"Chuck" wrote in message
...
snip-----------

.. Then, in the last go-'round, when
prices dropped back down 20-cents or so, his stayed high.
Consequently, I stopped buying my gas there. Then, one day I stopped
and asked, with all due respect, why their price had previously
reflected that of the same brand station in the next town, but this
time had stayed high? His reply? "Go down there and buy your gas."

Done deal, and for ever. Any time I find a business that has that kind of
attitude, I not only don't patronize them, but I make sure that others
understand their attitude. There's nothing like negative advertising to
sink a business, and it's the cheapest and easiest advertising a person can
get, with plenty to go around. All it takes is a go-to-hell attitude
displayed to the consumer like the example above.

So, guess who _doesn't_ get my 3-5 fillups a week now?

Small wonder! g

Interestingly, a local hardware store recently learned how to sharpen their
pencil. A few years back I needed some damp proofing for the foundation
of the shop. They wanted double the price asked at Home Depot. The 50
mile drive one way was worth the trip because we needed a few pails. Of
late, however, they seem in tune with more reasonable pricing and we've been
spending our money with them. Smart business people don't rely on
screwing the consumer if they want to be in business tomorrow. All too
many of them chase business away that way. For the most part, they're now
getting a wakeup call in our community. HD is going to open a local store,
and Wal-Mart has one of the largest stores in the western US near us.
There's considerable bitching, but it's going to get things on an even keel
here. In the end, more of the local dollars will remain here, instead of
going to other communities where prices are reasonable.

Harold