Today's post comes from Bridgz's director of data services Bob Gorans.

My wife and I have been looking for a new TV over the past few months and have spent considerable time researching online. After much scouring, we finally found the product we wanted on sale at a large electronics retailer. We were ready to buy.

Our first attempt to make the purchase was through the company's website, where I learned that I could not order this particular product online. When I attempted to have it sent to the nearest store I was informed that it couldn't be sent to any of the stores within the state of Minnesota.

This seemed odd since the website said the TV was available, and we really had our hearts set, so I called our local store to see if they might be able to acquire one so I could make the purchase in-store.

The associate there told me that their store had eight coming in on a shipment, but that it wasn't clear whether any were available. Really? I'm sitting here, ready to spend, and your computer can't even tell me whether the televisions you're receiving are available to purchase?

Frustrated and nonplussed, I hung up and decided to try one more store. Here, I was connected to a much more accommodating associate who went to great lengths to try and track down the product I wanted, looking through their inventory and checking with several other stores.

Eventually it became apparent that I would not be able to purchase this item without driving out of state. The disappointing news was made easier to swallow by the helpfulness of this employee, and I ended up purchasing a different TV from the store.

Overall, it was an uneven experience, but fortunately ended well thanks to a positive final interaction. A less patient customer might have given up after the first try, however. This serves as a reminder that quality customer service should be uniformly applied across all operations, because a company's promise of customer-centricity only works if embraced by every employee that interacts with the customer.