SQM Blogs

As warmer weather descends on Toronto I have begun wearing my Danier jacket to work. One of my coworkers noticed my jacket the other day and told me she loved it. This is a little bit ironic since this coworker, let's call her Julie, is always joking about me having terrible style...

 

Tags: SQM Inc., Customer Service, Mystery Shopper, Danier Leather, Leather Jacket

As Easter rolls around, the shelves near the checkout of your local stores turn into pale floral colors signifying spring is finally here and so is Easter chocolate. Whether you are spending the morning at church, enjoying time with family, or not even celebrating; everyone falls victim to buying a few Easter goodies. Perhaps you love those adorable Lindt bunnies or you might love the crunch of Cadbury mini eggs...

 

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Customer Service, SQM, Easter, Walmart

Much like any holiday where drinking is involved, sometimes St. Patrick's Day gets a little wild. This year, I went with a few close girlfriends to one of my favorite Irish Pubs in the city. We were all decked out in green and may I add, we looked very cute...

Tags: Bouncer, St Patrick's Day, Customer Service, Mystery Shopper, SQM

Recently I posted a blog, “Bank of Montreal Makes Banking Easy”, about a customer service problem I had with my bank and how they solved the problem. Unfortunately, that was only one side of the story...

 

Tags: SQM, Cell Phone Fees, Mystery Shopper, Customer Service, Bank Fees

Ever find yourself in a situation where you just can't get through to a friend or family member because the information your telling them, regardless of it being true, is coming from you?
Flatter Me, to the rescue! Flatter Me is a company founded by Miriam Glassman, a flattery specialist. Currently situated in Montreal, her clientele is international as she has made calls to Russia, Australia and New Zealand essentially fulfilling requests of complimenting, reciting poetry or asking people out...

Tags: SQM, Flatter Me, Mystery Shopper, Valentine's Day, Gift Ideas

I recently wrote about loosing my wallet in a Toronto taxi cab. I called a million and one places, hoping to get it back with no luck. I was hoping someone might be kind enough to return my wallet to me, but I had my doubts...

 

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM Inc., Canada Post, Mystery Shopper, Wallet

Last night I went to my second Leafs game ever, I have always wanted to go to a Leafs Game and was ecstatic when the opportunity presented itself. To top it off, the Leafs won (if you are a leafs fan, you understand how rare and exciting this is... lol). Anyway, as excited as I was, my boyfriend and I went to visit a friend after the game at Gabby's located at the Isabella Hotel (Isabella and Sherborne). From here, it was late, 10:15 and we decided to take a taxi.

 

Tags: Canada, Taxi, Honesty, Mystery Shopper, Sensors Quality Managment

In the last two days, I have heard of three well known small businesses going bankrupt. Richman's Bakery, Eddy's Steakhouse, and Bluestone Bistro. Some of these places may have vanished a little while ago and others more recently, but the common bond is all three were very good places...

 

Tags: Mom and Pop, Small Businesses, Mystery Shopper, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

If you can remember back, just a while ago TTC drivers used to wear special hats, ties, shirts and jackets. I personally felt the uniforms looked really great and made me feel like the drivers took pride in their work. Recently I have seen some of the drivers getting back to their roots by actually sporting their caps and ties. When I see this, I feel more proud to be riding the bus; I sometimes don't even notice the stench of a long day on the other passengers. All of the drivers I have seen wearing the proper hat and tie seem to have more confidence, seem more approachable, and appear to take more joy in their work.  As of late...

 

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Bus Drivers, TTC, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

Around the holiday season budgets get very tight and ours is no different. No one wants to be a “Scrooge” but sometimes it hard to make a paycheck stretch so we can get everything on the gift list. This holiday season my husband Matt and I decided we were going to try and reign in our spending. Because I am a mom, I still wanted our family to enjoy the season...

Tags: Reimbursement, Mystery Dining, Mystery Shopper, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment

A lot of people I know, myself included, regard calling companies about customer service related issues to be dreadful.

As soon as I hear: "Please hold for the next available representative. Your call IS important to us." I tend to hang up, whether it be because I simply don't have time to deal with the apparent wait time or because I feel it shouldn't be a struggle to get what I believe I am entitled to, which is good customer service with a live and (genuine) phone attendant...

 

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Phone Attendant, SQM Inc., Sensors Quality Managment, Customer Service

For a couple of years I have been Mystery Shopping restaurants and retailers, evaluating not only the customer service, but in many cases the quality of the food and the experience. With this experience under my belt, and having frequented many restaurants from Mom and Pop shops to Five Star Dining experiences as a Mystery Shopper, I have become somewhat of a self proclaimed “foodie.”...

 

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, Toronto Food and Wine Expo, SQM, Customer Service, Mystery Shopper

After recently being asked if my glasses were part of my Halloween costume, I resolved to get some more stylish glasses and a vision check since it had been a while. A friend referred me to a boutique store called Crown Opticians where I could get my eye exam and pick out a new pair of glasses all in one sitting within the Yorkville area...

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Customer Service, Glasses, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment

My palms were sweaty, knees weak and arms were heavy at the mere thought of the night that I was about to embark on. I was hosting an extravagant event at a unique boutique hotel that provided a one-of-a-kind type of backdrop, this was the selling point for me; but, at the same time the range of reviews that I heard surrounding this hotel and their customer service worried me...

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, Mystery Shopper, Boutique Hotel, Customer Service, SQM Inc.

As winter approaches, I tend to see more movies in theatres. It can be a fun night out without having to be in the freezing cold. However, I always disliked the food concession stand. I identified what exactly it was about them that I did not like, and also identified what I thought of as an easy fix. This is my story of a failed attempt to address the following problems...

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM, Movie Theater, Concession, Mystery Shopper

Another day, another customer service experience. Yesterday, I decided that I desperately needed to get my hair cut. I called Capelli Hair and Aesthetics in Bayview Village and asked them what they had available. The receptionist told me that if I could be there in five minutes, Mario, one of their advanced stylists, could see me right away...

 

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, Mystery Shopper, Capelli Hair and Aesthetics, Bayview Village, Hair Salon

At the end of a 9-5 day, regardless of how the day went; I usually end up at a store, instead of at home relaxing. For me, there is something rejuvenating about the lighting in a store or mall that just allows me to collect my second wind. Yesterday was no exception....

Tags: Sensors Quality Managment, SQM, Mystery Shopper, Shopaholic, Customer Service

Do you belong to a rewards program? It's likely you do, as Maritz Canada reports that 94% of Canadians belong to some type of loyalty program. We come second only to Brits, yet until recently...

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Customer Service, Loyalty Programs, SQM Canada, Sensors Quality Managment

A couple months ago I purchased a Loblaws gift card. I misplaced the card and thought it was gone for good, until I found it in a pile of documents to be shredded. I have no idea how the card ended up there, but the damage had been already been done...

Tags: Mystery Shopper, Loblaws, Customer Service, SQM, Sensors Quality Managment