More good, bad and ugly

I’ve had so many positive experiences with people and services in the valley that last week’s commentary required a Part II. “The good, the bad and the ugly” will be regularly featured in coming months.

The good: After I severely bruised my back last month, a friend drove me to the Edwards Chiropractic Clinic. Frank Schaub, one of the three chiropractors advised, “This is a pretty severe bruise and I recommend that you get the opinion of an emergency room physician, but I’ll do what I can for you now.”

Frank called me the next morning to ask how I was feeling and if I had seen an ER doc or orthopedic surgeon. Three weeks later I received a bill for 50 percent of the usual chiropractic fee. People usually feel that their medical professionals are the best, and so do I. But I felt that Frank took his concern for his patient to the next level.

Actually, I shouldn’t have been surprised at all because that’s the type of service I’ve come to expect from Edwards Chiropractic.

The good: It’s not within my expertise to professionally rate the medical facilities in the valley. However, I know a pro when I see one and appreciate it when someone in the medical field goes above and beyond in the discharge of their duties.

Awhile back I called Dr. Mike Schneider (Sports Medicine of the Foot in Avon) after hours with a foot problem that could easily have kept me from instructing skiing.

His receptionist said, “No problem,” and Mike waited until I arrived and performed a minor procedure on the spot. He then said, “Here’s my home number. If you have any problems, don’t hesitate to call.” I’d call that walking the extra mile for a patient.

The good: Also falling into the “treat your patients like good customers” are Dr. Norm Numeroff and his staff at Doctors on Call in Avon; Shelly Raichart, DDS, and her staff at Eagle River Dentistry; and every lab technician I’ve come in contact with at the Vail Valley Medical Center in Vail. A good bedside manner is great, but being treated as a valued customer is an added bonus.

The good: Asking a busy contractor to obtain a difficult to locate spare part for a household device that they didn’t install is asking that person to go out of their way for you. On several occasions, Ryan Dunn the youthful owner of Dunn Builders, has done just that. Dunn Builders has the scope of a general contractor but the personal touch of a neighborhood handyman. Thank you, Ryan.

The good: Finding a good tailor is extremely important for the domestically challenged like myself. Regardless of the difficulty or uniqueness of the alteration or repair, Angie (one of the managers at National Velvet’s Edwards plant) simply says, “Don’t worry about it, Elodia (the seamstress) can handle anything,” and she has. Great job, ladies.

The good: Being a ski instructor, it’s important to have my skis tuned properly every time I go out on the snow. Over the years, I have found that Jerry, Wayne, Dirk and the rest of the guys at Mill Creek Sports have consistently exceeded my expectations.

The good: Several years ago I had a less than positive experience while attempting to switch from cable to satellite, but I was giving thought to buying an HDTV, so I decided to try again. John Rummings, owner of TSE in Avon, suggested that I contact Williams Satellite Services. Chris and Keith were informative, timely and eager to please – and I thoroughly enjoy the clarity of a satellite TV picture.

The Bad: The following isn’t really bad, per se, but it’s certainly less than customer friendly. If my charges at national chain stores like Wal-Mart or McDonald’s are $15.01, I expect to receive $4.99 in change from a $20 bill. But one would think that locally owned stores might keep a penny dish near the cash register, and if it’s empty, taking a penny or two from the register might be a nice way of saying “Hey, come back again.”

Perhaps this is a personal pet peeve that doesn’t affect most people, but owners and managers should realize that giving a regular customer 98 or 99 cents in change is tantamount to saying, “Hey, you’re just another transaction to us.” It may not be a bad idea for locally owned retail stores and eateries with carry-out service to take heed.

The ugly: I’m deviating a bit with the ugly this week, as it’s not about a local service rather it’s about a village idiot. Last week I watched as a “late middle age” skier bypassed the Mid-Vail restrooms to ski directly to the edge of the Mid-Vail Ski School Meeting Area to relieve himself in full view of ski school customers, instructors and supervisors.

His two friends (I would guess 60ish) watched as if his behavior was completely acceptable. If Mr. P (an appropriate surname I think) is a local, he should be ashamed of himself. If he’s a visitor, I hope he stays home next year. We don’t need that type of guest on Vail Mountain. It makes me wonder where this guy was raised.

Butch Mazzuca of Singletree writes a weekly column for the Daily. He can be reached at bmazz@centurytel.net