My “paradise moments” have less to do with palm trees and beautiful waterways and more with daily life here in Cape Coral. I can’t help but wonder whether I’m the only one who notices the poor customer service around this paradise town. I wish I could say it only happens once in a while but I can’t. It happens every day, several times a day and it’s inexcusable.

Here’s a paradise moment for you. The other day I walked up to the register to pay for a car wash. The woman behind the counter was on the phone. As she chatted about personal matters, she managed to collect my money and give me a receipt. Wow. Only one problem; she never made eye contact with me, the customer. She never said hello, she never said goodbye and she definitely missed “thank you.”

Last March, I wanted an estimate for window cleaning. I spoke to the owner on a Thursday and he said he would come by that Friday. I’m still waiting! What kind of service is that? A simple phone call to say he couldn’t make it would have been painless and so much more professional. I’ll never call him again.

Here is Cape Coral being marketed to the world as “It’s Just Paradise,” yet we can rarely get customer service with a smile. In fact, the employee motto seems to be “only 10 more minutes and I’m off.” I can’t tell if it’s bad training or no training, but it sure doesn’t fly with me. Employee attitude is a reflection of good (or bad) management and ownership. Maybe we need to start at the top with a refresher course on good manners and common sense. I’m constantly in search of positive attitude and good customer service. I hope my next “paradise moment” is just that.