We are all out doing our Christmas shopping.  I would be interested to find out if anyone has received “WOW” customer service.  You know, as a retailer, many of the customers that visit our stores are there for the first time, picking up a specific gift.  That would mean then, that they are making a first impression for us.  So, if you are a service provider, I hope that you will remember you have just three seconds to make that first impression.  I know, you are busy, tons of people, etc., but your moment in time with that particular customer is what they will remember.

My thanks to my newest clients — Express Personnel, Exactime and Hawthorne Animal Hospital.  Over the last two weeks, I had the honor of providing customer service training.  What great groups of people!  What I have found in my years of training is that people really do want to learn or be reminded of what they already know.  When you tell stories that people can relate to, they are better able to put together a service plan for their business. 

I would encourage you to visit any of the above clients.  They are all very good companies, striving to be great!

Well, not exactly, but we were in his house.  What a great trip.  Mom, Terri, Bailey and I took our quarterly girls’ trip and drove to Memphis, Tennessee.  We saw our Uncle Nolan and Aunt Chesteen and then checked in to the Hilton.  Our hotel was fantastic.  Customer service — fantastic.  Anyway, had dinner on Friday night and then went back to the hotel and played games all night.  On Saturday we toured Graceland and just thoroughly enjoyed it.  If you have never been, it is a sight to see.

Later that day we met up with Uncle Nolan and Aunt Chesteen and ate at Neely’s International Barbecue.  The Neely’s have a tv show and the restaurant was also featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives”.  The food was great.  We left there and drove to Beale Street.  We walked along Beale and stopped at many placed.  We then took a carriage ride through downtown and then took a rode on a cable car.  How fun!  Then, back to the hotel for some more games.  (Ask Mom and Terri which girls beat them in Scrabble two games!)

On Sunday, we took it easy going home, stopping in Sikeston at Lambert’s Throw Roll Restaurant and then did some Christmas shopping. 

The trips have been great.  We have been doing them for a couple of years.  We have been to Chicago, Nashville, Springfield (twice), Memphis and a couple of overnights locally.  These are days that we will never forget.