Some Impressive Service!

I want to talk about two companies who have recently impressed me with their service. Because I feel that good service or impressive service is rare in today's world and we are quick to complain, but slow to praise. So I come to speak the praise of two places.

First up, some of you have been reading my account of the saga of me owning a fish tank and the amount of money I've put into the thing. Well, a few weeks ago, my lamp on my new tank broke. Just shorted out. I contacted Aqueon as they are the ones who made the tank. I heard nothing. Eventually, they got back with me and offered to send me a replacement for FREE! And so they did. I got it last week and put it on. Works like new! So I sing the praises to Aqueon and their products, which I use almost exclusively when it comes to my fish care. 

Up next, suprisingly enough, is Best Buy. I've ranted in the past about how they have changed their stores so much to dwindle their CD/DVD/BR sections down to basically nothing in favor of TV/COMP sales. And I've been disenfranchised with their service when it comes to those things. No clerk there never has heard of any of the albums you want, nor do they stock much of them anyway. And when I've ordered online for store pickup, they grab the wrong release or have registered it under the wrong barcode and screwed up my order and I had to drive to the other one across town to get it fixed. And most of them don't know the difference between the releases that they get in or what is on sale, and when. And nothing is ever stocked! So yeah, lots of complaints about Best Buy. They seem too "corporate" now for my taste and I prefer the mom and pop stores. But something happened today that impressed me beyond compare.
I only went in there today because I knew they'd have the box set  I was looking for as opposed to any place else in town. they had it, but it was stuffed in with the Cds and the case was bent, natch. but whatever. At least they had it and I got it. But then, I went to the bathroom area and something caught my attention. Outside there, hung on the wall was a uniform with pics of an employee. On the uniform is embroidered the name "JOE". the pics show Joe in the uniform being funny and laughing with people, kids and other things. Below the glass case with these things in it was his name and the birth-death date. It was 2012 that he passed away. This impressed me beyond reason. I think back to all the places I've worked and especially my current "day job." If I died, would they do that for me? Hell no! I was just another monkey that was there for a while that pushed buttons. Oh sure, I had effected some people I worked with and made friends here and there (and some enemies too I guess), but I don't think the place itself would honor my memory in such a way. Its obvious to me that this dude was loved and respected there. So much so that they took the time to do that for him, to honor his memory and his service to them. Now I don't know the guy or have any idea if he died there or how, but all the same, I am touched by the idea that they would do that for him. To me, thats huge. And Best Buy, that store in particular has earned back a customer. Its amazing to me in a corporate job like that, that they would do that for an employee. Incredible. I wish I could have known the dude or known his story. The fact that I saw that today really touched my heart strings. Good work. Now thats the personal touch we need more often in this world.

T