Scottsdale Teakwood’s is Gone But Still There

The kids and I always enjoyed going to the Teakwood’s in Scottsdale:  good food, fair prices, and an unlimited supply of peanuts; just the ticket to keep a couple younger kids entertained.  So imagine my surprise when I walked in there a few weeks ago and found out Teakwoods was gone.  It’s now called something different but the place basically looks the same.

The menu looks like it’s been improved, and a lot of the same favorites are still there.  The prices went up, but nothing horrible.  The wings were still good, but not the awesome ones we’ve come to know and love (or maybe it was just an off wing night).  The back dining room looks 1000% better than it used to; looks like it’s trying to be more family friendly.  I also didn’t see the good old wing specials I used to see, but there were plenty others.

So my take overall?  Well, it’s no Teakwood’s but I like the place.  It now has some non-descript name like The Grille or Teaks Grill or something, but it’s basically the same place we all know and love, same for a few new pictures here and there.  So if you’re in Scottsdale and you’re craving some good wings, good food and good atmosphere, go to the old Teakwood’s local; it’s still good.

Walgreen’s Take Care Clinics are Good but Not Perfect

My mom was having some problems last week and was taking some over the counter drugs to help with her condition.  By Sunday, the pain was still there, and we figured it was time for something stronger.  We headed over to Walgreens and asked if they could give her anything stronger to clear up the infection and stop the pain.

The pharmacist said they couldn’t but that she could see the doctor at the Take Care clinic who could prescribe something.  A 20 minute wait, a 10 minute exam and she was at the pharmacist with a prescription to fill.  Impressive!

But then came the problem.  Seems the doctor’s prescription didn’t match the dosage she recommended to the pharmacist couldn’t do anything for her until this was resolved.  However by then the doctor was with another patient who, of course, took another 20 minutes.  Finally she was free again, the issue was resolved, and then another 15 minutes to get the prescription filled.  Not bad.  Not great, but not bad.

Except that after 3 days, mom still had an infection.  Back to the clinic we go and guess what?  The doctor had written up the wrong dosage so the infection didn’t clear up:  too little pills (antibiotics).  The new doctor we say spotted it right away. She gave us the right dosage and away we went.  Mom, however, was out additional money, and we both were out the additional time.

So overall, I’ll give the Take Care clinics a B-.  Sure, if you need minor medical issues addressed on a Sunday, by all means go by and see if they can help.  Otherwise, maybe it’s best to see your doctor.

Scottsdale Farmer’s Market Treats You Right

Sorry to all me readers who have missed my posts; I’ve been traveling extensively and not able to get to a computer (a little slice of heaven actually) but I’m back now.

So here’s my first business critique for the fall:  Scottsdale Farmer’s Market.  What a great way to spend a Saturday morning, and you don’t have to spend a dime.  They have everything from wine to cheese to lemon cucumbers.  Lots of organic produce too, and seafood, not to mention farm fresh eggs.  Have you checked it out yet?  Well you should.  Bring your own bag and fill it up with breads and olive oils or cookies and tamales.  Yep, it’s all there.  Check it out today!

I’m back to posting regularly now.  Thanks to those who asked where I was….I’m back!

AZ Hospice of the Valley Benefit Dinner

Scottsdale Culinary Institute is hosting this special evening to benefit not-for-profit Hospice of the Valley.  I encourage all my readers to check out this benefit dinner for a good cause!

The Hospice of the Valley Benefit Dinner will be held at Scottsdale Culinary Institute’s L’Ecole restaurant. Seating is limited to 100 people so please call to reserve today.  This exceptional four-course dining experience is $50 per person. Guests are encouraged to bring a photo of loved ones touched by Hospice of the Valley as part of a special “Thank You” display to be presented to the organization in recognition of its outstanding efforts.

This is a wonderful charity event not to be missed.  Check it out!

For more information or to receive an invitation, please email leslie.idaspe@scichefs.com. If you can’t go but know someone who would love to go, please pass this on!

