Happy Queen Victoria Firecracker Day!

Last weekend my wife and I were talking about our schedule for the coming week like we always do: Lily’s schedule, work events, plans with friends- you know the drill.

Anyway, I reminded her that the following weekend was May Two-Four, and… Julie just stared at me, blankly.

Have I mentioned that my darling Julie, the love of my life and mother of my Canadian child, is a honourary Canadian, i.e. an American?

As I realized the opportunity which lay before me, I became charged with Canadian pride and the responsibility to educate my wife. Full of patriotism (and, I must admit, some self-righteousness) I opened my mouth to explain to Julie the origins of the May Two-Four nickname, when I… drew a blank. Nothing!

So, sheepishly, I went to the computer, Googled it and gave her an accurate answer courtesy of (you guessed it) Wikipedia.

A Rose by Any Other Name…

“What’s in a name? That which we call [Victoria Day Weekend] by any other name would [still be fun!]”  Excuse the paraphrase (blogger’s license), but a proper tutorial begins by explaining that not only does the Victoria Day holiday weekend have more than just one name, it has a lot more!

While I’ll spare you the more detailed history, Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine), is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday before May 25, in honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday.

Not only is it the unofficial beginning of the Canadian summer season, but it is also (formally) the date on which the current reigning Canadian sovereign’s official birthday is recognized… which explains why I’ve been confusing Victoria Day and Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday for over 30 years!

Colloquially we know the holiday as May Two-Four which, per the wiki, “… is a double entendre that refers both to the date around which the holiday falls (May 24) and the Canadian slang for a case of twenty-four beers (a “two-four”), a drink popular during the long weekend.”  [Editor’s Note: I have it on good authority that ‘beer’ is a drink popular in Canada during regular 2-day weekends and, well, pretty much any time!]

But wait, there’s more! The holiday weekend has other names, including “Firecracker Day” (Ontario); “May Long”; “May Run”; and “Open the Cottage Weekend”. It seems that the latter often requires a party getaway involving a lake, a dock, and at least one ‘case of 24” for everyone who helped to put the dock into the lake.

Big Plans, eh?

I’m sure that most of us agree that shopping at Tepperman’s for furniture, home appliances & electronics is the most fun we can have this May Two-Four, but make sure to schedule your visit for Saturday & Sunday only. The sad truth is that we’re closed on Monday May 21^st so you’ll be forced to find something else to do.

Not to worry- I’m here to help! At the bottom of the page I’ve assembled the best event listings for your community to help you to plan your holiday weekend.

From all of us to all of you, Happy May Two-Four!

Family to family, that’s the difference.

I’m Noah Tepperman

Event Listings for Victoria Day Weekend, 2012

London, ON

• City Mom blog
• Tourism London
• London Free Press

Sarnia, ON

• Tourism Sarnia Lambton
• LambtonCounty.com

Chatham, ON

• Tourism Chatham-Kent
• inCK.ca

Windsor, ON

• windsoriteDOTca
• Windsor-Essex.info
• Tourism Windsor, Essex, Pelee Island

Tags: 2012, beer, Calendar, Chatham, Chatham-Kent, CityMom, Essex, Events, Fete de la reine, Firecracker Day, Fun for the family, Kids, London, Long weekend, May Long, May Run, May Two-Four, Ontario, Sarnia, Sarnia-Lambton, Things to do, Tourism, Victoria Day, What to do, Windsor, windsoriteDOTca

Dads & Husbands: Making May 13, 2012 a ‘Happy’ Mother’s Day is Up to Us!

Fellow husbands & dads:   May I please have your attention!

As we all know, one of the most important holidays & Sunday’s of the year is fast approaching- and no, guys, I’m not talking about Super Bowl Sunday. I’m talking about Mother’s Day, and it’s THIS Sunday, May 13^th!

