$1 Off at Taco Del Mar

Taco Del Mar's Mondo Burrito is a favorite of mine.  $4.99 of burrito bliss!

Here's a coupon for $1.00 off any combo meal or a burrito - you know which one I'll choose...

Click on the image, print the page and enjoy burrito bliss!

Valid through 12.31.10.

Memorable Merchant(s) - TryLocalFirst.org

Usually, when I share experiences in Memorable Merchants, it is pertaining to a single merchant.  Today, it makes sense to focus on a group of local Gresham merchants that are trying to make a significant difference in our community.

Try Local First is a coalition of local business groups, launched by the Gresham Chamber of Commerce to urge East County citizens to support our own quality of life by supporting local businesses.  To their credit, check out the Try Local First banner in the rotation at the bottom of their home page.

The coalition's premise is based on a simple economic concept:  spend money locally, and the money stays in the local community longer and does more good than dollars that are sent outside the area, state, or country.

Bravo!

If you are an East County business owner - get involved.  If you are an East County resident, look for the Try Local First placards in local businesses.  At a minimum, look to our local merchants FIRST every time you shop.

Dave

Memorable Merchant - ShedRain Umbrellas

How often do you use a product for 14 years, have it fail (wear out, actually), inquire skeptically about the so called "Lifetime Warranty" and be taken care of without a single question asked?

Yes, I'm amazed, too.

ShedRain is a third-generation Oregon company founded in 1947. With a name like ShedRain, what else does an Oregon company make? Umbrellas, of course! And quality ones at that. Remember the 14 year statement?

When my wife's umbrella finally gave up, I called to find out about the Lifetime Warranty. Helpful-Warranty-Manager-Brandy said bring it in and they would take a look at it. So I did. Again, without any questioning, she cheerfully accepted the umbrella for inspection. Brandy indicated that within a week or so, she would have a decision on whether it could be repaired or if they will need to replace it.

Replace it? Again, I point out 14 years!

Friends and family are likely tired of the frequent story I tell about my first visit to a Les Schwab Tire Center years ago with a nail in my tire. When I tried to pay for the repair, they said "no charge." When I asked why, they said that it looked as it I would be needing tires in the near future and that they would appreciate it if I thought of them. Are you kidding? Since that day, I've never gone anywhere else.

From this day forward, I will never buy an umbrella from any manufacturer other than ShedRain. I suggest you do the same.

Dave

Free Pastry Day at Starbucks March 23

Starbucks is bringing back their "Free Pastry Day" on Tuesday, March 23.  Simply print this coupon, take it to a participating location and "nosh!"

Enjoy.

Dave

PS: Click on this small thumbnail image to display a larger image to print.

Gresham Rotary Wine Raffle!

The Gresham Rotary is ready to go with this year's Wine Raffle, Dinner, and Auction Event!

Friday, April 30
6:00 to 10:00 PM
Persimmon Country Club
500 SE Butler Road
Gresham, OR 97080

This is the 7th annual event with a dinner, silent auction, and wine raffle.  A good opportunity to have some fun and help a very good cause at the same time.  Rotary is a worldwide organization of business and professional leaders that provide humanitarian service, encourages high ethical standards in all vocations, and helps build goodwill and peace in the world. Approximately 1.2 million Rotarians belong to more than 31,000 Rotary Clubs located in 167 countries..

This is not a formal event, but it's a perfect time for me to wear one of my bow ties!  There's wine tasting, great food, and the auction -- simply a fun night.  $50 per person.

The Wine Raffle is a hoot.  Tickets are $5 each with prizes being:

• 3rd Prize:  10 bottles
• 2nd Prize:  25 bottles
• 1st Prize:  50 bottles

The Silent Auction usually holds a great variety of items on which to bid.  Some are small; many are significant.  In the past, they have had in the neighborhood of 40 items.

Can you tell why I'm excited? I'll be there... Will you?

Dave

Gresham-Barlow Phone-a-Thon February 22-25

The Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation is a group of tireless volunteers and donors who give of themselves year round for the benefit of our District's students. They have been strong partners and supporters of the Gresham-Barlow School District since they were founded in 1994.  Now, they need your help to help them continue their work.

