Noble Pig

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Keep It Close To Home

Yesterday you all listened and commiserated with me as I complained about my “one-hour-old-dishwasher” mechanically failing and pouring copious amounts of water onto my floor, flooding the kitchen.

Having already been two weeks without a dishwasher and now having to wait another week for a new one (as I refused to keep the dishwasher that failed its first cycle), needless to say it was a buzz kill.

I had purchased my dishwasher from a local appliance store.  However, before doing so I did call around to the big retailers like Sears and Best Buy for their prices as well.  I believe buying local is beneficial to everyone except if prices are not “in line” with other stores, then it’s just price gouging.

All the retailers had fairly close prices and interestingly Sears was the most expensive.  I chose to buy close-to-home even though it wasn’t the cheapest.  I felt confidant if I had a problem or needed a repair I would most likely get better service from a family-owned business.

Yesterday afternoon, while in the midst of a sticky cooking project with my son (with lots of dirty dishes), the appliance store I had purchased the dishwasher from called.  They said they had made a trip to another distributor they normally don’t use in order to get me a new dishwasher.  They could be here within the hour to install it.

I was ecstatic to say the least.  I had already relegated myself to one more week of dish-pan-hands.

The point is, this level of customer service would have probably never happened had I chosen to buy from the big guys, much further away.

The benefits of buying local and family-owned served me well yesterday.  I will continue the practice.

And my new dishwasher?  It’s fabulous.

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Comments

  2. I agree with Deeba, supporting local businesses is really small town America at it’s best, and hopefully, Small town business appreciates the business and their name means a lot to them. ( by Small Town I mean LOCAL )This is the way to help fellow Americans and local businesses know that we will reward honesty and integrity, and if they are NOT honest or ethical…why they will suffer the consequences of their duplicity in their chosen location to their detriment!

    Right on Noble Pig…and whew! The hands are saved from redness and irritation, not to mention the Noble Pig is spared a big share of irritation.

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  3. You know Cathy I agree with you 100%. My husband & I have been together for 27 years, 1 of the 1st thngs he ever said to me when I went to replace something that had broken & I was going for the “cheap” price was you get exactly what you pay for when you do that. So now I do what you do & I have become more in tuned to the “Mom & Pop” type businesses. They need your/our business so they will try so much harder to please. In turn everybody is happy. Buy American is not just a snappy slogan any more.

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  4. I agree with you…buying close to home and non-franchised, family businesses provides more stimulus to the economy and better customer service.

    I am glad your situation got resolved quickly!!! Now, show us what you made that was sticky and I’m sure yummy.

    Marlene

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  5. I totally agree! I am renovating my in law’s house for resale and had to go buy new double ovens. I went to the super stores and found reasonable prices, but no one to install it and a BIG charge to even deliver it.

    So I went out yesterday to a local, homegrown dealer. They couldn’t have been nicer, will deliver the oven for FREE, and actually beat the super store’s price by $400! AND I didn’t even ask for that!

    So, yes, use the family owned businesses. They deserve our respect and support.

    Stephanie

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  6. As said the Saturday before Thanksgiving my chest freezer died. Actually evidence was it had been a few days as the temperature was about 20, not the -10 it is set for.

    We went into what I assume to be an east coast chain, claimed to be family owned. We told the salesman what happened and what we needed. They had a 25 cu ft chest freezer on sale, well it was a grand opening sale and for the weekend they were offering an additional markdown.

    This was Saturday about 7:30 PM. The freezer was delivered before noon on Sunday.

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  7. I agree with you 100%. We have bought all of our appliances from the local ‘mom and pop’ appliance store (only because the fridge died when we moved in and were new to this town and didn’t know about the store). They know what they are selling as they only sell appliances. We have maybe paid $50-100 more for major appliances, but they deliver the next day, haul away, install and do whatever they can if there is a problem. I like that my dollars (that I earn locally) are helping my neighbors locally.

    Now, what kind of ‘sticky’ thing did you make?

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  10. Good for You! I am feeling your excitement right now. I know I would hate to be without my dishwasher for even a day. I, too, believe in buying local whenever necessary. We are buying all our material for rebuilding the garages from the local family owned lumber/hardware store. We have been so pleased with the service, it is beyond words. Trying to get materials at Home Depot is near impossible!! It was bad before the hurricane and now their business has quadrupled. Our local lumber store is very busy also, but they still manage to have time to spend with customers and helping them with selections, etc., their prices are compatible, and free delivery! Anyway I am so happy for you that your dishwasher is exactly what you wanted and it is now installed and working!

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  11. Good for you for buying local! Another reason to buy local: the money you spend stays in your local economy. The appliance store is paying taxes in your community to support your schools and your roads. As opposed to the profits that Sears makes… who know where that goes to! I’d rather pay a few extra dollars and know that I’ll get it back in spades.

    My town put together a top 10 list for buying local — http://www.cambridgelocalfirst.org/clf15/about-us/top-10-reasons-to-think-local

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  12. We buy local as often as possible. In a small-ish town, you know most of these people, you befriend them, and you want to help them. And they end up helping you. I believe that in these tough economic times, we will go back to a trade/barter type system and these local folks will become even more important.

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  15. we have never had a dishwasher other than our hands of course… but we just bought a new fridge and love it we bought from a newer big place but their service has been fantastic and their prices beat the big name places too! good luck with the new dishwasher!

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  16. Good for you Cathy!
    Over here in the Wild West, our ‘local’ appliance guys (17 miles away) also go the extra mile… I had a hot water heater catch fire, and needless to say, the guys drove to Boise (3 hours 1 way) to do the exact same thing.. Get me a hot water heater that I wanted!!!
    We also have a Sears ‘outlet’. It’s a little store – and those chumps drive me nuts… We have three houses that we buy appliances for (hired hands) and if you need a repair? You have to call a 1-800 number! I bought 3 fridges one year.. Discount? Hell No! They suck…
    But love my real local guys!

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  17. I too had the same experience when I just bought my new Electrolux washer and dryer.(LOVE THEM)!
    I went to Sears first. The sales staff was unfriendly and unknowledgeable. So I went to a local appliance dealer. The were soooo very friendly and waived all delivery fees and delivered the next day. Big box stores are not always the answer. As a small business owner, I like helping out small local business as much as I can.

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  18. Yippee on the fabulous new dishwasher! Yes, buying local can be a great thing to do. I believe insisting on buying cheap from the big guys has gotten our country into a lot of its problems. It was a very sad day when the local hardware store (“hardware store” doesn’t do it justice) closed several years ago. They just could not compete with the prices of the big guys a half hour away, but they could walk you through any project, find any part, etc. … and do it all with a smile and kind words. I miss those guys. Congrats again on the new dishwasher! Shirley

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  19. I totally agree with you about buying local. I just had a new kitchen floor installed from a local small family business and they were great. I know if there is a problem they’ll be there right away……

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  20. Aw, that’s great! I am shocked you are even cooking knowing there was no dish washer. If my dishwasher broke I would probably just move out until the new one had been installed.

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  21. 1 year ago last week we bought our brand new stainless fridge from Best Buy. NEVER EVER again! We only needed a new water filter for it and they were put-out just trying to help us figure out which one and where in the store, to find it. Well, my hubby went and did it…but believe me, after that experience, when we get ready to get our new dishwasher and stove, we’re going local. No more big box stores for us!

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  25. Yay for new dishwasher! Let’s hear it for the local guy too! I would always like to support the local guy when it makes sense.
    I even try to avoid national chains with my grocery shopping as much as possible.

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  26. I completely agree, I also buy locally when I can and that is a huge benefit to doing so. As well as benefiting the local economy, supporting local business owners, there is nothing than can beat good old customer service that generally gets lost by the big guys. Kudos to you for not going with the cheapest!

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  28. Glad it worked out! I’m with you, I always prefer to go with the ‘little’ guys if it makes sense price wise. Enjoy your new dishwasher and those cookies sound yummy!

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  29. Oh yayyy!!!
    I agree. Most of the time you get better service from a locally owned store. I try to support the locals as much as possible. They are what this country was built on.

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  33. I am all for supporting the local “little guys.” We had a similar experience with a new TV we purchased over Christmas. The customer service and promptness of our local dealer far exceeded the big name chains.

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  34. I agree with you totally. We always stick with the *Mom & Pop* stores when we can. The service is always the best. Also, it doesn’t take scheduling an appointment with them since they ususally come right over.

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  36. It’s so lovely to hear these happy-ending stories Cathy! Just today, I had an extra 10% off discount at a large grocery store chain – since I wasn’t getting much myself, I actually looked around for the one person whose cart was fullest, looking rather haggard – and voila, found one customer who was more than happy to be able to take advantage of the 10% off what looked like over $200 in groceries….

    you sending out those great vibes of yours came right back to you with great local service! Brava!
    Leah

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  46. So glad to hear that you had such a great response from a local business… that’s the way that it should be!

