This week I took action on something that has puzzled me on occasion. As part of my work, I review employee expense reports and issue cheques for reimbursement. This is generally a straightforward task – sometimes you have to fiddle with the software settings to adjust a tax rate, but for the most part, it’s pretty simple.
What has been puzzling me are the receipts from a large and well-known food services corporation founded by a famous Canadian hockey player (not to name names). I come across several of these every month and the taxes on the receipts never made any logical sense.
I decided to take action and posted some questions on the company website’s on-line feedback form. To my surprise, the next day I received an email from a senior executive of the company. It was a courteous and detailed response clearly outlining the reasons and methodology for their tax calculations – which was largely due to CRA tax regulations. I was so impressed by the rapid and detailed response to my question that I replied back, thanking the person for his efforts.
In the space of a day, my opinion of this company was changed dramatically. Where I was intially prepared for frustration and disappointment, I was met with refreshing satisfaction. It’s nice to see that customer service does not stop at the cash register and front-line employees, it continues all the way up to the top of the organization. A good customer service experience should not go without notice. Thanks Timmy!
Now that’s real world thinking!




