As I’ve mentioned in my previous post I’ve decided to start an annual “contest” where we nominate and vote for Canada’s Best and Worst companies of the year! Although more companies seem to be going downhill, I did notice that the less than impressive economy helped boost some companies’ creativity, innovation and customer service.
Post your Best Company nominations and the reason for the nomination in the comment box below. You can nominate absolutely any company as long as it operates in Canada. You have till Wednesday Dec 29th, 2010 to nominate the best companies of the year after which we’ll have a public poll to choose the Best Company.
Walmart!! haha Just kidding Alex, Ill have to think about this one
Well Of course London Drugs MUST be mentioned in this category! They are a Canadian company that have saved the Western Canadian consumer untold amounts of money by allowing the coupon stacking policy and use of multiple manufacturers coupons. I <3 LD
New online Baby Deal site: http://www.funkytricycle.com!
Run by two Canadian sisters and just started about 2 months ago! Great site for parents.
Agree with London Drugs monkeyincowtown! Great store, all around!
Marks Workwear House – For me they have totally gone above and beyond in the customer service department. And there awsome coupons and deals make buying necessary items much more affordable.
For me it is London Drugs!!
They have the best coupons stacking policy, and I have yet to have a bad experience. The Customer Service is outstanding!
Maybe Giant Tiger, they offer a wild return policy..
My favourite store is Lush
Costco! I love that store. Never a hassle returning anything even after having the item a few months – I can’t think of any other store that has an as good a return policy. They have great products too.
I have to go with Ricki’s. They always have great sales, especially the end of the season ones. They make clothes that fit me properly whereas most stores only have clothes that fit model sized people. Their customer service is great and I love the website how you can see what their customers say about the clothes
Starbucks always offer exceptional customer service. Their online customer service is also great!
LuLuLemon!
WAGJAG!
Don’t we all love Shopper’s Drug Mart? 🙂 They’ve saved me so much money with their great sales and their Optimum points!
Thrifty Foods…good community store. I’ll also add London Drugs.
Worst company: too many to list but I’ll have to go with ROGERS, just because they are lying, thieving, greedy bastards. 🙂
Kal Tire. They have repaired my flat tire and a few others I know for free and with a smile the last month or two. They also checked someones squeaky brakes I know and said they are just fine, just need a little oil and didn’t charge him anything either. Best company I’ve dealt with from a customer service perspective.
In terms of deals would be Gap Inc (Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy Brands) for their continuous deals – 40% one items, online sales, and email exclusives.
Roots; I’ve always found their customer service great
Definitely Porter Airlines! Above and beyond customer service.
London Drugs! I have saved hundreds in the last 4 months of 2010 alone, and will save thousands in 2011 thanks to them.
Body Shop. Everything is ethically sourced, their products make my skin sing (cheesy, I know!) and they are overpriced but have fabulous in store sales if you wait for them!
I’d probably have to vote for Shopper’s Drug Mart, as they have sales going on every week on all sorts of items. I personally have never gone in and paid full price on every item I buy, and frequently don’t pay full price on any of ’em.
Also Optimum Points are pretty nifty, though I’ve yet to redeem any this year.
FutureShop, BestBuy, EB Games/GameStop, Showcase, Canadian Tire. Had a great experience with all this year, multiple times too!
London Drugs and Thrifty’s are also great!
I would have to say Shoppers Drug Mart for sure 🙂 Love the sales and variety of items on sale, and points! WHOO HOO, plus I worked for Shoppers and they are a fabulous company to work for 🙂
Shoppers Drugmart – I agree with NobleArc for all the same reasons – $3.99 for milk as a regular price – – cheapest I’ve been able to find.
I’ve also had good experiences at Bestbuy and Futureshop for price matching and, having a Bestbuy gift card converted to a Futureshop card to use on an item Bestbuy did not have. Great customer service in each store.
wal-mart and shoppers drug mart
Westjet impresses me every time I fly somewhere, the employees always seem happy so they must be doing something right for them and it reflects on the customer service
Definitely LONDON DRUGS!!! Where else can I shop for free with coupon stacking?!?! I’ve saved thousands already and will save countless more next year!!!
Worst for me is Canadian Tire and Zehrs for not knowledgeable and poorly trained staff.
Best would be Reitmans and Bonnie Togs for customer service, great sales and wonderful returns.
For the worst companies, so many to choose from……but Bell Canada and HMV must be in the top five
For best companies, Chapters is amazing…..great customer service both instore and online…..
Jhonson & Jhonson has my vote. Their customer service is A+.
Dollarrama….the ladies there are always so kind (they keep telling me I’ve lost weight).
and of course SmartCanucks.ca (technically you are a company) for allowing us this forum and helping us save money1
My favourite and the best store in Canada is without evening blinking an eye is Bonnie Togs.
Great customer service, great selection, great layout, customer service is fantastic, prices cannot be beat.
I just cannot say enough about this children’s store. I will be sad when I can no longer shop in it for my kids.
Rogers! Best damn company out there! Every time I call for an issue or to ask a question, I get superior customer service and magically they are offering me a new discount to reduce my bill. Bell…never offered half of what Rogers does.
