Every Little Thing by April Jeppson

 

Our basement leaks a few times a year. If the rain comes down too fast or for too long, there are a few spots that we need to keep our eye on. So when there was water down there earlier this week, we assumed it was from the nonstop rain we got. As my husband investigated further, he saw that our sump pump had stopped working. Neither he nor I have ever had to deal with this, so we were a tad clueless.

I, like any good American female, immediately called my father. I grew up in Minnesota, where basements are inherently wet. I remember hearing my parents talk often about our sump pump, so I knew he’d be able to guide me in the right direction.

As I’m driving home from work, talking to my father on the phone, I decide to swing in to Ace Hardware to see what they have in stock. Ace is only a few blocks from my house, so it’s a convenient option to figure out what kind of financial bind this pump is going to put me in. Thankfully, sump pumps are not terribly expensive, and they had a few different sizes, models and brands to choose from.

Long story not so long, I end up going back to Ace four times that evening. And every single time, it was a breeze. I was working with Bill. He’s a personal trainer here in town, and I’ve taken a bunch of his classes. He’s helpful, knowledgeable and a straight shooter. Sure enough, he guides me to the right product and gives me a few pointers along the way. I accidentally bought the wrong size part — totally my fault. I came back, and Bill got me what I needed and I was out of there within two minutes. He even told me to call the store if I got stuck on something or had any questions along the way.

This whole experience really got me thinking. Sure, I could have driven over to one of the big box stores in town and possibly saved a few bucks. But so what?

Let’s say that I saved $10 by going elsewhere. First off, have you ever tried to return something at a big store? You need to go to customer service. (Hopefully there’s not a big line, and hopefully there’s someone actually working.) Then you wait. Even if you’re the only one there, it still takes time.

Second, customer service. Can you image if I would have walked into one of these big stores in town with a slew of sump pump questions? I remember when we redid our roof a few years ago, and I was trying to get some help at Home Depot. I came back from the store and said that I should apply to work there because apparently they need someone with roofing experience. When it’s 7 o’clock at night, and I’m wet from standing in my basement, I don’t want to be the sump pump expert when I go to a store looking for help. In addition, I’ve never in my life been to a big store and had them offer to help me after I’ve walked out their doors. In fact, sometimes it’s like pulling teeth to get them to help me when I’m still in their store.

Third, the quality of pump that I purchased is amazing. It’s solid and designed to last, so I’m not even sure I could have purchased something this nice at Walmart. In fact, the pump that we pulled out from the basement looked to be the same brand that they carry at Ace. I’ve lived here for over eight years and never had to deal with sump pump problems before, so I felt confident in getting the same one when replacing it.

I’ve gotten to know the owner of Ace Hardware over these past few years. Matt’s a good guy. He takes pride in his store. He truly wants to help his customers find the right product and make sure they know how to use it.

Bottom line. Shop local. I know this gets preached a lot here in town, but I genuinely mean it. Get to know the owners of these smaller stores. Sure, it might not be the cheapest, but the quality and customer service is what you’re paying for. And speaking from someone that now has a dry basement, these perks are worth every penny.

Albert Lean April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams.