Shopping Elsewhere.... wrote on Feb 1, 2009 6:46 PM:

" I personally shop anywhere else but Sidney!! I usually use the internet, because there is actually anything you could possibly want and its a lot less expensive, even with shipping charges. It takes a couple of days to get here but I personally have more time than money!! When you shop in Sidney, not only does everything cost more, but not too much variety if it is even stocked!! Everybody has the exact same things. To live here, you have to pay top dollar for needed items, but also for rent and food. It is like paying to live in Billings, but without any of the perks of living there. Wal-Mart and Dollar outlets help off-set higher rent, but in Sidney those are not options. It seems the people who run this town do not want these things for Sidney. "




just me wrote on Feb 1, 2009 9:43 AM:

" this comment pertains to a previous comment from "hey". i agree that it's unfair for someone to not leave you a tip. i also work customer service. i have been a bartender for quite a few years. i know how hard it is to work your butt off and keep someone's drinks coming and not recieve a single dollar tip. but the thing is is that these people aren't obligated to leave us a tip, no matter how hard we work to make sure they are happy. it's just part of the job. one thing i've noticed is that when people come in that are frivilous about spending their money are always the worst tippers. on the other hand, you get people in that have either worked in our type of business or are currently tending bar or waitressing who are much better tippers. i actually had one guy as me one day what i made for my wages per hour. i asked him what difference it made and he said that it depended on how much i got for a tip. i was appalled. my wages shouldn't make a difference how much i get for a tip. it should be based on friendly service with a smile. "




JAY wrote on Jan 30, 2009 12:45 PM:

" I think a lot of the people that are calling Charley's lot an eyesoar should sit back and look at the trailer park right behind his or yet even better the other ones up on the hill yeah they are well taken care of and personally i have known charley for a while now in my life and he is always trying to make the lot look better and add a little bit of classic style to this town i mean give the guy credit most these cars would sit and rot he has done a lot of these cars good justice and then to add on to it the trailer situation he is trying to get a place to live that he owns and isnt that just how it is around here trying to get a place that doesnt set u back a ton of cash i know that i also have bought a fixer upper house because that was all i could afford and the time it takes to fix em up is not a quick proccess and i think charley made the trailer look a lot better than it ever did before he got it and than when it first showed up congrats charley you are doin good "




wrote on Jan 29, 2009 12:45 PM:

" "Happy Here" What are you talking about? "




Happy Here wrote on Jan 28, 2009 6:09 PM:

" I am happy here in Sidney but I am wondering how happy will the customers out at Cottonwood Complex be when rent goes up to $750/month, or maybe it's already there. Are you or will you be happy with that? "




hey wrote on Jan 28, 2009 10:20 AM:

" I work at a restraunt, & am a good waitress, I smile,am friendly,I make sure your food is cooked to your order, or I make ammends if it isnt, I keep your drinks comming. so whats wrong? you dont leave me a tip. I dont make that much money, & a tip shows me you appriate what I go out of my way to do for you sometimes. then you go into the casino & spend a hundred dollars or so, you may even win a couple hundred. where is my tip? also, if you have a lot of people at your table,I would appriate more than a $2.00 tip if your food bill came up to over $100.00. I work very hard to keep you happy. oh, 1 more thing, if someone at another table offers to buy your dinner for you, they dont leave me a tip, YOU should. I get so mad that I do everything in my power to assure you great service, & get nothing in return. you must have never worked as a waitress/waiter before, have you? "




BM wrote on Jan 28, 2009 9:06 AM:

" I too have beein to the new eating place in Sidney called Hots,Brats,and More. In fact last week I was there 4 times for lunch and appreciate the friendly and fast service I recieved. Its so much better than having to wait in a drive thru line and then trying to scarf down your food while driving. I wanted to thank the girls there for doing a wonderful job and helping Sidney to have a fast nice place to eat. "




local business supporter wrote on Jan 25, 2009 12:02 PM:

" I think this is a very freindly town and for the most part all the stores have very friendly and helpful employees. And I dont think people shop out of town for better service, because the larger the town the worse the service.
One local "trend" that does bother me is some of our local resturaunts refuse to take checks. Not everyone carries cash or debit/credit cards with them. I realize taking bad checks can be time consuming and costly, but thats all part of being in retail or food service. "




CL wrote on Jan 24, 2009 7:39 PM:

" As a first time reader of this little opinion site I would have to say it’s pretty amazing how much time people have on there hands to worry about other. It just goes to show how there really is nothing to do in this town. Anyways I have ate at the “New eating place” and I have had really good customer service all the ladies in there have been really helpful and never rude. It’s really nice that someone would take a risk and try to help out the noon eating situation.

