Tuesday's Tribute - To exceptional customer service

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about a great day that I had. I had time to myself, went shopping, ate at one of my favorite restaurants, enjoyed a good book, held a newborn baby. It was a fabulous day.

I happened to mention that there were sneaky little red onion pieces scattered throughout my otherwise delectable Turkey Waldorf Salad that I got at Wildflower Bread Company. It was a small part of my post, but just a few short days after the post went up, I came to realize that my little mention of the onions (of which I had asked to not be included) did not fall upon deaf ears.

I received an email from the founder of Wildflower Bread Company, Louis Basile, who was rather bummed to find out that my salad wasn't prepared just as I ordered it. We've emailed a couple of times about the experience, and I can't tell you how flabbergasted I was to actually receive an email from the founder of the company itself. Each email was personal, and obviously not a canned response to an email.

We've all experienced the checker at the grocery store who didn't give a rip and had no personality, and we've all had experiences with pushy retail people or businesses who don't operate with the customer's best interest in mind.

In a time when people are in such a hurry and so many are all just about making a buck, it was so refreshing for me to have such a positive experience with a restaurant that I love. The Wildflower Bread Company has been a favorite place for me and my girl friends when we have a mom's night out, and just like I talked about in my previous post, it's also a place I love to go even by myself.

A few unwanted red onions wouldn't have stopped me from going back to Wildflower - I realize people make mistakes, so it really wasn't a big deal. But, the fact that this company cares so much about keeping their customers happy has definitely sealed the deal in making me a lifelong customer. And, Mr. Basile is sending a coupon for a complimentary meal for my next visit.

I just wanted to make sure and recognize Mr. Basile and his restaurant for going above and beyond. It's also a nice reminder to all of us that good customer service is still alive and kicking!

This post is a part of Tuesday's Tribute over at Angie's 7 Clown Circus.