For whom Bell Cottage tolls

Jackson Bell

Mary Christensen knows what it is like on both sides of the

counter.

Before she became owner of The Original Bell Cottage, the former

exercise trainer was a devout customer of the gift shop.

“When I was done with work, this is where I would come for safe

haven,” she said. “One day, it was up for sale and [my husband, Max,

and I] pulled and scraped money from every area we could and within

six weeks, we owned it.”

Thirteen years ago, she acquired the gift shop, which sells items

ranging from $1 scented candles to $2,000 paintings by Chatsworth

artist Marty Bell.

When she established her priorities, number one was, and still is,

customer service. She wanted to define the store’s reputation as a

place that goes out of its way to please the patrons.

For example, she said it is not uncommon for her husband to

deliver items to regular customers, even though it doesn’t have an

official delivery service.

She has also allowed teens who didn’t have enough money to pay for

items in full at later dates. She even keeps the shop open for

special appointments past regular closing hours.

“You go to most stores and they don’t really have relationships

with customers,” she said. “We know them by name and give special

orders. That counts for a lot.”

Another aspect of the business is personalized gift wrapping

year-round with seasonal designs for Christmas and Hanukkah. All

wrapping is complimentary.

“It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the customer for coming

in,” she said.

On Dec. 12, Christensen will host “Men’s Night Only,” a shopping

spree for the guys in which, beforehand, women fill out a wish list

for their husbands and boyfriends. They will also receive dinner from

the store while their gifts are being wrapped.