This should probably be under Soap Box, however there is another thread going on there right now. This is pretty important for not only young people but all people, and people in Elk County in particular.
One day this past week, I spent money at three different places here in Elk County. Almost $100.00 was spent in total, but I was not told thank you at any one of the three stops I made. Not all three were retail establishments; one was retail, one was service related, and one was public service related. Now, I may be mistaken, but I suspect that times may be going to get pretty tough. Making a customer, consumer, or patron feel appreciated is the one thing that can be done that is one thousand times cost effective! The cost to the provider is nothing, and the return can be thousand fold. It is a shame that folks don't shop Elk County more; but this may be a contributing factor. The retail establishment I visited was a perfect object lesson. I was not greeted upon entering the store, although there were several employees busily gossiping at the entrance. When being checked out, There was no eye contact or greeting or inquiry as to finding needs since the checker was too busy in a gab session. Credit or debit? were the only words spoken to me the entire time. I am not likely to return anytime soon. You are so right; you probably do not know me, so it won't filter down through the community how you treated a customer. Do you treat all customers in this manner? or only folks you do not know personally?
Now there are exceptions to this rule. In particular two retail establishments come to mind; the Pick and Pay (I think that is the name), in Howard are exceptionally nice. You are always greeted by not only the cashier, but but each employee you see in the store. Also Mills Feed Store in Moline always make you feel like your purchase has just made their day! I cannot imagine not being thanked for patronizing these two establishments.
Folks who are in the service industry just do not seem to realize that your dollars pay their wages. That's it , in a nutshell. Sorry, but when my hard earned dollars go to pay taxes, water bill, doctor bill, vet, or whatever, the person dealing with me should show some kind of appreciation.
Okay, off this soapbox now. I've been waiting all week to post this, hoping to get cooled off first. >:( >:(
You are right. I have noticed this, too and even though I am sure that they know who I am I don't feel as though they are particularly glad to see me come in. And they don't even seem to be able to make an observation about the weather. I may not have anything to visit with them about, but I do pay my bills, which pays their wages.
That's just too bad! >:( >:( Well let me say here, Thank YOU!!! Thank you for shopping here in Elk County! Thank You for paying your bills! ( That makes it easier for the rest of us!).
Attention All Managers!! We have two people here who have not been treated well in the establishment that YOU are responsible for! WHAT are you going to do about it??
Wow! I do want to add "Thank You" for shopping in Elk County.
I've not had the same experiences as you though; seems like most places I go people do greet me and say "thank you" when I leave. Oh, I don't mean that there's not the occasional time when you can tell the clerk is having a bad day, but overall the atmosphere here is a pleasant one for me. I do think that people get into the habit of general politeness, or lack of it. When I have noticed a lack of enthusiasm or eye contact, it is usually a teen and I assume they just haven't been taught right yet...
As you said, maybe the managers of these businesses do need to work with their employees; maybe the managers need to work on it in themselves. At any rate, I'll be more aware of offering a cheery "Hello" if I go in places that don't greet me first... Maybe that will spur some deep memory of those magic words "Please" and "Thank You!"
Now I am not hard to get along with or unpleasant to wait on nor do I make unreasonable demands. I only expect friendly courtesy where I am shopping and it is possible even if the shopper is not a personal friend or acquaintance. One of my favorite clerks was the clerk in the pharmacy at the Derby Wal-Mart. Not only did she not have any idea of who I was or what I did, she had never seen me before she became the clerk at the pharmacy. Yet, she learned my name, always called me by it and asked about how I was and how my husband was doing. Actually, she called me Mrs. Weyrauch. Now this might make some people feel old but it reminded me of when I was much younger and my daughters' friends always called me Mrs. Weyrauch. That is until they grew up. She wasn't the only clerk at that store that treated us like special customers. There was only one of them still there the last time I was and she remembered me. Now if clerks in a big Wal-Mart can remember customers, I would think that clerks in stores in small towns would find it even easier. It is even more important that strangers be treated in a friendly manner as they might turn out to be the store's best customer. I try to buy as much locally as possible, but everyone has to admit that you have to go to a bigger town for some things.