I’m no longer a rookie husband but I am still pretty early on in my career. In my “fiancée season” I got a lot of great advice from veteran husbands in the field. They shared all kinds of things they’d learned from their own marriages including great things to do and bad things NOT to do, etc. However, there were a few lessons those guys (my dad, my brother Andrew) let me learn all on my own. Thanks a lot, guys…

Now I know we’ve all heard the greeting “Happy Mother’s Day!” Most of us greeted our mothers with it for years and years at the very least, right? Well, the lesson these guys (my dad & my brother Andrew especially, in case you’ve forgotten) let me learn all on my own was this:

Husband, it is up to YOU, it’s YOUR job, to put the “Happy” in your wife’s “Happy Mother’s Day!”

By now, some of you are starting to sweat, your hearts are beating a little faster as you realize you’ve only got HOURS left to put some plans together to make the day a special one for your most special one. Well, that’s where I come in- I’m here to help. After all, I know what it’s like!

This year I turned to the pros and asked them to share a favorite recipe that they’d love for their husbands to make for them this Mother’s Day.  The Pros are in fact the three wives and mothers I know best: Mrs. Tepperman, Mrs. Tepperman and Mrs. Tepperman!

These three wonderful ladies really came through, sharing three different recipes that are some of their favourites… and mine!

Aunt Alice’s Pumpkin Bread

• Julie Zuckerman Tepperman, my wife

Andrew’s Favourite Lentil Soup

• Tina Ramia Tepperman, my sister-in-law

Grandma’s Giant Oatmeal Cookies

• Rochelle Laurie Tepperman, my mother

Guys, it’s my pleasure to share those recipes with you and may they help you make this Sunday, May 13th a happy Mother’s Day!

To the three Mrs. Teppermans, and to all of you mothers out there in Southwestern Ontario, on behalf of everyone at Tepperman’s I wish you a very, very Happy Mother’s Day!

Family to family… that’s the difference.  I’m Noah Tepperman

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Tags: Caring, Julie Zuckerman Tepperman, Last minute Mother's Day ideas, Lentil Soup, Mother's Day, Oatmeal Cookies, Pumpkin Bread, Rochelle Tepperman, Tina Tepperman

Getting the Skinny on A Good Night’s Sleep

A few months ago I wrote about the experience my wife & and I had purchasing a new mattress at Tepperman’s, and you might recall that while we were replacing a mattress neither of us liked, this time around we were determined to find something that we both loved. I’ve been married to Julie for over 3 years now and I can safely say that I’ve reached the point where I understand that making Julie happy contributes significantly to my own long-term heath & well being. Now I just need to work on my consistency…

Anway. So: [Perfect Mattress] = [Happy Wife] = [Happy Life].  Simple math, right? Sure… but it turned out that we were even smarter than we knew! (How often does THAT happen?) I’ve been doing a lot of reading about sleep lately, and I’ve discovered that a good night’s sleep plays a MAJOR role in fighting weight gain- which in turn has a host of positive physical benefits.  In finding the perfect mattress, not only were we contributing to a happier household, but we were also contributing to a healthier, skinnier household too!

According to researchers at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St. Luke’s- Roosevelt Hospital, lack of sleep can cause a person to gain weight in several ways. The average person packs on one extra pound per 3,500 calories consumed, and it turns out that sleep-deprived people consume about 300 more calories per day than people who are well rested. That’s right: one month of sleep deprivation could easily contribute an additional 2.5lbs.

The first assault is led by our body’s own hormones. Our metabolism slows down to save energy when we get too little sleep, according to sleep disorder expert Michael Breus, Ph.D. In response the body starts to demand additional energy to compensate and releases more coritsol, a hormone which increases appetite; ghrelin (which increases hunger); and reduces leptin (which tells your body its full). Result? Your body craves more food but doesn’t know when to stop.

As if that wasn’t enough, lack of sleep equals less time in REM sleep (a deeply-restful phase of the sleep cycle). Since the body burns the most calories during this sleep phase, sleep deprivation effectively hits us with a double-whammy.

That’s not even the end of it. Think about the last time you stayed up late. Did you snack? Sure you did. Was it a healthy snack? Not for most of us. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sleep-deprived subjects increased nighttime snacking and were more likely to choose high-carbohydrate snack.

But we knew that, didn’t we? I did. I’m a night owl (with an expanding waist-line) so I don’t have to look very far to find an example. The later I stay up, the more likely I am to feed my cravings- and that means fatty, carb-loaded delights.