The Keg…..best restaurant! The food is awesome, and when they don’t get it right. They fix it and comp your meal. Love the Keg!
COSTCO!!!! never a problem with returns or exchanges. The managers are great at every location i’ve been too. They go above and beyond if you have a problem with anything. LOVE THEM!
lowes – i have had exceptional service the last year – $10.00 coupon taken on a rug – no questions asked -just had a problem the othe day drain cups were not included in our sink – gave us 35.99 item for free no problem – great customer service always
COSTCO hands-down! High-quality products at great prices… they double your warranty on electronics… and zero hassle returning if you’re unhappy. I wish I could buy everything there.
First vote goes to Shaw, from which we have internet and cable. They have the most awesome troubleshooting people, always willing to help and totally patient with someone like me who isn’t up on all the tech stuff!
Second vote to Sears, both online and in store – great deals, awesome customer service, no hassles ever!
I love Shoppers Drug Mart. Deals were awesome this year. Same with Banana Republic and Gap, for all those 40% coupons. I also liked The Body Shop. I never used to shop there because it was so expensive. But thankfully, they had the 3 for $30, and other sales 🙂
I will go with Shoppers as well. They have great sales.
Worst of all time and in all creation is Rogers.
Can we nominate more than one? Dollarama and Old Navy for always being such fun places with surprising finds. Their quality and service is pretty good too.
Thumbs down for Canadian Tire for every-inflating prices and lousy customer service.
I want to add Softmoc. Very efficient with online orders. Good return policy. Polite service, good prices.
The only con is they don’t sell Asics.
I will second Shoppers Drug Mart for best for the Optimum program. Also, i think a nod for ClearlyContacts. Their freebie glasses offer this year was truly outstanding and generous.
The worst service is Rogers. Im held hostage by their TV and internet. Too bad the competition also stinks (formerly Bell xpressvue)
The best that comes to mind is Old Navy – at least this week. While waiting patiently for the customer ahead of me to figure out which credit card she could use (she tried many for varying amounts) the cashier handed me an instant $5 for my time and patience waiting! Wow.
My vote goes to London Drugs – not just for the stacking but for what they do for the community!! I’ve personally seen the positive impact their generosity made!
I nominate clearlycontacts.ca
They not only have great prices, but also amazing no fuss return policies. I have never encountered issues with their customer service, and even had some amazing advice on how to purchase the right glasses…over the phone!!!!
Great company. Totally deserves this award!
Frontline – Is Wal-Mart Good For America (2005)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6281757350710695719#
FRONTLINE explores the relationship between U.S. job losses and the American consumer’s insatiable desire for bargains in “Is Wal-Mart Good for America?” Through interviews with retail executives, product manufacturers,
Walmart Is Quietly Raising Prices – Up to 60%
http://morichesdaily.com/2010/08/walmart-raising-prices/
reverse rollbacksReport: Walmart Jacks Up Toy Prices Just In Time For The Holidays
http://consumerist.com/2010/12/walmart-jacks-up-toy-prices-just-in-time-for-the-holidays.html
reverse rollbacksReport: Walmart Jacks Up Toy Prices Just In Time For The Holidays
http://consumerist.com/2010/12/walmart-jacks-up-toy-prices-just-in-time-for-the-holidays.html
Jon Lehman worked for Wal-Mart for 17 years, managing six stores in four different states before he left the company in 2001
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/interviews/lehman.html
“… What is the opening price point? Why is it so key to Wal-Mart’s strategy?
OK, it’s lawn-and-garden time. Your grass is getting high. Your lawn mower is broken from last year, or you need a new lawn mower. You’re going to go to Wal-Mart. So you go to Wal-Mart, and you’re looking for a lawn mower, and to your delight, you walk in, and you see this $99 lawn mower. You may not want a cheap, basic lawn mower, but you see that price point on an end cap or a big display stack base, and you say, “Wow, what a great price.” And it draws you in. It lures you into the department, and you form the perception immediately that “Hey, Wal-Mart’s got the lowest prices in town. Look at this item right here. How could they sell it for $99?” …
But as you walk into the department and look for that $269 power-drive lawn mower that you really are after, they’re not losing money on that item. And it may not be the lowest price in town. Wal-Mart used to advertise “Always the low price.” They don’t do that anymore.
Because?
They got in trouble. Some of the other competitors sued them, tried to go after them and say, “You can’t say ‘Always the low price,’ because you’re not always the low price.” They did a study — a very critical study, very thorough study — and found that Wal-Mart was not always the low price. And Target and Kmart got a little miffed, and some other competitors that [said], “How can Wal-Mart advertise this and it’s not true?”
Wal-Mart’s Shirts of Misery from Bangladesh
http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/home/Business/2006/03/06/01005.html
“When you purchase a shirt in Walmart, do you ever imagine young women in Bangladesh forced to work from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week, paid just 9 cents to 20 cents an hour, who are denied health care and maternity leave; screamed at to work faster; with monitored bathroom visits; and who will be fired for daring to complain or ask for their rights?”