Here is a piece of advice for everyone. If you are in a position of serving the public it is part of your job to make that customer want to come back, no matter who that customer might be, what you might think of that customer or what your personal feelings are at the time. You are not the most important person in the establishment. Your customer is.
Well said! Thank you for your response! It is a matter of training, and even if it is teen-agers, (the folks I mentioned were not teen-agers), it is a managers' position to expect certain standards from the folks who represent their establishment, be it store, public office or medical establishment etc, etc. Maybe my standards are too high? Perhaps folks expect to receive treatment like they and the people that they deal with are losers? Bad attitude! That is the problem! My dollars are the best that I can produce. Therefore I expect to be treated with the best that can be offered! I am not difficult to please. Just treat me like a human and I will be more than happy! A little eye contact and a thank you would have been enough.
I can honestly say that I have shopped in most all of the establishments in Howard and done business with the Courthouse, city office and other organizations. I have yet to be treated like I was a stranger. Course I am one to crack a smart-ass remark once in awhile and usually get one back. To get a smile, give a smile. Very very few times have I not been told thank you and have a good day. This brings to mind something that happened when I worked at the Co-op in Severy. After waiting on a customer, I told him thank you and have a good day. Know what he said? "Don't tell me what kind of day to have ! " - I looked at him, he looked at me and we both laughed. AFter that I would tell him thank you and "I don't care what kind of day you have" - We still laughed :laugh: :laugh:
Flo.. you and I have the same work ethics.. Make everyone smile and laugh.
When I was in the hardware store everyday , people would tell me that they loved to come in there cause I was always smiling and ready to give them hell about something.. ( always in fun though)
I spared no one either.. ;D ;D
For the most part, I liked working with the public, and I love making people smile and giving them a few minutes of my entertainment .. I tried always to tell them thank you .. if I didn't, it was an oversight or my mistake.
Sixdogsmom... If The hardware store was one of those places that didn't tell you thank you.. I will personally talk with them about it.
Not to make excuses ( because there is no excuse for bad manners... but I know that Mark and Derek are overloaded most of the time and very stressed trying to be "multi task" ( men are NOT multi -task) what with the gun business..and the work in the back plus all the ordering etc. I do all the bookwork for the most part, but they both stress out easily. I am sorry if either of them were part of the ones who didn't thank you. They really do so much on a personal level with people and if anyone needs anything fixed or figured out.. they know that Mark and Derek Cookson are the ones to go to. I don;'t think that there is nothing that those 2 can't do.
They usually are so very good about smiling and being extra helpful and appreciative. I know that they DO appreciate everyone who takes the time to shop at home in the store. Mark and Derek both do 90% of their shopping at home, and they more than appreciate everyone's business. So I hope you were treated with respect when you went in there.
But again.. let me know if I need to and I will jog their memory about the importance of "Thank Yous"..
I think the adage of "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" applies here. I shop in every business in Howard every day. I don't shop out of town unless I need clothes and then my wife buys them for me or I order them online. I have heard hello and thank you from everyone in town. Maybe not every single time I am there, but as a rule many more times than not. I also get asked every single time I go to the local grocery store whether I would like help with my bags!! I am 6'2" and 300 lbs. The gesture is great, but I think I can get it!!! It is nice they ask, and everytime I walk up the street I see them helping folks out to their cars with groceries.
Small business are often overworked and understaffed or not staffed with employees that get a lot of training. I am sad that you and Wilma had the experiences you had and hope you will give all three business another try. I think you will see in the long term, all will provide you a pleasant and helpful shopping experience.
I will go a step further in this and tell you if you have a question or a problem you need help with you had better stick to shopping in Howard. If you have a hardware or fix it question, ask Mark or Derek Cookson and they help you for free. Have an automotive question, ask Dan Signer or Bill Lanning and they will answer it for free. Have a question on medicine or what to use for an ache or pain, ask Julie Perkins and she will answer it for free. Have a banking question, look up Richard Fish....guess what, FREE. These are just a few examples of every single business person in town that is willing to go out of their way to help and solve problems.
