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Saturday (27Feb) was a Leura day one longs for — moderate temperatures, a deep blue sky with a few fluffy white clouds high above and absolute calm brought out visitors and locals alike. We arrived at Post Cafe & Bar a bit early,  before lunch was fully in the shoppers’ minds. The veggie quiche was quite tasty, though the portion might be a bit small for a male appetite. My friend ordered the ‘fish&chips’ and thought it very very good.  By 1pm, every seat was filled both inside and out on the shaded patio. Everyone seemed in a terrific mood. The service is quite good @Post Cafe, prices are moderate and the menu is traditional Aussie fare.

Picnickers lined the grassy mall, shoes kicked off and getting a few rays. After lunch, we cruised a few shops, made a great purchase at Cicero’s and hopped on the train for a leisurely trip down the mountain.  The day will be a nice warm memory once the cold arrives in June!

From recent comments to this blog, I gather there is some confusion about the blog’s purpose. We set up the blog for those who visit Leura and would like to leave a comment about their experience. We will not include photos or links in the blog as someone suggested. The website has beautiful photos (photo gallery on homepage) and sprinkled liberally throughout the editorial.  Hence, the blog may disappoint some. We apologise in advance and we ask that your comments either relate to a visit to Leura or a visit to our website. We will include only those comments. We highly recommend a trip to Leura — it’s a one-of-a-kind village in the Blue Mountains.

Earlier this month (January) in response to a customer complaint about unfriendly shop owners to this web site’s ‘contact us’, we began to point out some of the shops where customer service is 4 ****.

Today, we will talk about four shops because they fall into the same category, “vintage”. Their owners/staff  are superb, and we don’t throw that term about lightly. All shops sell classy items – after all this IS Leura! But it’s  the friendly smile and sincere interest in you as a shopper that stands out to us. We’ve “eavesdropped” as customers are in their shops. You’ll be treated as “special” at Renommee, mrs peel, Vivianna’s, and Leura Vintage. See our MAPS for their location.

In early December (09), I read an article in a local paper (outside the Blue Mtns) written by the President of the Chamber of Commerce of that small city. The title: “Too many business staff have had a charisma bypass.” You can guess the jist, but I’ll give you her lead quotes: “People (shopstaff) aren’t taking the time to look at the person . . .or if they do, its that glazed look. Their customer service training said, “Say hello, how are you and it doesn’t matter if you don’t mean it.”

At the Leura Butchery, this staff walks the talk of great customer service. Friendly, patient (for those of us undecided shoppers) and big smiles all way round. No loss of charisma here. Brendan’s family has a long history of retail in Leura — ask his Gramma Trish!

A few days after Christmas, I received a complaint through the website email, a complaint about the lack of friendly shop owners on Leura Mall. The customer felt rebuffed and treated poorly in a couple of shops. So, I will address this perception over several days.

I have interacted with every shop, cafe, restaurant and spa in Leura and my perceptions are built over four years, not a one-time interaction. So, I responded to my emailer that unless she specifically asked she may not have been dealing with a shop owner. Most shop owners know that customers, whether visitors or locals are the lifeline of their business and would only foolishly risk poor customer interaction. Notice, that I use the term “most”.  Of course, periodically even shop owners have a bad day and perhaps my emailer was the unfortunate one to open the door. However, I assured her that many owners are delightful and I gave her a few examples of stong customer service and respectful personal attention.

So, perhaps this is the place to share these “top” sales people in Leura with everyone. For the next few days, you’ll find these great shop owners described here. I’ll begin with Ophelia’s Emporium. Robyn (owner) is a delight to watch. We could all learn from Robyn as she helps two youngsters pick out a gift for mum, or a mature woman from Katoomba choose gifts for her grandchildren.  Respectful and solicitous — never overbearing nor demeaning. Dignity all the way!

We’ve some great video footage of the Village Fair this year (2008) and will be adding it to the website late in December. The Fair was a big success this year and the weather on Saturday was perfect. The most fun scene was a “Ruby Bloomer” gal teaching the fire brigade how to hang clothes — mostly tantalizing undies — on a clothes line. Have to admit, the “firies” were slow learners, but very good sports. The most enticing foodie market — gorgeous fresh strawberries. Streets were crowded, but everyone was happy, the cherry trees were in full bloom and fair goers came out of jumpers by 10:30 or so. Just a great day.