How many times have you heard the cliché, “If you talk the talk, you must walk the walk”. Within today’s business world we often encounter the former but all to often the customer doesn’t receive the latter.

I would like to share with you a real life experience that my wife, Cindy, and I recently encountered as a result of her 85 year-old aunt falling and breaking her hip.

She lives in a complex for seniors, so when the accident occurred, the emergency squad was contacted, and she was transported to a local hospital in Huntington, W.Va.

She was operated on the next day, and then spent a limited amount of time in recovery before being transferred to the Rehabilitation Unit. She responded to treatment on a limited basis during the first week but then she began to have severe pain in the hip area and her lower leg.

During this time we discovered the surgery required removing a portion of bone from her leg, resulting in one leg being approximately 2 inches shorter than the other. Her attempts to walk became unbearable due to the pain, so the unit discontinued her rehab.

We spoke with the staff about obtaining some type of device in her shoes that would allow her to walk normal but they were unaware of anyone in the immediate area that would provide this type of service.

My wife has had previous problems with her Achilles tendon, so in the past we had purchased shoes from Unger’s in Ironton. We remembered how helpful and professional they had been, so on Saturday morning we drove to Ironton and spoke with Lorretta.

She listened with empathy as we explained to her our plight and what we were trying to accomplish. She assured us they could help, but it may take 10 days or more before the special shoes would be available.

She was very passionate and caring throughout our conversation, and as we left the store that day we really felt that our prayers were being answered.

The following Monday, Mr. Joe Unger arrived at the hospital to meet with our aunt.

He called my wife upon his arrival, and she remained on the phone (assuring our aunt) while he was measuring her shorten leg and fitting her for the shoe.

Mr. Unger left the hospital after completing the fitting and went directly to the Shoe Cobbler.

Both of those individuals made our request a top priority and the next day Unger’s contacted us to pick up the shoes.

We are glad to report our aunt has now returned to rehab and will be leaving the hospital in the next few days. The Unger’s not only met our expectations but went above and beyond, making this a real-life success story and a total demonstration of customer satisfaction at it’s highest.

My wife and I along with our aunt really appreciate what the Ungers have done for our family and we will continue to tell everyone about our positive experiences with this dynamic group, while continuing to shop and patronize Unger’s.

Vern Blaine

Lucasville