Small town businesses-spending close to home.

I don't know how many people make an effort to spend their money locally..I'm guessing that the mindset of most on this forum try to...your neighbors need to make a buck to stay in business.

As I related in another thread, I had unplugged my fridge for the winter at "The Place"....and turned out that it wasn't a good idea, the lines refrig lines are now steel and prone to corrosion....a leak, and failure.

So if you have a remote location make note.

I called the store that I had bought it from, they sent out a tech, (I had already figured out that the system was low, but with out a recovery machine, vacuum pump I really didn't want to tackle a repair. The tech confirmed my fears......

called the same store to purchase a replacement from them....but they were out of stock at the close location, that a new one would have to be brought in maybe today, but most likely Monday.......
So, the sent out a loaner, freezer, and a fridge as well till the new one shows up........free of charge, and will pick them up when it new one gets delivered.

Cost of the service call is absorbed in the cost as well.

Now that's the kind of service that impresses me.....Will continue to do business with these guys and spread the word.

i like the idea of local shopping

I tend to shop local. I also make a point of asking (if I use my debit card) if it is cheaper for them to run it as a debit or a credit. Some processing companies charge less if the merchant runs it one way or the other. Sometimes it depends upon the amount, as to which is cheaper. In a small business, any little bit can add up.

Excellent customer service is such a simple thing. I really don't get companies (local or otherwise) that treat their customers shabbily. It really boggles my mind.

I try to shop the smaller stores if I can but I know a lot of local folks that work for the big name stores. My neighbor is the store manager at the local Lowes. So not shopping there is like thumbing my nose at my neighbor. Our Ace Hardware is local owned and operated so I try to give them business. But we have a family hardware store on the square that I try to do business with, too. They are the old hardware store that you can go into and yell out, "I need a left handed thinget for 1952 whazzit" and the old guy knows exactly where it is. It's under that box of bolts next to the screen door screen just to the left of the chicken feed. God I love that place.

I'm 50/50 so far with my larger purchases.. Had a great experience with a small local appliance store. But man I am regretting the local place I hired to make a sign for my business. But at least I try.

When I built our house I bought about everything from the local lumber yard. The nearest big box store is nearly 50 miles away and I hope it stays that way.
Usually smaller businesses charge a little more for their product compared to a big box. Probably due to buying power.
I buy local even if it costs more because these are the same folks that buy from me.

Wherever possible I try to use an independant business. I feel if we lose them, the big boys have won.

I buy both local and big box. It all depends on what I need and how stores treat me. My local Wally World actually has great people that work in the auto and sporting goods departments and I know the manager of the grocery department. So I don't mind getting some things there at all. I also know alot of people that work at my local Lowe's and Ace so I don't mind buying a few thing here and there from them. I too have a family owned hardware store just like Rick described and they just cannot be beat! I also know a little guy gun and ammo/reloading store and I love getting things from him.

I feel the same way and include restaurants. Our town has a coupon program called Buy Local. I prefer to spend at a Mom & Pops diner then a chain like McWendyKing.

A good friend explained his odd rating system. It never fails. When you enter a diner if they have more then one expired calendar pinned up the food is going to be good. One place had three pinned on top of each other. One place in Rochester, IN. had great food and fresh home made pies made by the family that ran the place. We didn't see calendars so we asked, there was several in back.

I like the old hardware stores as well, and Yeah, I do shop at china mart, but it is sad to see your local small hardware store guy, now works for Lowes as his store is out of buiness.
Just something I try to do, and being impressed by the customer service i am recieving, had to bring it up.....

Oh yeah, dog went to the vet out here, bill was #35 bucks....not $400 at the city doggy health spa,,,,,,,

I have a local lumber supply I deal with for the 2nd/3rd/4th run to the building supply necessary with each project. Town is 25 miles distant and that is now a $10 round trip. I am better off paying the locals $8 for a $5 drill bit than making the drive.

They do sweeten the pot by offering me damaged and blemed lumber when it is available. I was finishing out a chicken house this week and they gave me off color-plywood at $10 a sheet rather then the good stuff at $20. The chickens will never know the difference.

"What the....? Would you look at that?!"
"This is disgraceful. If Henrietta and the other chicks find out we're staying in a second rate coop we'll be the talk of the town."
"It's off color for cryin' out loud."
"I think they call it nouveau chartreuse.
"Stuff it, Louise. That's off color."

Relationships with my neighbors who own business today will probably pay off later on when it gets harder to get things from far away.

I try to trade local and really love a good barter or using junk silver to buy stuff.

I sort of think things are heading back towards that as a way of life as the big stores fall to economic times. If no one local is trading stuff, then it means dark days ahead for grubby times.

JMTC< YMMV

Refrigerator store guys delivered my fridge today, and picked up the loaners we used since last week, fridge and a small chest freezer....never did go to the store, just called them, and they took care of it...Good experiance.

