Customer service saves small business after earthquake strikes

Penny Halloumis outside her Waltham takeaway - It's All Greek to Me.

The value of good customer service really shows up in disaster situations.

Penny Halloumis who owns a Greek takeaway and catering business just outside Christchurch's CBD cordon in Waltham popped into her shop several days after the quake to collect customer phone numbers so she could call them and make sure they were okay.

She's been open for business and busy ever since.

"All my regulars saw the door open and came in. There are also a whole lot of new customers who have moved into the area because their businesses are in the CBD cordon and they've moved into empty offices in the sites around us."

It's not only because she is one of the few food operations in the area that she is doing a roaring trade but also because her customer service is second to none. Customers who come into her shop, It's All Greek to Me, see her more as a friend and came to the rescue when she ran out of fresh produce.

"I didn't have tomatoes or lettuce because no supplies were coming into Christchurch," she says.

After she mentioned this, one of her regulars turned up with two bags full of produce.

"I even had someone who grows organic tomatoes outside Lincoln arrived with a crate of fresh tomatoes. Real ones that smell like sunshine."

Last Friday, a week and a half since the quake, Halloumis ended up having her busiest day ever since she opened the shop a few years ago but she says people come for the company as much as the souvlaki.

"People want to talk about what happened and share their experience. I'm here to listen and talk as well. We're all in this together."

While she did lose a lot of perishables while she waited for the power to come back on and laments not having insurance for it she's philosophical about the situation. It happened. So for Halloumis it's business as usual - a helping of souvlaki with a generous drizzle of excellent customer service which is keeping people coming back for more.