raves

A few weeks ago, a friend turned me onto threadless.com. I snooped around and saw several T-shirt designs I liked and chose to buy one. Upon receiving it, I was quite pleased with the quality of the shirt and the application of the design on it. The price was reasonable, $15 and $5.50 shipping. All in all, I was happily satisfied with the whole experience.

Now, here's the cool stuff. The designs they offer are submitted by their customers. They're truly unique and Threadless produces limited runs of them. Many are only produced in one batch and then retired, making cooler designs sought-after collectibles. I've twice worn the first shirt I bought from them and both times I've received unsolicited compliments on it. Last night, I wore my latest acquisition and again received unsolicited compliments. These shirts are really cool.

If you sign up for their newsletter, every week or so they'll send an email showing the new designs. Another cool thing they offer is credit for sending them pics of you wearing their shirts. You can get $1.50 to $15 credit for each correctly shot picture. I'll be posing soon!

I am so impressed with this company! I needed a device to copy the contents of a client's failing hard drive to their replacement drive. I'd been researching these devices a bit for my other job, looking for an inexpensive hardware solution for erasing hard disk drives. I'd found several multi-purpose solutions that did copying, erasing and such, but all were upwards of $1000 - certainly more than we wanted to spend and way beyond what I would spend for PCIAM.

In my research, I had not yet found the Disk Jockey by Diskology. (I'd been searching for hardware to erase, not copy.) A need arose for copying and I found Diskology. I perused the site, downloaded the user manual (nice touch: making that available), and decided I wanted it. However, it was almost 1:00 on Thursday afternoon and I was concerned that even with overnight shipping I might not get my order before Monday. (You know how some businesses offer overnight shipping, but still take a business day or three to fulfill the order and then ship it overnight?) I emailed them and, initiated from that one email, experienced some of the best customer service I've ever had.

Tony Overbay and I had a veritable conversation through email throughout the transaction and afterward. He noted my need and, though I'd paid for AirSaver (delivery by 3:00 p.m.), shipped the device Standard Air (delivery by 10:00 a.m.). He informed me when the item had been shipped. He checked with FedEx about signature requirements and told me of their waiver procedure. Of course, he'd given me the tracking number, so I knew when the package had been delivered. I left work early (to demo the Friendly Robotics Robomower to coworkers - more on that another day!) and was able to get started on the project sooner than expected.

The device was in excellent packaging that included some of the same style of humor that's on their site and in the user manual. It is a technician's device, meaning that it's not for the average computer user. I found it easy enough to operate and using it saved me at least 8 hours of work in the first use. It virtually paid for itself in the first use!

Small businesses like Diskology, run by individuals like Tony, are the saving grace of customer service in America. The personal touch afforded customers by small business owners can never be reproduced by large businesses. As virtually every product has multiple retail sources these days, the only thing that's really being sold now is customer service. Diskology has two great products: Disk Jockey and customer service.

Glass Pro
(336) 323-6400
1601 W Lee St
Greensboro, NC 27403
Glass Emporium, Glass Pro & Glass Masters


After going through several rounds of calls and redtape with an auto dealer, my insurance company and the windshield replacement company they recommended, I was more than ready for some good customer service. Thankfully I got it from Glass Pro. You may have seen their ads on TV: "What Grandma says, Grandma does!"

I should have called Glass Pro first. I certainly will next time. After finally getting everything arranged with the other glass company, I saw Glass Pro's ad during the noon news. I called and spoke with Brian, the manager of the Greensboro shop - an energetic guy who is eager to be of service, provides useful information and is just generally pleasant to be around. He told me if I brought my car in, they would knock $100 off my deductible, putting my cost at $150. I called the other glass company and left a message asking if they would match Glass Pro. When they returned my call, I was informed that they would/could not mathc Glass Pro. In fact, they could not even honor our original deal of $50 off! They are under contract with my insurance company and part of the small print says they cannot provide these discounts lest they be sued and other litigation. I called Glass Pro and spoke with Brian about this. He said it is true, BUT Glass Pro is not under that contract. As a matter of fact, they just recently got out of it! That cinched it. A few more calls to the insurance and other glass companies and I was back on the phone with Brian. He absolutely amazed me by orchestrating it so that I could have my windshield replaced if I could be there by 4:00. Keep in mind that he did not have the glass in stock and it was about 3:00 when we had our last call.

