MEC: Customer service, for the Sake of Customer Service – Guest Post from Lisa Tees

It’s time again to hear from an Upsell reader on their customer service experience. Thankfully, the guest blog is an UPSOLD!, all about the kudos. This  one comes from Lisa Tees (@listee on Twitter. Really have to get a photo on your profile, Lisa).

My husband is a landscaper – in Victoria that’s a 12 month a year job – regardless of the weather. Given that it’s been raining enough to make me seriously think about building an ark, he needed a good, breathable, waterproof jacket. So on Sunday, we trekked over to MEC (or Mountain Equipment Co-op for those of you who prefer experiencing outside by looking at it from the inside) to see what they had as I’ve always had great success with their products.

We were debating between two jackets – one at a price point of $100 and one at $200 – big difference, but was it worth it? Not sure, but we must have looked like we needed help, which came in a knowledgeable employee named Melissa. She asked what it was for, explained the difference between the two jackets, gave her honest opinion about why it was worth it to spend more and then explained to us how to make it last twice as long as it should – so the $200 jacket would actually outlast the $100 jacket by 5 years. I should mention here that MEC staff are not on commission – she was just doing her job to the best of her ability. She took the time to answer all our questions without looking rushed at all.

I’ve always liked MEC but now I remember why – great products and great service – can’t go wrong with that. I’ll definitely be back and make it my first choice for all my outdoor needs.

Thanks Lisa. I had a pretty good experience at MEC myself (Click here). So it’s great to hear that they not only provide great customer service, but are consistent.