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Dear Baudville,

As I sit here, just a few short moments after interacting with one of your Customer Service Representatives, my head is spinning. Please allow me to share with you my experience.

My reason for contacting your company today was very simple. I misplaced my printed version of the confirmation email that I was sent when I placed an order on 09-18-09. Because the accountants around here get very concerned (Translation: hostile) when we don't turn in a receipt with our expense vouchers, I really needed to get a copy of it (Translation: This may very well have been a life or death situation for me.)

I bounced online and clicked on the "Live Chat" button. In the back of my brain was a dreadful feeling. You know - the feeling you get when you have a very simple question or request, but you know it's going to turn into a major ordeal that will probably require a blood sample, a letter of reference from your third grade teacher, and our national Constitution to be altered in order to make it happen- because that's how it always is with simple requests. But I thought, what the heck...

The initial screen pops up and requests that I fill in four very simple pieces of information: my name (which I was pretty sure I knew), my email address and my phone number (which I wish fewer people knew), and my initial question. My initial question went something like this: Hi. Can you please email me a copy of my invoice? My invoice number is XXX and my customer number is XXX.

Enters CARA. She introduces herself and welcomes me. At this point, the feeling of dread is being replaced with curiosity. Might this actually be painless? Cara tells me that she would be happy (did you get that? happy) to email me a copy of my receipt, and then she quotes my email address. WHOA! She actually read the introduction. She said it was no problem at all, thanked me for contacting her, and encouraged me to contact you again if I need anything else.

Now, the feeling of curiosity has morphed into amazement. If it were a real word, I'd say I was full of flabbergastedness. I thanked Cara and ended the session.

Up pops a survey window with five (I think?) little questions. I gave you an A+, but would have given you higher if I could have because before I could finish the survey, up popped an email in my in-box from Cara. My invoice has magically appeared before my very eyeballs. She actually DID what she said she was going to do, and she did it immediately! I am drowning in flabbergastedness.

Cara saved me from a couple of homicidal accountants.

Are all of your CSRs this amazing? If they are, Baudville is most certainly the envy of every organization that deals with the public. What's insane is that this sort of experience has become too rare in our society today. We've come to expect to be treated poorly, so when we interact with the Caras of the world (and there aren't nearly enough of them), we're shocked. In fact, we're left so shocked that we're making up words to describe our experiences. The planet needs more Caras.

In all sincerity, this is absolutely the best customer service experience I have ever had. Maybe this seems like a tiny thing that she did by emailing me a receipt, but it was so much more. I love your catalogs. I love your emails. I love the Tootsie Rolls you send to me when I order from you. But those things don't advertise who Baudville is like Cara did today. The way she handled this tells me that Baudville is a company that I want to deal with. No, I will look forward to dealing with you. Cara represents your company well, and I hope that her excellent work is duly noted. I was in customer service for 11 years. I know what a thankless job it can be. Please share this with Cara so that she doesn't forget how valuable she is to your company.

I'm tellin' ya -- extreme flabergastedness.

Most sincerely,

Cecilia B. Stender

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Recognized by Cecilia B. Stender, Coastal Electric Cooperative