Try that at Wal-Mart. Hell, I am in Wichita as I type this. I think I will go to Wal-Mart and ask them to carry out my bags!(If I can find anything I want to buy)
DC
Quote from: Wilma on March 28, 2008, 09:15:55 PM
Now I am not hard to get along with or unpleasant to wait on nor do I make unreasonable demands. I only expect friendly courtesy where I am shopping ... If you are in a position of serving the public it is part of your job to make that customer want to come back, no matter who that customer might be, what you might think of that customer or what your personal feelings are at the time...
Wilma, I can't imagine that you are a 'difficult' customer in any way and the same for sixdogsmom ~ I sure didn't mean to imply that! Just letting you know that I hadn't had the same experience as you did. The places I've been did seem genuinely happy to have me there, even times that I didn't find something to spend money on.
I agree with you about working with the public, and I do think that it is important for businesses to treat their customers very well. I know from personal experience that people who are treated well are generally happy and will return to your place; people who think they were treated poorly will not only tell their friends, they'll tell them over and over and over. It's part of a manager's job to be sure the employees are treating the customers well and a very big part of that is common courtesy. I hope you do give it another try here and that the next trip is friendlier!
Thank yous are important as is forgiveness.
I have to amend my last post. I left it sounding as if the clerk is the least important person in the establishment. This is not true. Next to me, the customer, the clerk, or the first person the customer sees when they enter the door and the last person they see when they leave are the most important. These are the people that make the customer want to come back. The "Hello, how are you?" when you enter makes you feel welcome and the "Have a nice day" when you leave makes you want to come back. This doesn't take much of a clerk's time or attention but it means a lot to a customer.
And you can rest easy, Teresa, there is no need for you to ream out your men. Cookson's comes closer to what Riggin's Hardware used to be than any other store I have ever been in. Not only that, but I have a small bill up there that has been there for a couple of months because I haven't been billed for it and I had forgotten about it. Not to fear, as soon as the income gets here next month I will take care of it.
It would be very easy for me to do all my buying out of town. Almost all my life I have had the convenience of a large town to shop in. I have had the larger selections, the convenience of something being open whenever I needed anything and slightly lower prices. I don't do all my buying at home, but my banking is here, my prescriptions are here and I get my gas at Lannings because Patsy pumps it for me and the mileage is much better than what you get at the convenience stores. I think I have said enough. I chose to come here to live. I don't miss much of what I had in Sedgwick County and if it weren't for my doctor I wouldn't get back there very often.
There is one more thing I want to say. Dan Cookson is one of the most articulate young men whose writing I have ever read. His spelling, construction, all the things that make reading an article pleasant and easy is perfect. And he always makes his point.
Personally I think the whole point is...the please, thank-you's, hello, how are you, have a nice day, the eye contact, etc., should JUST BE a part of everyday life and dealing with other people. It doesn't matter if you are a consumer, retailer, service provider, service user, or just walking down the street IT SHOULD JUST BE A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE and dealing with other people. And there is not any good reasonable excuse for it NOT being part of every day life. Period, end of story.
and, for heaven's sake..........
Smile. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.......it won't hurt a bit and you always!!! get one back.
Unless the person you smile at is just a natural grump.......LOL.
I have a habit of when I look someone in the eye (on purpose or accidental) my lips just have
to smile.And, they usually smile back with a gleam in their eyes.
Have a good day and Thank you for being here for me.
I have a hard time starting my day without a dose of the Forum. ;) ;) ;) ;)
AOYP :angel: :angel:
Quote from: Wilma on March 29, 2008, 07:21:50 AM
There is one more thing I want to say. Dan Cookson is one of the most articulate young men whose writing I have ever read. His spelling, construction, all the things that make reading an article pleasant and easy is perfect. And he always makes his point.
Thank you Wilma for saying that.. I am very very proud of both my sons in very different ways.
