France to go

Today, on my usual afternoon outing to grab some coffee or tea, possibly some food and some time away from my flat, I headed to one of my now-regular haunts, Brasserie Al Hamra. I’ve written about the place a few times before, since it’s a nice, comfortable place to sit and read or work, or just watch the news.

I always get a friendly hello from the people who work there, and of course give a friendly hello back. They know where I like to sit — today people were sitting at my usual table when I got in, but after they left and the table was cleaned, I was offered the seat. I was more than happy to make the switch. They also know what I like to order. The first many times I went there, I was on a cappuccino kick, but lately I’ve been going for mint tea.

About 30 minutes after I switched seats today, when I was deep into a Believer article, the younger waiter came over with a croissant and said it was on the house since I’m in so often. Sweet! Of course, I thanked him and the manager profusely, then ordered another pot of tea.

Anyway, it’s nice to have people remember me in this new city, and I’m glad I found a small, nice place where I could feel comfortable and welcomed. If only they had free WiFi there, it would be absolutely perfect.

My mother is a demanding customer. She likes her food piping hot, getting the best possible deal on an item and won’t rest until a problem is resolved. She’s not mean about getting what she wants, but she will definitely speak up. The best thing about her as a customer, though, is that when something goes right, she’s sure to speak up, too.

Recently, my mom ordered a pair of Ugg boots from Nordstrom for my sister who lives in Sacramento. The boots were shipped, signed for by someone in the office at her apartment building, but never got to my sister. After many calls to the apartment, Nordstrom and the shipping company, it seemed that they were stolen. Nordstrom, a company known for its customer service, offered to replace the boots, and there was a pair available at our local store. This was especially convenient, because my sister was coming into town that weekend, so she could just get them here.

My mom was thrilled. She thanked the customer service rep, Gomez, and since she was so nice and polite to him — he said people had been yelling at him all day for similar problems — he offered to personally deliver the boots to our house.

He brought the boots over that evening, and my mom was so thankful, she offered him all sorts of treats, including a piece of chocolate cake, which turned out to be his favorite dessert (and my mom makes an especially delicious chocolate cake). He called her to thank her for the chocolate cake and said his wife liked it, too.

This is when my mom decided to do something extra — bake him a whole cake. She called Nordstrom to figure out when he was working and brought the cake when he was supposed to be there. He wasn’t there, unfortunately, but he did get the delivery later in the day, and he called my mom again to thank her and tell her she made his day.

I don’t know if this story has a moral, but it does say something about being thankful and kind and giving people unexpected surprises. And while my mom can be an exacting customer, she certainly appreciates good service when she sees it.