I would go with Old Navy, I always get a coupon somehow, and love the 50% off the already reduced price
I’ve recently put an order on Chapters Indigo. It was quick and easy. Well packed.
It was not like Renaud-Bray: they put the wrong price on their website. I ve put an order at that price. When they noticed their mistaked they cancelled my order, then increased their price.It’s the second time this year.
This week a student sent photos from her summer travels. This one, of the closed Walmart in Jonquiere, Quebec, inspires her to remember what people working together can do. In this case, the reports go that the workers unionized, and Walmart promptly shuttered the store, a story well worth remembering. The photo shows that apparently even Walmart couldn’t resist memorializing these events.
http://graciemeadow.blogspot.com/2009/07/inspiring-e-mail-from-jonquiere-pq.html
One of the best would have to be amazon.ca , they are wonderful! I’ve had a few great experiences with them. I agree with the other poster who put in Westjet. They are terrific and have always provided great customer service. Believe it or not, Mr.Sub in Mississauga (Dundas St. & Winston Churchill). The people working there always know how to put a smile on your face no matter how busy they are. Their employees are some of the most quick and efficient I’ve ever seen!
Alex, get a life!
The RICHEST family in America
http://hubpages.com/hub/TheRICHESTfamilyinAmerica
“The four children of Sam Walton are all worth over $19 billion each, adding up to a total net worth of over $78 billion.”
Excellent Stores for 2010:
London Drugs (top store – great customer service)
Shoppers Drug Mart (looking forward to shopping there more often)
Rogers
Shaw Cable
Safeway (airmile points allowed me to buy alot of items for free)
Future Shop
Lush (ordered a Christmas present late and I received it quickly)
Body Shop (terrific sales this Christmas)
Walmart’s Reign of Terror
http://goodmenproject.com/2010/12/06/walmarts-reign-of-terror/
“The Supreme Court will now hear Walmart’s appeal to a ruling in a class-action sexual-discrimination suit that began back in 2001, when plaintiffs argued that female employees receive lower wages and fewer opportunities for promotion relative to their male counterparts.”
Wal-Mart Caught Using Child Labour
http://www.mfl.mb.ca/a15.shtml
“In early December, CBC television exposed Wal-Mart for using child labour at two factories in Bangladesh. According to the CBC report, children 10 to 14 years old were discovered working in the factories for less than $50 a month, making ‘Simply Basic’ and other Wal-Mart-brand products for export to Canada.”
Walmart Took Secret Life Insurance Policies Out On Employees, Collected After Their Death
http://consumerist.com/2007/07/walmart-took-secret-life-insurance-policies-out-on-employees-collected-after-their-death.html
“Walmart has been secretly taking out life insurance policies on its employees and cashing them in when said employees pass away.”
I agree with Gazpache, and will say that Ricki’s is awesome. Great prices, great size choices, great service, and excellent return/exchange policy!!
Porter Airlines – OUTSTANDING company! First class service with economy prices, and great location at Toronto Island airport as well!!
Second Cup – Love them because they are Canadian. I love their cheese scones too! Yum!!! Great friendly service all the time! 🙂
FutureShop – I bought a Sirius bundle for my husband for Christmas, and am very happy with the online service received! The site said 2 weeks for delivery, and I got it two days later! And they’re guarantee about pricing! It went on sale about a week after I purchased it, so I called and they refunded me the difference! Yay! I also found when I went in to ask questions, their staff was very knowledgable and willing to help. % stars!!! 🙂
(re: London Drugs… don’t even know where they are? Never heard of them!)
ALEX!! This is the “Best” Company thread… make your Wally World posts in the other thread… Gee! We get it… dozens of posts later, we GET IT. You hate Walmart!
I hate WalMart, but I’d vote for it just to anger Alex. Seriously dude, wrong forum.
I love Bonnie Togs for their reasonable prices and great quality. Service is only okay.
I also love Soft Moc, I’ve only had great experiences from them.
I love Kitchen Stuff Plus…great selection and prices.
And I’ve received my online order to my door the next day…how do they do that?!!
I’m going to say SDM, primarily because nothing else really stands out…also because I like free makeup and stuff. lol
Pennington’s … My husband went there to buy me a couple of Christmas sweatshirts. They didn’t receive any this year and the saleperson suggested that my husband go to Northern Reflections, where he was able to pick up two of them. Now that’s customer service. It reminded him of the movie Miracle on 34th Street where Santa told the parents where to buy toys for their children that weren’t from the store that he was employed by. The staff at Pennington’s are always friendly and helpful.
Vegan Essentials get my vote. Their customer service is excellent. I’d also recommend ING Direct. In my experience, most financial institutions are pretty inept but I find ING to be better than most other banks. The sad thing is that it usually only takes one nasty experience with a company employee to tarnish your view of a company. I used to like TD Bank until one employee treated my husband poorly. Now I don’t want anything to do with them.
I agree with Cheryl888…WWW.CLEARLYCONTACTS.CA
THE BEST ALL THE WAY…GREAT FRAME SELECTION, UNBELIEVABLE PRICES, AMAZING CUSTOMER SERVICE.
check it out for yourself!
I love amazon. Huge selection, great prices and they ship really quick.
