My KIND of saving

About a year ago my husband bought a vacuum sealer for food and such. At the time we were getting ready to pack up well over 20 chickens that we had raised. The machine ran us about $100 but was a great investment in the long run because our food has lasted us so much longer then in simple freezer bags. I pull it out every few weeks too separate and vacuum seal large packages of meat, among other things. Then about two months ago my mom asked to barrow it in order to separate and seal up a very nice cut of meat she had purchased. She look it home and called me about a half hour later telling me it was not working right. It was just turning on by itself and going crazy. So I took it back home with the intention of taking it back the next day. Two months later I realized, as we are prepping to raise our next round of chickens to package up, I never took back the sealer. So I went to the basement to bring it up stairs and set it on the counter in anticipation of going to the store in the morning. As I start to pull everything out of the bag I notice two things. One, I never sent in the warranty information card. Two, it says right in front, in big bold letters, DO NOT RETURN TO STORE. Great.

So, I call the 800 number on the front of the machine and expect to have to wait on hold for an hour only to be told “sorry you didn't send in the warranty” with an evil laugh as they hung up the phone. You can imagine my surprise when ,after I pushed a few buttons and in under 2 minutes, I was talking to a real person. I started the conversation with a “hello, how are you?” This was followed by an explanation of what had happened to the machine. While telling her what was going on I tried to shift the blame on myself just a little. I also explained how much we LOVED the product and tell all kinds of people about it. When I was done telling the problem I ended by giving the women a personal complement (Thank you so much for listening that is hard to come by, or You are so sweet, or add in a joke about being a mom). After I was done talking, we both had a giggle about the kids yelling in the back ground. She told me just a sentence or two about her kids. Then, she asked me a few questions about the machine. In about 45 seconds she was explaining to me that I would receive a new upgraded machine in the mail in about 7 days and she would bypass making me send in the old one before the new one shipped. We ended with a few more giggles, me telling her how great she was, and how very thankful we are to her for doing that. In just a few days we received the new, much better, model.

What is the point you ask? BE NICE TO PEOPLE!!! It will save you tons and not just money. When you go through the drive through, ask the order taker how they are doing, and make a joke about being that person that doesn't know what they want to eat, he will make sure you get the fries that are full. When you smile and hold the door for the women that has an arm full of groceries and two kids, she will make sure  she picks up and gives back the $10 bill you dropped. When you brake your food saver and have not sent in your warranty, the costumer service person will make sure she sends out a new one for you. You get the point. Even if they don't respond with kindness back, I know I left the situation being the best I can be. This to me is better then any amout of money. This does not just go for people who are nice to you first. The person that is the meanest may just be the one who needs the most kindness. I don't mean a faked forced kindness. I mean a genuine kindness because you genuinely care. So go! Be nice! See if it not only changes your day but other peoples day as well.

Happy Savings,

Lynden