic. As soon as I seat myself, a server always arrives promptly. Somehow within the chaotic environment, you are made to feel like you are the only customer in the restaurant. And I must say that this phenomenon occurs all the time, regardless of time of day, or the server. Pat on the back to the management for having such a dynamic team of personnel.

Plus, the food is excellent! Tasty and generous in portion. Great drink specials – $5.00 martinis on Tuesdays. Plus daily dinner specials. 30 cent “Wing Wednesday” and $10.00″Flat Iron Steak Dinner Thursdays” are locals’ favourites.

Wonderful environment, excellent staff, and delicious food… a good customer experience indeed.

Popularity: 3% [?]

WHAT? : Glutinous Rice

WHY? : The most amazing glutinous rice I have ever tasted. Check out it’s contents: red rice, brown rice, black eye beans, peanuts, dried shrimp, Chinese shitake mushrooms, Chinese preserved sausage… sprinkled with scallions and sesames.

HOW MUCH? : $5.80 SGD

WHERE? :  Heritage Taste, Basement Level, Bugis Junction, 200 Victoria Street, Singapore

Popularity: 3% [?]

WHAT? : Jamieson’s Electrolyte + C

WHY? : If you’re anything like myself – forget to take vitamins/supplements and always on the go… this is an excellent product for you. A wonderful alternative to all those “vitamin” beverages on the market. And perfect to quench your post-workout thirst. 2 flavours in each box of 50 – zesty citrus & fruity pom-berry. Each sachet of powder contains 500mg of buffered vitamin C, 75mg of magnesium, and 100mg of potassium.

HOW? : Dissolve a powder sachet into 500ml of water. Mix and drink!

WHERE? : Local pharmacies and supermarkets. Check  www.jamiesonvitamins.com for locations.

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Beecher's~

WHAT? : Beechers Handmade Cheese. An artisan cheese shop specializing in their own line of handcrafted cheeses.

WHY? : Uses all natural ingredients and milk from local single-herd dairies in the production of their cheeses. What does this mean? No artificial preservatives. No bovine growth hormones. Greater control over quality and purity of milk.

A neat little shop where you can witness the process of cheese-making. Then head on over to the food counter to try their famous “World’s Best” Mac & Cheese, grilled-to-order sandwiches, or homemade soup. On your way out don’t forget to pick up some of their “flagship reserve cheese”, named America’s Best Cheddar (2007) by the American Cheese Society. Lots of souvenirs, cheese supplies, and cookbooks to choose from as well.

WHERE? : 1600 Pike Place,  Seattle, WA,  USA   (206) 956-1964       www.beechershandmadecheese.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

Located throughout the US, Sur La Table is a retail store that specializes in house wares, most notably, kitchen ware. Whenever I visit one of their stores, I am overwhelmed with the grand selection of inventory. A true paradise for the “cook’”, “baker”, and “host/hostess” in all us.

The highlight of this store has always been their product availability. However, a recent visit to one of their retail stores in Seattle, WA, has left me thoroughly impressed with their customer service.

My visit to their Pike Place Market location was on a busy weekend, and the traffic going through the store was constant. There seemed to be staff spread out evenly throughout the store. As I meandered through the aisles, I encountered many store personnel. Must have come in contact with at least 4 staff members during my 20 minute visit. Each and every one of them greeted me and asked if I needed any assistance. Observed that they made every attempt to approach all other customers as well.

I am usually a pretty self sufficient shopper, but on this occasion I decided to ask someone for assistance. The personnel was not only pleasant, but was familiar with the store’s products. I received great advice and suggestions.

This visit registered on my radar because I felt that that I received great customer service above and beyond the perfuctory “Hi, can I help you?”. There was more than just one “shining star” – every one of their personnel offered the same notable service. I was impressed with their extensive product knowledge – especially since their product inventory is astonishing. Plus, the service was highly personable.

Two forks up for Sur La Table !

Popularity: 3% [?]

WHAT? : Kielh’s Epidermal Re-texturizing Micro Dermabrasion. This product is part of Kielh’s  Dermatologist Solutions line. Products within this line address specific problems or concerns– for those customers who find the need to “kick it up a notch” in their beauty regime.

WHY? : An intense, result-oriented product for smoother and brighter skin. The amazing combination of the products’ 3 key ingredients (micronized shells, shea butter, and willow herb) yields incredible results. A product that abrades, hydrates, and soothes! Having never invested in a professional service before, I cannot compare the results of this at-home procedure to those achieved at the hands of a professional. But if you are looking an intense scrub, THIS product is for you! A word of caution: it’s not for the faint of heart. One whirl of this product will reveal skin that you’ve probably not seen since birth. The directions suggest that you use this product on dry skin, but if your skin feels irritated, you can apply with some water or on damp skin. Use in the morning and your skin will be glowing all day. Tip: Great for elbows and knees too!

WHERE? : www.kielhs.com;  Keilh’s retail stores (worldwide);  Barney’s NY;  Saks Fifth Avenue; Nordstroms; Bloomingdales; Holt Renfrew (Canada)

HOW MUCH? : $40.00

Popularity: 2% [?]

~Matt's In The Market~

Nestled in Pike Place  – Seattle’s historic waterfront public market, is Matt’s In The Market. A casual fine dining establishment in a quaint setting on the 3rd floor of the Corner Market building. The inviting space boasts high arched windows allowing for natural light and a tremendous view of the market and parts of Elliot Bay.

The minute we walked into the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by one of the staff members. We were lead to a table in the middle of restaurant. I then noticed a corner table by the window and asked if we could be seated there. The host sincerely apologized and informed me that the table was specifically requested by another reservation. Often times when I make a table change request at a restaurant I am given attitude or I am not offered any explanation or apology as to why my request cannot be obliged.

Service throughout lunch was gracious and consistent. We felt fully catered to from the moment we sat down to the time of our departure. I noticed that the restaurant was busy at about 90% capacity, but all of the service personnel seemed cool, calm, and collected.  Oh, did I mention happy too? Nice to see employees actually enjoying their job. Makes for a pleasant environment. Less chaos is a good thing!

Upon our departure, we needed to make a stop at the “facilities”. The location of the washrooms were outside of the restaurant. Instead of giving us directions, the host actually walked us out to its location. What service!

As we made out way out, we were asked how we enjoyed our dining experience. It’s such a simple question but I don’t hear it often enough. It’s not unusual for the server to ask how your food is after you have been served. But I cherish the times when I am asked about my experience at the end of my visit. So often restaurants lose sight of the big picture – sometimes its not just about the food. One’s dining experience encompasses many aspects such as service and atmosphere.

Popularity: 3% [?]