Northeast Ohio - Western Pa product and service reviews

Just like I do for my restaurant review page, I will post the best and the worst products and services that I find here in the North East Ohio and Western Pa area.

My spotlight will be bright.

I am my own secret shopper and I DO tell the truth so beware and be warned.

The Globe Restaurant is in the Truck World Mall near Interstate 80 in Hubbard, Ohio.

Good food for the family and/or for late night snacking.

They have one of the best and biggest Friday fish frys around during the Spring !

When you go, ask for Amanda - the BEST waitress ever.

She is nice, she is fast, she is just plain good !

Make sure you show your appreciation by leaving a good tip as well so that we can keep good workers like this around.

September, 9, 2013 review of Steven's Optical in Hubbard, Ohio

My youngest daughter and I went to Steven's Optical in Hubbard, Ohio today for our eye exams and to order our new glasses.

Great service, great prices and nice people !

So glad to have a LOCAL place like this.

Boutique Shop in Hubbard, Ohio

This cute little store is right next to the Hubbard Ohio Gift Shop - Diana's (see web page for more information, directions and a map to find these shops) Gifts-and-Collectibles-Business

Carolyn has all sorts of unusual goodies and some upcycled stuff too !

Her prices are very low just like mine and the stock is always changing as things sell so hurry in to get a look at the fun items in there.

Once there, you can clearly see that she does indeed have 2 Much Stuff !

Days and hours:

Tuesday; Wednesday; Thursday; Friday and Saturday from 11am to 5pm

Hermitage, Pa

My Mom, my youngest daughter and I were in Pat Catans Hermitage store on Monday, March 15, 2010 around dinnertime.

We were looking for some items for her and Dad's 50th Wedding Anniversary party in May.

I was having a tough time finding a few things and everyone was too busy so I couldn't find much help - UNTIL I was in the ribbon and floral department and needed some tulle cut and marked.

My daughter went up to the desk, rang the bell and within 30 seconds a store associate was there with a smile.

He so patiently listened while my daughter was regaling him with what we were doing in the store that day and why we wanted the tulle and that her Grandma and Grandpa both have been so sick over the last 5-6 years so we were so thrilled to have them both still here...

He then said how wonderful it was and that his own parents made it to 45 before his Dad died.

We chatted a little about family and how nice it is to celebrate them while they're here and how I lost my brother and he his Dad...

Now, he did not waste time standing around chatting with us instead of working - so don't any of you bosses get upset ;)

He chatted WHILE he worked and helped us.

Also, this was not an isolated incident.

We saw him several times in other departments in the store - he was always busy, but always had a smile for the customers and the other workers that came into his view.

I could also tell that he meant it - he was not being fake - he really enjoys his work and helping his customers and fellow workers alike.

As you folks know, I keep my eyes open and I watch for someone who merits being written about. I always try to find the best and to let you know about him/her or a certain place.

In this case, the name of my find for the Best is Rick Guerino from the Hermitage Pat Catans craft store.

Congratulations to you Mr. Guerino !

Are you in the North East Ohio or Western Pa area and looking for a new cell phone ?

Stop by and see Nick Ruby at the Hermitage Verizon store. It is next to the Starbucks coffee shop on Route 18.

This is the old Treasure Island store - the same plaza where Pat Catan's craft store is.

Here's the scoop:

I think most of you know that I (and at least my oldest daughter and maybe the rest of my kids too) have a connective tissue disorder that is slowly disabling me.

Anyway, hubby and I had to get new phones yesterday (January 29, 2010) so we went shopping around and ended up at the Verizon store that's just a few miles away in Hermitage, Pa

I need a BIG and heavy phone with easy dialing.

So, I looked around and around for quite a while.

Nick Ruby was our sales person. He showed us several phones and when I explained why I needed a big phone and that we did not want the data (text or web) sevices he patiently showed us a few more. None of them were what I wanted/needed.

I looked around myself while Nick was talking to hubby and my youngest daughter (almost 12) and I found a display phone I liked and it was on sale + if I bought this phone, we got another phone (equal or lesser value) for free.

The only problem was that this phone, as well as most of the bigger phones, came with a data package. I do not really need texting so I got the minimum web package even though I didn't really want to get any of it.

I got that phone and hubby got a different phone without the data package.

Nick looked through the phone cases and found a few sturdy protective and heavy ones because he knew I like a heavy phone and that the phone would be in my purse and so would need a cover to protect the screen.

I picked out the leather cover and got a great price on it - he also put a protective film over my phone screen.

Both hubby and I got phones, phone cases, a car charger each, a house charger each + a phone for my youngest - ALL for $150 (after the $100 rebate).

* My youngest was given a phone by my son that we were going to get put on our plan for her use, but they could not get it to get set up so Nick said to leave it there with him and he would try it again when he had a chance. He worked on trying to get it switched over, but it was a pre-paid phone before and for some reason they could not convert it - so Nick asked his manager about it and he got my daughter got a free phone to take when she goes on school trips. I'm sure it it a display model or an older phone because it is free, but that's fine with me.

I REALLY appreciate his efforts at making my whole family happy Verizon customers !

I wasn't sure if I would like - or even be able to use - the web on my new phone...

Well now, let me tell you, I had FUN last night playing with it.

After I spent an hour scanning the two books that came with it, I checked my emails and even sent 2 tweets in between my hand sewing !

This will be great - now I can keep in touch even in the evenings when my legs are very bad and I need to be in my room.

If you go, Tell Nick that Diana sent you ;)

We are loving our phones and our service. Not one dropped call so far !

The phone service has been great so far. No dropped calls yet and not much static even when I am at the computer.

We got the first bill in the mail and had a couple of surprises.

The first one was that my 12 year old accidentally subscribed to something on her phone - LOL

Hubby called about it and the wonderful lady took it off the bill and canceled it which she didn't have to do because it was not Verizon's fault at all. I wish I had her name so I could tell you about her, but hubby didn't get it.

You can believe that we talked to the 12 year old about VERY careful on her phone. I keep it with me most of the time and only give it to her when her work is done so she can talk to a few friends. She will also take it with her on trips and things too.

The second surprise was a doozy, but I will tell you about that later when I see what happened.

I have been having trouble getting into the online "My Verizon" section of their website. I tried for a few days and kept getting "Unavailable" Maybe it is all the storms. I will try again soon.

I have been wanting to list our "Call 10 people for free" but I cannot get through to be able to do it. As I said though, it is probably all of the storms.

I'll let you know later how that goes for me.

I did NOT tell her that I wrote reviews until AFTER she solved my problem...

Gotta give kudos to Shannon.

Let me tell you the backstory first:

When I had planned on leaving my former cell phone provider, I was told about Verizon by a friend of my oldest daughter (Tamatha, have you claimed your referral credit yet ???) - so I went online to see what they had to offer.

I found some great family plans and some of the phones looked nice, but as I said in my earlier post - I needed to make sure I could actually USE the phone.

While I was online, I saw that if you ordered online you would not be charged the activation fees so after I found the phone I wanted and the family got their phones, I was going to go home and get set up online to save money. When my hubby mentioned this at the store they said we didn't have to do that because they would take it off for us to save us the hassle and they would be happy to have us as customers now instead of later - maybe that was so we didn't change our minds ;)

I didn't give it another thought until the other day when we got our bill and there were charges for $35.00, $25.00, and another $25.00 for the activation for our 3 phones.

Hubby about had a fit when he opened the bill !

I said "I'm sure there was just a foul-up because of their computer system being down or something and I would call about it."

Well, I am happy to report that I called the phone number on the Verizon business card at about 4:54pm and talked to a nice young lady who put me through to Shannon in Customer Service.

Within 5 minutes she had it all straightened out and said it was off of our bill now and to just pay the new amount she had given me.

After she was done, I asked her for her name to make sure I had heard her correctly and THEN I told her about my review writing.

I left a message on her supervisors machine as well so Shannon will get a thumbs-up for sure.

Thank you Shannon !

I hear from so many folks that these "...young people..." are lazy and don't know how to work or how to be responsible.

I see a lack of work ethic in so many folks - not just the young. Let me tell you a little story: Years ago, I was a bartender and cook and a local place in Pennsylvania by a steel mill (the old Sharon Steel). Several of the workers would come in every day for lunch and tease me because I had to work very hard just to survive. These men, who were twice my age or more, would brag about how lazy they could be and how they could get away with reading the newspaper/smoking/eating/lounging... and look out for each other in case the bosses were walking around and might catch them while they were supposed to be working AND that they made good money because it was union. After a few weeks of this, I just said "I was taught to be an honest, good, hard-working person and to take pride in my work. To be a good example and to reflect well upon my family. I am proud of myself and how hard that I work because I have EARNED my money." You steel time from your company and can't say the same thing so if I were you - I would very ashamed of myself." And then I quietly went about my business again :)

So, please do not assume that a young person would not make a good employee or that an older person will work hard because, as the old saying goes, "You can't judge a book by the cover."