In the past I have written letters, commenteries in newspapers, and made phone calls to businesses who have poor customer service. I may even have written about them on my blog.. I dunno. When we research an item prior to purchase and read reviews, many times the negative reviews outweigh the positive ones. We watch the news, and usually what we see are reports of the bad things. Occasionally the news programs will try to integrate some good news into their broadcasts, usually at the end of the program. Perhaps not to leave such a bitter taste, or such negative thoughts in our mind at the close of their program. Why is it that we focus so on the negative? My daughter will gladly tell you that I am forever nit-picking at her over the things she does *wrong*, and not so much encouraging and appreciating her for the things she does right. The right things she does far outnumber the *wrong*. So why is it that I/we focus on the wrong, or the bad?? Why do we do that? Do the emotions evoked by a bad experience outweigh the good feelings when something goes right? Or do we just have such expectations that things always go right that we fail to appreciate it when they actually do?
In an effort to focus more on the positive, I want to tell you about a wonderful shopping experience I had this past weekend. I had the opportunity to do some p.r.n. work for a former client, and decided to use the money to purchase a TV for my new room. As time went on, and the hours piled up, I realized I wouldmake enough to also replace the 18-year-old TV that my Aunt Joyce bought me when Randy and I split up. How exciting! After shopping, researching, grilling my brother and my dad about different models, I decided what I wanted. My neighbor Kim told me about a new HH Gregg that was opening in Snellville, and that I should check it out.
It was a shopping experience like I've never had before. I walked in the door, was greeted by a nice gentleman with a sales paper, then by a young man who offered to help. I jokingly asked him if he was my personal shopping assistent. To my surprise he said "yes, ma'am, that's exactly what I am". His name was Maurice, and he walked with me through the entire television section, explaining differences in models, LCD vs plasma, and all the various wires, cables, boxes, etc., that are required to make the gizmos work. After deciding on the two sets I wanted, he showed me which of those additional items I needed, and gathered everything up for me. I could see the dollar signs rolling behind my eyeballs, and was starting to feel a little faint at this point, thinking that I might need an oxygen mask. I asked him to call his manager and work up a proposal for me, because, after all, I was hoping to buy TWO tv sets, and I had driven all that way just to visit his store. So Maurice got his department manager, they crunched some numbers, and after discounting each item, the bottom line was that all the "stuff" (that was priced at around $300.00), was virtually no cost to me. How terrific is that!! It was a costly purchase, no doubt, but the fact that I saved $300.00, paid cash for it (Dave Ramsey would be so proud of me- not that I would have charged it anyway, but still, cash feels good!), and had the opportunity to work extra to earn the money... that was pretty groovy in my book!
Of course it is a new store, with the grand opening sale going on and all, but while I was waiting for them to load my purchases, I did speak with the store manager about my experience. I told him that Maurice was very helpful to me, and that I enjoyed having my own personal assistant, as opposed to chasing down someone to help me, like one must do in another Geek store. He told me that the "personal shopping assistant" is the way they do business, and not just a grand-opening gimick. I suppose some manly-man-types might not like it, but I sure did. He didn't even flinch when I took time out to call my dad twice and my brother once. (Funny story, though... while they were crunching numbers I needed to utilize the ladies' room, and while I was gone, my phone rang and it was Maurice... looking for me... I guess he thought I had escaped while he wasn't looking!)
At any rate, my initial HH Gregg experience was a delightful one, and though I drove away with my car loaded down and feeling a bit light-headed from it all, I will definitely shop there again, when in need of electronics. Too bad they don't build outdoor decks. That's my project for next year.
So there's my contribution to Positive Customer Reviews for the day. Two good consumer experiences in one week (see previous post). Now that's something to smile about!
[Edited to add- be sure to check back in a week or so and see if I'm still smiling after returning my still-new lawn mower to Lowe's. For the THIRD TIME. Before I even finished writing this post, Whitney told me that it died again yesterday while Dustin was cutting grass. The mower has been used less than a dozen times, and as stated above, this will be the third (and final) time that I return it. I even sprung for the extended warranty (sorry Dave, and Clark Howard), with the promise that if they couldn't fix it they would replace it. If they replace it with a new mower, I'll be smiling. If they don't, you will find me writing yet another letter, or making another phone call, and writing a bad review. Wish me luck!!]
_Nope, not liking this at all...
