Econ 101

We lost our new reading glasses, so yesterday we went to the local pharmacy/optical store to get a new pair. We weren't feeling well and we wanted to lay on the couch and read, so we really needed another pair of reading glasses. An older man in this small-town ma and pa pharmacy place helped us find a pair we liked. But as he was cleaning the lenses, he found a small crack. We offered to buy them anyway; they were cheap. He said he couldn't sell them but that we could have them if we wanted. This is the kind of small-town consumer experience that is going the way of the dinosaur, and we're going to miss it. Not too long ago in this same small town, we dropped our car off at the dealer for an oil change and another minor problem. But then we decided we needed to get out of town because Grandpa died. We called the dealer guy and told him that we needed to pick up the car as soon as possible due to a death in the family. By the time we got there, this guy had our car out front and told us to take care of our business and not to worry about the bill. We usually can't stand car dealers, but this kind of stuff goes a long way. (So we bought four new, expensive tires from the dealer guy a few months later.)

So as we were driving away from the ma and pa pharmacy place yesterday with our free (albeit slightly cracked) reading glasses, we noticed some construction across the street. It was a new Walgreens going up. Well, we'll continue to take our business to the old place, thank you, as long as they're still in business.