For our team, customer service isn’t a look, it’s the way we do things.

QUESTION: As a second generation owner, you must be proud of the work you do, what you’ve accomplished, and the tradition you’re upholding.

Well, I think my father was very idealistic and had a commitment to good quality product, great service, great environment. That was how he founded this company. That’s how I grew up when I was working part-time – under that indoctrination. It’s the only thing I’ve known and what I’m happy to follow.

QUESTION: What it is like to be a kid in this environment and who you might have seen walk through the door?

Well, when I was very young, 13-14-15 years old, I worked part time at the store cleaning and I used to watch my father as he waited on his clients. They were all upper-management people, business owners. At that time, Schneider’s was a very big company in town. He dealt with a lot of the CFO’s and CEO’s of companies like that. I got to see a lot of high profile, local, successful business people because that’s type of people attracted to our type of product and service.

QUESTION: How did that affect you personally do you think?

It motivates me to keep the level of the company’s product and service very, very high. Because that is the only way you can maintain your business with people who are that successful. Those type of people are very demanding and should be.

QUESTION: You’ve been in this business for a while, what do you think are some of the benefits of owning a men’s clothing store, particularly in Waterloo?

This is a very progressive, affluent community and a very diverse community. It’s a fun community to work in. You meet a diverse group of people from the tech sector, the insurance sector, the educational sector. There is a very unique variety of businesses here, which makes our job a lot more interesting. Every minute the door opens, you don’t know who you’re going to see but they are usually interesting.

QUESTION: Where do you see the store going in the future?

I see us doing a lot of the same things we are doing now. We will continue to find new niche lines – better products for our clients. Every year, we will do something to freshen the appearance of the store. For example, right now, we are adding a new piece of artwork to the new addition because we have a blank wall. When our clients walk in, we want them to see some new things, along with the things they are used to. We will always keep the main lines but add new things to keep it exciting. But, the philosophy will remain the same, based on our founding traditions of quality products and exceptional service – that is Paul Puncher.

QUESTION: How did you come to Paul Puncher?

I discovered at a pretty early age what I wanted to do in my life. I was always aware of Paul Puncher. I had many years in retail in a step down from this from a quality perspective. I always knew the great reputation Paul Puncher had and thought, well, if I’m going to be in this life-long, then I want to be selling at this level, the type of product that we have here.

QUESTION: Now that you are a key member of the team, what do you bring to the atmosphere?

I build the relationship. I bring a passion to the store. I’ve always been very passionate about clothes. I knew from a young age that’s what I wanted to do.

QUESTION: How should people feel leaving the store?

I want them to feel good about their purchase. I want them to feel good about themselves, how they feel in the clothing. And I hope they leave saying “that was a great experience”. It’s not just about coming in to buy a shirt or tie, it’s about the whole experience – we want to build on relationships. We want to see you again.

QUESTION: Where do you yourself look for men’s fashion?

I get it from a lot of different places. I love magazines. But, we often get the fashions from when we go to buy – we’re always about a year out so when we buy, we’re seeing where our designers are taking us next. I’m also always surfing, seeing what the designers are showing us.

QUESTION: Why do you think the Paul Puncher tradition still thrives in this community today?

I think it’s our service, from our level of taste and ability to select the right things, to the fit – we have very talented tailors. Paul Puncher has been around for a long time but I think we’ve kept up the tradition of bringing exclusive products and exceptional service to our region – and we look forward to continuing that for years to come.

For our team, customer service isn’t a look, it’s the way we do things.