The customer is always right. We have heard that time and again. Even when the customer is wrong, they are still right according to business. While there are some consumers that will take advantage of this, I applaud the businesses who strive to go above and beyond with their customer service. It is one of the best things about small business and keeping your business local. The big box stores are the ones with their advertising banners on the center field fence of a major ballpark, the local café has their sign on the back of the little league dugout because they sponsored the t- shirts for the kids to wear. When you support the little businesses, they support the community.

            I cannot remember the last time that I went to one of those big grocery stores and they bagged my groceries for me, let alone help carry them to the car. The big lumber and hardware stores have employees, but they apparently play hide and seek from customers who might need their assistance, the help at the local hardware store knows where every bolt, nut, piece of pipe and obscure plumbing fitting is hidden and will meet you with a smile as they take you to it! When you get your oil changed at one of those 10-minute oil change places, they see how bad they can strip out the drain plug with their impact wrench and barely say hello or goodbye to you. The local tire shop will change your oil, rotate your tires, check the air cleaner, vacuum out the floorboards and wash the windows all while you enjoy conversation and a cup of coffee.

            I’m not saying that big business is bad, they are a necessary part of our economy, but they could dang sure take a lesson in customer service from the little store down on the corner. See this country is filled with little towns, some no bigger than a wide spot in the highway. It is these small towns where people still matter more than dollar signs. The same people smiling and helping at the hardware store and tire shop are the ones who will drop everything when the fire bell rings because they are part of the local volunteer fire department. Small town people go above and beyond everyday to make the lives of their fellow citizens better.

            Recently I purchased a couple pair of cows from the local sale barn. My wife had bought them on the internet so the first time I saw the cattle was when we got them home. In the daylight it was evident that the calves did not belong to the cows. With one simple phone call the owner of the barn made it right and even sent a man to come get them. That is the very definition of customer service, and it is how you retain customers. You can bet they earned more of my respect that day, and probably more of my business.

            I believe in helping those that help others. There is something to be said about businesses that greet you with a smile when you walk through the door and call you by name. Whether they are supporting 4-H and FFA kids by bidding on animals at the fair, or sponsoring the local little league squad, the small businesses are the ones who make our communities better. That’s all for this time. Remember to shop local and keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire. God bless!

Meinzer is a fourth-generation rancher raised on the southeastern plains of Colorado. He and his family live and ranch in Oshkosh, Neb.