I got there at 4:00 and it was on. We reviewed the damaged windshield and completed the initial paperwork. One of his techs took my keys and away went my car. The car was returned, we completed the paperwork, I paid my bill and was on the road again before 5:00! I'm impressed. My only complaint (and it's truly minor!) is that I'd like to have driven away with a clean windshield. (I HATE having to clean the inside of my windshield. There are always streaks, even using newspaper or coffee filters and Invisible Glass brand cleaner.) In light of the amazing service I received, the surprising timeliness of the service and the great price, I think I can easily forgive having to clean my windshield.

Thanks, Glass Pro!

(Oh... and State Farm Insurance, I'm not wasting my time to write a rant about you. However, my partner and I are already shopping for a new insurance provider. Hmmmm... two houses, three cars, a motorcycle, life and umbrella - I think we'll easily find a company that will gladly serve our needs.)

If you've not yet heard of 1-800-FREE-411, you're missing something good!

I rarely have need of 411 services and have almost completely weaned myself from using them because of the outrageous fees wireless phone service providers charge. I heard of 1-800-FREE-411 several months ago and just kinda tucked that info back in my mind. Awhile ago, I had need of directory assistance and remembered them. Sure enough, I got the information I needed AND, since the restaurant I inquired about had no competitors advertising with 1-800-FREE-411, I got it without having to listen to an ad. Though I've only used their service once, I will certainly use it again. I've added them to my mobile phone, so they're just a couple of button-presses away. Thumb your nose at phone companies' greed and use 1-800-FREE-411. Hooray for free enterprise!

After years of decline in service and food quality, Rock-Ola Cafe rebranded as Rock-Ola Grille. Though a name change doesn't fix things, it does fit their new image. What does fix things is fixing things. They've done that, too! I've been to the Rock-Ola Grille on Battleground Avenue in Greensboro twice in the past four to six weeks. The second time was this past Friday. It was one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time!

With plenty of outgoing and friendly staff, we were greeted as the door was opened for us, seated quickly and drinks were before us in no time. Brian, an exceptional waiter, provided table service that was timely, friendly, respectful... simply put: professional. The yeast rolls with cinnamon butter are worth a visit for dessert and coffee alone! The house salad was of ample portion, fresh and well-presented. The filet mignon was high quality Angus beef, cooked as requested, very tender and flavorful. Accompanied by a loaded potato, it was a perfect entree. A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup pie, served on a cloud of real whipped cream in a large martini glass was complemented with good coffee and finished the meal beautifully. My dinner partner and I enjoyed this meal (sharing dessert) for $40.

The first meal several weeks ago was highlighted by the grilled salmon Caesar salad. It's a well-prepared dinner salad with a nice portion of tasty grilled salmon, a light entree at a price of about $8 (if I remember correctly).

Rock-Ola is working to overcome a damaged reputation and the work they're doing is worth another chance. If you gave up on Rock-Ola, try one more time. They've recreated themselves into one of Greensboro's finer offerings for mid-priced dining.

Visit their (a little outdated) website here. A PDF of their menu is here.

Schlage, maker of security and safety products, just made me a lifelong customer!

When we recently purchased our new home, we purchased new doorknobs and deadbolts for 3 doors. We had them all keyed the same, installed them and were very pleased with the look and the function. Pleased except for one thing, it was too easy for us to lock ourselves out of the house. These doorknobs allow you to exit while they are locked. We completely missed that fact when making our purchase decision. I emailed Schlage about this, asking if there were a way to set these to not do this. Today, I got their reply.

Thank you for considering the Schlage Lock Company for your door hardware needs.

