Ian "On my own terms." M.'s Profile

The salon staff are great.
The salon is great.
The location is great.

The point system to buy tans that would confuse an engineer is awful.  I got confused into thinking a membership would be more economical - for me - it was at least double the price for the amount of tans I actually used.  I wasn't going for full oompa loompa though, just a warm glow.

But where it takes turn for the worse is when you discover your three month membership isn't just 3 months, it is actually a 3 month minimum membership with auto-renew!  Well lucky me!  I know own a 4th month of tanning I WON'T USE.

Shame on me for not being aware of the minute details of the agreement I signed.   I accept responsibility for this.

Shame on Tan Bella for pocketing my $100 even after I called to talk about having no idea why there is another charge on my card for a membership I thought was over weeks ago.  Hell, I even called 2 weeks ago to see if I had a membership cause I really thought it was over, no one mentioned "of course you're still a member, you are always member unless you cancel with 30 days notice."

Ways I could have avoided this:

1.  Not tan.
2.  Read the contract.
3.  Set a reminder to cancel in my google calendar.

Ways Tan Bella could avoid another annoyed ex customer:

1.  Be really sure I know to give 30 day notice on my auto-renew membership.
2.  Call to say I am nearing the end of my commitment and ask if I would like to auto-renew.
3.  Give reminders to customers that they are going to be auto billed when they are there in person near the end of a commitment.
4.  Look back and see that someone didn't really use the salon much and hasn't been there in weeks so just be nice and not charge that additional membership fee when they call in confused about it. Show owner comment »

I went back last night for the first time since August.  They were nice, especially considering it was almost closing time.  And, of course they were super knowledgeable about the chai my mom was ordering for her drive home.  She actually convinced me to come back.

So this morning I came in for a coffee.  Since I live upstairs it is super convenient to just go downstairs for a cup.  And their coffee is friccin great.  The guy who helped me out was nice too - able to explain where their house coffee of the day was from.  Did I mention the coffee is great?  Comprable to what you would get at Vega of that other hand brewed coffee place, plus you can actually get a large.

7:30 is a bit of a late opening time for me but on days when I am up late and not making my coffee at home I'll just go downstairs.

5 dollar lunch!

5 dollat lunch!

Serious.  

5 dollar lunch!

The food is good too.  I've dined in many times.  I've had the 5 dollar lunch at least 100 times.  I love it all.  I even just 5 minutes ago placed an order on the easy online system.  Who knew?  

Hope it shows up.

I went here today for the first time.  And I must say I love the place.  Ted, the owner, greeted me when I came in.  He gave my car a once over, took me on a tour of the facility (what a place!) and then reviewed my online reservation.  He was friendly and attentive and really made me glad I came in.  

Before going to work on my car he showed me to the most amazing car wash waiting room I have ever been in.  I got to relax with my feet up in a leather chair, watching CNN, playing on my phone with their free wifis, sipping free water.  The place was like hanging out at your rich friend's, swank yet comfortable loft.

My car looks great now too.  I only got the basic wash since I know rain is coming again.  I just had to have the Yosemite mud off the Volvo.  I will be back for a more thorough detail, leather treatment and every single wash my car ever needs.

Thanks Ted.

Christopher is an extremely dedicated trainer who truly cares about his clients' success.  He takes into account a person's physical ability as well as their mental and emotional abilities to really encourage each person to perform their best.  

The studio space Christopher trains out of is also a great asset.  It is comfortable, clean and well equipped.  There is a full bathroom with toiletries and towel service, a full kitchen, cardio equipment and a variety of fitness equipment.

I have seen more than a few of his clients really excel in meeting their goals and make surprising gains.  They have even taken his training and applied it to their at-home and/or gym routines outside of their regular training sessions.

The times I have worked out with Christopher he has been a great coach.  He was able to quickly identify where I needed to make adjustments in my technique.  He was also able to describe how to correct my movement in ways that made sense.

