Balm of Good Service

I know I've posted on this before...but really, what is really fabulous service? Is it merely politeness?

No.

(Illustrative anecdote) Metro and I went to a possible wedding venue a couple of weeks ago...and it was perfect in every way: a heritage manor near our home. A lovely room for the actual ceremony. A beautifully furnished room for the bride to get ready in. A park across the street to take a couple of pictures. A great big room downstairs with a bar for the 'apres' party, with a dance floor and a place for the band. Pricey, but not over-the-top, sell-your-first-born-to-pay (seriously, take a look at the pictures).

We had an appointment for a tour...she showed us the place...took us to a room on the second floor to talk about menus and money -- then left us there. "Okay, good-bye," and she walked away, went back to her office down the hall.

What? Can't walk us downstairs and see us to the door? Did you write us off -- assume that we're not a good prospect, that we wouldn't actually pay to have our wedding at this place?

She was polite, but there was something lacking.

I think what was lacking was an attitude of consanguinity.

Rachel, the woman at Birks who sold us our wedding rings today, treated me as an equal the moment I walked into the store...dressed in my normal casual attire.

Jim, my real estate agent from a few years ago (when I bought my condo), was the same. I had watched a new condo building go up, and went in to view the suites, just like any local looky-loo. A slob in a jeans and t-shirt. But I got hit by the bug, and a couple of weeks later, I was calling him up to see some places (with my excited mother in tow). I bought a place, and when those little ubiquitous notepads of his cross my path, I proudly say: "Hey, that's my real estate agent. He's great."

Am I right? We can all describe poor service -- but what is the fabulous variety? Help me out here!

Next time, I will avoid blogging about a certain rap star wanting to make a bright blue, larger-than-life, waterproof, "motorized version" of himself...(I'm not sure about the larger-than-life aspect, just sounded good) I guess he wants to appear sensitive and hip.

Gads. Now that's absurd.

Lori