This is one of those stories that is able to show those small details of everyday life in this country.

Many of us come from countries where being a customer is a blessing. A blessing for you that have the opportunity to do business with that establishment. And if you don;t like it, just get the fuck out of here. We don’t need you.

Not that it does not happen in Canada. But in this country I learned I not only have the right to ask for the best customer service. I also have the right to complaint… and be heard!

Let me share with you one of those stories of good customer service.

A couple of weeks ago it was time for the oil and filter change in my van. I usually go to the dealer but this time I preferred to go somewhere else. I don’t like the service at the dealership to be honest. Is pricey and slow and the attention I usually have is not that good.

So the thing is I headed to the nearest Mr. Lube. What other place can you go when you need a fast, good oil change, right? Mr. Lube is a very important franchise with presence all over the country. Their business is just that: oil and filter change. What could possibly go wrong, right?

I headed there, I was told to wait 5 minutes for a 25 minutes service and that’s exactly what I got. I was offered the newspaper and a cup of coffee while I waited. All of that comfortably seated in my car. All the lads working there were extremely helpful and very polite. Bo complaints. I felt in the “First World of Oil Change”

After leaving the place with my new synthetic oil and original brand filter it we not long after I observed the oil light turning on.

It was not the light just turning on and staying on. It just randomly blinking and it was more noticeable when pushing the break. What could at be? I was not able to go back immediately but as it did not look as something to be very worried, I decided to go back earlier that week.

When I went back to Mr. Lube they were not able to find anything. They opened the hood, checked the oil level again and all seemed to be OK. But the light was still there. I had to go back to the dealer. Bad luck!

A few days and twenty dollars later, the dealer was able to find the problem: the guys at Mr. Lube used the wrong filter! “At Mr. lube?” I thought” How can that happen at Mr. Lube?”

I asked for the filter and headed back to Mr. Lube. I needed an explanation! How is that possible? Mr. Lube using the wrong filter?

Once at the place I asked to talk to the Manager in charge. He listened to me with the same expression of surprise you can imagine I had.

He went around, checked a few things and finally found the problem: the information guide used by the guys was wrong. The girl that took care of my car that day used the filter the guide told her to use. The problem was that the guide was wrong.

There was no need to discuss anything with the Manager. He understood what had to be done immediately: he made a copy of the dealer’s invoice, checked my information in the system so everything was correct and told me he was going to talk to his Manager.  Someone had to pay for the mistake, he said. We shook hands and I left the place with a promise of a phone call as soon as he had some news for me.

That same night, after I got home I had the message from Mr. Lube. It was the same guy telling me I was going to receive a check in the mail for the same amount I paid at the dealership to correct their mistake. The day after, the check was in my mail box.

Something went wrong: I was lucky enough the consequences were not terrible (looks like no engine damage so far) and it took only 20 dollars to fix it.

I felt appreciated as a customer: there was no need for discussions to make anyone understand I had to be reimbursed in some way.

Living in Canada I learned you are important as a customer and that you have to be taken care of. I learned to exercise my rights. And I love it.

Did you have any good customer experience lately?

We can call it a week (almost).

Why not having a conversation? Let’s have a chat in the comments about anything you have in mind. Related to Canada or not.

Do you have a question, a tip, an advice, an offer, a problem, an answer? Just leave a comment and share with your fellow readers at The Zieglers Blog.

Thanks!

Nature has always some lesson for us. It’s just a matter of looking around and pay some attention.

For instance, this past March marked the beginning of one of those great lessons from Mother Nature.

My cube at the office is beside a great window that gives me not only great light during the day, but a very nice view.

It’s a beautiful view to the front yard of the office, always being taken care of by a landscaping company. In Spring, Tulips are planted. After the tulips, very colorful annuals.

But this year, besides the flowers and the avenue a few yards away, there was a goose.

It was a “She” and was on her own. She patiently prepared her nest and sat on her 6 eggs for around a month.

During that month I saw her fighting other geese and bravely defending the nest, she sat under snow and wind. With below zero or near 20 degrees, she was always there.

You may not believe me, but sometimes she looked so tired! You could see her closing her eye for a few seconds and her neck going down slowly and, after a few seconds, waking up again vigilant.

Last week, on Friday morning, the goslings hatched. Five out of the six eggs made it to the end. During that day she kept on fighting other geese and taking care of her babies under her wings.

As it’s usual, they left towards the creek not very far from the office sometime during Friday afternoon.

Why am I talking about this?

When driving back home I was thinking on the lessons this Mama Goose can give to us, immigrants.

She came from some other part of the world and chose the best place in Canada to settle and make a place to her family.

She had to be resilient and fight again many things: the weather, other likes her and who knows how many other things.

At the end not everything was perfect (only 5 of the 6 eggs hatched), but life moves on and she continued fighting.

Do you see the relation now?

You come from abroad, you try to choose the best possible place to settle with your family. You must fight not only with weather but also with others like you that will tell you this is a bad idea, that things here are not as good as they say, etc., etc. But, although things may not be always perfect, you just want to move on. You are resilient and you look the greater good for your group.

Mama Goose gave us a great life lesson, no wonder she is a national symbol. Hopefully we will see her again next year!

What lessons have you learned from nature?

The pic is one of many we took last Friday at the office

Every May 1st the Provinces announce what the minimum wages in the Province are going to be until next May 1st.

Of course, every May 1st other two things happen: Employers complaints because the change may affect their businesses…. and employees complaints because the change will not affect their pockets as much as they would like!

Today CBC Canada published a table with this information and I wanted to share it with you.

Minimum wage in Canada from May 1st 2012

Take this into account:

• These amounts are before taxes
• To calculate the “in hand” amount, you can use the Eaton website
• Each Province has a different way to tax your income.

It’s your turn now!

If you recently moved to Canada and are wondering what the process is for acquiring a boat license, we have provided this quick guide to give you the most important details.

The first thing to know is that all Canadian provinces require a boat licence in order to operate a motorized boat.

The good news is that a license is valid for a lifetime and the license from one province is valid in any other.

Licenses are relatively easy to acquire and they are available online, which makes the entire process rather convenient.

In the following steps, we outline what it takes you to fulfill all legal requirements online and then receive the license in the mail.

Step #1: Choose an Online Course

Canada accredits online schools and there is a wide range of accredited websites available to you. Picking from the accredited options is simply a matter of personal taste, since most sites follow the same curriculum. Most sites have guided tours that let you see the materials and prep tests. Choose a site that is easy to read and has intuitive navigation and layout.

Step #2: Take the Course and Study the Materials

Take the course, which will walk you through the curriculum step by step. Note that there is no rush, so complete each step at a pace that is comfortable to you. When you finish the course, take a prep test. If you do well, move onto the next step. If not, study the materials further.

Step #3: Take the Exam

When you’re confident that you know the materials, you can take the test online. The test is served by Canada but you can usually take it directly through your school’s website. The test is open book, and if you fail it, you can take it again after 24 hours. If you need to take the test a third time or more, you’ll have to retake the online course first but at no additional charge.

Step #4: Print a Temporary Card

Once you complete the test and pass it, it will present to you a temporary card. Simply print that out and present it if an official, charter or insurer asks for it. This step is optional and if you don’t need the card right away, you can simply wait for the permanent card to arrive in the mail.

Step #5: Receive Your Permanent Card in the Mail or Pick It Up

Upon passing your exam, Canada will mail you your license. It can take up to four weeks but usually arrives quicker than that. If you want your permanent license even faster, you can go to wherever licenses are available and they can print you a physical copy immediately.

Best of luck and happy sailing!

Pic from http://www.cloud9living.com