By DAVID EPPS
Pastor

It is no secret that customer service is at an all-time low. At least that's what I hear these days from the people who have shared with me their frustrations.

Several years ago, I was stuck in O'Hare Airport in Chicago. The weather was terrible, snow was predicted, and flights were being canceled. My wife, who was traveling with me, was very pregnant and sick. We were headed to Colorado where I was to interview for a church staff position and were nervous enough even without the possibility of missed or delayed flights.

I wandered into one of those airport newsstands where you can buy candy, overpriced bottles of water and magazines. Being a Southern-raised gentleman, I smiled at the cashier and said, "Think it will snow?" She looked a hole through me and said, "How the hell should I know? Do I look like the weather lady to you? Are you gonna buy something or what?" I bought a pack of gum and developed a distaste for all things Chicago.

Anyway, I thought I would make a few awards of sorts. There are some businesses out there that prize customers and seek to actually keep their business. So, here are my top choices for local businesses that, in my experience, give consistent excellent customer service. I'm calling these recognitions the "Rector's Rewards."

5th Place Domino's Pizza, Peachtree City. A few weeks ago I ordered two large pizzas but specified thin crust. I like thicker crust, but my wife always out-votes me. The pizza came on time but the crust was thick, not thin. I paid for the pizza but registered my complaint with the delivery guy.

A week or so later, I ordered two pizzas and barbecue wings. When the delivery guy came, I reached for my wallet but he refused saying, "The manager says this order is on us for messing up your last order." I was surprised but delighted. I gave the guy a great tip anyway and enjoyed the free dinner.

4th Place Chick Fil-A of Peachtree City. The one time the staff got my drive-through order wrong, they not only made it right, they gave me a coupon for a free meal for four on my next trip. The service personnel are always friendly, smiling, talkative and fast. Even if there are 15 cars in line at the window, the food is delivered with greater speed and efficiency than any other fast food restaurant. The food is a bit pricey for what you get but I'll pay it if they keep hiring the high caliber of people that currently man the stations.

3rd Place Michael Justice at First Citizens Bank, Peachtree City. A year before our church thought it might need a loan for the purchase of land, I visited Mr. Justice and informed him of our plans. He was helpful, interested, asked questions, and helped guide the process.

We were a new church with a small but growing congregation, so his interest was especially appreciated. In fact, he would periodically call me to see if we were still interested and to see if he could be of assistance. What could have been an ordeal was made a delightful process. Mr. Justice has since been transferred to Fayetteville and First Citizens is now BB&T, so I hope the personal service will continue.

2nd Place Neighborhood Market, Sharpsburg. Last Valentine's Day, I stopped by to get flowers for the wife. While I was picking up the order, a man came in and said that the dozen roses he purchased for his wife earlier in the day only had 10 roses. He said that he didn't notice but that his wife counted them. She sent him back to get the two additional roses.

The couple who own the Neighborhood Market seemed genuinely horrified that the man had been short-changed. Quickly, the owner went to the cooler and brought the customer another dozen roses. When the customer protested, saying he only came in for two, the owner was insistent. The man grinned broadly, thanked the couple, and left.

The owner said, "We're in business to serve people. If we make a mistake, we try to make it more than right. We can't afford to lose any of our customers, so 10 extra roses is a small price to pay. It's all about keeping the customer happy." Amen and hallelujah.

1st Place Crossroads Automotive, Newnan. Yep, you read right. First Place goes to a car repair place. After being at war for years with inept, overpriced, sometimes dishonest car repair places, I have finally found a home for my mechanically challenged vehicles.

A few years ago, when I had a noise in the speedometer I took it to Crossroads and the man said that it was probably the cable. I left it overnight and when I returned, he said that he had bad news. ("Here it comes," I thought.) The cable wasn't the problem. He had spent several hours working on the car and installed a new cable but to no avail. The problem, as it turned out, was in the speedometer itself. It would have to be sent off for repair and would cost a small bundle. Not wanting to spend the money at that time, I declined to have the work done. He handed me the keys, and said "No charge."

"But," I said, "I thought you said you put a new cable in it."

"We did," he replied, "but it didn't fix the problem. We're not going to charge you for a problem we didn't fix."

Over the years, I have never been dissatisfied with their service. In fact, now when I take my car in, I say, "Just fix it. I trust you guys to do the right thing." They always have.

So, there you have the first-ever Rector's Rewards for Customer Service. May other businesses take a lesson.

[Father David Epps is rector at Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the south metro Atlanta area. He may be contacted at FatherDavidEpps@aol.com or visit his website at www.ChristTheKingCEC.com.]

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