Absolutely love Costco (although not a fan of the bring-a-guest, one-bill pay-with-cash policy). Also Shoppers Drug Mart, amazon.ca, Ricki’s and Lush. If I have to pick a #1, I’d go with SDM.
For Best Company in Canada my vote would have to go to Pharmasave. They always stand behind their products and their return policy is outstanding. Their customer service is second to none. The staff are always friendly and very helpful.
Best – Shoppers Drug Mart. Keurig has amazing customer service.
Worst – Virgin Mobile
Old Navy – great prices, great sales
Any Union out there that is Canadian without you most employers would still be treating their employees like crap. Without their tiring dedication and resolve the rights of those individuals when something goes amiss would see that employee without a job within minutes if those companies had their way. Helping companies to stay accountable for their actions.
Pennington”s on-line and in stores. their service is awsome, quick and pleasant. thy also haave lots of deals.
My choices for best company would be:
The Bay: With all the GREAT one-day sales before Christmas , plus they have amazing sales year round, and great customer service. Their merchandise is high-quality, and their stores are always clean and tidy.
Esprit: Their clothes are great, and they always have really good deals.
Zellers: They match any advertised price (and their flyer prices are identical to Walmart), give HBC points, and have way better customer servie than Walmart.
My Worst Companies:
Walmart: They will no longer give raincheques to any items that in their flyers.
Sears: Their stores are a total disaster everytime I walk in. Stuff laying everywhere, and the whole place just looks cheap. Their quality has gone way downhill, and this year they did away with their pre-Christmas weekend specials. Sears just plain sucks now.
http://www.babyheist.com is a deal a day site and definitely devoted to their customers and offering us Canadians amazing DEALS!!!
Best company
http://www.babyheist.com
Awesome canadian daily deal site!! Owners are 2 moms!
Amazing deals for us Canadian Mamas 🙂
I agree!! Love http://www.babyheist.com!!!
MamasRetreat.com is a Canadian website that offers great deals for moms and babies. Shipping is FAST and customer service is Great!
http://www.babyheist.com
Great deals, AMAZING customer service!! ♥ babyheist
I discovered Old Navy this year,and I LOVE it. Great deals, sales, savings, policies and customer service.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE babyheist. Their products and customer service are top notch!
Shoppers drug mart for they’re great employees and points program.Its the one store I most comfortable shopping in.Others are London drugs,Save-On-Foods for they’re clean store,frozen foods pricing,and good customer service,and points program…
Baby Heist.com BEST EVER
The best Canadian business is http://www.babyheist.com BEST customer service! The best deals! Amazing business run by the most amazing ladies!
Babyheist.com
I vote for London Drugs simply because their stacking policy has saved me hundreds (maybe thousands?) of dollars on diapers, wipes, laundry and dishwasher detergent, cleaning supplies, make-up, razors, deodorant, shampoo, and many more things!
I would say Chapter’s is one of the best companies online. Placed an order for my friend’s birthday gift, received it in only 3 days! Packed extremely well, AND even saved $5 off my order by paying debit 🙂
I also think Costco is one of the best companies. Always well stocked, organized, clean store and excellent customer service.
Mama’s Retreat ROCKS! Great website for Mamas on mat leave that don’t have a lot of time to shop and want to save money!
PS. Please, please block Alex’s IP address from this website if possible! His posts are extremely annoying.
Absolutely love Babyheist.com & MamasRetreat.com. Fantastic companies with great customer service!
Superstore is the greatest! Cheap prices and great customer service!
Leons Furniture without a DOUBT! The sales people don’t follow you around the store and make you feel crappy that you didn’t get the warrenty or leather care.
I H8 the Brick
BABYHEIST is by far THE best!
Costco…costco…. costco….
Have you ever not been able to get an on sale product.
I like Shoppers Drug Mart, Costco and of course London Drugs. Not for the service they give, but for the perks these corporations offer
Costco, Loblaws, and Winners are all great.
http://www.babyheist.com
Two Canadian mommies run this deal of the day website. They have THE BEST customer service I have ever encountered. And the range and quality of products they offer is phenomenal. LOVE IT!
Great deal a day site, great customer service and deals for parents
Coast Capital Savings (a BC credit union). Coast Capital provides a free chequing account that includes free debit purchases, free ATM withdrawals, free online, mobile, and phone banking. Customer service is always great and they offer a full range of bank-style product lines.
As well, they have a deep communitment to the community.
I can’t pick just one:
Food – Price Chopper/FreshCo – always good produce and pretty good sales
Health – Costco – cheap dispensing fees and deals on many name-brand products that I use and love (e.g., toothpaste)
All kinds of stuff/miscellany – Princess Auto – good stuff, good return policy, low prices!
I find SDM to be very expensive for many items (esp. dispensing fees – over $10!) and as I don’t use cosmetics or have kids many of the sales (e.g., beauty & baby items) aren’t interesting to me. That said, their food flyer sometimes has some good deals.
Have a safe New Years everyone!
Zellers, SDM and RCSS!