Danny has a gift for words and writing. He and I are the ones in the family that love to read and write.. ( we are also the ones to embellish on a good story and once we have the crowds attention and they are laughing.. we really kick into high gear. ;D ) But he does have a very strong sense of family, home and community, and he is passionate about all of them. Even though he is my son, many many times in my life, he has been my rock and the reason I am still sane. LOL ;D
You have reason to be proud of him and if you say that his postings are just the way they come from his fingers, I am going to die of envy.
Judy, I agree. Smile as you walk down the street and just see how many people smile and speak back. Biggest percent of them will. and not the right time to day to say AYOP so I'll just skip that part.
I read this topic and an instance quickly came to mind that happened while I was living in Howard. I worked at a business there for a short time and used to address the customers as Mrs. Ms. or Mr, maybe using their fisrt name if I knew it, or there last name if I didn't, but always using the appropriate title. I always said please, thank you, sir and ma'am, and was always friendly with everyone. But one time I was questioned by my employer as to why I did this. My response, because it was the way I was raised, to respect others. I always received compliments on my childrens politeness and the fact that they used these same words as well. I saw a lot of children, and adults for that matter, that didn't. I have been told that it is also where you come from in the country, I don't belive that is true. I do believe that though that to many people have lost their manners and not very many are doing anything about it. You are all right, nothing will be done unless the employers are willing to address the issue of politeness. And if the employers are not doing it, that it can be expected that they probably won't say anything to their employees.
One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is about manners. When I was little she would say, "Roma Jean, if you have a big smile, and you really care about people and you have good manners, you can go anywhere in life that you want." Then she would say. "You have a big beautiful smile and I know you love people, so now we are going to work on those manners."
Whenever I have a child hold open the door for me or I see them use good manners, I try to remember to thank them and their parents for doing such a good job. A lot of problems we have in society would be greatly improved with just good manners and civility.
What is sad is that so many people don't have good manners (especially young people) that you really notice when you run across one that does. Do any children have table manners? Of course my Mother didn't put my food on the highchair tray either. We ate out of these things called dishes. Sorry I cut loose.
This didn't happen at my house, but . . . it's a little hard to teach "table" manners eating in front of the TV. One thing I insisted when we were raising our girls is you eat at the table as a family. I still eat at the table, even if I am alone.
I still eat at the table, too, Flo, mainly because this old lady doesn't want to spill anything on the carpet. Besides, I can see the TV from the table.
Hmmm---LOL! I think we roamed a bit here, from saying Thank you when accepting someones' money to table manners. Certainly manners are important, and a pleasant demeanor is important! I do not think I could ever be accused of being an unpleasant person. The question is however, would it not make living in Elk County much more pleasant and profitable if folks who deal with the public are trained to be pleasant, have eye contact with the customer, consumer, or patron, and to always, always say thank you when the transaction is complete? No matter who they are? I'm with Wilma here; I will make extra effort to transact business with someone who treats me well. And I tend to avoid those who treat me with unpleasentness. Soooooo---- when I need a lof of bread; guess where I will go?? ::) ::)
ok, I'll guess. . . ::)Family Market? P&J's? neighbors?
Well I go to my cupboard and get the flour down and start mixing.. then I bake the bread and then i eat the bread..
And even if no one helps me.. I STILL share the bread.. ( unlike The Little Red Hen) ;D
Excuse me for roaming! Please forgive me. Thank you. I'll try to keep from speaking.
Oh Sally, I didn't mean to injure your feelings! I was trying to make the point that folks are always trying to keep shopping and services in Elk County, and saying thank you is one way to do that! It is very cost effective, and these folks have an advantage over their large city counterparts. They can, and often do know the person with whom they are having a transaction. Wouldn't it behoove the managers of all businesses, service industries and public offices to do a little customer relations brush-up? It couldn't hurt; might help the ones who have poor customer attitudes and improve the ones already proficient. I totally agree that good manners begin at home with children. But since that time has passed for the grown-ups who are working, the training should now come from the managers of these establishments. Maybe this discussion will filter down to the people involved. Hope so! I won't name names or places, except for the folks that have done an outstanding job in my opinion. I have already done that in another post. So forgive me if I stepped on your toes Sally, I have always enjoyed your posting and look forward to seeing you post again.