A comment before I go. You all wonder what is wrong with today’s youth well its all the time you people are spending bashing each other and talking smack when you should be talking with you kids and wondering what’s going on in there lives. But I guess it is easier to look at other people then it is to look at yourself "




wow wrote on Jan 24, 2009 10:03 AM:

" Still pathetic there is worse things to worry about in this town like drugs.Maybe everyone should get together and worry about that instead of who's being rude to who,my god people grow up!! "




Oh wrote on Jan 23, 2009 9:05 PM:

" to wow, what if you don't have kids? "




wow wrote on Jan 23, 2009 2:26 PM:

" You are all pathetic!!!You need to worry about what your kids are doing. "




sidney wrote on Jan 23, 2009 8:37 AM:

" Randy, i totally agree with you. here is a chance for people to comment about our town's customer service and we have people commenting about their living conditions, cars, bashing other people's comments, bashing other people, etc. for a town that i have lived in all my life, i still can't understand why people have to lower themselves back to a grade school level and act like they are "fighting on a playground". hopefully we are all adults on here and can act like one.

that being said, i have a few opinions about the customer service here in sidney. all in all i think the customer service here is pretty good. of course i have had my run in's with employees that i don't think did a very good job. but i also understand that everyone has bad days. even if that is the case, try to leave your problems outside your place of business.

i have also had very good customer service experiences. Donna and Vicki at Pamida, you guys are the best when it comes to helping me with what i need and answering all my questions. Gina, Emily, and Diane at IGA, you all greet everyone with a smile and make my grocery shopping much more enjoyable. Everyone at Reynolds, your customer service has got to be one of the best in town. There are many other stores and businesses in town, too many to mention, but thank you to all who make shopping here in sidney enjoyable and easy. "




Charley Buehner wrote on Jan 23, 2009 6:55 AM:

" Hang'em - Yeah, agreed on the fence (although his has been broken open for a few years and no one seems to mind) I've kept most of my stuff visible because most of the people I've talked with over the years have told me they enjoy being able to see the cars (and I've tried to keep the worst of them as far back as possible, with varying degrees of success. Pretty sure right now if I put up a fence they'd try to find something illegal about ~that~ too. 6' wouldn't do any good, the highway's too high, 8' is against zoning. The trailer sticks up higher than that, and makes a perfect comprimising substitute, in ~my~ eyes. But they don't care. And if you're talking about that '69, come find me, she runs and drives - I'm easy to get along with.

"Relax" - The country was one of my first choices back before I purchased this lot. The combination of the public telling me they liked seeing my cars on display, and the word of the city and county at the time saying I ~could~ move a trailer there and use it as a residence pushed me into purchasing ~that~ specific lot. I had been looking to purhase long before the former owner considerred selling the lot. Now, I'm in no position to throw everything away here and look elsewhere, and if I'm going to just run away with my tail between my legs, I doubt I'd stop at the county line.

"Rodeo" - you're absolutely correct, I've got what ~I~ believe should be a pretty solid case, with ample written evidence, but how do you successfully go against the city you live in? I mean, even if I win, I still lose. They'll harass me with every little thing they can find until I give up and leave. And yes, Hillsand is a good man, I've found him very personable approachable, and in the words of the mayor, he just made a mistake. Nobody is above that. Only problem is, when "just a mistake" is threatening ~my~ life savings and ambitions, I have a little bit of trouble relaxing. I'll give them time to take the next step, which I'm sure will be an attempt at a court order or something of that nature, but they've proven to me they no longer have a willingness to work it out for me. They won't re-zone it, they won't grant a variance, they won't consider it an office, they apparantly won't even consider it as a stored location, in their words, "it must be removed" Somehow it's perfectly fine to have it boarded up behind Dairy Queen, but to have it out there ~near~ the trailer park is just a horrible horrible crime. The lot is "condionally" zoned for a mobile home park. I have a mobile home parked there. This is highly illegal apparantly. They indicated I may be able to move ~more~ trailers out there, and that would make it legal - (however much sense ~that~ makes!) but it looks like that option has been blocked also. Somehow I found an enemy within City Hall, and as a result, they've now found an enemy in me. They can't do this without expecting me to get upset and fight back, this is my life, everything I've worked towards for several years.

"Randy" - sorry - welcome to the world of online comment boards LOL. My involvement here stems from what I view as terrible customer service from City Hall. My last post had a mention of moving this thread to a more suitable source if the Herald editors felt it necessary (because I ~do~ tend to make long posts) - that part wasn't intended to be printed, oversight or whatever, but apparantly they felt it was fine to stay here. So I'm responding here. I do plan on drafting a "real" letter to the editor about the whole situation, but my blood pressure needs to drop a LOT before I consider putting something out for published printing - and that'll likely take a few more days.

On the lighter side, it's been a couple days since anyone brought up Williston shopping LOL. I hadn't planned on hijacking this thread this badly, but I guess there's a silver lining there.

And as penance of that, I'll throw two more cents out at the original intent of this article - if you ~do~ visit a business that treats you poorly, and you truly ~do~ want to do something about it, speak to the management, not necessarily right then and there, but let them know. If they don't know, they can't fix it. There are some places, fast food especially, where they are strangled by unavailable help, and have had to either lose service quality or service hours as a result. But others that have employees that do not reflect well on the business may not realize it - and learning about it ~here~ isn't probably the best way to get positive results.

For what it's worth.
--Charley
------------------------------------ "




re-read wrote on Jan 22, 2009 3:15 PM:

" Randy go back and re-read the whole blog then you'll understand. "




Randy wrote on Jan 22, 2009 12:39 PM:

" HOW in the world did this discussion get so far off the subject - from talking about customer service to what one person has on his property? "




relax wrote on Jan 22, 2009 11:29 AM:

" charley i think you need to move out into the country where have no restrictions on how you do things ! "




rodeo wrote on Jan 22, 2009 10:57 AM:

" Chuck, if it was the City's fault and no fault of your own and you have the "FACTS" supporting you, this is a CITY PROBLEM that they need to resolve, not you. I smell a SLAM DUNK SUIT against the city (if it has to be that way). Just relax and give them time to work this out for you. Mr. Hillsland is a good man and we don't need a law suit, if the County Attorney want to open up this can of worms, so be it! "