Papa Johns Scottsdale Make a Mad Customer Happy Again

My husband and I recently had probably one of the worst customer service experiences with a pizza place.  Specifically, the Papa Johns in Scottsdale.  It was just a mess from the time we tried to place the order online to picking it up in the store to getting it home and realizing it was all wrong.  Just a mess.

Now, we’re small business owners and know that one bad employee can cause you 10 good customers, so we took the time to submit a complaint online the next day.  That evening, I get a personal phone call from the franchise’s owner.  A PERSONAL PHONE CALL—REALLY.  Not a generic “sorry you had a bad experience, we’ll do better next time” form email, but this man took the time to personally call me and ask me what happened and how he can make it better.

Obviously, this guy’s #1 priority was good customer service; no, it was OUTSTANDING customer service.  I was really very impressed.  He listened, asked a lot of questions, and make no excuses for everything that happened.  The call was handled professionally, and he obviously wanted to make it right.  Excellent job!

So, if you’re every craving a pizza, do yourself a favor and go to the Papa John’s on Via Linda in Scottsdale.  It’s not just a chain store; it’s someone’s personal business and from what I can tell, he’ll treat you and all his clients as valuable.

North Scottsdale Starbucks Goes the Extra Mile

You saw my post a few weeks ago.  The one where they’d closed a location in Scottsdale, AZ without notice; kind of skulking off in the middle of the night like renters ditching the rent payment.  When I contacted Starbucks to complain, not about the fact that they closed, but the way it was handled, they responded by basically saying, “whatever”.  Didn’t see that post?  Here is is:  http://justgoodbusiness.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/starbucks-shows-their-customer-appreciation-by-doing-nothing/.

So anyway, I must say that all Starbucks locations are not created equal.  I happened to go into the North Scottsdale location last night and was treated fabulously.  Courteous, efficient service and on top of that, the girl came out from behind the counter to offer additional samples to the crowd of us sitting on the patio watching a rainstorm.  I wish I’d caught her name because she rocked!

If you’re in Scottsdale and need a good cup of Joe (yeah, I know I said boycott Starbucks before….) then please check out the Starbucks in North Scottsdale.  Like I said, I’d wished I’d gotten the girl’s name because she renewed my faith (for now) in Starbucks.

Nice job!

US Airways: Stop Nickel and Diming Your Customers

I travel for business and am loyal to certain brands when I travel.  I stay at Marriott when I can, and I fly US Airways when I can.  I belong to frequent flyer programs.  I have their credit card.  I’ve bought into the brand, if you know what I mean.

So in exchange for my loyalty, US Airways continues to take things away, charge more, and give less.  Let’s see, where to begin?  Let’s start with the credit card.  Now, I know the airline is not a bank and they don’t make the rules regarding interest rate and all that, so I won’t even go there.  How about the “benefits” they offer for being a US Airways credit card holder?  Free companion pass each year.  Yeah, ever try actually USING that benefit? Let me explain.

First, there’s a spend requirement.  You need to spend at least $250 to use the pass.  I don’t call that free.  Maybe a coupon offer, not free, not if I have to meet a certain spend requirement.  Oh, by the way, you probably need to call to use the voucher, but that’ll cost you what, $100 is it now?  And don’t forget, should you finally book a flight, you have 24 hours to pick up your ticket at the airport or a ticketing agency.  Yeah, that free ticket just cost you a lot of time.

Now let’s talk baggage.  Listen, I get that heavy luggage causes more weight which in turn costs more fuel which in turn costs more to the airline.  So raise your prices $5 per person.  Or even $10.  Don’t throw your greed and incompetance in my face and say “pay me” and charge me baggage fees.  I don’t want to be nickel and dimed here.  Add it to my price and stop making me feel like you’re jacking me around here.  It’s called “customer service”:  ever heard of it?  You sure?  Because when I call your customer service, service is the last thing I get.  And service on your plane runs hot and cold.

