The Power of Referrals...

I have to admit, one of the things I relish most in life is good customer service.

It's pretty rare these days to find a place that understands the needs of their consumer, and works hard to meet those needs.  I'm the first to admit, that in general I'm a tough customer - I'm not willing to put up with substandard service.  In most cases I'm willing to pay a premium for a better customer experience.

Because of this, when I find a place that does a kick ass job, I tend to refer all of my friends there.  The top three places I refer people to a lot are:

Four Sided Framing

2939 N Broadway St, Chicago

I frame a lot of stuff.  I like art, so I tend to get it framed nicely so it will last.  I probably have at least 15 things in my house framed by these guys.  I am totally clueless when it comes to color schemes and matching things - well design in general, in fact - I have never come away from here with anything less than a masterpiece.  The prices? A little bit higher than your average framing shop.  Why am I willing to pay more? Attention to detail - everything I've ever framed there has been nothing less than perfect, down to the hook to hang it with.

Sappori Trattoria

2701 N Halsted St, Chicago

If I could take one restaurant with me to a desert island, this would be it.  I've been coming here for about 5 years - I take everyone I know here.  I've taken parties of 20 here.  When I walk in, they know me, everyone says hi.  It's a great place.  Everything is fresh - Anthony, the owner and executive chef makes all of the dishes.  The wine list is HUGE - literally - it's a giant book.  The wait staff are knowledgeable, they have outdoor seating and the desserts are made fresh each day in the restaurant.  Everything at this place is done with care and the customer in mind.



Tuffy Auto Service Center

1400 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago

This one started out because it was convenient.  It was walking distance to my house and when I needed work to be done on the Civil Air Patrol van, I would take it here.  Well, the more time I spent taking vehicles here, the more I realized that these guys kick ass at customer service.  On a couple of occasions, they went out of their way to make things easier for me, including (after finding out they couldn't do the work needed) driving the vehicle to a dealer on the far north side of Chicago, arranging for the repair and payment and driving it back to their shop on Diversey.  Needless to say, when I finally bought a car, I take it to them for anything - including oil changes.  I've probably referred at least 5 different people to them in the last 2 months - all of those people becoming dedicated customers.  I give high praise to Chris Zelasko (the manager) and his team for putting the customers needs first.


What's in it for me?  Why do I refer people to these places?  Mostly because I know that I'm not the only person who enjoys a good customer experience.  It makes me happy knowing that my friends are having a good experience and that I'm supporting a local Chicago business.

Sometimes it get's you a free oil change - like today.