Just my opinion.

I read on Yahoo (my homepage, it catches my attention often) about this guy who had his own stimulus plan. You go and pick 3 locally owned businesses that you'd like to see make it through the recession and spend $100 a month there. Okay, I don't always have $300 disposable cash. My girls are teenagers and in sports, and I choose to work very limited hours. However, I really like this idea. I have chosen three local businesses to support. What do you know, they all involve food and coffee. SHOCKER! I am trying to make sure we spend at least $50 a month there.

Then I realized that I need to have my sewing machine cleaned. It's a REALLY nice embroidery machine Jeff bought for me when I graduated from AU. I had it worked on not long after we moved here. I just got done sewing fleece. This baby needs to be cleaned. A month ago, I took it into our local sewing machine shop. I waited over 20 minutes, and after several false starts at being helped, I was finally waited on. The owners were on vacation and the previous owners were filling in. And catching up with old friends. And gossiping. And treated me like shit. Why? Because I have a Baby Lock and not their *preferred* Janome. She finally quoted me a price for cleaning and said it'd be DOUBLE because they are a Janome dealer, not a Baby Lock one, and their tech. is unfamiliar with Baby Lock and would need double the time to figure it out. I guess that's why they've taken a one page ad out in the yellow pages saying that they service all makes and models. Sure, if you don't mind spending your first born on it. Anyway, I left WITH my machine. Today, I thought I'd give it another go. What do you know, the previous owners are manning the shop today. I turned around and left. I have now looked up and contacted the sewing machine shop in the next town north. I'd really like to keep my money in town, but in today's economy, is it really all that much to ask for shop owners to be POLITE? I don't think so, and my money is going where the service is! The sad part, is that with the repair and cleaning I need, I'd be paying one employee's salary for at least 2 to 3 days. And I needed electrolux vacuum bags.....just ordered them from Amazon.com instead. And when it needs service...you know it...I'm going out of town. Yep. I say it pays to kiss the customer's butt ( or at LEAST be curteous to their FACE!)


UPDATE:

I took my machine "up north" (a whopping 20 miles) and what do you know, it should be no problem and he'll call IF it'll be over $69. Um, I was quoted $338 JUST FOR CLEANING at the place in town. I sure hope I am as happy as I was when I left today. He asked if he could have it for a week. (as opposed to "I don't know how long this is going to be....it could take up to several weeks if we have to order a part) and best yet instead of ("Gee, I don't know if he'll be able to do anything about that plug. We're a Janome dealer and I don't know if we'll be able to get the part") he said, "I should be able to do that, it doesn't look like a problem to me" I realize time will tell, but things are looking a whole lot more promising!!!!!