SQM Blogs

Recently I ordered a medium pizza from Pizza Hut. I asked for extra sauce. I did not specify that I wanted this sauce under the toppings, but I figured that would be a given. I also ordered some chicken and potato wedges, and the whole order came to around $32...

 

Tags: Customer Service, Pizza Hut, Pizza, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

My boyfriend and I love to go watch live sports. We enjoy everything from NBA, to NFL, to CFL, to MLB. In the last few months we have been going to a lot of games. Maybe it was the lock out, or maybe it is the number of our friends who have season passes this year, either way we have seen our share of live games.

 

Tags: Sports Event, Concession Stand, Customer Service, SQM Canada, Sensors Quality Managment

I recently wrote about loosing my wallet in a Toronto taxi cab. I called a million and one places, hoping to get it back with no luck. I was hoping someone might be kind enough to return my wallet to me, but I had my doubts...

 

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM Inc., Canada Post, Mystery Shopper, Wallet

My coworker Ashley loves Cuba. She has a favourite resort down there where she knows all of the staff and is treated like royalty. She visits at least once each year with friends or family, and has even made a new group of friends (people who regularly visit the resort and hang out there together) through her Cuban travels...

 

Tags: Flight Mystery Shop, Cuba, Sunwing, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

One of my coworkers Kevin recently got a gastric bypass surgery. He now eats much smaller portions and gets full faster. For anyone who has had one of these surgeries, I am sure you can understand how challenging it can be to eat out. Many places super-size their plates, offer free refills, and participate in the “all you can eat” concept. Having some self control is key, but I am sure it would be frustrating to pay full price for a buffet or all you can eat, when you are only able to eat one plate of food. People on diets understand this frustration, and if you are on a budget you try to avoid this style of restaurant. But what if you can't avoid it...

 

Tags: Mystery Dining, Mandarin, SQM Inc., Customer Service, Sensors Quality Managment

Hi my name is Leah and I am a Starbucks-aholic. I have been drinking Starbucks religiously for five (5) years now. How, might you ask, did I get here...

Tags: Customer Service, Mystery Dining, Starbucks, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

Over the Monday of the New Year's long weekend, a friend and I decided to go to a movie. Expecting the movies to be quite busy we purchased our tickets two hour in advance anticipating returning to the movies an hour before the movie started to line up for seats. We proceeded to visit the large coffee chain in the neighbouring Chapters book store while we waited. We walked up to the cash and purchased two large speciality beverages and a snack. When we received the drinks, she and I began to look around for a table. The Chapters was packed, but there had been a minimal line at the coffee shop in front of us, so who was using all of the tables? As we looked around we noticed many tables where one or two people sat surrounded by a mountain of un-purchased Chapters books, and no coffee, beverage, or snack...

 

Tags: Customer Service, Loiters, Chapters, SQM Canada, Sensors Quality Managment

Have you ever heard those stories about disparaging others. You know the ones I am talking about: The man who works as a server, a customer gets upset with him and complains to his manager, his manager disciplines him and yells, later that day the man goes home and passes the buck, yelling at: his wife, the kids, the take out food guy, or anyone else and the cycle continues...

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM, Customer Service, What goes around comes around, Friendly

As far as I am concerned, it is getting harder and harder to experience good customer service within the Canadian Healthcare system. I am a taxpaying Canadian who finds this a little frustrating.  When I travel abroad and people find out I am Canadian, occasionally I am greeted with a comment about our “free” healthcare and how great it is. While I appreciate the healthcare, and enjoy the security of knowing should anything happen to me I will be taken care of, I resent the customer service, or lack of customer service I am presented with when I use my healthcare system...

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM Inc., Customer Service, Healthcare, ER

Last night I went to my second Leafs game ever, I have always wanted to go to a Leafs Game and was ecstatic when the opportunity presented itself. To top it off, the Leafs won (if you are a leafs fan, you understand how rare and exciting this is... lol). Anyway, as excited as I was, my boyfriend and I went to visit a friend after the game at Gabby's located at the Isabella Hotel (Isabella and Sherborne). From here, it was late, 10:15 and we decided to take a taxi.

 

Tags: Canada, Taxi, Honesty, Mystery Shopper, Sensors Quality Managment

TheraPearl makes hot and cold therapy packs that provide relief for aches and pains. These can include bruises, joint soreness, and my personal ailment migraines. Basically you get a pack and you can throw it in the fridge or microwave depending on what you need...

 

Tags: Customer Service, Hot and Cold Packs, TheraPearl, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

In the last two days, I have heard of three well known small businesses going bankrupt. Richman's Bakery, Eddy's Steakhouse, and Bluestone Bistro. Some of these places may have vanished a little while ago and others more recently, but the common bond is all three were very good places...

 

Tags: Mom and Pop, Small Businesses, Mystery Shopper, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

I've been a customer at Silver Star Car Wash for the last couple of years. They have always treated me well and I like the way they do business. Over time the owner has become a friend. I've been in there several times recently to have my cars washed, shampooed, and fully detailed. I recently picked up one of my vehicles and it looked great! They had just shampooed it, so I kept the windows down...

Tags: Customer Service, Ownership, Silver Star Car Wash, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

Recently I took my aunt out shopping for a couch. We decided to go to Leon's where she found a couch that was comfortable, in the color that she wanted, and was priced reasonably. We ordered the couch and arranged for the delivery date...

 

Tags: Customer Service, Edy Leon, Leon's, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

After deciding to redo the driveway and front garden of our house, I had 12 landscaping companies come to my house to quote on a relatively decent sized project (See Part 1). Of the 12, not one company was professional enough to follow-up with me and provide an actual quote...

 

Tags: Land-Con, Landscaping, David Lipton, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

My wife and I decided to do some major front yard landscaping including widening our driveway. As per usual, I reached out to my colleges, friends, and even a few local businesses in the industry for referrals. I spoke to no less than 12 companies and had these landscapers come to my house to quote on a relatively decent sized project. Of the 12, not one company was professional enough to follow-up with me and or provide an actual quote...

Tags: Landscaping, Customer Service, David Lipton, SQM Canada, Sensors Quality Managment

Amongst my friends we often debate the most insignificant things. I sometimes feel like I am trapped in an episode of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm with the conversations that go on. Recently though, we touched on something we all agree on; advertisements are always different than reality...

 

Tags: Fast Food, Advertisements, Mystery Dining, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

Step aside news room twitter is on the scene. Digging into company’s dirty laundry was a job once left primarily to news media and a handful of muckrakers. But now, sites like Twitter, the stock-information network StockTwits, and other online bulletin boards are becoming virtual newsrooms where valuable information about earnings and corporate events are increasingly likely to break first...

 

Tags: Dow Jones, Business, Twitter, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

If you can remember back, just a while ago TTC drivers used to wear special hats, ties, shirts and jackets. I personally felt the uniforms looked really great and made me feel like the drivers took pride in their work. Recently I have seen some of the drivers getting back to their roots by actually sporting their caps and ties. When I see this, I feel more proud to be riding the bus; I sometimes don't even notice the stench of a long day on the other passengers. All of the drivers I have seen wearing the proper hat and tie seem to have more confidence, seem more approachable, and appear to take more joy in their work.  As of late...

 

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Bus Drivers, TTC, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

As the holiday season rolls around, I really appreciate a good attitude. Whether it be a helpful sales associate, the mall Santa smiling at the kids waiting to visit with him, a fellow shopper holding a door open for you, someone giving money or a gift to a charity, or even your server wishing you happy holidays as you say goodnight, I find attitudes; especially positive ones, can be contagious.

Tags: Optimism, Brew Some Good campaign, Maxwell House, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment