I recently had an excellent customer service experience. One worth sharing...
A couple of weeks ago my friend Jayson Bryant, wine writer and entrepreneur, posted that Sam Neill's Two Paddocks 2009 Picnic Pinot Noir was on special offer at Glengarry. Jayson's recommendations have always been spot-on and it just happened to be a friend's birthday the next day, so I popped in to the Glengarry on Dominion Road and picked up a bottle, which they wrapped and I gave to a happy recipient.
A few days later, I thought to myself "Why didn't I get a bottle for myself?"; so when I had a gap, I went back to Glengarry. They had however run out of stock. Sam, the store manager, kindly offered to get a bottle in from one of the other stores and took my mobile number to contact me when it arrived. Later the same day I received a text to say it was there, so I went to the store to pick it up. Sam wasn't there, but sure enough waiting on the counter was a bottle of Two Paddocks Pinot Noir.
What I didn't notice was that this was the more expensive of the Two Paddocks releases.
Knowing what the special offer price was, I didn't even pay attention and swiped my credit card to pay for the wine (along with a 2009 Ant Moore Pinot Gris), and headed back to work. Back at my desk, I glanced at the receipt slip and realised that what should have read $42 was in fact $54.
Having received Sam's text earlier I had his number, so sent a quick text to see what had gone wrong. He promptly phoned me back to explain that the incorrect bottle had been given to me, rather than the one that was on special, and that I had been charged the correct price for that particular wine.
He could have simply left it there.
However what Sam did was apologise for the mistake, offer a refund of the difference, and best of all allow me to keep the more expensive bottle of Two Paddocks. All of this was conducted with friendliness and good grace.
$12 may be a small amount of money, but the roll-on effect is that through Sam's friendly, helpful, speedy customer service he has gained someone who will be a repeat customer and an advocate for his store.
We hear so much about bad customer experience, that it is truly pleasurable to highlight the good. And this was a good experience. Needless to say, I will enjoy opening and sharing this bottle of wine all more for it.
So if you're in Auckland and looking for a good selection of local and imported wine, with great service to boot, then head along to Glengarry Mt Eden on Dominion Road. And when you do, please tell Sam that I recommended it.
Using apps on my iPhone to track and record my runs and rides is something I value highly, especially as my fitness is improving as I have a record of my training. When it comes to cycling I'm still undecided on which app to use, and can't decide between Strava or Runkeeper. - Strava's user interface (UI) is superb, and I love the simple Go/Stop button in the app too. The website is also excellent and I like the segment option. Where Strava fails for me is the lack of ability to input comments in-app - I use those comments to compare and keep track of what was good/bad/average and so-on. Granted you can log comments on the website, but I prefer to do it almost as soon as I've finished my ride - so that it's fresh in my mind.
- Runkeeper is my current choice because apart from its fairly average UI, I can log my activities on the phone which syncs with the website. It also ties in neatly with my social media apps like Twitter and Facebook, which I like
If I were basing my choice on user interface design and excellence of website, Strava wins hands down. But until Strava incorporates the ability to input comments in-app I think I'll stick with Runkeeper. Having said all that, if Nike had cycling as a function in their Nike+GPS app, it would be my app of choice (as it is for running). Anyway, onto the actual running and riding... Training Log #6 My longest distance week (combined) so far this year. Some good and some where I simply had to grit my teeth and run. Runs: Wednesday - 6.31km at 4'34"/km - Didn't feel great starting the run, but sucked it in and pushed through. Ended up quite quick. Friday - 8.59km at 4'46"/km - Another run where I didn't feel great but did it anyway. Sunday - 12.1km at 4'30"/km - What a difference to my other two runs this week. Started slow and progressively picked up the pace - even managing a 3'35" kilometre at km 10 (admittedly downhill). Pumped to get my fastest 10km of the year too. That's 27km this week from three runs, and all quite quick Rides: Tuesday - 30.52km in 1h11m. Had a tailwind for the first half of the ride, which of course meant into the wind coming home. Still felt good though. Thursday - 31.17km in 1h08m. Best ride of the year so far - I felt great and really enjoyed myself. Even managed to hook onto the Mt Eden Cycles group as the started their Tamaki Drive sprint, going up to 50km/h as we passed the Parnell Pools! Loved it. I've now got the saddle in the right position and am feeling really comfortable on the bike - something that should improve as I work on my flexibility. And... I dropped another kilogram. One more and I'll be back under 80kgs for the first time in years! For those who have read this far and who use apps for training, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. See you on the road.
First a tip: don't run 13km in the rain wearing your oldest pair of running shorts. You will chafe. You know I did! Some good runs and a ride this week, so here goes: Runs: Wednesday - 6.14km at 4'55"/km - that run was hard work from start to finish. More miles under the belt though Friday - 8.83km at 4'42"/km - It was hot and a bit breezy and I struggled in some parts, but overall not a bad run. Sunday - 13.1km at 4'43"/km - learned from last weeks run and started slower. Admittedly this was in the rain, up around and through Cornwall Park, so there were more hills, but I smashed the downhill section coming home. That's 28km this week from three runs, and to date this year 10,000+ calories burned! Rides: Another week with only one ride - 30.67km in 1'08". I used Strava again, but apart from the well designed UI, I prefer the functionality of RunKeeper. I am really feeling the effects of the Daniel Fast now. The drop in carbs and protein was particularly noticeable with this afternoon's run. It'll be interesting to see how this coming week goes... Oh, and I dropped another kilogram :)
And another kilogram has been shed! This was a good running week - faster and further. My muscle memory is coming back and even though I'm pushing myself, I loved my runs last week. Here's the recap: Runs: Wednesday - 6.57km at 4'29"/km - twice round the Domain and I smashed it! Friday - 7.57km at 4'44"/km - did this run before work and was reminded how much I dislike running in the morning. Did a good time nonetheless. Sunday - 11.9km at 4'39"/km - ran along Tamaki Drive from St Helliers to Orakei and back, which is a nice flat run. First half was into the wind and I went out way too fast; which made for a slower 2nd half, I managed to maintain a fairly consistent pace though. Calves are sore today! That's 26.04km this week from three runs. Rides: Only managed one ride again - 30.2km in 1'05". Trying out the Strava app, which looks better from a UI perspective, but lacks some of the functions of RunKeeper - I'll see. Yesterday I started a partial Daniel Fast ( here's why), so for 21 days I won't be having meat, bread, cheese, wine, and will only have one coffee per day. It'll be interesting to see how this affects my training. That's me for the week.
Have you ever had an experience where your weaknesses are brought into such sharp focus that you forget what your strengths are? That has been my paradigm for an extended period of time. Without going into details, I was brought into a situation based upon heart, passion and perceived strengths; it was a dream scenario. The dream didn't turn into a nightmare, it did however bring a series of tasks that progressively exposed chinks in my proverbial armour, which in turn revealed glaring weaknesses. I do believe that we should constantly do a personal SWOT, and work on the areas that need working upon. The situation I mentioned above differed from this, in that I ended up scrambling so much to work on my weaknesses that my strengths were systematically pushed to the background. So far to the background that areas of strength became areas of mediocrity, or where forgotten completely. Recently I came to a crashing full stop. A point where the focus was so heavily on my weakness that I felt like a complete failure - in almost every aspect of life. People who know me well would possibly be quite surprised to hear me say this. I am after all, Mr Positivity - full of passion, enthusiasm and a healthy lust for life. So for me to be in this place was a significant low-point. I commented to my wife that "If there was a career for good blokes, I'd be at the top of it". A friend of mine - an ex-professional cricketer - mentioned that sportsmen are highly prone to this happening. They work so hard on fine tuning their game, weeding out the weak spots and looking for weakness, that they lose perspective and their game suffers. Thankfully I have some factors in my favour - my faith is in a God whose mercy is new every day, and who has made me "more than a conqueror"; my amazing wife Jane, is my rock, who loves me despite my evident weaknesses; I am surrounded by amazing people - co-workers, mentors, and friends. I have had to be reminded where my value lies; which is not in a role, a title, or even an identity. My value is in Christ, who gave Himself completely so that I may have life to the full. I believe that to my very core, it's just been clouded over by wrong perspective. I am in the process of re-discovering my strengths. This in itself has been slightly painful, because I have literally forgotten what some of them are... Onwards and upwards I shall go though. Have you ever had this happen in your life? How did you deal with it and what was the outcome?