After viewing a few jobs online, I noticed Kohl's in their job description for all their employees, states that customers are to be spoken to if eye contact is made. Does not matter what the employee is doing, employee is to connect to the customer. I'm sure many more companies are the same way but depends on how proactive the stores continue. I have always enjoyed the contact with customers even the ones that are not so happy. You never know for sure what that person has had on their plate.
I was in a department store a couple of weeks ago and had a long conversation with am unknown lady (to me). I learned her life history and about the death of her precious dog. She was buying a picture frame for a photo of her dog who had been gone for two years. Someone had sent her a picture of her and the dog that they had come across. She was so happy and sad. Just needed someone to talk to and I filled the void she was experiencing. Luckily, I was not in a hurry and really did not need to purchases anything. By the time I left, I was behind in my plans but another day would take care of them.
Granny, your Dad and your Mother always took time to visit and listen and make people feel like they cared. I think you are alot like them and that is a compliment.
Frank
Sally, you weren't the only one that roamed. I did, too.
no apology's are necessary. Eye contact and thank you's are "manners" and so is table "manners" and every one at one time or another needs training in both.
Thank you, Frank. I really was not fishing for a compliment but will accept it graciously. Everyone can do the same thing if we just notice and care about other people. My Dad never met a stranger (Wasn't that Will Rogers?) and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Mother was very kind and would never purposely say anything to hurt anyone. Thanks!
I live and work here in Chanute Kansas and my finace' Lyle works here in Chanute at Martin
Tractor and lives in Howard...we both work with customers....I work at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center
...and we are shooting to be the #1 hospital in Kansas...right now we are ranked 5th...Our CEO believes that
yes, everyone has a home life and when you walk in our doors at the hospital as an employee.... you leave your
problems at home or at the door...we are a positive group and the customers and or patients
is the one who pays our bills every week. We are customer focused and always willing to go
that extra to make someone happy...we call it "GIVE THEM THE PICKLE"...Someone might be losing a
family member due to death and you walk by them and might just smile...they might remind themselves later
that the last person they saw...smiled at them...even though they were not in a good mood at the
time....They will remember....In the past 6 yrs. as an employee...I have heard several stories where patients
would rather come to NMRMC to deliver their babies or be a patient...due to the care we give....On the weekends
while we stay in Howard...I shop in Howard...I even do photography and I use Elk and Greenwood County scenery
for some of my backgrounds, because even being a smaller counties than Neosho...it has more to offer..
Lyle and I both have boys and when we are at an eating establishment...I always tell the boys to THANK
the person who refills their pop...or gets them some ketchup...and etc....It is only curteous!!!!
Well, wouldn't you know ? I just have to jump in here. I love to smile -- I love people - and I like to be with those that want to be with others. NOW --- having been in business from 1947 until 1995, let me say this. Those in business are busy with customers ALL DAY long, some come in with a smile, and a happy outlook on life - then here come someone that has already had a bad start on their day, and the look that is on their face is NOT USER FRIENDLY -- so~~ you look up - and are greeted with a.... "well, I am here, and I expect you to be eternally grateful for that look" and believe me it takes a lot out of the usual.... "hello, how are you?" greeting that you had all ready to say.
Yes !!! Hello and thanks and 'thanks for shopping here' are wonderful words, but so is, "I am so glad that I don't have to drive 80 miles to Wichita or Bartlesville or 57 miles to Chanute and Thanks for being here and helping to keep our small Elk County towns alive and well".
Well--- guess 'nuff said.
Personally I love Elk County and thank all the ones that were born and raised there to stay and keep Elk County business up and going. It is the ones that are in business in Elk County - that grew up in Elk County and still care and work hard every day to keep it as it is!!!!
Some days they have bad days too.
Let me say something here, Jo. I have never seen you without a big smile on your face and a hearty "How are you?" for anyone you see. I used to think that you knew everybody when we were at the same gathering. Maybe you didn't know who everybody was, but the strangers didn't know that and I know from personal experience how good that made people feel.