Hang em High wrote on Jan 21, 2009 10:13 PM:

" LMAO @ charley, even the real junk yard had a 6 or 8 foot fence around it so you couldn't see the eye sore. When you clean it out, id love to get some parts of your old blue ford pickup in the cornor...lol "




Charley Buehner wrote on Jan 21, 2009 6:30 PM:

" (side note to Herald editors: if this is too long for this comments forum, please run it as a letter to the editor instead, and perhaps put a link to that in this forum - If it runs here as-is, I probably will still edit for content and resubmit as a letter to the editor or similar article. If you think this is worth running a "real" story on, please let me know, I'd appreciate your input. Thank you - Charley)

------------------------------
For those unfamiliar, this is in regards to my lot and classic car collection located at 2021 West Holly, across from the fairgrounds, and specifically to the mobile home recently set up there.

While I was still renting the lot, I inquired at the county courthouse and at City Hall to see if I could move a trailer on there and live in it. They all agreed, yes, that would not be a problem. I made the arrangements, and purchased the lot. Tens of thousands of out-of-state dollars pumped directly into the local economy, (which in turn, was used as a down payment on another house in town, which I would presume would equate to a couple hundred thousand dollars made local.) When I finally found a mobile home in my price range (a fixer-upper, where most of my tastes stand) I re-confirmed the legality of it, secured a building permit, and made sure I followed all the official channels to avoid any chance of trouble. The building permit shows the trailer right where it sits. The trailer is sitting within 10' of where a mobile home had sat in the past. The hookups were still there, and the water line and trailer position from a previous owner were listed on file in city hall, a diagram which they voluntarily shared with me.

It took nearly two years for the sellers to finally deliver the trailer, however every weekend I was making preparations to ensure it could be deliverred smoothly. When it finally arrived my free time was limited, but still devoted long, odd hours to making it look as good as it can, as quickly as I could, and ran with that schedule until the weather prevented any more progress. I agree, it looked like a train wreck when they dropped it off. And for the first two weeks. After two months, most of the people that came and looked at it told me they thought it was a pretty nice trailer.

This is about the time Hillsland calls me up and says he made a mistake, that they read something wrong and it's not zoned for a trailer house, so I can't have one on the lot -- anywhere on the lot. We set up a meeting with the zoning commission, to discuss options and try to clear this up, it was mentioned that non of the offices there had received any complaints about it, it was strictly a zoning issue. Mayor Smelser expressed a couple options that might make it workable (I truly believe he was in support of what I am trying
to do here) but that they should contact the county attorney to see if those options would pass the zoning regulations. Yesterday (after a month and a half) I get their answer - no, it must be removed. -- to allow a resident to spend tens of thousands of dollars on their written word, and then say "nope, just kidding, we lied, you can't do it" -- they can't do that and expect me not to fight back. And I as a resident cannot face this without feeling a certain amount of anger, resentment, and distrust. This is the reward for following proper channels? So why would I want to invest any more money here?

That lot was an eyesore long before I moved onto it - most of my mess stays well below the treeline (have you forgotten the oil rig set up there?) And with a trailer in the way, it
does a great job of blocking off the things I don't feel comfortable displaying publicly. And after having roughly $75,000 in vandalism done to vehicles back there, some mine, some
stored for others, well, yeah, it's no wonder it looks like crap. And when absolutely nothing came of ~that~, it was made perfectly clear it was up to me alone to protect my property and investment. And when video surveillance evidence isn't enough to bring vandals to justice or even into questioning, there's really no sense removing the wrecks - they make good decoys. Until I can be living there and able to watch over the lot, I'll
feel forced into keeping them exactly as they sit.

As far as running for offices - no thank you - I've seen how people who aren't members of the good-old-boy's club are treated. Besides, I already work well over 50 hours a week on
average, and adding another job on top of that, I'd never be able to put out the better-homes-and-gardens lawn care that is expected of me.

As far as the cars - there are some out there that are very rare, and some that have drawn attention from people all over the country. I consider them currently an eccentric hobby, but also view them as a retirement source. They're not restored, but they're not
deteriorating in a field somewhere. There here for people to see and appreciate, not locked up, hidden in a museum or garage somewhere. It takes a commitment to keep them in the condition they're in. The vast majority of the feedback I've gotten locally has been overwhelmingly
positive, people seem genuinely glad to be able to see them, be it something they'd driven in their younger years, or something they've always wanted, or just simply "Wow, I've never even ~heard~ of one of those" types of comments. I take great pride in being able to offer that - there are a LOT of gearheads in Sidney, which is one of the biggest reasons I chose to stay here and call this place home. I've even had law enforcement stop out there just to say "hey, that white one's my favorite." -- it's been very rewarding overall --- until City Hall pulled this little change of heart.

What happens next? Your guess is as good as mine. My plan was to move in as soon as spring hit, and free up the apartment I'm renting for some other family to move here. I see now that's not likely to happen. As much as it aggravates me, I still feel compelled
to follow the proper channels - I'll make a political firestorm, probably have to get a lawyer, and bring up another frivolous trial to waste even more of everyone's time and money. As of right now, everything on my lot is on hold, so if you think it looks tacky
today, well.. sorry, it won't get much better until this is resolved. I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on new siding and windows for something I won't be allowed to call home.

For the record - there ~have~ been trailer houses on that lot before - it was even admitted during the zoning commission's meeting. They have been used as residences. There are mobile homes less than 200' away from my lot, and residences on the same side of the
street, all along that stretch of Holly. To my awareness, none of the neighbors veiw the trailer as obstructive to their business, and I ~think~ they welcome the idea of another set of watchful eyes nearby in the overnight hours. I DID have it in writing that I could put the trailer where it sits, and now they're saying that I can't do it - I view this as
pure discrimination and undue harassment, and a drastic shortsightedness towards the future
growth of this community. I air these opinions publicly, one, because I'm angerred beyond words at what has happened, and two, in hopes that someone reading this will have gone
through something similar, and step forward to maybe help bring about some change here. I've been pushed too far, I no longer have the time or patience to consider any kind of run for official office. Perhaps someone out there reading this ~does~. Perhaps that person will stand a better chance of success, I don't know. I know that my level-headed outlook on life that I've tried to maintain has slipped to the point that political correctness and tact are sufferring. Public office is the last place I should be right now. I guess this is where you find out who your friends are.

-- refusing to hide behind an alias,
-- Charley "




Just Keepin it Real wrote on Jan 21, 2009 11:17 AM:

" Charley they are mad because you just moved your trailer in there and just left it, so it looks dumb. Dude I'm sorry but your whole area out there looks trashy! Nothing against you personally, but you could have moved it to the back of the lot and in the summer you could at least cut the weeds in between the cars, And nothing against some of your cars that are in fact classics some though are just junk and should be disposed of. "




relax wrote on Jan 21, 2009 8:47 AM:

" To Charley
relax take deep breath.the reason for your cituation is because it is a eye sore to the community they said they had alot of complants about it.if you are that unhappy about city hall why not run for mayor or city concil this year quit complaining about it and do something about it ! "




BW wrote on Jan 21, 2009 8:09 AM:

" My children and I visited the new downtown eating place yesterday and we were asking if they had to go menus or paper menus to look at and the counter girl got real nasty and pointed up to the menu above her and said "there's your menu". I couldn't believe how nasty she was, I sure hope no one else was treated like that. "




Wallis Marty wrote on Jan 21, 2009 5:32 AM:

" I could care less. I don't shop in Sidney. "




Charley Buehner wrote on Jan 21, 2009 3:55 AM:

" In a town where "Fast Food" has become a dual oxy-moron, and the city planners have their heads buried deep to the truth of what's happening to the community, it's truly no wonder that an article like this can start such a firestorm. And with the current direction this community is going, it's no wonder that there's this much anger and dissatisfaction expressed here. Good customer service has always been important to any business - but when the top levels of our community insist on giving out lousy service, it's hard to expect anything better to trickle down to the average joe. There have been a LOT of businesses in town that I've been truly impressed with. Fast food has not been high on the list, but I fully realize how much of a struggle they're going through, they can't get help, and nobody wants to move here (nobody ~can~ move here) -- and our city planners don't care - they won't lift a finger to help alleviate a labor shortage. They just DON'T care. They're fighting an effort to open a new mobile home sales business, fighting a mobile home park option, and now changing their minds about putting a mobile home on a private lot, even after signing a building permit saying it CAN go exactly where it sits. Oh, and they felt it necessary to wait until most of the work was done before deciding to change their mind.

Customer service? Our city hall doesn't care about it, why should anyone else?!? Kudos to those that do, but but right about now, I'm feeling my local loyalty slipping. If the city planners don't care, why shoud I?

OK, so that's not entirely true - I ~do~ care - I've met a LOT of great people here thoughout our local businesses. I just wish I could say that about City Hall. A vast majority of the renovations I've done on my mobile home has been done with supplies bought locally. Of course, it's all for nothing, because our city planners won't accept anything less than a $3.4 Million Dollar Mansion they can tax the you-know-what out of. Sorry I don't have thier salaries and pensions, I work for what I get, and make due with what I've got. I guess that's a crime in this town. I'm sorry.

Customer service is something we're supposed to learn from our superiors - yet those that claim to be superior to us have shown that they don't care, so again, I commend the businesses that are able to provide good service despite how bad the decks may be stacked against them. Right now I'm not so sure I can stay strong enough to provide that level of attention and service. My hats off to those of you that have found a way to cope, and continue to try to exceed. "




common sense wrote on Jan 20, 2009 12:23 PM:

" To Many Issues:
Appearance is part of customer service. I am shocked that an eating establishment allows people with full facial piercings to serve food. I worked in an eating establishment while going to college and was not allowed to wear any jewelry, including earrings and rings because of the possibility of it falling off into the food. I really don't think it is too much to ask for a person to take their jewelry out their face for the duration of a shift. "




Smile wrote on Jan 19, 2009 9:58 PM:

" Kudos to whoever raised "Many Issues"They did a good job!
Come on we live in a Great Town not perfect but OUR TOWN!It's up to us to make it better!Everyone is short of help
the help they do have is overworked.
I know I will make more of an effort to be a better customer!
Smile! "




impressed wrote on Jan 19, 2009 9:27 PM:

" ive been to many places around and the best service i can say is the REGAL EAGLE IN SIDNEY MONTANA THE GIRLS IN THE CASINO ARE THE BEST IVE SEEN THERE OLDER SOME OF THEM BUT OLDER IS BEST THEY GIVE GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE AS FOR THE MOST PART ALL OF THEM DO BUT U WANT SERVICE THATS GOOD GO THERE U WONT BE DISAPPOINTED LIKE IVE BEEN OTHER CASINOS "




Aquarius wrote on Jan 19, 2009 7:09 PM:

" Regards to "many issues"...