It all comes down to 3 things:

• Sleep less, burn less.
• Sleep less, eat more.
• Sleep less, crave more.

I’m not saying that my new mattress will bring back my 32” waist all on its own- that’s not going to happen until I get serious about my food intake and start hitting the gym more than two or three times a week. What I am saying is that our new mattress (and 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep a night) can seriously help me put that goal back within reach.

Think your mattress might be leading to your lack of sleep? Come talk to us at Tepperman’s- after all, we know what it’s like.

Family to family… that’s the difference.  I’m Noah Tepperman.

Tags: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Appetite, Good sleep, New mattress, New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center, Rested, Sleep deprived, Sleep disorder, Sleep study, Sleeplessness, Weight gain, Weight loss

Family Financing, Part 2: Family Financing… today!

Last time we talked (check out Family Financing, Part 1: When “Family” Met “Financing” at Tepperman’s), I shared one of my favorite Tepperman’s stories in which Nate had an usual interaction with one of his customers. I think a lot of consumers today agree that it’s nice when a business doesn’t forget its customers or where it came from. But it’s been 87 years since Nate Tepperman first rode his bike around town. Things can really change over that length of time, right? I wouldn’t be surprised if you were asking yourself “So what? What does that really mean today?”

To us, it means everything. We’re driven to create a great experience for our customers in our stores, over the phone and (before too long) online too, while at the same time offering unrivaled flexibility and incredible options.

We Really Do Value Relationships with our Customers- an Example

We do a lot of great things, and I’ll get to them. But before I do I want to share one example in particular- this time I’m not saving the best for last! To me this one business practice is a perfect example of how we put our customers’ needs first and just how much we invest in our relationship with our customers.

As you know, Tepperman’s is a for-profit business (I hope that’s not a surprise) and one of the ways we generate revenue is through our credit business. Some businesses (‘the other guys’) capitalize on consumer interest in a way that’s practically predatory.

Not Tepperman’s.  If you’re on an interest-bearing account with an interest-free period, we go out of our way to remind you when your interest-free period is coming to a close to help you avoid paying us any interest!

Who does that???

A Strong Foundation

Integrity. Trust. Fairness. Family Values. For almost 90 years the Tepperman family has operated our business with an important set of core values, a practice that continues to this day. At Tepperman’s you’re safe from predatory lending practices and abusive interest rates.

We Lend You Our Own Money! Since 1925 the Tepperman family has been lending their own money to customers to purchase furniture, mattresses, appliances and electronics for their home. That’s over 85 years and three generations of the Tepperman family helping to bring great values to our customers and their families. You’re always dealing with our knowledgeable team at Tepperman’s- not some faceless third-party lender who doesn’t know you, or even care to.

A Great Experience Begins with Great People

Our approach to creating a great experience for our customers is all about relationships, and so it starts by having the right people- and by right, I mean GREAT people. Andrew and I are very proud of the team who take care of our customers every day.

While ‘the other guys’ typically call these people ‘cashiers’, there are no ‘cashiers’ at Tepperman’s. Instead we’ve got a dedicated, well-trained trained group of Customer Assistants who are responsible for order entry, delivery scheduling, assisting with credit applications and financing- and for creating a great experience.

Our Customer Assistants will courteously invite YOU to their station for assistance, never asking the generic “Can I help who’s next?” They’ll great you with a warm smile and introduce themselves as they begin to process your order. They’ll do everything they can to make sure you know that you’re an important customer and that we really appreciate your business.

I’ve heard it said that “the magic is in the details”. This is definitely true at Tepperman’s- in order to provide great service options, there’s often a lot of detail. One way our Customer Assistants ensure a ‘magical’ experience is through using checklists to keep on top of all of those details, whether they’re reviewing your account with you, helping you with your credit application, entering your sales order or just accepting a payment.

While things many not move quite as quickly as if you’re standing in line for a Double-Double, we leverage impressive technology to keep things moving swiftly- rushing is risky, but we know how precious your time is and we don’t want to waste a second of it.

