Outstanding Customer Service
2019
January
This month’s customer service recognition goes to Alpena Agency. We received the following letter from a very satisfied client.
“I am writing this letter to let you know how much we appreciated the work of Alpena Agency after our daughter was in a car accident. We were very blessed that no one was hurt but her car was totaled. The work they did to make sure we got the appraisal back in a quick time and receiving the check for the value of the car was excellent, and our daughter was able to find a car to use to get to college and work. Alpena Agency staff was very helpful on texting and calling us with information that was needed. Again, a BIG thank you on the outstanding customer service and professionalism.”
Congratulations, Alpena Agency for your outstanding customer service!
February
This month’s customer service recognition goes to The Fletcher Street Depot. We received the following note from a very happy bride.
“I had my wedding at the Fletcher Street Depot and the staff there went above and beyond to make sure our wedding day and all of the details were perfect! The venue looked absolutely gorgeous, and I am so happy we picked this place for our wedding!”
Congratulations, The Fletcher Street Depot for your outstanding customer service!
March
This month’s customer service goes to the City of Alpena Public Works Department. We received the following story from a city resident:
“We had just returned from Florida to a four day snow storm and I needed to get out to the store. My husband was recouping from an injury, so I was on my own to get out of the driveway. We live in the City of Alpena. A snowplow had just gone by and a lot of snow was dumped in my driveway. I tried to go really fast backward over the snow, but that didn’t work too well. As I am pondering what to do the snowplow came back down the other side of the street to finish the job, and what did the busy employee do? He stopped his big plow, got out and helped me out of the snowbank. He even gave me a lesson on how it might succeed better next time. Now that is customer service at its finest! Thank you to this very caring City employee!”
Congratulations, the City of Alpena Public Works Department for your outstanding customer service!
April
This month’s customer service goes to the Home Depot. We received a letter from a very grateful customer:
“I received a call from the Pro Department at the Alpena Home Depot. They had gotten my name from Habitat for Humanity and asked if there was a veteran that needed some home repairs, I said yes that I was in need of a new roof as my wife and I live on a fixed income. They then requested a grant from the headquarters in Atlanta, GA for a new roof on my home and it was completed in November of 2018. I sure hope you can recognize their efforts and the Alpena store for some type of award.”
Congratulations, the Home Depot for your outstanding customer service!
May
This month’s customer service goes to McDonald Bros. Collision. We received the following note in an email from a grateful customer.
“Recently, while exiting a private parking lot after dark, my vehicle slid on hidden ice and the score was Light Pole-1, Car-0. It was the Sunday before Christmas. The next day, I drove it to McDonald Bros. Collision. Richard suggested that the day after Christmas, I bring the car in and he could patch it up enough to drive it until my insurance company made their decision. Going home, I thought about it, and realized that this is a place that does a service and with no fuss or fanfare. They have little old ladies like me and many others who have to get their vehicles roadworthy no matter the issue that occurred. They are always courteous, reasonable, and can be counted on. These things mean a lot to me.”
Congratulations, McDonald Bros. Collision for your outstanding customer service!
June
This month’s customer service goes to The Fresh Palate.
Staff here at the Chamber experienced great customer service from the Fresh Palate this past winter. We called on a Monday to place a lunch order not realizing that they were closed that day. Eric happened to be there, offered to make our order and deliver it!
Way to go Fresh Palate for your outstanding customer service!
July
This month’s recognition goes to Thunder Bay Therapy & Sports Medicine and Propane Plus.
A patient of Thunder Bay Therapy sent to us a copy of the note they sent to Thunder Bay Therapy – “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your unfailing support during almost five months of physical therapy through my two surgeries. I appreciate your welcoming front desk, as well as the consideration for scheduling convenient appointments for physical therapy. Kudos for the professionalism and genuine concern of my physical therapists who guided me and thanks to others who often checked on me! There is no doubt that my decision to select Thunder Bay Therapy was the best one!”