COSTCO – for their amazing customer service and return policy
LONDON DRUGS – from what I can remember when I lived out West a great store with great customer service, I so very much miss that store here in Eastern Canada.
CHAPTERS – great customer service, and good prices
Babyheist all the way
Babyheist.com
they have the best deals for mamas in Canada!!!
Also the best customer service ever!!!!!!
Check it out!!!
Kal-Tire: They have fixed 2 flat tires of mine at no charge and gave me a discount on a new set of tires because I came back to them after I had the flats repaired. Top notch.
Amazon.ca: Comparable prices to amazon.com (when factoring in .com’s shipping and exchange rate) – FYI: Chapters.ca prices on DVD’s are outrageous. Why they don’t match amazon.ca is a mystery? In any rate, shipping for both companies is top notch.
Love love love Babyheist.com
Canadian daily deal baby site offering great baby/momma products and customer service.
http://www.babyheist.com/category_1/Heist-of-the-Day.htm
Love Baby Heist! Great prices and the best customer service!
Here’s another vote for ClearlyContacts.ca
Vera Wang frames with lenses for $13 taxes and shipping included?!? The best deal of the year, for me.
Customer service is great too!
TopCondomsCanada.com – excellent service and selection. discrete and free shipping! ships quickly. never had an issue and always reliable.
TNT Supermarkets – variety and makes me want to grocery shop
Loblaws supermarkets and Bulk Barn and No Frills- out of all of them, this is the best. loyalty points + great selection + clean environment + fresh
Teambuy.com – original founders of the group buying idea in Toronto. The rest are just copycats/from the US.
And Kitchen Stuff Plus
This might be a Winnipeg only store, but Boes Ltd. has awesome customer service. They sell handbags and jewelery etc. I bought a Lug bag there and had to exchange it 2 times for manufacturer flaws and they were so nice about it. What a rarity these days.
Alex.. Please just posty all the damn links into one post.. You’re actually pushing people into Wal-Mart just so they can raise your bloodpressure a little bit more.. ou Hate Wal-Mart.. thanks.. but this is the “Best” not the worst list..
For my store, gotta say Costco. Here’s why.. Two years ago I bought two cakes for my little girl. When I took a bite in my piece, I found myself actually chewing a gum.. a gum I didn’t have before… NOT GOOD!.. BUT!!
I called sent an email to their custmer service about my situation, they replied within 24 hours. They told me to go back to the store and they would reimburse me and would like me to call up the Manager and ensure he knows about this. Well, once I got there they knew exactly my situation and appologized, then proceeded to give me my money back for both cakes and the present I bought for my kid. over 75$ value; then they gave me the gift card from Costco.ca worth 100$ and the manager gave me an extra 150$ card to appologize.
He called me back three days later saying they found who was chewing gum when the bakery manager was not working and proceeded to remove him frmo the bakery and back to the supplies room with a warning. They actually called back? Wow.. Thanks for letting me know that they at least were giving me a follow-up.
While some of you might think this could’ve gone to court ect for big money, I’m in Quebec and the best I could’ve managed is a settlement of about 2000$ but then the legal fees would,ve brought me down to -5000$…
I think that appologizing and giving me some gifts cards plus a refund was very good customer service.
I also bought a tv there a while back, the price dropped 100$ a couple of days later, I asked the service manager if they could find my purchases and credit me the difference since I was within my 15 days; he told me no but not to worry and to come back with the receipt. I did.. 10 days later, it went over the 15 days they can match but he did it anyways, and since it had dropped another 50$ he gave me the 150$ credit with a smile and no bitching or moaning.. Now that’s customer service!
Seems like babyheist has friends that she encouraged to go on and vote- that website is not that great- babysteals, kidssteals and hippobargains are way better fyi. But those are not my nominations at all – most of that stuff is useless stuff real moms don’t need anyway.
I nominate Amazon.ca and Chapters (I’ve been dealing with these companies online for years and NEVER had an issue returning or with quality of any product). Fast shipping, cheap prices, great stuff.
I also nominate Mountain Equipment Coop for their return policy. If you buy anything ever from them and it breaks or you want to return it, you can. YEARS later, as long as they sold it and you have the receipt (or you used your mec card and it’s in their database that you bought it- you don’t even NEED a receipt). I’ve taken a backpack there that my dog chewed and they replaced it with NO HASSLE. Best customer service I’ve ever had.
As well as Safeway Canada. I lived in Medicine Hat for awhile this year and they had an airmiles program where every time you spent $20 you got 20 airmiles. It was only valid in MH but well worth it. I never shopped anywhere else because of it.
I will also nominate ING for their banking experience. If you open an account and put in $100 you get an instant $25 and I love that they are so easy to deal with, no banking fees, and great customer service. A+ ALL THE WAY for their no hassle TFSA’s and children’s savings accounts and programs. I can’t rave enough about these people.
Go Alex go!!! Boooo Walmart 🙂
I recently visited this combination Floral and Decor show in Aurora, Ontario to look around on a whim after seeing sale signs from the road. The staff was quite friendly but what really grabbed my attention was when I overheard a woman and her young daughter talking to one of the ladies that worked there about getting funeral work done. The lady that worked there really apologetically told the woman that she was sorry but because of the holiday season they were very nearly out of flowers and only had left what was there, and that the places they received the flowers from had a all gone on holidays already (this was Christmas Eve). The flower shop lady then gave the little girl a plush toy for free!