One Customer’s Experience at Tepperman’s

Timing is everything! While I was preparing this post earlier this week, we got some incredible feedback from a customer on our Facebook page.

Customer feedback from Tepperman's Facebook page. 'Like' us and check it out!

Check it out for yourself at www.facebook.com/teppermans

Options & Flexibility & Choices… Oh My!

Safe, friendly financing is a great place to start- but we don’t stop there. Why? Because no two customers are alike! When it comes to financing, a customer:

• Might have a blank slate- they’re just getting started;
• Might have great credit- they’ve worked hard at it;
• Might need to start over- bad things happen to good people.

Some of our customers have great credit. We know how much work goes into a perfect credit history- it’s harder than getting straight “A’s” when you were in school! Like good grades, we think good credit deserves to be rewarded… but we do a LOT better than gold stars!

Some of our customers are just starting out, and their credit scores are blank slates- they have no credit. We know that everyone needs to start somewhere, and we know that it can often be hard to get credit for the very first time. Tepperman’s is a great place to get started. Use one of our customized programs to establish your credit!

Some of our customers are starting over. We understand that bad things can happen to good people. Maybe you’ve had a previous bankruptcy, or are just in a crisis. Hard times can make it difficult to re-establish yourself and get back on the road to high quality credit. At Tepperman’s we can help you get back on the right track, and we’ll work with you through difficult times.

We work equally hard for all Tepperman’s customers, no matter which group a customer might fall into. We know how much our customers value options, flexibility and choice… and we want to give you what you want!

Some families prefer the deferred payments feature associated with our “No Pay” accounts. Others prefer something featuring the benefits of “Interest Free” accounts and the array of interest-free periods. Pretty much everyone loves the “No Payments, No Interest” combination and we offer that one when we can, too! With so many different types of plans to choose from, you can get customized payment terms to meet your needs!

If you’re seeking flexible payment options, check these out!

• Low monthly payments;
• Extra Time to pay your account- up to 48 months;
• Relief from coming up with a large payment now;
• Two 30 day payment holidays each and every year;
• Freedom to pay your account in full at any time without penalty;

Maybe you’re interested in avoiding interest?

• An extra 30 days interest free!
• An interest rate that is much lower than most credit cards that you use every day!
• An opportunity to waive ALL backdated interest!

How about options for choosing how you want to pay? We’ve got those!

• Telephone banking;
• Internet banking;
• ATM banking;
• Automatic withdrawal;
• Pay us by mail;
• Pay in person at Tepperman’s! Visit us at any of our showroom locations and pay your account with a personal cheque, debit card, or cash.

Want to open an account? We’ve worked hard to make sure that it’s fast, easy and hassle-free. Best of all, you get to choose the method that suits you best.

• Apply online;
• Visit any Tepperman’s location;
• Call one of our In-House Credit Experts at 1-877-315-5173

Did I Miss Anything?

I know that I’ve been thorough, but there’s always the chance that I’ve missed something, or that you have a question I haven’t answered. We’ve got an amazing team of in-house experts, and it would be their pleasure to assist you in person, by phone (1-877-315-5173) or via email (http://www.teppermans.com/index.cfm/en/tm-financing-ask-credit-expert).

The Wrap Up

When you boil it down, it all comes back to just how much everyone at Tepperman’s values our relationship with you. We lend you our own money, and that gives us the flexibility to meet your needs by doing so many different things.

While I admit that I may geek out when it comes to all of the different options and services that we offer, I get a little serious when it comes to talking about the “why”. Andrew and I, along with our entire team, have a single mission: to be the store where people love to do business.

We strive for that goal every day while standing on the foundation of our values: Respect; Trust; Teamwork; Innovation; Passion; Family. Why? Because we know that when we do it right… you will come back.

Family to family… that’s the difference.  I’m Noah Tepperman.

Tags: Choice, Flexibility, Interest Free, No Interest, No Payments, Options

Family Financing, Part 1: When “Family” Met “Financing” at Tepperman’s

In March of this year, Tepperman’s will celebrate our 87^th year of service to our neighbors and friends in Southwestern Ontario.  When you’ve been around that long, you tend to gather a LOT of stories, and you then you tell those stories over, and over, and over again. One such Tepperman’s story that I’ve always loved involves my grandfather Nate, as so many of our stories do.