We received this note about Propane Plus – “Propane Plus staff went out to my parents’ house to check their propane tank for the keep full program. My parents were out of town and their ½ mile long driveway was not plowed after the recent winter storms. The driver was only able to get part of the way up their driveway before the snow became too deep to continue. He then walked the rest of the way up their driveway through snow drifts waist deep. He got to the house and the tank was empty and the furnace had gone out. They called my father right away. My father was able to get someone to plow the driveway and Propane Plus was able to fill the propane tank. Then they had my father walk him through how to get in the house and restart the furnace. We don’t know how long the furnace was off but their actions hopefully will save my parents expensive repairs from frozen pipes. I’m sure this was way beyond the scope of their job. This is an excellent example of outstanding customer service. Propane Plus deserves the recognition of outstanding service!”
August
This month’s recognition goes to McDonald Bros. Collision and AAA of Michigan.
A customer of McDonald Bros. Collision sent us a copy of the note they recently sent to them. “I can’t thank you guys enough for the repair advice and execution on my silver Subaru Outback. From the beginning you both have been nothing but professionals. On time, accurate predictions on project completion, lender car availability, and, best of all, quality of work make any future body work decisions a no-brainer – it will be heading your way. With the nature of the hit-and-run accident, police investigation, etc. I’m thrilled to be able to conclude this nightmare with an excellent experience with you guys. I’m looking forward to recommending your services far and wide.”
We received a phone call about AAA of Michigan. A woman called to say how great of an experience she had recently at the local office. She went on to explain how they were very helpful, kind and nice to deal with. She was thrilled to receive that level of service in a time when good customer service is hard to find, let alone exceptional!
September
This month’s outstanding customer service recognition goes to Star Staffing Alpena and Bolenz Jewelry.
We received this letter from one of Star Staffing Alpena’s clients: “Star Staffing Alpena was amazing! I have been trying to locate steady work for a few years and no one was willing to give me a chance (due to my lack of experience). I decided to give Star Staffing a shot, and I got a call the next day! They kept in contact with me, got to know me and set me up for an interview. After I was hired, I was surprised to receive a call asking how the interview went, and then more calls asking how my first day/week of work went. I was blown away by how much follow up Star Staffing had. I was beyond impressed and would recommend anyone who is willing to work to give them a try. Thank you Star Staffing Alpena.”
We received this story from a happy Bolenz Jewelry customer: “I took my engagement ring to Bolenz Jewelry to have the size changed so I could wear it on my right hand. I just wanted a quote. The employee was putting it into the computer like I already agreed to have the work done. I stopped her and said that I only wanted a quote. She smiled and said there would be no charge because I had bought it there. I explained I didn’t really buy the whole ring there, just had a new setting done with the original stones when the original setting broke. She said that’s ok – they would still change the size free of charge. I was so impressed!”
October
This month’s outstanding customer service recognition goes to Myers’ Fashions, Spectrum Enterprise and The Local Basket Case.
We received this letter from a very happy Myers’ Fashion’s customer: “I just wanted to let you know of the outstanding service I received at one of your member stores. We have a family wedding coming up soon and I needed to get some jewelry to go with my dress. After combing every local store, the art galleries and the internet, I came up with nothing that would work with my yellow dress. Each time I went into Myers’ Fashions I was greeted by friendly and helpful staff eager to help me find what I was looking for. They even encouraged me to bring in my dress even though I had not purchased it there. I kept checking back, and they told me they had been looking into their suppliers to see if they could come up with something. When I finally did take my dress in, I had three kind, wonderful people working with me to find the right jewelry. I left the store very happy with what I had purchased. However, at home when I tried on the dress with the jewelry, I was not as happy. I took the jewelry back, and took my dress with me. This time I put it on and received the same great service that I had experience before. They worked hard to find the right pieces for me. Though I didn’t have a big purchase, they treated me as if I had spent a thousand dollars. What a great store, and what an asset their employees are. I even had the owner’s husband helping each time I took my dress in. It was nice to have a man’s perspective. I will be back.”