Very well said. "




Jordan Hall wrote on Jan 19, 2009 6:35 PM:

" I've enjoyed great service in Sidney from many establishments. If I can take a moment to brag on a few; PATH, Granny's Attic, Mid-Rivers, Eagle FM, Farm and Home, Cennex, South 40 (restaurant portion) - there are many others that have service as good as you'll find in any large city. But there are occasions - especially in the food industry in Sidney - where the service lacks something to be desired.

I had scheduled a birthday party at a local chain-restaurant several weeks ago. Invitations went out, entertainers arranged for, etc... Calling an hour ahead of time for the party (just this Saturday), we were told there was another party and there wasn't room for us. We were told that we "hung up too quickly before they could get our name and number" (everyone knows this particular establishment has caller ID).

First of all, that's not true. We made a reservation for a particular time and place after discussing it with the establishment for a lengthy period of time.

Secondly, it is not the job of the customer to make sure the reservation is made correctly - but the responsibility of the reservation-taker.

Third, if a reservation is made, regardless of whether or not one's number is obtained, hold the reservation anyway. That's how reservations work. Regardless of whether or not you know someone's phone number, you know very well they're planning a party around that reservation.To not hold it is incredibly rude if done purposefully, incompetent if done accidentally.

In trying to discuss this with the establishment, they were rude, accusatory, and incredibly unsympathetic.

Here's the thing...mistakes happen. That's o.k. But to not say "sorry," to accuse the customer of not helping the business do their job, to not be sympathetic, that's the part that really burns you.

I think that some places know they're an hour from a similar establishment and can therefore have poor customer service if they want to. And for every poor business in Sidney (like the one I described) there are probably 20 great ones. But there are people like me that will not go back after such treatment and will spread negative word-of-mouth for a long time to come. That's the penalty of a "customer-is-never-right right" attitude. "




Customer wrote on Jan 19, 2009 8:47 AM:

" My wife and I were looking for large appliances for our house. Stove, fridge, etc. We went to the "newer" appliance store and looked around. A football game was on the screens on all the tv's. Cool. We looked at a lot of items and were waiting patiently for the owner/saleman to greet us and "sell" to us. Well, we finally asked him some simple questions and he acted like we were the rude ones, interrupting his ballgame. We wandered around for a half hour and nothing. No contact what-so-ever. Disgusted we left to the "older" appliance store in town. We were treated like royalty the minute we walked in. Even bought a microwave when we weren't even loooking for one. We have never ever yet to set foot in the "newer" appliance store. "




out of town wrote on Jan 19, 2009 8:23 AM:

" I come to sidney about once a week to do all my shopping since it is way farther to go to williston. The only reason i have to go to williston is the shelves at most of the local business are empty or they will not carry or order a requested item even if more than one person requested. It is frustrating when you are trying to stay local and the things you need are not around. I also have to agree with the clothes i understand quality makes the difference but really do they need to be proced so high only "certain" customers can buy them? I do have to commend a couple of store such as reynolds who is always willing to help and johnsons who has most everything the other store doesn't carry(thank god). So i think more than customer service they need to also look at what and who they are trying to supply for. "




many issues wrote on Jan 18, 2009 9:28 PM:

" 1) i though the question was about CUSTOMER SERVICE?! i didnt know we were bagging on what people look like! i mean come on! do we really have to pick on someone who has piercings?? i happen to have someone very close to me with piercings and i KNOW for a FACT that they ARE NOT slobbering all over them self while taking an order!! how petty! you should be ashamed of your self for wasting your time commenting on the appearance of another! i mean really, do we need to be so rude? was your food good? was it warm and tasty? reasonably priced? is it necessary to have said such a thing? some people enjoy having piercings and also tatoos! who are any of us to place public judgment on another person?

2) i believe that if anyone has lived here for long enough they are bound to have something either happen to them or witness it happening to another near them. its a small town. its unavoidable. no one is perfect. not one. i have to admit i am so surprised on how SO MANY of you are jumping on the negative wagon! im sure that for every bad thing that has EVER HAPPENED TO YOU, there are at least 100 times where you have walked safely out of the store with your feelings intact! and MABEY you even may have had a smile on your face! WEIRD!

3) have i ever had a negative experience while being a member of this community? YES i certainly have! but im NOT going to dwell on such nonsense! i have had way to many times in my living here (which has been a very long time) where i was so pleased with the service i had gotten i would find my self thinking of what i may need to get later :)

4) we all have bad days...if you are in the service department and are offended by reading all the horrible things people are saying in here then let it be a lesson learned and be more aware of how you are interacting with those around you! and if you know someone who has done such things, then you should use this as a way to talk to them about it and open their eyes! let them know that eyes are on them whether they think they are or not!