It was just nice to see someone genuinely care about the customer, and show sensitivity to what they were going through. I ended up getting a few candle holders and a table centre for our Christmas dinner and it was beautiful. I know it’s a small store, but I just wanted to mention it because I was so impressed by the customer service as well as the products.
I forgot to mention the store name..yeesh!
The store was called Aurora Greenhouse.
Lush – Amazing company with strong ethics that puts its money where its mouth is by funding grassroots organizations and undertaking huge upheavals (sometimes at great expense) to be as eco-friendly as possible. They have excellent customer service and super-easy returns as well.
Porter Airlines – I accidentally booked three plane tickets for the wrong day last spring (a day *before* I intended to fly), and they managed to rearrange things to get my family and I on the right flight with NO additional charges. Absolutely stellar customer service and consistently great experiences with them!
RW&Co. – GREAT customer service. They’ve consistently gone above the call of duty to help me find sizes at other locations, etc. and they have a great return policy.
Great service – I used safeten to hire a cook and a server for my company’s holiday party. They took care of everything and they’re friendly. A bit expensive but worth it.
I’d have to say babyheist…. they DO have great deals and useful stuff as well… sometimes things are not something I would like…but some would… They have great customer service and are a couple of great ladies!
Essential Day Spa easily gets my vote for best in customer service. I prefer online shopping and I’ve never had any problems with my orders from them (plus they always throw in great samples). I’m a beauty junkie so they have lots of hard to find brands. They are a Canadian company so no duty either.
Cdamom…
U suck. How about you support your Canadian small business’ and Canadian moms!!!
Babyheist is the best!!!!!
KIEHL’S – Really stands out due to 2 issues that I had with them this year. First, was insufficient customer service at their Sherway location. No one ever there and the time someone was, they treated me as if I was wasting their time!
The next time I went, no one was at the counter and I stood there for quite some time before I had to flag someone down…from a neighbouring cosmetics counter! The salesperson was nice, but not familiar with line, and couldn’t find samples that I wanted to try. I emailed them to notify them about this problem, I was personally contacted by a manager, and sent a box of samples + a full-size bottle of the item I was looking for!
Second time, the pump in one of my creams wasn’t dispensing properly. I called them to see if they could send me another pump since it was becoming soo frustrating to use it. Instead of sending me a pump, they sent me a FULL-SIZE bottle of a $60 cream! Above and beyond.
@Alex, we get your point, but through my experience with Walmart, their customer service is actually REALLY good. They take complaints seriously and will personally contact you if you’ve emailed them…within 24hrs.
Shoppers Drug Mart!
Iluvbabyheist – relax. Cdamom has as much of a right to voice her opinion as you do. Plus, she does make a valid point – most of the comments in support of that website do share similar rationale and have a similar fondness for multiple exclamation marks and capitalizing emphatic words… just sayin’.
(I thought of another one! Surprisingly, it’s positive too ’cause I do do my fair share of complaining, albeit constructive.)
FIDO – I realise that they’re owned by the dreaded Rogers, but I have nothing but compliments about their customer service. Fine, they screwed up on 1 of my bills, but as soon as I called them, they rectified the situation and gave me 100 free txts/month for a year to compensate for the fact that I “overpaid” for their error.
GLOBAL PET FOODS – Being a small store, they do have their “off days” where they’re not as friendly as others, but their staff is very knowledgeable. Always happy to help! Beats shopping at those large pet retailers any day!
Lee valley, terrific products and service.
Amazon.ca and Groupon, love em both!
gonna put a vote out there for MEC
and Bulk Barn!
ok whats with this baby heist stuff? all i see is on their facebook page it says “www.babyheist.com Nominate BH at http://smartcanucks.ca/best-company-in-canada-2010-nominations/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smartcanucks+%28SmartCanucks.ca+-+Canadian+Freebies%2C+Coupons+%26+Deals%29“
I vote CHAPMAN’s. They are a Canadian Ice Cream company where they have an awesome kid’s club that spreads cheer by offering points for rewards for kids that are awesome prizes! Not to mention, a while ago they had a fire and instead of laying off their workers while the place was being fixed (which most places do b/c insurance won’t cover that), they kept paying their employees. A top notch company in my books!!! OH YEAH, AND their ICE CREAM is YUMMY!!!
Bath and Body Works. Great products, good sales and outstanding customer service.
Bell Canada is by far the WORST!!!!!!! Their customer service is rude, they constantly phone harassing people, even if your not a Bell customer and told them repeatedly that you DO NOT wish to be. We finally had to threaten them with legal action to get them to stop calling us.
Grocery:
SUPERSTORE- I love it there because when a product scans at the wrong price they AUTOMATICALLY give you the SCOP- you don’t have to explain to the cashier what it is and have her/him look at you like you are insane! I love their Joe Fresh Line as well!