Tepperman’s customers have always placed a lot of value in the service they receive in our showrooms: they never feel rushed or pressured, they’re always thanked and they’re always greeted with a smile. They also know that when it comes to financing choices, we’ve always got a great option available for you, whether it’s a “No Interest” program, a “No Payments” purchase… or even a combination of the two!

Nate Tepperman Going Door-to-Door, 1926

When Nate went into business in Windsor in 1925 those kinds of expensive, fancy financing options weren’t as common as they are now, and after the markets crashed in 1929- well, you could just forget about it. In those early days Nate had no choice but to go door to door… he didn’t have a showroom for customers to visit! Each week, Nate would visit his customers at their homes, first on foot, then by bicycle, and then in his fancy pick-up truck. He’d show off his goods, write orders and take payments- often just pennies a week.

As the story goes, one day Nate was making his rounds as he always did, knocking on doors and greeting his customers. He’d had a pretty full day and the lengthening shadows of the oak trees on the street were telling him it was time to start heading home. On the way he came to one of his last stops for the day, and his records told him that at this particular customer’s home (let’s call them the Browns’s) he was supposed to pick-up a payment of $0.19 (That’s right: nineteen cents).

Hearing him knocking, the lady of the house opened the door.

“Hello, Mr. Tepperman,” Mrs. Brown said. “Are you here for this week’s installment?”

He replied that he was. At this her cheeks turned scarlet and with eyes down-cast she explained that, due to the hard times, they weren’t going to be able to make their payment this week, though she rushed to assure him they’d find a way to have it in time for the following week.

Now Nate knew that he needed her payment just as he needed payments from his other customers. After all, he had to pay his suppliers, pay his rent and put food on the table. Yet the Browns’s had been among Nate’s first customers in 1925, and he’d known them for years. Nate knew that times were tough, and that these were people of integrity, good people who believed in the concrete bond of a handshake. Not once had they missed a payment- they’d never even been late before!

Without a moment’s hesitation, Nate offered his hand and said “Well then, Mrs. Brown, I guess I’ll see you next week!”

And with that, Tepperman’s “Family to Family” finance business was born.

Nate Tepperman hard at work, 1965.

In the decades since Nate’s door-to-door days, Tepperman’s ability to provide a wide range of credit offerings packaged with Tepperman’s trade mark integrity and family-to-family relationships, has been a key differentiator between us and… well, between us and everyone else.

Of all of the “Grandpa Nate” stories my mum and dad have shared with me and my brothers over the years, this one’s not the longest, the saddest or the funniest, yet I’ve always considered it to be one of the most special. It speaks to me of the relationships my grandfather forged with his customers and of his commitment to them; of the compassion he felt for people in general; and of his dedication to his business.

When Nate Tepperman came to Canada in 1920, those values of respect, trust, passion and family comprised the foundation upon which he began to build the business and the family that continue to bear his name, 92 years late.

In 2012, two generations later, those are still the Tepperman values.

Someone Else’s Shoes- a Customer Letter

I recently received an email from a Tepperman’s customer. That’s not unusual- Andrew & I hear from our customers regularly, both the happy majority and, to be fair, the less-happy minority. This note was different. Frankly, among all of the emails, notes and letters this one stands alone, and its my pleasure to share it with you.

“My name is SLt David Lewis and I am in the Canadian Forces stationed here at Camp Eggers, Kabul, Afghanistan. I was on leave in October and came home to London, Ontario. During that time I purchased a dresser and a captain’s bed for my 16 year old daughter. We looked at various furniture outlets and she finally selected the one she liked at Tepperman’s. The dresser was delivered and I assembled it while I was still in London. The bed was delayed and did not arrive until I had returned to Afghanistan.These are the types of problems which seem minor while at home, but can seem magnified for a father / husband who is separated from his family.

You can imagine my relief when my wife emailed me and told me that the Tepperman’s salesman, Scott Urquhart, has come to my house in the evening to assemble the bed. She informed me that it took him a couple hours to get it all put together properly. My daughter was extremely happy and even sent me photos of her new bed.

