Today, I dropped off some of Greg’s shirts to be dry-cleaned and one of his coats to have the buttons reinforced because at some point just trying to peacock open your chest to get your coat off is going to add some undue strain on a garment.

I have been taking our clothes to the same dry cleaners for over ten years, even though we don’t live in the same city anymore.

Today, I was once again reminded why.

I liked the staff and their prices early on which was enough to keep me going back but one thing that always amazed me was their unbelievable customer service.

For starters, I think by my second visit, the girl at the counter while collecting the clothes said, “Hastings right?” and I immediately started to calculate how many thousands of people they must see come and go on a weekly basis, behind piles of soiled laundry and loose buttons. To remember my name scored some major points.

I think by the third time she had my phone number memorized and knew the passwords to all of my electronic devices and the secret ingredient in my Grandma’s oatmeal cookies. Hint: it rhymes with “bard” and too much of it will stop a pig’s heart from beating.

There are so many things I loved about this. (Not the cookies, the customer service) 1) This was a staff member, not an owner of the business who I could understand might have a greater interest in keeping people coming back and 2) When I did meet the owner, he was so appreciative of my business (of everyone’s business) he made you feel special. 3) There is not a large sum of money being exchanged. I might spend $9 on average every month, hardly enough to get excited about and yet you are treated as though you have just closed a multi-million dollar oatmeal cookie dynasty deal over a bubbling cauldron of lard.

How often do we leave a business having just spent money and felt either disappointment or nothing at all? I always leave this place with a smile on my face…..and it’s a dry cleaners. There’s nothing glamorous about it.

Then a couple of months ago, Chloe in tow, the owner saw me coming in with a youngster and he popped $2 into the donation box on the counter and handed Chloe a huge chocolate bar.

This totally goes against everything I stand for, (I mean the foot long chocolate bar for a three year old, not the exceptional gesture of kindness).

So yesterday when I dragged in Greg’s shirts and a coat with buttons dangling by a couple of frayed threads, the owner saw Chloe get out of the van and reached into his pocket.

He apologized for not having any chocolate bars left (probably because he had purchased them all himself and given them to customers) so he handed her $2 and said, “You go buy yourself a TimBit.”

Not having any idea how much an individual TimBit ran for myself, I knew it was less than $2. For a guy who shared a plaza with a Tim Horton’s you might think he would be more in tune with the price point for the hole of a donut.

Again, by him giving Chloe $2 I suspect he chewed up any profit he was going to make off of cleaning a few men’s shirts and repairing a couple of buttons.

Chloe and I drove through Tim Horton’s and it turns out, you can buy 10 TimBits for $1.99.

I handed Chloe one TimBit and returned to the Dry Cleaner’s with a box and the other nine.

I told him to leave them on the counter to offer to other kids dropping by throughout the day.

He smiled, laughed and shook my hand.

I encouraged Chloe to thank him again and she said, “Thanks for the bird poop” which comes from a place of the highest honour.

Then she told me my tea smelled “wiffy” which is code for, this place has remarkable customer service.