The F Series lockset that you purchased comes standard with an emergency exit feature that allows one to exit the locked door without disengaging the lock. This is what is meant by "no unlocking required". The feature cannot be disengaged on this particular series.

I apologize for any inconvenience that this may be causing. If the feature becomes a problem you may want to consider upgrading to our A series locksets. There is still an emergency exit, but it is only engaged when it is pushed in and turned clockwise.

We also have the new F54 function. This lock feature guarantees that you will no longer have 'lock out' problems. The function of this lock is simple. When the unit is locked both inside and outside is locked. When the unit is unlocked both knobs are unlocked. If you are interested in trading out your current locks for these, I can do that for you. The F54 locks are only available in a knob design.

Another option would be to use a hall and closet doorknob or lever, secure the door with the deadbolt above.

I hope my explanation is helpful and if there is anything else I can help you out with please let me know.

I can be reached either via E-mail at securitemail@ingersoll-rand.com or at (888) 805-9837 ext. 7177. We are here from 7 AM until 7 PM CST, Monday through Saturday. If I am unavailable, another representative will be able to handle your inquiry.

Once again, thank you for your interest in the Schlage Lock Company.

Securely Yours,

Jenny Smith
Homeowner Technical Services

First, this is an excellent email reply to a consumer! Not only was my specific problem addressed, a detailed explanation was given, options for resolution were given, and a phone number was given that took me directly to Jenny Smith. I called the number and spoke with Jenny, a courteous and cool, fun-sounding person. When she pulled up my record, she almost instantly offered to send replacement doorknobs that function like I want. FREE! I asked her about the same-keyed locks, wondering if I could remove the lock mechanism from the existing knobs and install them in the new ones. She said I'd have to have a locksmith do that. That's understandable. Then she offered to have the new ones shipped already keyed the same as the existing ones. What?!?!? WOW! Yes, please! When I asked about returning the existing knobs, she said it wasn't necessary. At this point I was flabbergasted. I told her this was some of the BEST customer service I've ever experienced and that I was going to write about it on my website. To that, she laughed and said that was exactly what they love to hear there. She playfully asked me if I knew what the best form of advertising is. Of course! WORD OF MOUTH! Well, here's my testimony and I'm quite happy to share it. Two thank you's are going out here: to Schlage, for empowering your customer service representatives to take care of your customers and to Jenny for using her personality, service skills and the tools Schlage gave her to make me a truly satisfied (and definitely lifelong) Schlage customer. Buy a Schlage!

A quick note I sent to PalmSource, developers of the Palm OS for PDA's:

I'm back!

I just wanted to drop a note to tell you I came back to Palm. After having a Palm III, Palm m100, and a Sony Clie PEG-N760C (that died), I decided to try a Dell Axim X5 with PPC 2003. While it had some cool-at-first features, I quickly found myself not using them. Worse, though, was the fact I couldn't rely on it to do the PIM basics of a PDA. Entering new info was not intuitive. Alarms for calendar events were sporadic and that's a MAJOR function I use. After about 6 months of dealing with it, I purchased a Sony Clie PEG-UX40 and am once again a happy camper. I haven't even tried all its cool new features yet and am still plain ol' content. It just works, simply.

Thanks for the great OS and the things that use it that just work.

Kind regards,
Shannon Moore

Sound Solutions
Custom Autosound, Security, Video & Accessories
1621 Stanley Road
Greensboro, NC 27407
336-855-0520

I've wanted a remote car starter for years now. I finally have one. I stumbled upon Sound Solutions while researching which starter I wanted and where to purchase it and have it installed. Not only did they have a lower price than the local chain store ($50 less!), they also told me to come on in and they'd install it immediately. Wow! That just doesn't happen to me. They told me it would take about an hour and a half. It took a little bit longer (due to the VW being unlike most cars), but waiting was no biggie. I started to get a littel wary when it came time for them to close, but they stayed and finished the job and were professional about the whole thing. They fully explained to me the reason for the delaly and went over the operation of the device. I don't do much after-market stuff to my vehicles, but will certainly start at Sound Solutions when I'm ready to do more.

