Ode to a Small Town

Small town life is something to be treasured. Some may see it as a nuisance, while others, a joy.
It has its quiet moments, it has it roaring moments.
The seasons resonate with care, wanting to be noticed for what they are, beauty.
People cross paths with smiles and well wishes, for recognition is not an issue.
During the days of summer, doors are left open, with only a screen to protect from the outer elements.
During the days of winter, quiet reigns. In the evening, the gentle fall of snow is all that resonates.
Town meeting places are the local institutions and shopping areas. Conversations often begin at the local post office or grocery store. Rarely is a face unrecognized. Smiles and handshakes are part of the ritual of grocery shopping or mail pick-up.
Children play freely, without the restrictions or worries of city life. The moon and stars are the only light for a child to play by, and oh how bright they are.
Summers are too short in a small town.
Winters are never long enough. Often, the firelight is the only light by which to converse by.
Kids grow up with an all too familiarity. A bond develops that reflects the small town values. And out of that, a camaraderie, an understanding of the shared values of where their from.
The camaraderie never ends. They know home is the small town.
Even when those children have moved on and grown up, they are still drawn to memories of that small town.
The townspeople celebrate the seasons together, commemorating that which is summer, fall, spring, and winter.
During the winter celebration, carolers are enjoyed for they are acquaintances.
During the summer months, long walks are cherished and enjoyed.
The world is small in such a town. The distance between the school, the store, and other seeming necessities is condensed into a short distance, nothing that can't be negotiated with a walk.
For a child in a small town, life is simple.
The world for a child is the short distance between the school yard and home.
Bike rides home from school are quiet and traffic free for there is one main road that runs through town. This road is avoided. There are numerous side routes to take in order to achieve your goal.
Life in a small town is gentle, serene, cordial, and hospitable.
I'm glad to have a treasure such as those memories of my small town.

The Apple Stores and the Industrial Revolution

It's no accident that Apple has been doing so well lately. Sure, they have their little thing called the iPhone, and a couple other things called the iPod, and the Macbook. But how do they get their merchandise to the people? One big part of Apple's success is the Apple store.

According to "Inside Apple stores, a certain aura enchants the faithful", from CNET.com, the Apple stores account for over 20% of its revenue, and it's growing. There's a reason for this growth. Walk in an Apple store and you'll see why.

During the Industrial Revolution, many died from their stays in the hospital. Due to the lack of knowledge about bacteria, patients who went in for surgery often died from the infections that followed. The rich often had doctors come to their home to perform any necessary surgery. It can be said that the last place you wanted to be when you were sick was the hospital. This can be translated to todays shopping at traditional brick and mortar stores.

It seems more and more lately that the last place you want to be to have serious questions answered about computers or other electronics are the traditional brick and mortar stores (I'm winking at you Circuit City and Best Buy). I often feel sorry for customers in the computer areas of these stores asking questions about the computers in stock. Those people who have absolutely no clue about what a computer is or how it works are usually at the mercy of someone who generally has a bit more knowledge about computers than they do--if that. From what I've seen and experienced, these employees often defer to someone else who acts like they know more, when in reality they don't know anything more about the computer in question. If you want to talk to someone about computers or printers, like the Industrial Revolution and hospitals, don't go to a large brick and mortar store.

This is why Apple stores are cool. Upon walking in your greeted by a clearly marked employee. There's no chance of having to search out someone for help, Apple employees are usually just a few feet away. Apple employees cover the place like ants on a spilled soda. You certainly don't feel like you're on your own in these stores.

Apple employees know their product, and if they're not sure about a piece of software or hardware, they will quickly get a manager to help you out (which happened to me once). And the thing is, they generally don't walk away from you in order to search out someone who knows about a particular product. They get on their nifty little headset and ask the question, and get an immediate response which is routed right to the customer.

In an Apple store, you're encouraged to ask questions. If you have a question about your Mac, simply drop in for advice. At many other stores (wink wink CC and BB) you feel like the employees are dodging you and you have to chase them down to get some help. Apple employees truly feel a passion about their product and, from my experience, want to talk to you about it.

Again, iMac and Macbook sales are on the rise, and this is no accident. Walk into an Apple store and you'll quickly see why you don't have to worry about a trip to an Industrial Revolution era hospital.

The Sad State of Customer Service

     Customer service today is in the pits! Yeah, I said it, the pits! Aren't companies there to make money? I mean, aren't they supposed to cater to the customers every whim and need? It seems some retail establishments are doing their hardest not to make money, let alone stay in business.
     After reading an article on CNET titled "Is Circuit City in Danger?", it all seemed to make sense. The quality of customer service has a direct correlation to how well the business does, it's that simple. If a restaurant takes forever to take your order, will you go back? If the waitress is rude, will you go back?
     This brings me to my epiphany about Circuit City. I ventured into my local Circuit City a couple months back to do some browsing, you know, kill time. It ends up that I found a camera that I was rather smitten to so I decided to purchase it. It was in the standard glass case so I had to have an employee open the case. After doing a lap around the store, I finally happened upon an employee (he was wearing the standard Circuit City employee shirt), but, unfortunatly, he was talking to a couple other gentlemen (I use "gentlemen" loosely, they looked to be in their late teens/early 20's). Before I go on, I have to say that these "gentlemen" looked worse than me, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt--get the picture?
     Anyway, I figure he's helping these guys, so I hang back a few yards hoping to swoop in and ask for his assistance when he's finished. While I'm waiting, I've got my neck craned looking for other prospective helpers with their CC shirts--none found.  After a few minutes of what I'm sure appeared to be loitering, he stops his conversation and asks if I need some help. I reply in the affirmative and tell him that I'm not in a huge hurry, whenever he's done with the other customers. Here's the killer part. The guys he's been talking to aren't customers--THEY'RE FELLOW EMPLOYEES!
     I have to tell you, these guys were wearing t-shirts and raggedy pants. Never in a million years would anyone guess that they worked there! It turns out that he (the guy wearing the CC shirt) gets another employee to help me who is also wearing street clothes. What was this, casual day at Circuit City!? Everyone is dressed casually even when they are wearing their red Circuit City shirts!
     I'm usually somewhat of a quiet person and I usually let things slide, but on this day, I just couldn't. I told the guy that I'd been looking for someone to help me out for a while and that it was hard to identify the people that worked there--I got no reply.
     This comes on the heels of another incident that took place over the summer where a woman demanded to see the manager of the before mentioned Circuit City to complain about the customer service there. I was one of the few people in there that watched this soap opera play out. This woman (40's ish) was ranting about not being able to find someone to ask a question because they were all (3-4 guys) huddled in the back area where the car stereo equipment is. She finally managed to commandeer one of them, where she then demanded to see his manager. The manager was brought out and she proceeded to complain about the customer service--Bravo!
     All I'm saying is that these retail establishments need to take a closer look on who they hire. When companies hire a bunch of 17-18 year olds who work on a part time basis, I guess customers shouldn't really expect that much. And when the final receipts come in, the retailers shouldn't expect that much either.