Don't think you're going to see too many big stores fall, Thad. The mom's and pop's don't have the cash reserves or the buying power so their days are numbered. You might see some mergers and definitely some alliances. I'm seeing Craftsman stuff at Home Depot for example.

I am thinking should the economy collapse that the small guys will end up running trade / barter posts.


Perhaps if Wally world is smart they will get horses and start freighting goods to all the small town trade posts

Wagon train ho!

but I know short term big box eats little mom n pop.

OOooooh. You're one of them economy collapse guys. Because I'm a really nice guy and do try to help my fellow man may I suggest that you just send all your money to me for disposal. There's no sense on sittin' around and waiting for the melt down. Get a jump on it and get rid of all that filthy money. It probably has drug dust on it anyway. Just send it to me. No need to thank me as I said I'm a really nice guy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick

OOooooh. You're one of them economy collapse guys. Because I'm a really nice guy and do try to help my fellow man may I suggest that you just send all your money to me for disposal. There's no sense on sittin' around and waiting for the melt down. Get a jump on it and get rid of all that filthy money. It probably has drug dust on it anyway. Just send it to me. No need to thank me as I said I'm a really nice guy.

---

You know, Rick, alot of things have occured that were never possible. Some good, some bad. Christopher Columbus was ridiculed for circumnavigation because the world "is flat". Hitler's concentration camps were unfathomable. Man walking on the moon...... Do I think the U.S. dollar will completely "meltdown"? Nope, but when I took driver's ed 13years ago I never would thought that I would have to pay over four dollars a gallon at the pump before I turned 25. So even though I don't share the same fear with Thad, I don't ridicule him for it. Who knows, he might be the next Columbus.

Uh....no one ridiculed him. It was in jest. I think Thad knows that. We've poked on each other a time or two. I don't really expect him to send me any money. But if YOU'D like to send it feel free.

I live in an isolated town...............must take ferries (not the little ones that sparkle and fly) the big floating ones. :) to get in or out.

So, i only shop locally. If I need to shop at all. :)

As the failure of the fridge was the only over winter damage, and deciding to turn this bad experience into a positive experience.

It is really good to hear that many people are at least trying to keep their neighbors in the game, be it a mom and pop or even a big box.......
Bottom line I appreciate good service.....and keep trying to live with old time values, I guess...LOL

I'm a member of a rather large saltwater fish tank club in my state.And we all do our best to keep the local stores busy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick

Uh....no one ridiculed him. It was in jest. I think Thad knows that. We've poked on each other a time or two. I don't really expect him to send me any money. But if YOU'D like to send it feel free.

---

My apologies, sir. I was a bit tired when I read your post and responded. I suppose I did take it a bit out of context.

I do have a rubber check in the mail for ya though! :yes:

Real rubber?.... or the imitation china stuff????/

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hunter63

Real rubber?.... or the imitation china stuff????/

---

Well, lookin at those funny stick figures, I'd have to say it is taiwan. Is that imitation?

I take all forms of filthy lucre! The higher the denominations the better 'cause I know how hard it is for folks to get rid of a lot at once. If the check bounces will you send me another just like it?

LOL, I can remember back when I was a young man, went on a school trip to an Old West attraction.

As everyone else blew their spending money of food and candy,... I bought a real bull whip.....
Was sooooo cool, and said "Genuine Imitation leather".......made in Japan. (long time ago...LOL) Any way the first time I tried to crack it it blew up in a million pieces......so much for the Genuine IMITATION Leather.

Made an impression, I like to buy stuff locally so I can go back, and complain to the face I bought it from.....
Should have bought the candy and junk food.

Reminds me of a class trip we took to a local animal farm when I was like 8 yo.
I bought a rather large rubber snake.
On the way back a bully started picking on a friend of mine.Well I jumped in and ended up......well.....using the snake like a bull whip.
Won the fight but payed for it in the long run.
I hate bullies.

My van needed new tires and an alignment. I was also suspect that it needed new ball joints. In the past, we had gotten our tires from Wally World, but they don't do alignments (why a place selling tires doesn't do alignments is beyond me). Anyways, decided to try a local place. I asked the guys in my neighborhood who have lived here their whole lives for the best place to take the car. They all said "if you don't want it done RIGHT NOW, then try this one place, locally owned and operated". So, I brought it over, told the guy what to check and what I wanted done and give me a call to give me a quote. In the end, it took them 2 days to finish it, but the tires were less expensive the Walmart, they told me the brakes and rotors needed replacing soon (I knew this, and planned to do it myself) and gave me a price to replace I couldn't refuse. Then, in the end, the lowered the price by $50 if I paid in cash. I told them they will be getting my business in the future, and my recommendations.

We also have a local diner that is much better than any fast food. If I eat a burger at any fast food chain, I get sick afterwards. That doesn't happen at this diner. The only reason I tried the place was because the locals recommended it. Apparently, if the guys who have lived here their whole life recommends a place, you might want to listen.