Rewarding Excellence in Long Beach CA

 LONG BEACH REAL ESTATE

Rewarding Excellence in Long Beach CA

A TRIP TO STAPLES LONG BEACH CA THAT WILL “NEVER” BE FORGOTTEN

As you all know we Long Beach Realtors are a busy bunch and when we need something we generally need it right now.  So it was for me today.  I needed a new day planner right away for my busy Long Beach Real Estate business, so I went to Staple’s up at the Long Beach traffic circle on my way into the office.  Now you know that a trip to Staples isn’t much different than a trip to the grocery or drug store.  Personally I don’t like going into any of these stores because I usually end up leaving with about half of their inventory. 

Upon entering the store I grabbed one of those 10 ton buckets of licorice for the office, found my new day planner and remembered I needed a new head set for my TREO, so I bop on over to the electronics department.  There is a service desk in the electronics department with a Staples employee servicing another customer.  I asked where the headsets were, received an answer and went over to check them out.  None of them indicated they were comparable to a TREO so I head back to the service desk where the customer was no longer apparent.  I asked the Staples employee for assistance, he indicated that he was still working with another customer but would get me help.  He then paged somebody named Larry twice.  I waited, and waited, and waited and I was done.  I told him thanks but it was taking too long, bye bye, and proceeded to the check out counter, a bit ticked off.  Found a mess of other items at the counter that I didn’t need, tossed them into my basket as well. 

Just as I finished placing all of my items on the counter the Staples employee who tried to assist me in the electronics department arrives at the checkout counter and whisks all of my items off of the counter while saying, “You are not paying for anything today!” and places my order into bags and hands it to me saying “I am really sorry for the way you were treated here today, I will make it a point for that to never happen again, please accept my apologies”.  I was speechless (a rare state for me).  I thanked him and went to leave the store. 

I went back to ask his name, the employee I spoke to told me that Patrick Owens is the stores new manager and that he is wonderful.  Even the employees love this guy!  It’s no wonder why.  He gets it!  He easily could have just apologized or given me a 10% discount, but no, he went the whole nine yards.  I am stunned at this level of customer service.  

When we are treated badly we never forget it.  I will never forget Patrick Owens and the way he made up for his inability to service his customer.  I will never forget the look of pain on his face at the failure of the system he managed.  I also know from that look that he finds that level of service unacceptable and will do something about making certain “his” Staples customers are treated better in the future.  He did that today. 

In Patrick Owens I find a kindred spirit.  I completely understand the position he was in today.  The perfectionist, unable to deliver perfection. 

Patrick Owens today you earned a for excellence.

I hope you never lower your standards, and that you influence many others to strive to your standards of excellence. 

Posted on March 9, 2007 by Laurie Manny