5) so people after you have read this, i hope that you may first recollect on all the good experiences you have had recently or well into the past instead of barely saying nothing nice at all!

thank you "




Frequent Visitor wrote on Jan 18, 2009 9:08 PM:

" This comment is for you, the customer: Use some commen courtesy when using your checkbook. It's OK to start by filling in the date and the Store Name, and while you're at it, go ahead and SIGN that check, too, instead of waiting for the total to be rung up, before you even start writing. Those twenty customers waiting behind you will appreciate it, the salesclerk probably will, too. "




noppers wrote on Jan 17, 2009 9:49 PM:

" One thing that I just about can't tolerate is being waited on in an eating establishment and the person waiting on me having a face full of piercings. I can stand it until all they can do it play with every ring and stud they have on their face, nothing can ruin a appetite faster than your waitress flipping her lip ring around with her toungue while you are ordering..Please talk to your employees "




sidney wrote on Jan 15, 2009 8:58 PM:

" i totally agree with you "cell phones" on telling every one you knew about your poor customer service experience. it's funny that i was just talking with one of my patrons the other day about how good of a job someone does. if you do a good job for one person and make sure they are happy, they might just tell one person. if you do a poor job for someone and leave a bad impression with them, they are going to tell everyone they know. for all of us that work customer service, we can't afford to leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. the goal is to leave a good lasting impression so that person is more likely to come back and do business with you again. i have also had experiences where i have asked a store clerk a question about a product and gotten either a blank stare or they look at me like i'm stupid. obviously i'm asking the question because i don't know the answer. good for those people that have the answers but don't flaunt it. you're not a better person because of your knowlege if you make someone else feel inferior, especially a customer. and obviously if you don't have the answer, find someone that does and get back to the customer ASAP. i have also noticed that if you don't have a certain last name or a certain look about you, you are treated very different and almost beneath some of these store owners and employees. maybe if alot of our clothing stores weren't so high priced i could afford to dress as nice as you. but being a parent, my two kids get new clothing before i do. it just so happens that we are heading to williston this weekend to do our stock ups. diapers, shoes, clothes, etc. are much cheaper there even if it does mean using a 1/4 tank of gas round trip. for all of the other employees in sidney striving to reach a higher level of customer service, keep on doing what you're doing. it will pay off some day. "




jad wrote on Jan 15, 2009 7:00 PM:

" Several years ago, I had a bad experiance in a local store over a $17 brush for a vacuum cleaner. The owner asked me to leave and even held the door open for me. I have not been in the store since. Everyone tell us to shop local, well if they had something to buy and nice people to wait on us, maybe more people would shop local. The grocery stores have wonderful people working for them as does Pamida "




eb wrote on Jan 15, 2009 5:24 PM:

" I appreciate very much our local retail and service merchants. I have noticed the strong difference in attitude between adults and teens, and agree that many teens display rude, crude and sullen behavior. If I'm going to be spending my money, I expect the cashier to be handling my transaction quickly and pleasantly. They applied for and accepted the job; they have the option to resign if unhappy. "




Randy wrote on Jan 15, 2009 12:52 PM:

" "Just Me" has an excellent idea. It could be sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. They would just have to figure out a way to balance the voting, based on a business's volume...Some businesses have WAY more customers than others and the scales would be weighted to their advantage. Ex: McDonalds has FAR more customers than the Dry Cleaners, and even if every dry cleaning customer gave the place a "thumbs-up", their number of votes would be way behind McD's, even if McDs only got a 50% rating. "




cell phones wrote on Jan 15, 2009 12:12 PM:

" I worked for a major Retailer for 3 years and we would have been wrote up on the spot for using a cell phone at work. I often walk in to stores and see the employees texting or chatting on phones. I agree with Randy in that cell phone etiquette is a huge issue in Sidney. I have also had cashiers at grocery stores pretty much ignore me as they checked me out and chat with someone who came to visit them at work. I know we live in a small town but don't ignore a customer to chat with your friend/family member that came to visit you if it is an emergency explain to the customer but don't just ignore them.
On another note, we rented tuxes from a local store for my brother-in-laws wedding over a year ago...she said she was going to give us a deal and didn't, she had a ridiculous set of rules that had to be followed by the tux wearers(as in if they were going to drink they need to change out of their tuxes and they couldn't put their hands in their pockets), and was talking bad about the bride and mother of the groom to me! The tuxes didn't fit, and she made us pay to have another tux brought in to fit one of the groomsman even though she had ordered the wrong size. We spent roughly $700 in her store, we could have gotten the same tuxes in Billings for half of that, but we gave her the benefit of being a local store...We told everyone we knew about her actions and how horrible it was. "




Not Impressed Either wrote on Jan 15, 2009 12:08 PM:

" I was the other person with Not Impressed when we were treated so rudely while purchasing a wedding gift at a large well-known business in town. The service we received there was appalling. For one, the person who we were purchasing the wedding gift for had their bridal registry set up a this store. So when we were told that there would be a charge for wrapping this gift, it was quite a suprise, especially since he was something they had registered for.
We were told to come back after a designated time frame. We left, came back well after how long they said it would take, and it was still not done. Not impressed speaks the truth when she says the wrapping job was horrible and the young lady (teenaged) doing it was everything but accomodating and pleasant. She was quite rude and did not offer to try to correct her work or remedy the situation in the least. We were basically told too bad, even though we were charged extra AND made to wait for this wrapping job. Not Impressed forgot to add that when she had to re-wrap the package at home, that was at her own expense also.
All in all, it was totally ridiculous. Neither of us had been in this store in quite some time we both were with currently or had previously been living out of the area. We were very impressed with the merchandise and selection available in the store, but this experience really changed my opinion of the store, and definitely not for the better. "




Scott wrote on Jan 15, 2009 10:41 AM:

" I have had good and bad customer service in both Sidney and Williston, I mark it up to a bad day for the sales person.

I agree that the check out clerk should be more intersested in my sale than talking to her friend about the "new baby" (this has happened in both towns).