I think it's just as important to be a good customer as it is a good customer-service provider. Maybe after a long line of disgruntled, complaining customers, a smiling face and a HI from a customer will help turn that checker's attitude around.
Last month at * (not Batson's :-[), I was checking out. The cashier wasn't all too friendly, but she was obviously new and trying to do a good job. She separated all the items into the different bags so things wouldn't get smashed and non-food items wouldn't be in the same bags with food items. Yes, it was a little more time consuming, but I wasn't in a hurry (even though I'd already ran my debit card and essentially "paid" in advance). At the end of the transaction, she had held a pack of light bulbs out to the very end. She triple-wrapped those things and carefully placed them into a separate bag and made sure I knew they were light bulbs. After she handed me my recipts, I realized that in her carefulness of wrapping my bulbs, she forgot to scan them. Even though there was an obviously irritated lady behind me, I stepped back and told the cashier that she didn't charge me for the lightbulbs. She was beside herself! As she unwrapped the bulbs and scanned them and then re-wrapped them again, she kept saying thank you and that she'd be in trouble with her manager if I hadn't done that (although I was thinking how would they know it was her?). As I was leaving, I turned around and she was greeting that irritated lady with a huge smile on her face... who now had a dumbfounded look on hers...
Quote from: Wilma on March 31, 2008, 05:28:23 PM
Let me say something here, Jo. I have never seen you without a big smile on your face and hearty "How are you?" for anyone you see. I used to think that you knew everybody when we were at the same gathering. Maybe you didn't know who everybody was, but the strangers didn't know that and I know from personal experience how good that made people feel.
Well let me tell you from personal experience that "I" have seen her without a smile on her face.
When she had that paddle in her hand and she was after me... believe you me... there wasn't a smile on her face them.
(http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
You are right Wilma.. My mother always and still does to this day..greets everyone and has something nice ...or a wise ass funny remark to make to them.
That was what I got in trouble for the most sometimes when I was younger.. Was walking into a room and NOT speaking to anyone.
Man that used to get you the old evil eye.. (http://www.cascity.com/howard/animations/114.gif) LOL
So we learned early ..and I quote the old wise mother of mine"........."Even if you didn't care for the person and if you have had a bad day.. you SPEAK and you SPEAK with a polite respectful tone and you SMILE when you SPEAK! Understand?"
And we would say yes... for fear of the "evil eye".. (http://www.cascity.com/howard/animations/115.gif)
Teresa, fortunately I never saw your Mother with anything but that Big Pretty Smile, and from her picture posted she still has a Big Pretty Smile. She is another one of those people that I have fond memories of from my youth growing up in Howard Kansas.
Frank
Well Frank.. it's because she never chased you with that danged ole' ping pong paddle. LOL
Man.. she could run fast.. ;D ;D ;D
Well Teresa it looks like it worked, you turned out pretty good, repectful and hard working. Maybe Ping Pong Paddles is something the Government needs to regulate and pass laws that every parent must be proficent in using a Ping Pong paddle for discipline.
Frank
And she could teach the class... ;D
Oh my gosh --- I do believe I have opened a can of worms here. Tressy, honey, I do regret some of the "ping pong contacts" that you encountered, but on the other hand, I am SO VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE WAY YOU TURNED OUT AND ALSO YOU SISTER SHERRI AS WELL. Having said that, at least you each had your own personal ping pong paddle, with your very own name on it, so when you needed to feel its "gentle tap" on your little behind, you knew that the one that was touching your precious bottom was YOURS and yours alone, not contaminated with the touch of any other. lol lol
And yes, the thing that still sticks in my craw is ~~~ People that come into the presence of others - walks up and does not have the good manners, or respect of those whose company they are encroaching upon, to speak to all those present, and you did get in trouble one time for doing that, but you never did it again. Bless you, my child!!!
I just know how hard it is to keep a business going in a small town, and what an financial burden it is when people come in and select the item they want and then when they look at the price marked on the item, have the audacity (sp?) to say, " boy that is higher than it is at WalMart".