We received this letter from a satisfied Spectrum Enterprise client: “I feel the need to acknowledge a great customer service experience! I had an appointment with Spectrum Enterprise of Alpena who came to our residence to hook up our services. When the Spectrum service van pulled up, a man with a big smile and a hearty handshake met me at the door. He proceeded to assess the job and what was needed to get our service connected. Things were going just fine until he couldn’t get a connection from the pole, apparently a little critter or something severed the line and the “little job” became a “big job.” That did not stop him from smiling, he knew exactly what to do and went to work completing our hookup. Our technician was very informative and extremely competent. Thank you Spectrum for providing a wonderful, timely service, it was greatly appreciated!”
We received this letter from a Local Basket Case shopper: “I would like to nominate The Local Basket Case in Alpena for your monthly customer service award. I was recently in their store and wanted a hat, a hat that I saw at their Rockford location. Wanting to keep my dollars local, they ordered one for me. While there, the other owner was chatting with a couple that was in town visiting. He asked them where they were from and took a few moments to get to know them. Most impressively, he took the time to tell these people that they had to go try our local ice cream shop down the road from their store, since they were visiting and new to town. He spent some more time with them, they made a small purchase and headed down to the ice cream shop. It’s good to know that while a store like this gives great service to its local patrons, it treats out of town visitors, who are receiving a first impression of our community, with the same kindness and great service.”
Congratulations to these three businesses!
November
This month’s outstanding customer service recognition goes to Skiba Vision Center, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Downtown Union 76.
We received the following note about Skiba Vision Center: “After learning my vision insurance was being canceled earlier than expected and having no luck getting in at my regular eye doctor before the cancellation date, Skiba Vision not only got me in that day for an exam but got my contacts ordered for the next year and gave me an extra pair to get me through until the order came in. Thank you!”
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary received this note: “I am a retired SW Michigan life long learner educator, who has traveled the world and enjoys visiting unique museums and attractions. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary was easy to find with its nice road markers. The price was great. Nice to see my tax dollars at work. The workers were attentive, well informed, and friendly. Also enjoyed the Glass Bottom Boat Tour.”
We received the following letter about Downtown Union 76: “My wife and I are traveling up north on vacation from Grand Rapids. Our truck broke down and we were lucky to be close to the Downtown 76 repair shop. They were swamped but Dave made room for us and got our truck back on the road within 18 hours. I wanted to let you know as they were awesome, accommodating and great to work with. They could have easily taken advantage of our “out of town travelers” situation, but instead treated us like friends and neighbors. I would recommend them to anyone!”
Congratulations to these three businesses!
December
This month’s outstanding customer service goes to Great Lakes Divers, Star Staffing Alpena, Ball Tire and Your Girl Friday! LLC.
Great Lakes Divers: “Dove with them for the first time this weekend. Captain Nick was absolutely amazing! Very helpful and knowledgeable. Gave me great advice and encouragement. As a new diver, it’s so nice to feel comfortable, and Captain Nick did just that. He and Stephanie are amazing people and so friendly! I can’t wait to dive with you again! Thanks for the awesome first shipwreck dives!”
Star Staffing Alpena: “Star Staffing has helped me get into a place I’ve wanted to work at my whole life. They helped me along the way with making everything super easy, from the paperwork to the payroll. They’ve helped me get a very good job where I can still live in my hometown with my family and friends and I am very thankful for the opportunity. If you are ever looking for a job, I highly recommend giving them a try, the staff there is super friendly and will help you along the way and explain everything very well. They are awesome.”
Ball Tire: “I had a couple of tires that were losing air, I stopped at Ball Tire and asked if they could take a look my tires. I was there about 10-15 minutes. They found the tire was not sealed at the rim, corrected the issue and I was on my way. Ball Tire did not charge me for the time they spent checking out my tires and correcting the issue. If I need new tires in the future, I will be visiting Ball Tire. Thank you!”
Your Girl Friday: “You guys are just beyond awesome. Thank you so much! Everything looks wonderful and it is one of my greatest pleasures to walk in our home after you have been here.”
“We just arrived at Grand Lake and I wanted to let you know how appreciative we are for the beautiful job you did cleaning our home. It’s a treat for me to walk in and see all the ‘vac tracks’. I couldn’t help but notice how especially beautiful the wood floors looked! Thanks so much!”
Congratulations to these four businesses!