Where do you call home?

Nearly every Friday I eat dinner at the same restaurant.  It’s part of my ritual and a comforting way to end the week – whether it was successful, stressful or quiet.  I always know I will be greeted with a smile and hug followed by a glass of my favorite craft beer by the tall, lanky manager, Eli.  Sometimes, like last Friday night, he sees me walking across the parking lot and greets me at the door, beer in hand.  Truth be told, I am much more of a wine drinker but their limited wine menu does not stack up against their broad selection of craft beers.  There are plenty of other nights to drink fine wine.

It’s not a fancy place with its metal tables and plastic table covers but it is as comforting as coming home.  Some of my friends might not even feel comfortable in such modest surrounds.  The menu features all the regular items you would expect at a grill but all the bread is homemade, they make the most amazing Caesar salad dressing I have ever tasted and they serve specials that rival any gourmet restaurants I have visited – all served in a plastic basket. 

The restaurant feels like home because of the people who work there.  Eli remembers my beer choice without even asking but also brings me samples of new ones he thinks I will like.  His weekly answer to “How are you” is always “Living the Dream.”   And he remembers the menu choices I like the most.  While I would like to think I am truly special, I see Eli and the rest of the staff work the same magic with everyone who walks in the door.  In our fast food, overworked, “press 1 for English”, world that we live in, we all want to be remembered and welcomed home, wherever home is. 

When I reflect on our business, Stowebridge Promotion Group, this is how we want our customers to feel.  We treat people as people.  We want them to feel at home with us – whether it is in our showroom or across country.  We work hard to have a welcoming atmosphere and a welcoming way with our customers.  We don’t believe in pushy sales, sales quotas or making the numbers for a certain supplier.  We believe in finding just the right item in our customer’s budget that we know will arrive just the way the want it, on time and on budget. 

Many of our customers are old friends and many of those who were not have become friends.   We want to know more about our customers than just their business, we want to celebrate their life events from weddings and graduations to their children’s success.  Knowing our customers and offering outstanding customer support is a hallmark of our success and part of our culture.  Our customers are people we sincerely enjoy working with and that makes it a pleasure to come to work every day.  Our team pulls together to make things happen, sometimes even the impossible. We enjoy helping our customers grow and are excited by their success.  We love to help our friends promote their business, thank their customers, motivate employees, and to help them become memorable.