I've dropped a kilogram! This is a step in the direction of hitting my goal-weight of 75kg by my birthday (Sep 11). This week I've upped my distances and run more, and have managed to keep a good consistent pace too. I only had one ride this week, due in part to a puncture and lousy weather, but I went slightly longer and faster so it was good. Using the Nike+ app, I've set a training schedule that will see me hit half-marathon distance in mid-May; we'll see how it goes... So here's a recap: Runs: Monday - 6.14km at 4'46"/km through Cornwall Park. I felt so good! Wednesday - 6.51km at 5'26"/km - in the rain with my mate Stanley Ross. I enjoyed the company and we were able to chat most of the way. Thursday - 6.55km at 4'52"/km - in the rain, but a good run nonetheless. Sunday - 10.7km at 4'58"/km - my first 10k in over two-and-a-half years!?! Going out on a hot day at 4pm was not a great idea, neither was glugging down half a bottle of Powerade before the run. The first half was a struggle of tired legs, nervousness, and not feeling 100%, but I pulled myself together and had a better second half. So that's 29.9km this week, which I'm pleased with. Rides: Extended my route ever so slightly and had a good ride - 29.94km in 1'06" with 896 calories burned. Pilates: I'm having to give Pilates a miss for the foreseeable future, due to financial constraints. Thankfully Leandi is such a great teacher that I've learned enough to incorporate the essential stretches and core exercises into a post-run warm-down. For those interested in Pilates, check out the gang at andfit (they do a mean cross-fit workout too!). As I've been updating my training status, I've discovered a number of others who are training for various reasons. It'd be great to hear from those of you who are doing something - so that I can encourage you and vice versa. A little encouragement goes a long way!
This has been a tough week - there are things happening in my life that are emotionally and mentally draining, so exercise has been a massive force of will... That said, I have two of the best runs I've had this year. Go figure. Runs: Monday - 4.44km at 5'01"/km Wednesday - 4.59km at 4'49"/km - in the rain, but a good one Friday - 4.46km at 4'45"/km - first time I've run with headphones; my favourite U2 tracks kept the legs pumping Rides: Well, ride that is. Only one this week On Thursday. A good one though - 28.69km in 1'05" with 891 calories burned. Pilates: Also only one session this week. Felt tired and sore, but it was good to stretch the back and work those core muscles. Leandi is a great teacher, and she pushes us gently to do better! I had set a goal of 10 runs in 3 weeks, which I missed by one. Still, I'm happy with my progress. Alongside my physical training, my spiritual side is improving too. Using the YouVersion app has enabled me to listen to Bible as I travel to work - this has been refreshing and I'm enjoying the different perspective that it brings. So that's me for the week. How's everyone else going on this front?
