YourOpinions

Older AmericansMonth

remember the times I heard A&R Tires offers mechanical that increased sales are a cure repairs and tires, Dougherty’s for many enterprises in inPharmacy has prescriptions, creased profitability. These days gifts and sundries and Core keeping your customers feelFederal Credit Union is the only ing appreciated in a sincere way bank left in town. My wife was keeps them coming back, givreturning from Syracuse after ing your business the sales ina chemotherapy session, got a stead of going to others in annail in her tire and left the car other area in an attempt to save at A&R — they gave her a ride money. This is our right in this home and before I got home free country of ours to patronfrom work they had the tire ize who we want. Sales formufixed and had brought the car las are not difficult — you shop home — total cost, $10. I would where you think your two cents have paid much more and not is most appreciated. In this day complained — that’s true cusand age most companies, to retomer service, why would I main competitive, have to be latake our cars anywhere else? bor intense to compete with the Dougherty Pharmacy has a new cheaper labor market overseas. owner, Colin, who has streamMost businesses and governlined the store and made it easmental offices push you to their ier for customers to shop — eswebsites or automated phones, pecially in customers’ ability to God forbid if you want to talk make fewer trips by better timto someone, eliminating pering of their prescriptions. Cursonal contact. rently they opened another

In the last few years some store in Hamilton to give their establishments in Morrisville one pharmacy some competiAfter living in the Morrisville have closed or changed hands, tion. They offer excellent cuscommunity for 23 years as well not because they were forced to tomer service as do the employas attending college here from or were not profitable, the ownees of the credit union and have 1971-1973, I have seen countless ers just retired. a great leader in their manchanges. A Dollar Store is the Not to slight any other entity ager, Wendy. Jeff of Napa and store to go to out of necessity in town, there are a few that inmany others have made the vilafter the local grocer couldn’t creased their sales, and not by lage a better place to shop close compete and closed two years using any fancy gimmicks. The to home. Every type of busiago. A few years ago while owners and managers of these ness these days has more to do pumping gas, I looked down enterprises have increased their with less — the economy still to see a six inch hole covered sales by offering excellent cushasn’t flourished yet. But we with a cap that said “Made in tomer service — they have incan do our share of keeping our China.” It amazed me that piece creased their sales by using the storefronts full and have more of metal was made in a foreign same facility and the same bachoices. Not to hurt the tencountry and shipped here at a sic products, maybe just proure of other stores in the village lower cost than the U.S. could. viding a better shopping expethat do equally well.

I spent more than 35 years inlocal!rienceandcompellingthemtoShop the grocery business and can’t return.

Stoneleigh Apartments in Canastota is hosting its third annual open house and reception in honor of Older Americans Month (May). The public is invited to attend. It will be held in the community room of the complex on Wednesday, May 3 between 9-11 a.m. More than a dozen vendors will be on-site to provide information regarding benefits and services available to seniors. Refreshments will be served and tours of the building will be offered. While May has been designated as Older Americans Month for more than 25 years, it is not widely recognized. We are hoping to change that.

Local shops best in customer service