I recently had a UCE and I immediately thought of you so I just have to share.

Recently, on Friday October 30th I had to go to Rockland Maine to speak to a group of people about one of our Health Insurance Plans that their employer was offering them. Since the meeting was half a day and on a Friday I decided to take my husband Alan along. We stayed at a Beautiful place called The Berry Manor Inn run by the Innkeepers Cheryl and Mike. Whenever I called, and I called several times prior to arriving, Cheryl always answered the phone on the first ring and was very cheerful, helpful and informative.

Friday evening, Alan and I went to Rustica, a great Italian restaurant within walking distance and enjoyed a fabulous meal and great service from Kate. Even though it was October 30, the weather was mild in Maine and Alan walked out of the restaurant and left his favorite suede Patriots jacket hanging in the restaurant. The real horror started the next day when we realized 1) that he had left the jacket and 2) that Kate had informed us that the restaurant owner and chef is a family man and that the restaurant would be closed Oct 31 so he could take his kids out for Halloween!

We told Cheryl the innkeeper all this, and she thought that perhaps they would be open for lunch, so we got in the car and went back to the restaurant right away. When we got there the door was locked, and we could SEE the jacket through the window, hanging right where Alan had left it. I told Alan not to panic, we’d come back Sunday when they opened and get it before we left to go back to Massachusetts and just then, he pointed to a sign that said “Open Tuesday through Saturday”. My heart sank and I had no idea what we would do.

As we drove the short distance back to the Inn we were brainstorming (okay I was brainstorming, Alan was now in full panic mode) I kept saying “We can call the restaurant and see if they can ship it. We can talk to the Innkeeper maybe she knows someone who can pick it up and maybe she’ll ship it back…” whatever popped in my head came out of my mouth.

As we pulled into the Berry Manor Inn Cheryl came running out the door saying “Alan don’t panic! I’ve called John who owns Rustica and he’ll go down and see if it’s there!” I said “Cheryl, we saw it through the window.” She immediately pulled her phone from it’s holster on her belt (now I know why she always answered first ring) dialed a number and said “John, it’s there they can see it through the window!” After a few moments she finished the conversation, turned to us and said “Go enjoy your day. John will go down to the restaurant, bring your jacket here and it will be here when you return.”

Alan and I went off to enjoy, thankfully another mild day in Maine, touring museums and shopping and sure enough when we got back in the mid afternoon there was his jacket lying neatly on our bed.

As we checked out the next day Cheryl asked if we would right a review of our stay at tripadvisor, since a chain hotel had just gone up in the area. I told her I would be more than happy to and that we would definitely be back again. You would be hard pressed to get the kind of service that John and Cheryl gave us from a chain hotel!

If you ever find yourself in Rockland, Maine and want the Ultimate in Customer Experiences, call Cheryl at the Berry Manor Inn. Tell her Annie and Alan sent you.

What you say is so true!

The same applies to any other service industry – we are repeat customers because of someone.

People make a unique difference to us, because they’re unique.

Things? Anybody can refurnish and refurbish and renovate, get everything from the hardware store.

People? Irreplaceable!

Thanks for the insight!

kh