It sure was nice not having to go outside to start the car and defrost the windows this morning!

Thanks, guys!

Married @ Costco...

Costco just opened in Greensboro. I've heard great things about them, so we had already decided to join. Last Sunday, we went to check them out and they really impressed me from the start. As I was filling out the membership application, I saw an area for entering information about your spouse for another (free) card. Well, not only was it for a spouse, but domestic partner was also listed. I really appreciate that. Greg and I are able to shop on the same account and not have to go through any wranglings to be there together. It's a shame that Costco is the first "official" entity to recognize our relationship, but there you have it. I guess one might say we got married at Costco!

Yesterday evening, after visiting my chiropractor and racing home to take care of the dogs, I called Back Relief Unlimited in Greensboro. It was around 5:30 PM and the woman on the line said they closed at 6:00. I was a little miffed about not being able to get there that night; it would take 30 minutes to drive there. To my utter surprise, she said she'd still be there and for me to just knock on the door. WHAT?!?!?! I was so surprised I stumbled over my tongue trying to tell her I was on the way.

I arrived at 6:05ish and didn't even have to knock. Kay Hall was talking with another customer and we all chatted for a short while. When he left, she got busy working with me as though I were there for a private shopping visit. She pulled out several products for me to try, described them knowledgeably and never hurried me at all. We chatted during the process (something I rarely do) and I felt very strongly that I was more important than my money.

Having grown up in small retail businesses, I know how a customer should be treated. In today's retail, I often feel as though I'm expected to be thankful that the store will allow me to shop there and be grateful they'll take my money. Kay Hall and Back Relief Unlimited provided me an especially refreshing change from the norm of today's retail. I am also as pleased with my purchases as I am with their service. When the day comes that I am ready to purchase my TempurPedic bed, I will certainly buy from this fine business.

Thanks, Kay!

Perhaps customer service is a bit more pervasive than I thought. My Sony Clie recently died and I replaced it with a Dell Axim. That's also a switch from Palm OS to Pocket PC 2003. I had a cool little game on the Clie, BOUNCIN' by Digital Smithy, that is also available for PPC. I emailed support at Digital Smithy asking if I could transfer my license from my old device to the new, different OS device. On the same day, I received a short and sweet response:

Hi Shannon,

Sure, you can transfer your license for BOUNCIN'.

Your new REG KEY: (removed)

Please let me know how you like the new MicroGolf board.

Best Regards,
James Poelke
Digital Smithy, LLC
www.digitalsmithy.com

Apparently, Mr. Poelke knows of and appreciates good service. I certainly recommend his game and his company!

The folks at Omega One Software know customer service keeps customers and promotes word-of-mouth advertising. I use their Battery Pack 2003 and Journal Bar applications on my PDA. I emailed customer service with a small issue yesterday and had a personal response in my inbox this morning. Alexa took the time to completely address my issue with assurances that a permanent fix is being developed and temporary work-arounds. Specific questions I asked were also answered. I'm sure time could have been saved (mere minutes) by sending me a canned response, but personally responding to my email not only helped resolve my problem, but further cemented my loyalty to their company. I look forward to further offerings from Omega One Software.

Ilium Software seems to know that customer service is still a big deal to many people. In looking for a replacement "wallet" for my PDA, I contacted Ilium and one of their competitors, whose name completely fails me now. (They must've made a great impression...) Both products seemed very similar in function and sold for the same price. I sent both the same email, asking about one specific feature I did not find listed on their sites and, more importantly, why I should buy their product over their competitor's. I received a response from Ilium the next day. I've yet to receive a response from their competitor. Additionally, Ilium's response was not canned, but well-written and personally and specifically addressed my concerns and questions. THAT kind of service will gain my patronage over poor or non-existent service everytime. Thank you Ilium for your great eWallet Professional product and I wish you continued success.

BTW: The competitor was Developer One's CodeWallet Pro.