Moen

Moen is not a local company but I am totally impressed with their service. I have previously mentioned in this blog that they had replaced a shower head for me at their expense in the past. They did this even though it was not the product's fault, but rather a result of hard water deposits building up on inside of the shower head,

Anyway, it has been about 5 years since that happened and due to my extremely hard water the replacement head was not working like it should. I just called their 800# and they shipped me out a new replacement free of charge with no questions asked. I wish other companies were so eager to please.

Not their Finest Moment

Last week I was on a short lunch break and I decided to swing by a local fast food establishment and order their chicken sandwich special that they were advertising. I went inside and ordered the sandwich and a small fry from a person over their speaker system. I waited patiently as I watched other people come in the store and order lunch. After a while I noticed people who came in way after me were getting their food but I was still waiting. I don't want to rip on this establishment since they usually offer good service, but I will tell you they have car hops on roller skates who deliver your order and the chain has the same name as a hedgehog.

It didn't really look like they were short staffed but the girls who were delivering the food were very stressed out. I'm a nice guy and I can't stand people who are quick to complain about service so I kept waiting past the 15 minute mark. I finally told myself they obviously lost my order so I tried to notify someone but the employees were running around in such a frantic fashion that I could not get their attention. The only way to speak with someone would be to walk back to where they prepare the food which I am sure would not go over well .

Just as I was about to get more assertive and be a jerk I saw one girl burst into tears when she went to pick up her next order because a manager was yelling something at her. The only person I could see who seemed to be in charge appeared to be lethargic and uninterested with what was happening. I was going to leave and go somewhere else but I figured it would take even longer if I had to go get in a line somewhere else and my lunch time was far spent.

I was getting ready to say "this is Sparta" and kick someone in the stomach when I was finally able to stop someone at the 25 minute mark and tell them I ordered nearly half an hour ago and had not gotten my food. She apologized and brought me my order exactly 30 minutes after I originally ordered it. I was hoping for some kind of acknowledgement or apology like a coupon for a free sandwich or comping the fries, but my order was delivered by the same girl who was previously crying a few minutes earlier and I didn't want to make her crappy day at work worse by complaining to a manager.

I decided it wasn't the fault of the girls who were car hopping but rather whoever was managing and taking orders at the time. It was very slow and unorganized during the lunch rush. This isn't the norm for this establishment and the sandwich was actually quite good when I finally got it, but it wasn't worth a half hour wait for fast food. Then I went home and lived happily ever after.

WARNING: THIS BLOG SUCKS

I just thought I'd acknowledge how pathetic this blog is. Writing local business reviews is a good idea but since I have been eating out of garbage cans lately, I don't have many food reviews. Despite the lack of activity here, I still went ahead and renewed a domain name that directs traffic to this site a couple days ago so I haven't given up on it completely. Some day Utah County Business Reviews may be what saves the human race if we are ever attacked by aliens.

Farewell for now....until I have something of substance to share.

Today's Lunch Special: Patience

A week ago I was sick and had lost my appetite for a couple days. I finally got to the point where I was getting hungry again and I was craving a strawberry banana shake. I didn't want one of those syrup based frozen treats like a McDonalds shake or a Wendy's Frosty so I decided to go to Iceberg Drive Inn since  they are known for their home made shakes.

I was wearing slippers and looked like I could fit in on the people of Walmart website, so I decided to go through the drive through instead of ordering in the lobby. I was in line for about 5 minutes when the car in front of me got tired of waiting and pulled out and drove off. Five more minutes passed and then an employee finally came out and said their speaker system was broken and we would just need to order at the pickup window. I waited 10 more minutes after that until I got to the window and was able to get a shake.

I was ready to drive off after 10 minutes but I was already frustrated with how long it was taking and was curious to know how much longer I could possibly wait. It ended up being 20 minutes total from when I got there with only 4 cars in front of me.

The shake was better than most fast food shakes, but I'm afraid the time spent waiting for it put a damper on my dining experience. I'm not going to bash this business since I don't know all the details of why things were so slow that day, but anytime you have to wait 20 minutes in a drive through for one item, something is wrong.

Michael Burns Realtor

Mike Burns is a realtor who specializes in properties located in northern Utah County. Mike has been a licensed real estate agent for over 13 years. He is experienced working with buyers as well as sellers.

Over the years I have been very impressed with Mike's work ethic and his knowledge. He is one of the smartest guys I know and is a true professional. He tells it like it is and doesn't play games with his clients.

Mike's knowledge and experience makes him a valuable resource. If you have any questions about listing your home, purchasing a property, or any real estate related questions, you should give him a call.

Mike has a website called North Utah County which has some great information about buying, selling, determining the value of your home, making home improvements, maintenance tips, and much more. You can also contact mike Via his Facebook page.

Macys

I have to admit that I have a pathetic wardrobe. I pretty much wear the same jeans and tennis shoes every day with a different t-shirt. I'm that guy who everyone notices if they ever wear a new shirt to work since they are so accustomed to always seeing me in the same boring clothes. It's kind of how you would feel if you were watching Gilligan's Island and you saw Gilligan wearing anything other than his usual red shirt). Anyway, yesterday I had to wait 45 minutes before I could pick my kids up so I decided to spend it at the mall. 

I don't really like the mall. I hate trying to avoid the sales people at the kiosks in the hallways. I know there are some big anchor stores that do well, but I get depressed when I see many of the smaller companies that I know will just be out of business in a matter of months or years. I decided to see how much basketball shoes were so I swung by Foot Locker. What's up with that place? Not a pair of shoes under $85 in the whole store. Anyway, as I had a few final minutes to kill I decided to swing by Macys to imagine what it might be like if I had real clothes instead of my usual Gilligan outfits.

I was greeted a few times by different employees who were polite and helpful yet not pushy. After I told them what I was looking for, I was directed to some sales racks where clothes were being discounted 50-75% off. I know many stores use the mark up so you can mark down technique, so I was surprised to see some really nice shirts and sweaters for $20-25. I was informed of a sale they were running in addition to the usual discounted merchandise. I browsed for a while but then had to leave. 

I was so impressed with some of the prices that I decided to come back late that evening with my teenage daughter so she could help me keep from making some bad choices. The last time I paid attention to style people were wearing pink IZOD polos with popped collars so I can't be trusted. I ended up getting a new pair of Levis, a sweater, and three nice shirts for $92. The employees who helped me were very courteous and helpful. In a world where customer service is frequently lacking, it was nice to encounter competent and pleasant employees. I was impressed with my experience at Macys.

I will keep you updated the next time I update my wardrobe again in 2028.