Mag Instruments

 I spend a lot of time in the office, hunkered down on deadline for several of our newsstand magazines. But I always make sure that I spend an equal amount of time on the road to visit shops, suppliers and manufacturers. I like to interact with the people behind the products, to get a better perspective on how they do business with the general public, something I can't do over the phone.

On a recent trip to Mag Instruments, I learned that decency and customer service is still alive and well in America, although it seems to be getting tougher to find people that actually realize the importance of it. Greeting me during my visit to Mag Instruments was Esther R. Soto, warranty supervisor.

Although my problem with the flashlight I was returning was minor, Esther nevertheless spoke to me as if I were the most important person in the universe. She calmly explained their warranty program and had me wait for the technician to look over the flashlight. As I waited Esther talked to me about Mag Instruments, and how long they had been in business in the area. Chit-chat. That's all. But nevertheless, it was warm and friendly, and made me want to be there.

My point is simple, if you are in business to serve the public, then do so with a smile. And if you can't smile, at least offer a small conversation with the people that come in to see you (and who buy your products). If you can't do that, then please do us all a favor and go into another line of work.

I applaud Mag Instruments for having such people friendly employees like Esther R. Soto. Now thanks to her, their reputation for great customer service will be forever etched in my little black book of places to do business with in the future. You can learn more about Mag Instruments at www.maglite.com.  Oh and by the way, I ended up with a brand new flashlight, no cost, and no fuss. It simply doesn't get a better than that!