Well, for Pete's sake, can you afford to drive all those miles with the price of fuel to save those few cents??? and then if it does not work, to drive back to exchange it???
There is so much to be thankful for -- the small town business man that struggles to keep a market place open for those of us that live in that small town!!
Boy, I got wound up, didn't I? But I've been there --- done that ! God Bless the small town merchant !!!
Night, all.
Hi, Jo, I'm glad you're back in Kansas, safe and sound!
(I'm "straying" from the original subject!) "Thank you" for getting back safe and sound? I have certainly agreed with all that has been said about the common courtesy of treating people with respect!
(http://www.cascity.com/howard/forum/uhhh.gif) Gentle taps???
on my little behind?? (http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/groan.gif)
If I am not mistaken.. the last "gentle taps" (http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/spankie.gif) I got was on my 13 year old "little behind"..
((Did I deserve it?? Of course..))
I was more than a handful to raise..
(((( my pooooor mama...(http://www.rightnation.us/forums/style_emoticons/default/comfort.gif) )))
I've been lurking around and reading these posts since they started, but thought I'd finally chime in. Granted, it has been 20 years since I left Howard, but there is still rarely a time that I don't go shopping here in the big city of Atlanta, that I don't think back to what it was like growing up in Howard. I would take Cookson's Hardware over a WalMart any day! What a great group of people. And, quite frankly, I wish that I could trade in my big city supermarket for the good ole days at Dave's Market. I think in general, we all have our good days and our bad days, but as long as we keep a smile on our own face, then we should be good. After all, if someone doesn't have a smile, just give them one of your's. :-)
I have to tell you that a smile does wonders. I worked at Toot's when I was in High school and some years after that. I know that it is much easier to smile to a customer than to be a grouch. I have to also say that my husband and I do the majority of our shopping for everything in Howard. I refuse to make special trips out of town. I like the convience of having the stuff right here in our community. Plus, you can't go to Wal-mart and find people like Mark or Derek to answer some of the questions that I usually have!! I mean, when it comes to household repairs and stuff Mark and Derek know there stuff. I would much rather buy my stuff here. Like Jo said, if it breaks you can't just run it back. I also like that no matter how busy they are they still have a smile on their face. I know that people can be difficult to work and please, but they do their best!!
Also, I hate grocery shopping. And with the daycare we go through hundreds of dollars a month on groceries. I would much rather spend my money here in Elk county at the Prairie Market. I like that if they don't have something they will try to get it if they can. Also, if you put a pencil to it I could never afford to run every week 60 miles to get groceries, which then I would have to have a really big storage area. It just makes sense to shop here. Why drive hundreds of miles to save maybe, 20.00?? :( :( I just think it is the most economical thing, especially with the price of gas.
And where else could you go where they know you by name?? I know that they MUCH friendlier than Wal-Mart!!! ;D ;D
Ok, I got off the subject a little. But it is much easier to smile than to not!!!
Unfortunately, some families just don't take the time or the effort to teach their children proper manners. Living in a larger metropolitan area gives me a greater choice of stores to shop at as opposed to Elk County. What I have noticed in recent years is that when I make a purchase in a store, I hand them the money and they (sometimes) count the change back audibly, but no thank you. And what is worse, I take the change and say "Thank you" to them. Am I thanking them for letting me shop there? Lately, I have been trying not to say thank you if they don't say it to me. Both of my children worked part time in high school to pay for their car insurance and gas. I know that their manners were there carefully taught by my wife over the years. I heard no complaints from any of their customers or their bosses, only complements on their hard work and dedication. Now I watch as my 33 year old daughter raises her three year old and teaches her those same manners. That little girl says thank you when you bring her something to eat or drink or when she receives a gift. How can it change? Probably not much in such a large area as this, but in a smaller community where 'everybody knows everybody', changes could happen if the store manager was informed of the concern for good manners. Sorry to rant about this. I just wanted to put my two cents in. Thank you ;)
I had the same experience in this store. Just don't take is personally and shop elsewhere!