    Also — glad to hear the second time is the charm as far as the dishwasher goes. Plumbing crises are NEVER fun!

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  48. I agree…you wouldn’t have gotten that kind of service with a big name place like Sears or Best Buy. We got our dishwasher from a local place a few months ago and we were so pleased with the service. It really does make a huge difference.

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  49. Buying local was one of the best lessons I learned from my mother in law. On the outset it sounds so simple, but the many positive returns go much deeper than that.

    Enjoy getting back to soft hands again!

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  50. Yep local is the way to go if you can. We bought all our appliances through Sears 8 years ago and I have to say they are the WORST service I have ever experienced. I hate that 1800 stupid number with a passion.

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  51. I’m very happy for you. I don’t even want to think about doin’ without my dishwasher, even though I still wash some by hand. I agree with you about home town service. It pays to stay with the smaller retailer. They want your service and they care if you come back or not.

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  53. If you can do it, local is always best. I’m sure they appreciate their local customers now more than ever.

    Your antidote to dishwasher issues was delicious. I saw that recipe and knew I had all the ingredients on hand (I keep any type of ‘chips’ at all times). It was GREAT!! Definitely one to be rewritten into my desserts notebook. Thank you!

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  54. I believe in buying local, as long as the local store is competitive. We need to keep these local businesses thriving. One other thing regarding the dishwasher disaster. Premature failure of major appliances is becoming more and more prevalent in this country, due to cheap, overseas manufacturing process and something called “value engineering”. In short, engineering working for major corporations are under pressure to reduce the per piece cost of all the parts being used to manufacture a certain item. What this means for us, as consumers, is a compromise between price and quality. Too often, the quality suffers and the appliance fails very soon after purchase. To avoid the aggravation, avoid impulse purchases of major (or for that fact a small appliance)appliances, instead, go online (even if you have to go to the library) and log on to the seller’s website. Search for the model that you are considering and take a look at the consumer’s reviews. There, by reading the comments and experiences, you can see if the one you want is experiencing a large number of failures, poor performance, etc. If the negatives outstrip the positives, you may want to reconsider your choice. This has helped me make very informed choices.
    Thanks Cathy for such a great website!

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  56. O dear Cathy…I can SO commiserate with you over the water problems. Last month, our hot water heating pipes froze, burst. Three rooms and a hallway have to be torn out to the studs, dried out then refinished. Half dozen wool rugs are ruined, I’ve lost antiques, furniture, books…the list goes on and on. This weekend we found another leak, more damage…if it didn’t take so much energy, I’d sit down and CRY!
    Keep the faith, it will get better, talking to both of us here.

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  57. Yay! See that? Just 2 minutes ago I hoped it for you and it happened. 😉

    I have similar commitment to local pharmacies, although it has been years since I could fine one.

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  59. You had the opposite experience I had. I wanted to go with someone small and local when I needed a new refrigerator. There was an appliance store right down teh street. I walked in, saw a couple of salespeople were already occupied, and started to just look around. Not once did anyone acknowledge my presence. No salesperson said, “I’ll have someone help you as soon as someone is available.” No one would even make eye contact with me. Then, to add insult to injury, a couple walked into the store and were immediately acknowledged. I guess walking into a store by myself meant that I wasn’t serious.

    Years earlier, this same supplier put an airconditioner in the bedroom of my mother’s place. They were supposed to take the old one out of hte window and put the new one in. Instead, they just put the new air conditioner in another window and left the old one.

    I hate to say this, because I had big box stores, but Home Depot has always had great customer service for me.

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  63. im so sad for the terrible decline of the “mom and pop” stores. im a young poor college girl and money is tight but i really try to buy local and from “go texan”. i despise wal-mart and their business practices. No wonder the economy is in shambles when walmart is importing 18 billion worth of goods from china! im so proud of you for buying local! these stores care about having your business and rely upon good customer service and word of mouth for staying open whereas a chain store has 100 more people to replace you if you dont like what they are doing. i wish everyone knew the true value of buying local!

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  65. Hubby and I were just talking yesterday about doing more local. We noticed a restaurant down the street we were always saying we would get around to eating at, had closed. Bummer. We vowed to support our local restaurants more.

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