I cannot express to you how much this meant to me. The quality of individual who would do this for my family is exemplary. He is a credit to himself and his character reflects well on Tepperman’s. His selfless act inspires my family’s loyalty to Tepperman’s. There is not much I can do from here other than offer a heartfelt ‘Thank You’. 

Sub-Lieutenant David Lewis: A Happy Customer in Kabul, Afghanistan

Camp Eggers, here in Kabul, is the Headquarters for NATO Training Mission Afghanistan. There are troops from over 37 nations working together to mentor and train the Afghan people.

In the courtyard of the HQ compound there is a flagpole for each nation. Today I raised a Canadian flag in that courtyard. I watched it wave in the Afghan breeze with the background of the Hindu Kush mountain’s which surround this city. When I lowered the flag, myself and another Canadian Officer carefully folded it and I have put it in the mail to Tepperman’s of London. You should be receiving it shortly.

Mr. Urquart’s actions and efforts display the very best in the Canadian ideals of kindness and self-sacrifice. He, on behalf of Tepperman’s, has truly ‘Supported this Troop’.

I am truly thankful.

Sub-Lieutenant David Lewis

NATO Training Mission Afghanistan Kabul, Afghanistan”

As a parent, I know we’ve all got worries, problems, fears. Imagine yourself if the shoes of someone like SLt. Lewis, far from home and in a place where the threat of real physical violence is a daily reality. SLt. Lewis and his family make a sacrifice each day of his service, putting the needs of a larger good ahead of the needs of a child, a parent, a spouse.  To know that being a Tepperman’s has made a difference to the Lewis family is like knowing that in some small way we have honoured his commitment and their sacrifice.

Scott Urquhart, Tepperman's Bargain Annex

Part of the Tepperman’s mission is to take care of all our customers equally well, with the same high standards of service. Every day our team has the responsibility for serving our customers, and we’re proud of the way they execute that responsibility. Yet even great teams have members who rise above us all, exemplifying our values and serving our customers like no one else. In his care for his customers and his ongoing commitment to his community, Scott Urquhart continues to demonstrate himself to be such a person.

Since we were little, our dad has always shared customer stories with my brothers and I, the letters, phone calls and conversations with customers that stood out in his mind. I suspect that, some day, I’ll be telling my kids about this one. 

Thank you for your service, SLt. Lewis, and for being a Tepperman’s customer.

Family to family… that’s the difference.  I’m Noah Tepperman.

Are New Technologies Transforming Home Appliances? The London Free Press Asks Tepperman’s

The Kitchen of the Future... or Today?

A fridge that text’s you when you’re out of milk, with a door that doubles as a high-res monitor, displaying family photos, a grocery list or the recipe for tonight’s dinner;

 

A smart oven that not only offers guidance on the choice of pan, temperature and cook time, but also tells when the roast is done to your specifications;

 

A stovetop that senses the size, shape and location of a pot- and sends the heat directly to it.

 

Is this technology is in the near future, or if it was something out of a Jetsons cartoon? On special assignment to The London Free Press, Janis Wallace wanted to know, and for her answers,  she turned to an expert. Masoud Negad, appliance buyer for Tepperman’s and a leader in the home appliance business, had this to say.

 

“I’m sure it’s the way of the future… [T]he question is, how quickly it will be here and how quickly it will be affordable. Some elements are here now, such as the soft-touch screen. When the iPhone 5 comes out in May, it will have halographic images and a virtual keyboard. Apple will have an impact on other industries.”

 

Negad indicated that people today want more than just appliances- they want a kitchen that is practical and beautiful.

 

Technology is re-defining the dream kitchen.

“The kitchen plays a central role as a gathering place,” Negad said. “It has to be bold, vibrant and energetic. Smart appliances are the latest buzz – appliances that do a lot more. For example, a refrigerator that does more than cool. Smart diagnosis is available. You can hold a smartphone to the product and it will connect to a tech who can diagnose a problem.”