Beauty:
SEPHORA- Yes, I love SDM for optimum points- BUT they have the WORST return policy EVER! If you lost your receipt you are SCREWED- they won’t even give you a store credit (even if the product is THERE brand and BRAND NEW!!!)I recently have started to shop at SEPHORA- they have the BEST return policy for beauty products EVER. I returned something a YEAR LATER WITHOUT a receipt and I was given store credit.
Electronics:
Costco/Future Shop- Costco is great because they give you 90 days to return a TV/laptop, etc. where most places offer only 14-30 days. They also extend the manufacturers warranty to 2 years (and you don’t have to pay a cent for it!) I love Future Shop because they recognize those who spend a lot of money in their store and I find they go out of their way to help me out and give me deals (yes I know it is commission, BUT- unlike BEST BUY the people at FUTURE SHOP actually know what they are talking about!)
Clothing:
MARK’S WORK WAREHOUSE & COSTCO- Well I love designer brands, I love the customer service at these locations.
All Around Best:
Costco- They have AMAZING deals and an AMAZING return policy- better than anywhere I have ever gone to. Whenever I need ANYTHING in the above categories I will see if COSTCO has it FIRST.
When I look at the best retailers it all comes down to ONE THING- CUSTOMER SERVICE. I don’t care who has the best price, it is all about service. If I buy something that doesn’t perform like it is suppose to, I want to be able to take it back HASSLE free. This is why I love COSTCO overall. If I have to choose 1 place it would be COSTCO. This is also why I nominated CANADIAN TIRE as the WORST RETAILER EVER in the other section!
I think this is a GREAT idea because I KNOW retailers come onto SC and read a lot of this. Maybe this will open their eyes and push them to be a little better for 2011.
i’d have to say fountain tire.i havent payed for a tire repair in years.they stand behind their work too,which is something i cant say for crappy tire
The Gap – caught on to having frequent promotions to get customers in the stores again. They are still great for basics, but they are on trend now with fashion and global issues.
OLD NAVY for sure…..
I think I can say I’ve never had to purchase anything full price with their weekly coupons.
Plus they have a great return policy and excellent customer service.
I love baby heist. I don’t know who owns it but I know that its my favorite company as I visit their website everyday and I buy items from there and their customer service is great so why not give the company credit.
Okay babyheist is cheating in my opinion and yes I am allowed to it thank you thepixie 🙂 It’s a one deal a day website that offers half price stuff for babies, regardless of who owns it- the trolls plugging them on here (or maybe it’s just one person hmmm)- are trying to fix this “contest”. Brutal.
Stephania- I’m thinking of switching to Fido from Telus (just looking as to what else is out there as I’m tired of them inflating my bills-not the worst out there but Fido sounds good). Do they have good contracts?
I’d also like to throw out votes for Lush and Chapmans Ice Cream for their social conscience (I vote with my wallet and these things are equally as important as customer service for me).
Also I will say Best Buy for their customer service. I had JUST bought a Canon camera and flew to Europe where it promptly died. It was approximately 8 days after I bought it (their return policy is 7 days) and I contacted Canon (no help at all) and then tried Best Buy. I shipped them the camera from Germany and they forwarded a new exact replica free of charge to my hotel in eastern Turkey (not an easy feat) within a week. I even received personal emails about it and the store manager was very nice about the whole thing (I had not bought the extended warranty). I was very impressed by this and always go to this store for my electronics now.
I would say London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart. I’ve saved a lot with their weekly deals before I knew and started doing coupons and now I’ll save more since London Drugs allow coupon stacking!!! and I love SDM’s optimum points!
shoppers good program with optimum though some clerks aren’t helpful but well designed, clearly contacts (they keep trying to make it perfect!!! and are great at it!)
There have been quite a few companies that I would give cudos to. However, I was really impressed with J&J’s Baby and Huggies. Both have really good customer service and pretty good coupons and promotions.
My nomination is Beat Goes On, the fantastic used music, game, and DVD store in southern Ontario.
Their stores are neat, clean, and well-stocked, and their staff are always friendly and enjoyable to talk to. They have a stamp card that basically gives you a free DVD or CD for every ten you buy. They care about the quality of what they sell — never had a technical problem with anything I’ve purchased from them, and if I did, I’m confident they’d replace it without hassle.
But their real innovation as a retailer is with their website. If you search for a product, it tells you which stores (in their network of a dozen or so outlets) currently have it in stock. If you want to order it, you can have it shipped directly to you, or they will ship it to the store of your choice for free, where you can pick it up and pay for it in-store. That means you don’t pay until it’s in your hands, and no shipping or processing charges of any kind.
Not only that, but you can set up a wishlist on their site, where you can store your list of items you want to buy but are not currently in stock. When one of those items appears in any Beat Goes On store, you get an e-mail notifying you that it’s available.
This is the best execution of online commerce I’ve seen; all the convenience of online without any of the associated costs. I don’t even look in other used music stores any more; Beat Goes On is too easy and too good to bother with anything else.
