I’ve been known to complain about lousy service in a restaurant. I’ve also been known to write nasty letters to companies when I feel I’ve been taken advantage of. But when companies go above and beyond, I like to commend them in public.

A few weeks ago, my mom had a bad reaction to some medication she was taking to prevent a stroke. The doctor followed a good path – start with a low-cost, frequently-prescribed drug and see how it works. Mom noticed some gradual shortness of breath, but she didn’t think to blame the medication.

Until she ended up the emergency room with internal bleeding.

A few tests and scares later, Coumadin was found to be the culprit. For most people, this drug works, but it didn’t for her. The doctor called in the only alternative, Eliquis, a relatively new drug, to the on-site pharmacy, a facility she’s used many times in the past.

It was 15 minutes until closing time on a Saturday night so I walked over and picked up her medications.

The clerk handed me the bag, and I walked out as they locked up behind me.

It wasn’t until I got Mom home that we saw the note in the bag – “Out of Eliquis. Did not fill prescription.”

I hit the roof – the pharmacy sent my mom home without a needed medication over the weekend. I called the nurse’s station and told them what happened, and Lane Regional Medical Center’s social worker, Florence called me.

First she apologized. Then she said she would get Mom the new medication that night, but there were a few bumps.

The Eliquis cost $450 without the insurance company’s approval. With that approval, the cost would be $140 a month. Still high, but a lot better than $450. She told me she wasn’t going to stop until she got that approval.

The problem was getting that approval on a Saturday night with two hours before the pharmacy closest to Mom’s house closed.

Florence kept in constant contact with me while she found the right person to approve the meds and then stayed on hold for 45 minutes until she got the approval.

I walked out right before closing time with Mom’s new prescription, and we paid $140, not $450, because Florence didn’t give up.

That’s going above and beyond for a patient to solve a potentially life-saving issue.

Our second encounter was when we decided our grandchildren needed an indoor activity on New Year’s Day since the weather was 40 degrees and raining.

Since we live on the far west side of the county, we found Times Square in Katy was open.

Not only did the attendants greet us with a smile, but they helped me figure out the most economical way for all four of the children to bowl and then got us set up in a separate room with bumper pads. The manager came over with a ramp for the young ones, and everyone had a great time.

That’s going above and beyond for the customer when the only place the employee wants to be on a cold holiday is home in front of the TV.

Lastly, I went to see a movie at the AMC at Katy Mills, a last-minute decision. About half way through the film, the sound became garbled, and the screen froze. The manager came in and said they were having sound issues but were working the problem.

Then he personally gave every customer a free pass to see another movie at another time or we could go see any other movie playing at the theater at that time. After a couple of failed attempts, the manager returned and said he was giving everyone their money back. Oh, and keep the free pass.

In all these situations, the businesses treated the customer with respect, not rudeness, with a polite apology even when the mishaps were not their fault and, most importantly, offered a remedy.

I’m through with companies that treat the customer like an afterthought instead of a priority. There are so many businesses here that treat the customer like a valued human being, and those are the places where I’ll spend my money.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.