All of us are customers of some businesses, and many of us have customers of our own businesses. We can probably name some companies that do not seem to care about their customers, even taking advantage of them. But instead of focusing on that, I choose to focus on the positive instead of the negative. We should acknowledge when companies show they appreciate us in ways that they do not have to. I have had some great examples of customer service lately, and I will remain a loyal customer of these businesses.

Several days ago, I had a computer problem and my computer expert came to fix the problem. He had tried to do so remotely and couldn’t.  When he finished almost an hour later, not just fixing that problem but cleaning up a couple of other issues, he said, “There is no charge for this one.” I do not know why he chose to do that, but I certainly appreciated it. I think he is just a good guy and decided to show his appreciation to a loyal customer. He is a small business owner with his own computer company, so he is selling his time as well as his knowledge.  I have utilized his services for several years, and I highly recommend him. He is not just knowledgeable, he is easy to deal with and responsive; a very nice guy. Bayne Schulstad of Triangle Compudocs, I appreciate you.

My favorite jewelry store (in the U.S.) is Gold Mine Jewelry just a few miles from our home. I have been a customer of theirs also for several years. They have a good selection of jewelry, but most jewelry stores do, or they would not stay in business. The same or similar jewelry can be bought in many other jewelry stores. There are bigger and fancier jewelry stores, but none have my loyalty as does Gold Mine Jewelry and the owners Tom and Eddi. They know how to show appreciation to their customers. I have two examples of that in the past two weeks. The first relates to add-a-pearl necklaces I bought and add pearls to each year for my three granddaughters. I recently decided that some of the pearls that I had added to the necklaces were too small, so I replaced them with larger pearls. When I went to pick up the necklaces, I was surprised at the cost. Allison, who is one of my favorite salespeople in the store, suggested that she talk to Tom about that. Later that day I had a voicemail from Tom suggesting that he give me a credit for the pearls that were removed from the necklaces, which accounted for almost a third of the cost I had paid. He did not have to do that, and I would never have expected it. When I went by the store for the credit, and to also pick up a watch that had a battery replaced, I had an example of why I love this store so much. When I tried to pay for the watch battery, Tom said, “No charge for that.” With service like that, why would I even think about going anywhere else for jewelry or service?  I did not expect either of those gestures, either buying back the small pearls or not being charged for the watch battery. I was “wowed.” Gold Mine Jewelry and Tom, Eddi, and Allison, I appreciate all of you.

My third example of great customer service is with an electrician who I found on Nextdoor. I called him to repair a smoke alarm and a bathroom exhaust fan. The bathroom exhaust fan was not an emergency, but I decided the smoke alarm with wires dangling from the ceiling was. The problem was the only time I would be home for the repair to be done before company arrived was Sunday! Now, not many tradespeople want to work on Sunday, and I understand that. But Joe Martin of JME Electrical Services of North Raleigh, who I had never used before, came out on a rainy Sunday afternoon and very ably took care of my service needs. He also replaced two very old smoke alarms and checked a couple of other things. I had no idea what he would charge, and I did not ask before he did the work, for he was willing and able to solve my problems on a Sunday afternoon. When he gave me his invoice, I was pleased, for his price was very reasonable. I am now a new and loyal customer of Joe Martin and JME Electrical Services.

In addition to telling my readers how much I appreciate these three businesses and their owners, Triangle Compudocs, Gold Mine Jewelry, and JME Electrical Services, I am now going to write each of them a review on Trip Advisor. There is so much negative press out there, I want to be a force for good for these business owners who deserve it. This takes a little of my time, but I believe when we get good service, we should show our appreciation in tangible ways.

What can you do to show your appreciation to businesses who value you?