The best feeling I’ve had when I got an got an credit adjustment for amount of $1300.00 with Koodo bill when I caught an Esculation desk management by the Adam and boy did he treat me very good and was with me with providing me good customer service and respect. I appreciate the fact that he can relate with me with these experiences and done the changes bases on the wrong plan,price, item and the people that signed me up for something that was not done properly or following the procedures. He’s not there today,but didn’t forget the big surplus that saved me in the end so-forth. Yah! American Express again; I got an wonderful surplus from the Insurance company that have credited me a big chunk of money in the thousands after the long wait for its payment to come through.:)
Good things happen to those who wait. I’ve waited long enough for positive things to happen. Thanks to Adam and American Express. I don’t know what it is; but I think it has to start to “A” that is given me good luck or its fate that is keeping me near! HAHA!
i also believe the babyheist thing is a little rigged looking to me,but whatever.
@ilovebabyheist (an example of this just by the name) Don’t insult somone just because they don’t share their view.grow up
*someone rather
SDM – spent $335 there this year and earned $50 more back through their promos. Can you say “deal”? Too bad the house is stocked up to the point I don’t need to go there for half of 2011…
Walmart – great happy staff, no hassles couponing and awesome everyday prices. Great sale prices on contact lenses.
Chapman’s Ice Cream – yep, for those fantastic $5 coupons and honourable commitment to the town of Markdale.
ClearlyContacts.ca – great promos, fawning service, and they offer credit or interact payment for those without a credit card.
Lee Valley – household hardware that would cost you an arm and a leg elsewhere and pleasant, diligent service.
123inkcartridges – cheapest and fastest! Orders show up like lightning.
George Weston (Zehrs, RCSS, Loblaws, TNT, etc.) – no hassle couponing in a store with upscale products – a bit of a rarity. TNT – what a wild store, it rocks!
Staples – there is always a way to get a deal here, price matching, couponing, through Air Miles, or winking at the manager.
Food Basics (and not the rest of the banners in the group) best freshest deals on fruit and veggies in city after city I’ve lived in.
Johnson & Johnson – great coupons in copious quantities for basics, always available.
i’m gonna have to go with amazon as well! crazy fast shipping even when it’s free, and i’ve never had one issue with them and i order from there a lot!
can i vote for more?
J&J (baby) is incredible. fantastic customer service and products/coupons
-Motherhood Maternity. I’ve had nothing but fantastic experiences shopping here. good sales, knowledgeable staff, cute maternity outfits that don’t look like tents. Fantastic and easy returns, and their web customer service has been really great. At the most hormonal time in my life, I can say Motherhood has done alot to NOT get on my bad side 😉
I think babyheist is trying to rig this survey and they are downright insulting to other people’s opinions. I would like to vote for them in the WORST company for those reasons. For best company, I would like to nominate Costco. Easy returns, fast customer service, good deals and prices that are not over inflated!!
i love Old Navy, Bath and Body Works and walmart
Local company’s are always the best, and we vote for them by spending money at them.
As far as chains go, I have had amazing service and experience at Kal Tire. This seems to be a regular thing and not just once or twice. I have not bought tires there yet, but do rotate my tires there regularly and also had a wheel alignment done too. They have offered to drive me where I need to go while my vehicle was being serviced (and picked me up too!), and also have given me more than one free tire rotation which I was willing to pay for.
From a work perspective it seems that the employees and managers get along well.
From a customer perspective, at more than one location, have gone above and beyond my expectations more than once. Getting work done on your car is typically not fun, but Kal Tire has made a customer out of me by consistently giving great service.
Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Yorksteam is an excellent company. Paul will beat any competitors price with an invoice by 5%. His prices and work are excellent to begin with. He is very personable and professional. He steamcleans furniture carpeting and vehicles. He also sells gift cards for all of your steam cleaning needs.
Give Paul a call at 647-270-9675 and be sure to tell him that Bonnie sent you.
The Running Room! Expensive, but older models of shoes go on sale and the sale prices are the same as everywhere else.
My vote goes to Home Hardware.
They are still a small enough company that they ensure they hire knowledgable people. I love being able to walk in, and unlike a lot of ronas of home depots at home hardware, they understand what I am looking for, and I do not have to nagivate a maze to get there. As a result their workers also have much more positive and helpful attitudes, I love Home Hardware!
Ikea!!
I thought the results were going to be posted on the 29th?
When will the results be posted?
London Drugs is easily #1 – by far far far, and I don’t even use coupons or “coupon stack” just think how they serve customers and what they do for recycling.
A distant distand #2 would be shaw.
Don’t be sucked in to unknowingly paying for those optimum points. If you compare SDM with London drugs you are far better off at London drugs without points price wise. Like it or not SDM has to make someone pay for the points and to the whole infrastructure to run the program, and looks like their customers are the ones paying, like it or not.
Best companies – True Cuddles (also a kid’s deal site run by two moms) and Chapmans Ice Cream.
Hate to end it on a bad note, but the Brick has to be the worst for customer service.
Sears….. #1 for terrible customer service in my books!
WalMart and Canadian Tire would be the best!
Porter Airlines! WooHa!!
True cuddles is owned by a man, he actaully is the president of Agoo and runs Mother of a Sale! Not run by 2 moms, they just make it seem like that!
When will the best be announced?