Following from my previous post 'Fit, Focused & Faith-filled' here's my training stats for the past week; and because this is the first of these posts, I'll include what I've covered so far this year... The past week: Runs - only one this week of 4km, but at a good pace of 4:54 Cycling - two morning rides (28.82km and 22.83) Pilates - first session for the year, and I felt it! The year so far (excluding this week): Runs - five runs averaging just over 4kms at just over 5 minutes per km Cycling - five road rides on the same route of 28.65km (Onehunga, Ellerslie, Remuera, Kohimarama, Parnell, Epsom, Onehunga) I also joined some mates for a mountain biking excursion to Rotorua, which was epic! Almost four hours of riding Redwood's best. Considering the significant lack of exercise that I've had over the past two or thee years, this is a good start. A few side notes: - My new Nike Pegasus 28+ shoes are brilliant. I've struggled to find the right shoe for a long time, and finally feel like I've got the right ones. They're light, have just the right amount of cushioning and suit my neutral style. - I love the Nike+ app! The encouragements, the tracking, the goal-setting, and UI are great - The RunKeeper app has been great for my rides, although something did go wrong with Thursday's tracking (it said that I'd ridden 35km, when I'd only done 22.83km) - The new Fizik Arione saddle is so good! It took some tweaking to find the best position, but is so much better than my poor old worn Selle Italia Turbo. - And finally, the new Vittoria Rubino Pro tyres are great too. Keeping them at 130psi means they roll so easily. So that's me from a fitness point of view for the week. Anyone else made any progress with new or existing exercise routines?
In a little over eight months time, I will turn 40. Thinking of this has given me cause to look at my life and consider how I want to approach this milestone. In a number of areas, life is good and I am well content; however in other areas I am ill-content and see the need for change. So I have set myself a task for the next nine months: to hit 40 Fit, Focused and Faith-filled! FIT Over the past few years, whilst running a design business and then in my new role at LIFE, my fitness has gone downhill. This was exacerbated by a back injury in February last year. My bicycles and running shoes gathered dust while my weight increased and fitness decreased! I have been inspired by my friend Campbell Bond, who I have watched over the past year go from no running to achieving marathon distances - something he has done incrementally and consistently. So, I have committed to taking up my two favoured sports: cycling and running, and adding to them pilates. Depending on budget, I'm considering taking up Taekwondo, which my 9-year-old son already does. I have a goal to lose nine kilograms by my 40th (I currently weigh 84kg). To this end I have set some smaller goals; for example to run four to five kilometers three times a week for three weeks and to cycle for one hour every alternate week day with a longer weekend ride. Once I've done that I'll up the distance/time, and carry on. In order to retain some level of accountability and as a record, I'll use the Nike+ and Runkeeper apps and will do a weekly post about what I've achieved. Jane and I are revising our daily diets alongside this exercise too of course. FOCUSED I have a tendency to lose focus or to be distracted easily. This is partly a character trait, but also partly due to simple bad habits. My aim is to cut the distractions and to increase my level of focus, which in turn will increase my effectiveness. I have already begun to work on some of the habits - removing apps that served minimal or no purpose, re-working my desk space to clear distracting clutter, and being more disciplined with my morning routine. I have changed the way that I handle emails, something that has already enabled me to retain a zero inbox almost every day since the beginning of December. I have begun working to Scott Bielsky's 'Action Method' - using tips gained from his book 'Making Ideas Happen' in combination with Action Method tools from Behance. This has already proved helpful, and as I make its use a habit will prove even more so, I am certain. FAITH-FILLED The Christian faith is central to who I am and how I operate, and my aim for the next eight months is to increase the depth and capacity of my faith. Spiritual disciplines will be a key to this: reading, memorising and thinking over the Bible; praying more (I don't think one ever reaches a pinnacle of prayer); discipling/mentoring a young man; serving with my God-given talents and gifts; and so-on. Using LifeChurch.tv's fabulous YouVersion Bible app, I have read fifty one percent of the bible and will read the remainder of the coming six months. Our family has committed to learning one verse or section of scripture every week from when the kids resume home-schooling next week. I am privileged to have an awesome young man who I will be meeting with regularly over the next year - someone who is looking to me as a mentor. This is deeply humbling and also exciting, and will no doubt help me in may ways to keep on my toes! My desire is that when people see my life and the fruit of it, that they will want some of what I've got. And what I've got is from God and is for God. I believe that 2012 is going to be a catalyst year - a year where greater things are launched and established - and I want to make sure that I seize this year and take it for all that it is worth! Ultimately, whether anyone reads this or not, it creates a degree to which I have made myself accountable. So if you have read this, drop me a line later in the year to see how I'm getting on...
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