Despite almost-perfect records, one bad experience can really stand out.
It's that one order a restaurant got wrong that meant you didn't return. The cranky person you met from another country that soured your perception of it. The single police officer with a bad attitude that turned you off of the whole force.
It's that one automotive shop that left Advocate reporter Joseph Quigley with less money than expected in his wallet.
Last week, Joseph wrote a column about this experience, his feelings and opinions.
His story is not representative of the good work I've come to know and appreciate here in Alberta.
I personally have dropped my car off with Kal-Tire, Koch Ford and J&J's, and I've rented from Hunter Motors, as well. I have had nothing but smiles, professionalism and the best experiences. Most people I speak to who have work done at any of the other shops anywhere in the county would recommend them to me in a heartbeat as being full of trustworthy and hard-working people.
That said, Joseph's experience is still a valid one to share.
This could have been anyone. It could have been someone just driving through, and this could have been their one interaction with this region.
It could have been someone who just moved here – in fact, Joseph has only been here about six months.
I was the friend he mentioned, who drove him to the shop to pick up his vehicle. Though I asked if I should stay and he said no, I feel pretty bad, in that I should have made sure everything was OK.
But I also had a trust in the shop, as it had been recommended to me by other people and I have personally seen just how quickly, reliably and kindly they do their work.
I still have trust in that shop, to be perfectly honest. I personally think this was one rogue incident, an aberrant example among many other good ones. Perhaps there was an internal miscommunication. Someone could have been having a really bad, troubling day. There are a million reasons as to why something went awry in Joseph's case.
I'm compassionate to the issues business managers face. As the publisher of the Advocate, conflicts end up on my desk. And although I'm usually all rainbows and joy, there have been a couple of times where people departed from my office in fury rather than friendliness.
This column is based on a conflict I feel I have to resolve. I have received more than one phone call about Joseph's piece and how it reflects poorly on the automotive community in our region.
May this be a lesson to all of us that our actions can unfairly become representative of our communities. You never know if the person you are serving is the silent type, or someone with a voice that can stretch across space and time.
And may we all live with more patience and understanding and less prejudice with respect to our bad experiences with certain communities – whether those are businesses, professions, regions or a nations.
Joseph's column was simply one man's interaction with one business in our community. Let it stand as such, and not be a representation of an industry or the region.
