Originally posted by lazs2
As for "mom and pop" stores.. they are not really the next best thiongs to living sainthood.. they charge way over a fair price for anything they have and they generally are surly and "take it or leave it" if they are the only store around... they allso allmost allways treat their employees worse than the big chains do.
but... shop where you want.. the tax base for all stores benifiets the city you are buying in.
lazs
True there are some stores like that. and if I dont like the way they do buisness I dont shop there.
Yea often I pay more at a M&P store but I also tend to get better service and dont have to wait in as long lines. And to me that alone justifies the price.
One of the places I get material from has higher prices then some of the chains and even higher then some of the other M&P joints.
But I havetn found the kind of service they are willing to provide at any of the others. They will practically do backflips for their customers. If I need stuff at a specific time they make sure its ready at a specific time. If I need something delivered last minute. they do their damnest to do so.
Another example is a paint store I do buisness with. Even they will admit they are more expencive then the other stores in the area. But you cant beat their service (same as above).
and they treat everyone that way. Not just contractors.
Yet I've gone into several Sherwin Williams stores needing a gallon of paint matched and they have consistantly on almost every occasion asked me me to "come back tomorrow" to pick it up. Which never sits well with me. and a debate usually ensues with them loosing and me eventually getting what I want when I want it.
With the M&P shops I tend to get more personal treatment and a more "at home" atmosphere.
With he big chains I get generic treatment, usually from someone Who couldnt care less about what I need or how soon I need it.
And the lines are often insane, usualy not being helped by the cashier thats moving at the rate of about a half mile a year.
My time is worth more then that and I can easily do without the added aggrivation level the mega stores provide
Plus I find I simply dont like the attitude of big corperations. Even the good ones tend to forget where they came from and get to be too big for their britches. Usually made even worse once the bean counters gain some power and start selling enferiour products and often what some would consider seconds.
I learned the hard way never to buy ANYTHING mechanical from Wallmart.
It wont last. Yet you can buy the same item at any smaller store and it lasts 10 times as long. Least thats been my experiance