I’m sure you hate to hear this if you’re US Airways, but maybe you should send your flight attendents over to Southwest to learn how to appreciate customers.  Ever had someone at Southwest treat you  bad?  Me neither. And those people should be cranky having to deal with the cattle call plane loading.  But no, they act like they’re happy you’re there.

Anyone else sick of US Airways treating their clients like annoyances and suckers? Email US Airways here.

Bashas and AJ’s Fine Foods Offer Best Customer Service

I’ve heard from so many people, talking about how sad they are that Basha’s Supermarkets are struggling to stay afloat.  Many have closed or are getting ready to close.  For many people these stores have been in their community all their lives; the employees know these people and treat them like friends.  I’m not saying other stores don’t do this too; all I’m saying is that Bashas does it every single time, without fail.

Did you know that AJ’s Fine Foods belongs to the Bashas family of stores?  Well they do.  AJ’s fills a niche that most people probably don’t need on a regular basis, but when they need it, AJ’s is pretty much the only game in town.  Need to find that unique goat cheese you can only  buy in Wisconsin?  AJ’s probably has it.  How about Queen Creek Olive Mill’s lime olive oil without driving all the way to Queen Creek, AZ?  AJ’s has it.  Going to a dinner party where they’re serving a spicy tropical fish and you’re in charge of the wine?  Go by AJ’s and someone there will help pick it out.

Yes, this niche market is a wonderful place with amazing service and even more amazing products.  I’m not saying you can afford to shop there for your every day needs (but if you can, lucky you!).  All I’m saying is, check this place out if you haven’t already.  They’e a part of the Basha’s family, and I’m all for making sure this company stays around for years to come.

L’Academie & Scottsdale Culinary: Dinner and a Movie for $20

I don’t know about anyone else out there, but things are tight around my household.  We watch what we spend but do our best to squeeze in some entertainment when we can.  Usually, this means we wait until we can find a smoking deal to take advantage of.  Well, here’s one:  DINNER AND A MOVIE FOR ONLY $20 PER PERSON! Wohoo!

Here’s the scoop:  For a $20 donation, you get to eat at Scottsdale Culinary Institute’s L’Academie Restaurant.  Ever eaten there?  YUMMY.  After the dinner, they’ll provide a ticket to the movie premier of “Julie and Julia”, starring Meryl Streep.  Pretty cool.  What’s even cooler is that a portion of the proceeds from this dinner will be donated to Phoenix’s Ronald McDonald House.

I’m all about recognizing when a business (or in this case, a school) goes above and beyond to do something great.  Even better when I can personally reap the rewards by scoring dinner and a movie for only $20.  Good for them!  Support a good cause, eat some good food, and get out the heat and watch a movie.  Doesn’t get any better than that!

Disneyland is Free on Your Birthday

I’m sure I’m not the first to announce this, and like you, I figured that while this was pretty cool, you were still going to spend an arm and a leg once you got into the park.

I took the liberty to check this out myself recently, and made my way to Disneyland for my birthday.  You walk up to the ticket window and they make a BIG DEAL about the fact that it’s your birthday….a really big deal.  They go on and on, give you a button with your name on it that announces it’s your birthday, AND they give the people in your party buttons saying “I’m celebrating too”.  Pretty neat.

But that’s not all.  All day, every Disney employee I ran across, smiled and said “Happy Birthday”, calling my my name and looking me in the eye sincerely wishing me a happy birthday.  It’s like every employee REALLY is happy that it’s your birthday.  They also have a birthday party for you at one of the restaurants, with cake decorating and all (I didn’t partake, only because it looked like it was more for kids and I’m, well, not a kid anymore).

Not only to the employees get into it, but all the guests.  All day, people wished me happy birthday; one group of teenagers actually burst out into song for me.  For ME!  Then at the end of the evening, when it was time for a little more peace and quiet, we went to Downtown Disney for a quick bite and an adult beverage.  They TOO made a big deal of my birthday and gave me a free dessert.

Know what? Disneyland really is the happiest place on Earth.  Nice job, Disneyland!