a wonderful circle

This may come off as a soapbox rant than anything, but I figure those of you who are regulars would see the sentiment behind it.

I've been making soap like crazy for about three years now and every year the variety of scents grows. Most of the ingredients are purchased locally, yes, I could get them for a few dimes cheaper online, but I love the customer service of local businesses. Well I've shipped several boxes of soap this week and last, which means money has been spent here at the farm. So that means another local business has been supported, then tonight I took some of the money and supported another local business when I made my children so happy as I pulled into the parking lot of a Christmas tree farm. I'd say that's a pretty wonderful circle!

Oh! Speaking of customer service.... about a week ago I pulled into the feed store, (the same one I blogged about here) to get more feed, the guys who normally load the feed into the truck greeted me inside the store and knew what feed I was there for! I didn't even have to say what I wanted, to say that I was stunned was an understatement. Maybe caught off guard would be a better description. I appreciate very much when they call me by my first name and not just after I write it on a check or sign a debit card slip, but as I walk into the store, I appreciate that they know my children's names and converse with them and that when my husband goes into the store, despite the fact we've never been in together they know who he is too. But to be able to know what I need to but before I said it was above and beyond just customer service!

Now that's customer service!

Went to the feed store today to get grain for Garlic and the kind that I buy had been bought out (again) just minutes before I came in, but was told not to worry, they were expecting a grain delivery any minute. So I told them I had one more stop to make and would be back to pick it up after they unloaded it, as I was paying for my items they got a call from the driver of the aforementioned grain truck saying that he would not be to the store until after 5:30. Now I don't know how Garlic knows how much grain he is supposed to get, but if there is 1 ounce less than normal he gets cranky. (Yes, the solid gold sweetheart gets cranky, I'll admit it.) So I knew I'd have to go to the other feed store about 35 minutes away to get his food. FYI, there is a closer feed store that is part of this locally owned chain but I refuse to go back to that store even though it is just a few miles close to my house, complete incompetence on their part, I won't go into details, but I refuse to do it. The store employees know this because I've needed other things in the past and they'd mentioned that the other store might have it and I told them thank you but I'll wait because I refuse to do business with that branch. (Just to let you know it's not just me that feels this way, that branch has quite a reputation for that.) So a store employee, (who by the way knows what grain I buy, which might be an indication I'm in there too much or that I have too many animals......nah, couldn't be that!) offered to go to this other store and pick up 1 bag of grain for me! Can you believe it?! I wouldn't have ever asked, she offered, on her lunch break!! I was stunned and thankful and pleased as punch, and thought now that's why I shop local!