I would recommended Phoenix Training and Fitness to anyone looking for a trainer.

We walked up at 2:30p with a group of 15 ready to spend spend spend on overpriced mediocre cafe fare. It's the only place to eat on the island and we have an hour to kill before the last ferry. But the staff had decided to lock up as we approached, ignoring the posted hours, leaving us outside and cold for an hour as we watched them motor off in their private boat. I guess they don't need the $150 or so we were going to spend today? And grandma died from exposure.

"I want to thank you for taking the time to get all the information I need to make an informed decision about buying a car.  I have spoken to one or two other car dealers in the last month and they have all left me with the same impression - that I can't trust a used car salesperson.  The fact that you are taking the time to get information from me, giving me the answers I need and exploring financing before I have even visited your showroom or selected a car shows me that you are someone I want to do business with.  Once we have financing worked out and are able to start looking for the right car, I will definitely make my purchase with you.

Again, thank you for having the patience to work through the process on my terms and schedule and I look forward to meeting you."

This an email I sent Salem at ion cars back on November 5th; we have exchanged over 100 emails.  It pretty much sums up my feelings after doing business with ion cars.  They let me work through the car buying process the way I want to because NO I do not want to come take a test drive, NO I do not want to talk to a schmuck who scribbles a remedial accounting table on the back of a used loan application, NO I don't have another $1,000 and honestly I don't care to talk about a car I can't be 100% sure I can buy.

I would recommend ion Cars and Salem to anyone looking to buy a quality used car.  I would completely trust them to find exactly the car you want and the financing you need.

We went to dinner there last Thursday.  The first impression wasn't the best.  A little to over the top hipster.  They went out of the way to point out the onion rings on the mac and cheese appetizer were PBR battered.  PBR!  Then the mac and cheese was blah, although the onion ring was awesome.  The entrees were great.  Really quality produce and meats prepared perfectly.  It was a good meal.  And even though they were uber hipster the staff were super friendly and attentive.  I'd go back.

I have 4 pieces of Roomax furniture - custom wall bed, custom 84" long wardrobe, desk and credenza.  They were all built to my specifications to exactly fit the space I had available.  Astrid (owner) was very helpful in coming up with design solutions to best use the space I had, which was very limited with awkward alcoves.  The solution she came up with was perfect and fully maximizes the small space I have in my 334 sq ft condo.

The pieces are all much nicer than I expected, even after visiting the showroom and seeing the quality of materials.  Everything is solid wood with beautiful veneer finishes - my pieces are all cherry.  Every detail has been taken care of from rubber feet to protect my concrete floors to cedar lining and closet rods in every cabinet.  I even have extra shelves if I ever decide to configure the cabinets differently.

Roomax did everything possible to get the pricing to where it needed to be for my situation being sure to design within my budget.  Their pieces are not cheap - you get what you pay for.  On top of that they even went out of their way to deliver the pieces early so I would have as little time in my new condo with no bed.  They really do go above and beyond to provide good service.

I remember walking by when this place was under construction and being fascinated by the tree trunks.  Today I finally made it in.  The interior design of this place is great.  It's very hunting lodge meets castle meets subway station.  It works for me.  There are lots of great places to kick back and enjoy your beverage and/or food.

The menu is simple.  There aren't a ton of options but there are 3 or 4 entrees, 3 or 4 sandwiches and 3 or 4 grilled cheeses.  YES!  3 or 4 GRILLED  CHEESES!  I had the cheesesteak today cause I needed meat.  It was great.  Grilled perfectly and at a reasonable price for Cafe fare.  I think it was 9 bucks with chips and a pickle.  Did I mention it was grilled with Fontina cheese?  And this wasn't even one of the grilled cheeses.     I'll be back to sample them all.

The staff seemed half with it and half stoned.  They were a bit quirky but I think it went with the decor and added to the experience.  All in all I will be a regular.  Being able to stroll through Yerba Buena gardens to here from my house is just a bonus.