Also don't expect customer service at the "mega chain" in Williston, ask a clerk a question and they give you a blank stare.

i go to Williston about 5 or 6 time a years, mostly for something to do and make a fun day out of it.

I do think Sidney needs more clothing stores,restaurant, and motels. or maybe an expansion of stores we already have, Maybe JCPenny or White Drug could move into the old Yellowstone Merch. it would be a bigger building for them and it would fill a vacant store on Central Ave. "




just me wrote on Jan 15, 2009 8:59 AM:

" I have an idea, why doesn't the Herald and our local radio stations have a contest each month rewarding a local business for outstanding customer service, it may give them something to work towrds. Just an idea. "




Randy wrote on Jan 15, 2009 1:57 AM:

" Overall, I have had pretty good service in Sidney. The vast majority of the customer service folks are friendly, excellent at their jobs and don't hesitate to go out of their way to help.

The only exceptions are a few check-out clerks who seem to spend more time talking to the customer they are waiting on than "checking-out"...Not good when there are customers waiting. It is OK to be sociable, but please keep the line moving.

And, there are a few folks employees that *should* be focusing on the customers, but think that their cell phones are more important. Maybe if business owners instituted a "no cell phone" policy, things would get better. Afterall, Sidney has managed to get along just fine for almost a century with out cell phones. (Business owners, just watch to see how much time - that you are paying for - that some of your employees spend takling and texting.)

I have also encountered an employee or 2 that had attitudes like they were sentenced to work somewhere, instead of being hired to do so. Thankfully, these people are few and far between in Sidney.

Now, to some of the customers - Please don't wait until the cashier is done ringing up your purchase to start looking for your checkbook, and balance your checkbook at home, not in the check-out line. If you suddenly realize that you forgot something, try to have a little respect for the folks behind you and get the item ASAP or just wait until your next shopping trip.

Owners & Managers - When you get a ccomplaint about an employee and you tell the person that you will talk with or reprimand the employee, be sure to follow through on your promise, and soon. It doesn't do much good to reprimand someone for something that happened days ago. But NEVER reprimand an employee in front of customers or other employees (I have witnessed this). Publically embarassing someone does nothing except make an employee resentful, and you look foolish. Sometimes the employee does not know how their actions or comments affect others and a little counseling is all that is needed. "




interesting... wrote on Jan 14, 2009 8:44 PM:

" First I would like to express my thanks to certain businesses in town: Reynolds: Every employee there has gone out of their way to help me. Polite, helpful, and cheerful! Ribbon & Rail: Edith is a godsend! Always there with a smile on her face and willing to help solve any problem. Laura at IGA-only person I know in town that actually can count back change the correct way! How she can remember so many names is beyond me. Pamida: Never had a problem with any of their employees, always willing to help out any way they can. Radio Shack: Eva-wow that woman has a wealth of knowledge
My list could go on and on. Ya, I've had some "bad" apples in the bunch, but I give them the benefit of the doubt and strike it up as having a bad day. When I approach "customer service" I do it with a smile and a nice attitude. It's amazing how a smile catches on. Try it sometime you might like the results you get. Oh sure your gonna run across some grumps out there but why let them ruin your day? Misery loves company but I refuse to let misery ruin my day. "




Interesting wrote on Jan 14, 2009 7:22 PM:

" I feel that the service I get around town from the local stores is pretty good. I have encountered a couple of cold ones but for the most part service is good. When it comes to people who manage an apartment complex it's a whole different story and not a good one. When the new managers took over from the previous ones of 17 years, things went down hill fast. I wont elaborate here but these people know what I am talking about. I will just call it horrible for now but there are far better words to describe it. "




Donna wrote on Jan 14, 2009 6:13 PM:

" I am a business owner. I try to greet every one who walks in my store. If I am busy with another customer it may by no more the a raised hand to acknowledge you are there. Also i may not remember your name but may remember your face so have patients with me. there is one of me and many of you.
The old saying the customer is always right is not always true. I have had times when a customer has walked in the door making unreasonable demands on returning something. After having an item for 6 months and no call(they lived out of town) to say it did not work do not walk in in and expect me to give you a refund.
Also do not walk behind my counter uninvited.These are just a couple of things my customers have done.
I believe I give good service to my customers I enjoy talking to my customers and finding just what they need. So far 99% of my customers are great. Just as most store owners and employees are ok it only take one to spoil it for the rest.
Personally I try to shop here in town to support local business. I have not had time to check the the new stores yet but I will soon. "




mixed reviews wrote on Jan 14, 2009 4:02 PM:

" I am so pleased that customer service is brought up as an issue in this community. Or should I say Lack of Customer Service. I just finished working in the fields and had to go to our local discount value store where I was followed by certain store personell as if I was to steal something. Made my expensive purchased then left. I would have bought more, but I felt smothered, every aisle I went down, someone was watching me I am sure just because I was dirty. Another instance was when I went Christmas shopping at the two new-this-year downtown stores. In one I was greeted with open arms and the lady was sure to inform me of sales that were going on. I was so pleased and that re-instilled that this was what hometown shopping was all about. However, the other store I felt as if my money was no good there. I was just waiting for the sad Pretty Woman music to start playing when I left. I believe there are business owners concerned with each and every customer and others who are concerned with a particular customer. "




MIXED wrote on Jan 14, 2009 12:58 PM:

" My feelings about the customer service in town, my mother will not come a visit me from out of state because of it. I see a lot of young adults not wanting to be at work so they have a hard being nice, or greeting you but on the same side there are a lot of adults that are that way. I am sorry you have to work but it is not my fault, I have to work so make the best of it. Some places in town dont really have the clothes that I like but when I do find them in town it cost so much that I cant afford it. I go to Williston (Wal-Mart) at least 2 time a month for food, clothes, and the bacis needs and wants. I know that some stores there is no way they can compete with Wal-Marts prices but if I could get everything I needed here and good customer service I wouldn't go over there as much. "




going elsewhere wrote on Jan 14, 2009 12:31 PM:

" I too have been embarrassed by the way salepeople and "owners" of local Sidney stores have treated me. I have been in the customer service industry for 30 years and love to make people feel welcome and like I have helped them. During the holidays while shopping at a local western clothing store the "owner" was more than rude to me and made me wonder why I was even shopping in "her" store. I decided than and there I would rather drive an extra hour and a half and get the appreciation and help I needed. Another episode was after buying a Wii and Wii fit at another store in Sidney, I was asking the salesgirl "Danielle" questions about games and such that I would need for my kids' Wii, she said to me "are you really that dumb"? I was so embarrassed, I guess I must be, but I would again rather drive the extra hour and a half to be helped without being so "dumb" "




Not Impressed wrote on Jan 14, 2009 11:31 AM:

" I also love the fact that someone is asking about customer service. I have worked in customer service for eight years, so I have an idea what should be done and what shouldn't be. I experienced VERY BAD customer service from a Very Well known business in town. I went in to purchase a wedding gift for a friend and when I picked out the present it was a larger trunk and some other smaller pieces. Well I asked the gentelman that helped me if there was any way they would wrap it for me and he said no problem, but it may take a minute or so. Well, so my friend and I left for about an hour and then came back, they had just started wrapping it and when the young lady finally got it done after twenty minutes it was HORRIBLE. She had not but anything inside the trunk to keep the smaller presents from rattling and the wrap job looked like my one year old wrapped it. I let them know that I wasn't happy and actually asked if I could use their wrapping area to fix it a little bit and she said that if I didn't like the way she had wrapped it I could take it home and do it my self (I paid like $5 or $10 to get it wrapped) So I took it home unwrapped the whole thing and when I did that I was even more upset because she had stuffed random empty boxes in the fill the large box she used. Totally unproffessional and I pretty much got laughed at and eyes rolled when I complained. Therefor I am glad to beable to vent on here. "




2 cents wrote on Jan 14, 2009 8:31 AM:

" I once was at a store here in town when one of the young girls I had with me commented about a belly piercing kit. The store owner proceeded to lecture the young lady about responsibility and all of the horrible things that could happen to her and stated that the business that had the piercing kits should be shut down. I was so disgusted with the store owners behavior I have not since stepped foot in her store, nor will I ever. Personal opinions should be kept just that. "




sidney wrote on Jan 14, 2009 7:09 AM:

" i have mixed feelings on our customer service here in sidney. i try to shop in sidney as much as i can but there are just some things that are much more expensive here that else where. i don't particularly drive an hour just for one thing, it's normally to do a days worth of shopping for a lot of different things. our customer service could use a lot of improvement. a few months ago is was grocery shopping, by myself thank goodness, and when i went to the check out counter one of the people that was working behind the counter started throwing the "f" bomb about the people they worked with. i was appalled. i should have said something to one of the store managers but i chose not to. had i had my children with me it would have been a totally different story. the manager would have been talked to right away. when i go shopping for anything, i want to be greeted with a smile and a "hello" not a scowl and a grumble. i totally understand that everyone has bad days, but when your job depends on you to deal with people day in and day out, leave your personal problems at home and certainly don't talk to your customers about work related issues. even going through a drive-thru i have had a person make a comment about how much i was ordering. i happened to be getting breakfast one morning for my sister, her husband, two toddlers and myself. when i got up to the window, the person said "Geez, your ordered a lot!". like it's any of their business. we don't eat out very often, but when we do, even if it's just at a fast food place, i don't want to be looked down at. anybody working in a job where they have to deal with people on a daily basis should take a customer service training course and be evaluated every now and then. if i choose not to shop locally because of poor customer service, it's not going to make or break a business. but if several other people feel the same as i do and choose to shop else where, it could do a lot of damage to our community.
on a lighter note, i have been to several businesses where i have gotten excellent customer service. i'm greeted with a pleasant "hello" and called by my first name. that means a lot when someone remembers who you are. it makes the shopping trip much more enjoyable when i go to check out and i get the pleasure of having a polite check out clerk. i have learned to try to make sure i go through that person's check out stand because i know i'm going to be treated with respect. kudos to all those who go beyond in customer service. "




personally wrote on Jan 13, 2009 10:28 PM:

" My biggest complaint about Sidney businesses is the hours so many of them keep, which seem to change from week to week. You never know when stores are going to be open and a lack of business being open on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons is hard on people who work all week. I haven't come across many bad customer service situations, there have been times at restaurants in Sidney that have been pretty bad. As far as retail businesses I would customer service is usually pretty good, but I also think there is still situations in Sidney where depending on who you are you are going to be treated differently than others.
I do most of my shopping locally, I only go to Williston if it is something I know I can't get in Sidney, I make a trip to Williston maybe once every 3 months. Shopping in Sidney has paid off for me, the employees know me and my kids and are friendly when we see them. "

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