Customer service

I bought a bicycle air pump last fall at Wal-Mart. The thing broke the first time I used it, so I returned it for another. The pump sat in my garage all winter and the first time I used it the other day, it broke again. So, I brought it back to Wally, but when I was truthful in telling them I got it last fall, they told me there was nothing they could do, as I only had 90 days. I left the pump at the "service" desk, as it had zero value for me.

In contrast, a Kindle we bought at Staples for my oldest child for Christmas recently came up lame, showing just gibberish on the screen. I figured we were out of luck, but took a shot at calling Amazon on the outside chance they might do something. Turns out, we never registered the Kindle, and it had never been wirelessly connected, so I gave up almost all hope of resolution. However, the customer service guy from Amazon was incredibly nice, and worked with me for a good 30 minutes to find the serial number. He then registered the device and set me up for free shipment of a new replacement. That was Sunday, and the new device was here Wednesday. He also offered a reduced price refurb to replace an older Kindle that was also broken. The service alone was enough to make me pull the trigger and buy another reader.

I prefer to shop locally (and no, I don't think shopping at Wally qualifies as local), but it's hard to beat customer service like that. I'm probably a little more sensitive than most about how I'm treated when I enter a business, and maybe I hold too much of a grudge when I feel wronged. There are places in town I won't patronize, whether it's because I got bad service or because I'm not a fan of the owner. There are other great places, like Richard and Rochelle's, that have gone out of business due to a lack of local business. I spent money there, but not as often as I could/should have. Bad Beaver Bikes is a place I enjoy going, and I always try to buy at least a little something every time I go in... like maybe a decent pump next time? The folks who own the North Star Ice Cream Parlor are about as nice as they come, and I bring the kids there when they get a good report card. Some of my other local favorites include the Copper City Casino (food), the Chef's Garden, Park and Main Café, Gamers and the Hanging 5.

I might start my own local restaurant review, but I want it to be dish specific so I will be, as they say, comparing apples to apples. For instance, I might try the chicken fried steak or the ham and cheese omelet over the course of a couple of months at all the local diners and then come back with recommendations for the perusal of both people who have visited my blog - assuming they're local. We'll see how that goes.