Know Who Wants Your Business vs Who Wants Your Money

I learned a very valuable lesson over the weekend as a result of an upsetting incident.

Late Saturday night, a tire on my car blew.  I pulled into a parking space at a service station, which was just a few feet away when the tire went out.

The store's owner told me that I couldn't stay there until help arrived, as his store is not a place to just park cars.  I told him that I understood that and that I just wanted to stay there until help arrived, as my 8-year-old daughter was also with me.  He told me that my vehicle had to be moved and that he would call the police for it to be towed.

Granted, considering the fact that I didn't have a spare, he may have been doing me a favor; but at the time, help was on the way.  And any idiot knows it's not wise to move a car on a flat tire.

The rest of the incident is documented on my Facebook page, but there's a lesson I took away from all this:  Not everyone who takes your money really wants your business.

If you do any kind of business with anyone, you'll likely find yourself making this statement a time or two: We have a great business relationship.  The fact is that in business, there is a relationship.  A person who wants your business pursues it, lets you know it's appreciated, and supports YOUR endeavors because oftentimes your success creates more business for that entity.

The relationships we have with entrepreneurs not only determines whether we spend with them again but also whether or not we refer other people to them.  Growing up, my mother always taught us that a good name is rather to be chosen than riches.  So, to this day, I have no respect for those who make a living by capitalizing on those who are downtrodden.  Neither do I have anything for anyone who can show me that my dollar is worth more than me as a person.

So, the owner of that store NEVER has to worry about receiving a dime of my money.  He didn't want my business. His loss.

Now, as for McKinney's Auto Repair & Tire (1500 Hargrove Rd; Tuscaloosa, AL 35401), who made sure I got my tire installed after hours on a Sunday...

First of all, thank you!  After the remarkable service I received, I went online to check out reviews; and it turns out that I was not an exception.

One person wrote, "I got a flat tire on my way home from work at 10 p.m.  McKinney's was the only tire shop that was available at that hour.  They delivered a tire to my location and fixed my flat within 45 minutes! Great service!"

Sometimes, people tend to treat you better when they feel like they have something to gain and they treat you worse when they think they have nothing to lose.  All I have to say is that Mr. Service Station man just lost A LOT. And McKinney's... You have my unpaid, unsolicited endorsement.  You showed you wanted my business.