I’m not sure what it is, but lately I’ve really noticed some terrific customer service, and I wanted to give these folks a shout out. It’s amazing how it’s brightened my day.

First I’d like to thank the folks at Site 5 for their amazing chat support. Whenever I’ve had some issue I need to bounce of them, their chat is right there waiting. They are fantastic pointing me in the right direction when I can fix problems myself, and are great at seeing things put right when I can’t. If you need a web-host. I highly recommend them.

I know the folks at my local mom and pop coffee shop will hate me saying this, but our nearby Starbucks has some really amazing people working at it. They smile, they take an interest in their customers, and seem to be genuinely kind folks. Today when my coffee cup got a bit over-filled, the gentleman behind the counter insisted it was all his fault ¹. He smiled and chatted with me as we cleaned up the mess I caused, and was so pleasant the person behind me didn’t mind waiting an extra moment to order. Also, if you live in South Jersey, please check out the Treehouse. They are equally amazing.

Today while I was at the gas station I said good morning to the attendant, handed him my card, and asked for a fill up of regular. His first words to me were, “I’m sorry.” This gentleman was standing in the cold on a wet Wednesday morning, doing a thankless task which would help get me to work. He said, “I’m sorry.” When I asked what he was sorry for he replied, “That guy was talking so you had to wait.” I hadn’t noticed I was waiting. In fact, I was rather enjoying a moment of peace, yet this person felt as though he’d inconvenienced me. When I told him he was absolutely fine he smiled and said, “Thanks!”

This afternoon I stopped in at our local bank and got in line. Two of the tellers were closed as they were collaborating on something, a third was waiting on a gentleman in line. I stood there for a few moments when the one teller noticed me, removed her “next teller please” sign, and said, “Oh I can help you, Wes, I don’t want you to have to wait.” ²

Then, during our Lenten worship tonight, I found myself preaching at the local Catholic Parish. During the passing of the peace I looked across at the Cantor and mouthed, “Peace be with you.” She hailed me back with the Vulcan salute! How awesome is that?

In each of these cases I encountered people who were professional, pleasant, and genuinely concerned for the experiences of those with whom they dealt. I never asked for special treatment or huffed at being forced to wait my turn. Yet in each instance I received treatment which was simply wonderful. This, in turn, had a positive impact on my day. Thank you all!