I was worried all the extra testosterone he’d have to manufacture to counter the effects of riding a hot pink bike might turn him into a growly dude unwilling to sell sno-balls at carnivals anymore, but I needn’t have worried. Al told me he was trading the bike for a more subdued model, which he plans to give to one of his small sons to stir up sibling rivalry.

One of our customers recently called us “low maintenance and efficient,” after also telling us QiSOFT service is great because we “talk with people.” But that’s only because people are a whole lot better to talk with than computers, no matter what that second computer on the right in our conference room says.

Joking aside, it delights us to know our commitment to service is recognized and appreciated. We’re proud of being a low-maintenance and efficient company that doesn’t bug our customers with unnecessary upgrades, but are still right there for them 24-7 when needed.

And you’d better not get tired of me harping on this theme of excellent service, because you are going to hear it from me over and over again. For one thing, it’s the bedrock of the QISOFT philosophy. And for another, not a week goes by for me (and you?) when I don’t have at least one attack of apoplexy brought on by some company that couldn’t give a shi … er … “toss” … if I ever use their services again.

Like the credit card company that loves talking with crabby little me so much they continue to bill me, complete with late fees, for a monthly payment I paid on time three years ago. And then there’s that insurance company that, despite my having been divorced since 1976 and telling them so many times, continues to address all correspondence to me as “Dear Mr. and Mrs..”

I would change companies, but since they’ve kept me married these past 34 years they obviously have a bad case of separation anxiety. I’m afraid if I try to leave they may just pronounce me dead, and then I’ll have to spend what’s left of my life proving I’m still alive to other companies just like them. I could give you lots more examples, but I won’t - because I know you have horror stories of your own. Kevin can go on for days just about airline travel. I plan to do an entire blog on his travel stories one of these days.

QiSOFT ’s commitment to service is such a rarity in today’s business world our customers regularly get all gushy on us. And when they discover we actually like to solve their problems immediately and are dedicated to saving them money in the process, they sometimes faint dead away from sheer delight.

As explained by Kris, “QiSOFT has every possible certification you could ask for, we know our business, but customers don’t always know how we can help them. We’re always willing to help, even if it’s just to evaluate their software. Sometimes they spend money buying bits and pieces from others to augment their existing program and are just spending money duplicating what they already have.”

Kevin is right now on the road talking with lots of new companies and Kelly over in England (and this month, Holland) is doing the same, so if either one of them knocks on your door you should absolutely offer them a comfy chair and then listen to what they have to offer. You won’t be sorry. Not only is the software the best available anywhere, QiSOFT people are just plain nice.

For example: In recent months Michael has brought three paper mills on board in South America, two in Argentina and one in Venezuela, making him a frequent flyer to and from those sites. I accidentally learned that on his final installation visit to one of the plants, he took a gift of local candy (pralines and other southern delicacies) to the men and women he’d trained there on the QiSOFT equipment.

See? Sweet!

Michael and Franklin flew up to sites near Lynchburg, Virginia this month, with Michael doing two days of training at one site while Franklin went to Bear Island to visit people there he’s been helping over the phone. “This project has been going on awhile and it will be good to put faces with voices,” Franklin said.

I didn’t discuss with him my horror of bears – how they will disguise themselves as people (not very well, because they’re so furry) to get close enough to eat you – but I did caution him to watch out for them as they wouldn’t have named the place Bear Island if there weren’t some around.

(Although, having said that, I am reminded of Savannah’s “Twelve Oaks Shopping Plaza” where the twelve oaks got logged off and hauled away when they built the place … so the bears of Bear Island probably became rugs long ago.).

While talking with Franklin and Al, I jokingly asked Al if he’d be selling sno-cones at the upcoming Brooklet Peanut Festival in Brooklet, Georgia. Al said “No,” even as Franklin began gushing about all the things to do at the Brooklet Peanut Festival, held every year on the hottest day of the summer (I don’t know how they know which day will be the hottest day, but they get it right every year) and is filled with every known Yee Haw carnival event.

I looked at Al with new respect and at Franklin, whom heretofore I had regarded as a rather sophisticated young man, as if he had suddenly grown a bright red neck.

“How do you even know about the Brooklet Peanut Festival?” I asked him, Brooklet being a tea-tiny town an hour or so inland from Savannah. Watching peanuts and cotton grow is pretty much the main activity there until the annual peanut-celebrating festival is held. (Were I a cotton plant I’d take my boll weevils and go look’n for a home offering me a festival of my own, but then, that’s the sort I am).

Franklin explained he had relatives living near Brooklet who had taken him to the Peanut Festival a time or two when he was a defenseless child, so I airbrushed his neck back to its normal color. After all, I only know about the festival because Clay and Susanne live out that way and made me go to it with them one year when I was already a defenseless old person.

Dragging me behind them kicking up dust, they ignored my loud wailing about it being 146 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade (with a heat index making it actually 216 degrees). I bought myself a little water bottle with a fan attached to spray myself down, and could probably have sold a cooling spray to passers by for $1000 a squirt, but I wasn’t about to risk running out of water for myself.

And with August just ahead (Savannah’s month when the Devil goes back to Hell to cool off) we’ll be visiting our English office in the next blog to take a break from the heat ... Tah till then.