I live in a small suburb north of Los Angeles and Glendale, California.  I try, whenever possible, to do business with the local mom-n-pop businesses instead of the big-box stores.  I figure that it good for the community.

Now, my little old mother had a knee replacement a week ago last Monday.  She is on a walker while she recuperates and is getting ants in her pants about being cooped up in the house.  Tonight I get home from work and after our usual greetings, we decide to go to the local toy store to buy a ton of toys for a family member (3 years old) who just had to leave all of his toys behind when he and his mother had to go into a shelter.

I load Mom and her walker up in the car and drive a few blocks to the local store.  There are no close handicapped spots so I turn on my flashers and unload her in front of the store and then drive around the back and park.  Now I have to walk around the block and meet up with mom in the toy store. 

When I walk in, the cashier is ringing up a customer.  Mom is about a quarter of the way down the first aisle.  As I approach her, she tells me to go get a cart or a basket because she already had some stuff in her hand.  Being the dutiful daughter that I am, I do so.  Now I walk back over to mom.  We proceed to start throwing all kinds of toys in the cart.  When we get to the end of the first aisle, one of the employee's shouts at us that it is 6:00 p.m.  Okay, I tell him, we will head back to the front.  I figure that we can still throw more toys into the cart on the way towards the front down the next aisle.

Poor Mom hadn't shuffled more than a few steps when I hear them closing out the ONLY cash register up front.  I am a little ticked off.  Mom says "I guess they don't want our business."  We get a few more steps and they shut off the lights!  Now, you have to remember that Mom makes a heck of a lot of noise shuffling along in that walker.  The guy had seen mom when she came in and when he hollered at us that it was 6:00p.m.  I saw him look at her.  This place is dark.  Mom yells at him "turn the lights back on."  He doesn't.  Mom and I make it to the front where helper-guy is standing there shrugging his shoulders.  Mom tells him about our quest for toys for the 3-year-old.  He shrugs his shoulders.

We go next-door to a little novelty store and find everything that remotely looks like a toy and buy it.  Mom tells all of the employees in the novelty store about our experience in the toy store.  They are shocked and appalled as are we.

Here is the thing about Mom.  She is a Realtor.  She has lived in this area for over twenty-five years.  She has been active on the Neighborhood Council, Rotary, the Elk's Lodge, her church and I can't even begin to name all of the organizations and volunteer work she has done.  My mom is also one of the fiestiest women I know (I call her "mean" with a smile on my face.)  If anyone thinks that mom is going to keep her mouth shut about how she was treated in the toy store, they are sadly mistaken.  She is probably on the phone right now!

Customer Service is a big deal.  It is important to treat people the way you would like to be treated or would like your little old mom treated.  Bad customer service will come back to bite you!