According to Negad, “Energy efficiency is very big. There are two reasons. One is the cost savings are substantial and the second is people are more environmentally conscious. With smart meters, it helps to change the habits of users. You pay based on the time of use. You can run a dishwasher late at night, so a delay-start feature becomes important.”

New technologies are coming to your home appliances: cooktops, ovens, range hoods, refrigerators, dishwashers, laundry appliances- they’ll all be transformed in one way or another by the developments that are headed our way.   

The Home Appliance Experts at Tepperman’s in London

Fortunately for you, our Tepperman’s customers, we’re stacking the deck on your side.  We’ve got a great team of experts in each of our London (picture below), Chatham, Sarnia and Windsor locations. 

What’s more, we’ve got Masoud Negad. M: a buyer with vision, industry expertise and a killer instinct to secure the best values on behalf of the Tepperman’s customer.  I don’t know about you, but I’m just glad he’s on our side! 

Want to read more about what Masoud Negad thinks is in store for us? Check out Janis Wallace’s LFP article for yourself.

Family to family… that’s the difference. I’m Noah Tepperman.

Tags: london free press, smart appliances

A Very Special Day!

Today is a very special day for the Tepperman’s team, my family and in particular my father. Thursday December 22, 2011, is Bill Tepperman’s 75th birthday!

Congratulations on this milestone day, and on being able to celebrate it with your wife of 49 years; 3 sons; 2 daughters-in-law; 2 grand-daughters and one grand-son. We all love you very, very much and are so proud of you.

Happy birthday, Dad! We wish you many, many happy returns.

Tags: 75th birthday

Celebrating Commitment to our Values, and our Community.

It’s no mean feat for a business (family or other) to thrive for more than 85 years of continuous operations. There are a lot of factors in the mix, but at the end of the day it all comes down to people. It’s the people who have the ideas; who come up with the plans; who see the plans through to fruition; who maintain the processes, nurture them, and continue make things happen.

At Tepperman’s, our people have always been our most important differentiator. There’s a particular thread that binds us to our people, them to Tepperman’s and to each other.  The thread is our Values: Respect, Trust, Teamwork, Innovation, Passion and Family.

Over the past few days I’ve watched two very different people carry that thread as they lived those values. I’m sure neither of them thinks they’ve done anything special, but they’re both self-effacing individuals. The fact of the matter is, each has invested himself in the world at large, and has demonstrated uncommon commitment to their community and their values.

Both deserve praise and celebration for being who they are, and doing what they’ve done, and since I’ve got the soap box, I’m going to use it… whether it embarrasses them or not!  After all, that’s what family does, and Family to Family is the difference!

Bill Vowles

Have you ever given any thought to how far you’d go to help someone out? What’s the furthest you’ve ever gone?  I’m sure most of us would go 5, 10, 25, or even 50 km from home without even thinking about it.

But would you travel 36 hours, round trip, to go over 5,700 km? That’s just what our own Bill Vowles did for 10 days in October when he joined the Forest City Community Church- Habitat for Humanity partnership mission to Cochabamba, Boliva.

According to Bill it was hot, hard work.  Although the overall humidity was fairly low due to the high altitude, the temperature would get as high as 36ºC during the days, only cooling off to 21º- 22ºC in the evenings.  It was all worth it, of course. The Habitat family the FCCC mission was working with has owned this plot of land for 10 years as they’ve worked to get to this stage.

The total price tag for the trip was over $2000, but with the support of his co-workers in London, combined with Andrew and Noah Tepperman’s commitment to match funds raised, Team Tepperman’s was able to help Bill raise $800 (Very special mention goes out to Scott Urquhart, Richard Hajjar and the rest of the fund-raising team who helped make it happen). Friends and family contributed another $500 or so to help him get to Bolivia, but at the end of the day Bill made a significant personal investment to be able to participate.

I applaud Bill for this wonderful demonstration of the Tepperman’s Values of Teamwork, Passion and Family.

Want to see even more pictures from Bill’s trip? Check out the online gallery.

Mike Horrobin

Mike Horrobin recently celebrated his 20^th year as a member of the Tepperman’s team. Mike left a good opportunity at Hotel-Dieu Hospital in Windsor to take a chance on a retail organization that, at the time, had 2 locations (Windsor, Chatham) and around 100 employees.

