At PAR, we are committed to providing you with the absolute best Customer Service there is. In fact, our Customer Support Department has a special motto: "Be a Duck!" Ducks seem calm as they glide through water, but underneath, they are paddling furiously. This attitude—to do whatever it takes to make our Customers happy—is shared by everyone at PAR. In fact, all PAR staff members have a small rubber duck in their office as a reminder of this philosophy.

We'd like to share some of our "Be a Duck" experiences with you. 

We hope you enjoy reading about what we do on a daily basis. At PAR, Customer satisfaction—your satisfaction—is our most important product.

Here is an excerpt from a letter sent to a PAR staff member, Tamara Dwoskin:

“For the last 23 years, I have ordered thousands of dollars from many companies and it is people like you that have given PAR such a good reputation. I always look to PAR first for needed items because of the good Customer Service. I assure you I cannot say that about many of the top companies for testing materials.”

Here is a story about how a PAR staff member, Daniel McFadden, went above and beyond for a Customer:

After I apologized for putting a Customer on hold, he said, “Oh, that’s okay. That hold music was wonderful!” I asked him if he recognized the song and he said he didn’t but that it was very soothing and had a nice rhythm. After I got off the phone with him, I worked with one of my colleagues, Lottie Zack, to figure out the title of the song, then bought the album and sent it to him. I received this letter from him:

“You cannot imagine my surprise and delight at the CD you researched and then sent to me. You made my day—no, you made my entire week. What a wonderful gesture. I play it every day now at my office for the people I see and, of course, myself. Others should be made aware that you go above and beyond what is expected and that makes people loyal to your company. From this point on, PAR will be my go-to company for any psychological testing or other material that I need. I will also share your thoughtfulness and kindness with my colleagues and, whenever I can, I will direct them in PAR’s direction.

I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtfulness. You should have seen my face when I opened the envelope. My wife said it was priceless because, for one of the very few times in my life, I was speechless. Kindness and thoughtfulness are qualities that cannot be taught in a classroom. Please keep doing what you are doing. PAR is lucky to have you.”

—Bert A. Lucas, PhD, ABPP

Here is an excerpt from a letter we received from a Customer who called inquiring about an assessment that we do not carry:

"Approximately two weeks ago, I was trying to find an order source for a test but could not find it listed with any of the usual companies with which we do business. I called PAR and asked Genevieve Hughes if there were any way to find the test with your resources. Ms. Hughes could not find any mention of the test. Within a few days, however, I received a postcard with the address and e-mail of the author. With that information, we were able to find the source and order the test. Ms. Hughes certainly went the extra mile in Customer service, and we greatly appreciate her assistance. Too often only complaints are received by a company, but it is still excellent Customer service that makes my job so much easier and more pleasant."

—Diana Kuzara, Billings, MT

Here is a story about how a PAR staff member, Teri Lyon, went above and beyond for a Customer:

One Friday morning, we received an order from New Zealand for the WCST-64 Introductory Kit. In the special instructions section, they had written that it would be great if we could send them some peanut butter M&Ms because they are not available in New Zealand. I put a note on the order to hold it for an attachment, went to the grocery store, and bought two 1-lb. bags of peanut butter M&Ms. I took them to our Distribution Center to have them packed up with the order, and I changed the shipping method from regular international to expedited to ensure that the M&Ms wouldn’t melt. I also checked online to make sure I wasn’t breaking any customs laws. About a week later, I received the following e-mail:

“We received our order of the Wisconsin Sorting Test kit very quickly on Tuesday afternoon but, more importantly, included with it were two enormous bags of peanut butter M&Ms! We thought it was a cheeky request, so it made the day for the whole team when we could share M&Ms that we can’t get here. Thank you very much for your generosity and for taking the time to go and get them.”

—The team at Southern Rehabilitation Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand

Here is a story about how a PAR staff member helped a Customer with above-and-beyond service:

A Customer had misplaced her test manual for the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) and needed a quick way to score and evaluate the scale elevations on the TSCC she administered. Sending the manual to her using overnight delivery would not provide her with the information she needed quickly enough to prepare the report she needed for her early morning meeting.

I remembered that we offer the TSCC Scoring Program and that the program produces a score summary and profile report. Although we do not offer a scoring service for the TSCC, I asked the Customer to provide me with the item responses by phone and the demographic information for her client. It took me only 5 minutes to enter the responses into our TSCC software program and prepare the report, which I quickly e-mailed to her. The Customer was very grateful and sent me this note: "Thank you so much, Ms. Dwoskin! You went above and beyond to assist me today and I really appreciate it!!! You were so helpful! I would like to compliment your Customer service skills and professionalism. Please forward a copy of this to your management as I'd like them to know what a good job you do! Thanks again."

—Luann M. Klindworth, PhD, LP