Today, Tepperman’s has 4 locations (Sarnia, London), 2 distribution centres and close to 350 employees. As Vice President of Finance & Administration, Mike is one of our 2 Vice Presidents, a member of our 4-person Executive Team, and responsible for areas of the business including Warehousing, Delivery and Logistics; Credit Services; Finance; and Customer Care.

That’s a pretty impressive mouthful, but it doesn’t present the full picture. Mike’s efforts in the community practically surpass on their own his impressive accomplishments at Tepperman’s.

Mike is the outgoing Chair of the Board of Governors for the University of Windor, a role which caps an incredible 18-year association with the University that began with his participation on the Alumni Board in 1993.  As well, he currently serves as the Vice-President of the Windsor Essex Children’s Aid Foundation.

Having made that kind of time investment, you might think that he’d take some time off- there’s no question he’s entitled to it. But if you’ve met Mike then you know that’s just not his style. It was recently announced that Mike has been appointed to the Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital Board of Directors- a 20 year homecoming!

Mike’s leadership and his ongoing committment to this community are each demonstrations of the values Tepperman’s holds dear. We’re proud of you.

Read more about Mike’s appointment in the Windsor Star online.

Date Night

Some of you will know that I’m the proud father of a 15-month old baby girl, Lily Beatrice.  As you can imagine (and as those of you with children of your own understand all too well), that means that there hasn’t been a lot of going-out goin’ on in our Friday nights for the last 15-21 months…basically, not since the end of the 2nd trimester of Lily’s participation in Occupy Julie. There’s either no energy, or no opportunity, or both! (or is that neither?)  Well, last week such an opportunity fell into our laps- Julie and I had the opportunity for a night on the town, or a quiet romantic dinner with just the two of us.  And so we did what any other young couple would do when presented with such a wonderful opportunity to get reaquainted.

We went mattress shopping.

When we first purchased this new mattress in September of 2008, we reached the kind of compromise that my father-in-law describes as one of the 3 types of perfect ‘marriage compromise’- you know, the kind where nobody ends up happy. Ever since then, Julie has looked at me, one of the Tepperman brothers, someone who happens to know someone in the furniture business, and has said, time and again, “Can’t you do something about this?”

Well, after 3 years of dodging the question, I just couldn’t dodge it any more. We’re leaving our old 1 bedroom row house behind and moving into a new house, a 3-bedroom (with a guest bedroom!), and with the old house goes my last, moderately reasonable argument.  That guest bedroom means there’s a place where I can shove our current, perfectly-good-yet-totally-uncomfortable 3 year old mattress.

And so, we went shopping for a mattress. On a Friday night. On a Friday DATE night. In some countries, I think that’s grounds for divorce. Yet thanks to a man by the name of Stew Cole, it turned into one of the great shopping experiences of my adult life.

Stew is a Tepperman’s sales person, and one of the best. He’s got a great sense of humour, and a great smile, and an astounding knowledge of product design, specifications, and what that all means to the rest of us.  More than anything, though, Stew is interested in YOU.  As my wife said to me after we’d left the store, he doesn’t make sales, but rather, he makes friends.

Julie and I happened to be in the showroom at the same time as another couple, and the four of us were looking at the same beds, more or less. Picture it: 4 customers (2 male, 2 female) plus Stew, all looking at the same two mattresses positioned side by side on the floor.  That could have been the most uncomfortable experience in the world: for the customers (since mattress shopping can be an intimate experience) or for Stew (since one of the bosses was crowding him during a sales presentation).  But it wasn’t.  In fact, it was a blast. Stew had the four of us trying out beds together, cracking jokes, trading observations, and learning about mattress construction as well as our own likes and dislikes as we went.

Looking back on it now, just a couple of days later, the most amazing thing isn’t what a great time the 4 of us ended up having buying new mattresses. No, the most amazing thing is knowing that when you’re shopping at Tepperman’s, and in particular when you’re making friends with Stew Cole, well, finding people having such a great time isn’t as uncommon as you might think.

Family to Family… that’s the difference.  I’m Noah Tepperman.