In the press release that follows, you'll see the formal announcement of the 2010 Phone-A-Thon taking place February 22-25.  This year's "Learning to Read" campaign continues their focus on providing additional support for reading skills in the elementary grades.

How the Phone-A-Thon works:

High school students make outgoing calls to members of our community requesting donations.  With the Gresham Outlook and Gresham Ford sponsoring the event and covering all costs, all donations received from the high school students' phone calls go entirely to the reading programs.

All costs?  What costs are there?

The students making the calls are all part of various high school activity groups.  The Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation provides a small grant to each of the groups who field calls as a way to support their activities.  Combine this with some refreshments (after all, we are talking high school students!) and other supplies, and you can see that it takes some money to make some money.  With the generous sponsors who are covering those costs, every "telephone dollar" supports reading.

If you are in the Gresham-Barlow School District attendance area, please give what you can when you receive the call.  Every dollar helps.  If you are a New Blogged Word reader and are outside the District - or even outside the United States for that matter - you can donate to the Foundation at www.gbefkids.org.

By the way, donate $50 when you receive the call and get a free oil change from Gresham Ford.  Where else can you get a more than 50% return on your investment?  (Not to mention the support you'll be providing.)

Thanks!

Dave


Gresham-Barlow School District News
February 9, 2010
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation's seventh annual Phone-A-Thon to raise funds to help students become better readers

February 22-25 the Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation will hold a Phone-A-Thon for the Foundation's "Learning to Read" 2010 campaign. During the four-day event, students from the district's high schools will call parents and community members asking for donations to the campaign. Donations will be primarily used to provide support for elementary students learning to read. The event also provides a fundraising opportunity for high school student groups.

Last year, parents and community members in the school district raised $40,000 for the reading campaign. The Gresham Outlook and Gresham Ford are sponsoring the event. Individuals donating $50 or more will receive a certificate for a free oil change from Gresham Ford. Community members can visit the website www.gbefkids.org to make a pledge.

The Gresham-Barlow School District serves more than 11,000 students in grades K-12. The Gresham-Barlow Education Foundation was formed in 1994
to assist the schools of the district in providing the best possible educational opportunities for its students.

Starbucks Responding to Incentives

It has been a while since I posted a Memorable Merchant, but I was so pleasantly surprised recently during a Starbucks visit, I had to dust it off.

While hanging out waiting for the girls to finish shopping a while back, I ran across a brochure talking about a relatively new program called My Starbucks Rewards.  Although I'm a loyal Starbucks customer, I did not know about this until now since my regular visits are at my local Safeway Starbucks kiosk and not a physical store. The current program is a nice evolution to something actually started in the past.

In the past, Starbucks had various forms of rewards programs that included the use of their Visa card to track purchases. Believing that one credit card and a debit card are all the plastic I need, along with no doubt countless other customers, Starbucks saw the wisdom in not requiring a proprietary Visa and combined the program.

They did it right.

Now (and long overdue,) Starbucks is tracking purchases via registered gift cards, using the typical "frequent flier" model:  the more you use it, the better the rewards.  The only change in my habits is the use of a gift card (and regular re-loads.) Three levels exist:

• Welcome (black; beginner): free drink on your birthday; 2 free continuous hours wi-fi access
• Green (5 stars earned): Black level rewards; free beverage customization (syrup and milk options/soy); free refills on brewed or iced coffee; free beverage with whole bean purchase; free trial offers
• Gold (30 stars earned): Green level rewards; free drink every 15 stars; personalized gold card; personalized offers and coupons

You can get more details here.

Being someone who is always in the hunt for "miles," I appreciate getting credit for my purchases. It is interesting though (and a testament to Starbucks' dominance in the past,) that they are only in the recent past, becoming "competitive."  As recent as only a couple of years ago, they told Safeway to stop the "buy 7 and get one free" promotion as part of the Safeway Club Card.  The message: we don't need to entice people to drink our brew.

That has changed.

My economics professor in college, Dr. Ted Scheinmann, used to say, "people respond to incentives."  I quote him often since it is not only his, but the overall basic axiom of economics.  Starbucks originally (and for some time) had people responding just because they could afford expensive, but very enjoyable drinks, in very pleasant environments.  As competition has tightened from the likes of McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts (another good thing for consumers from an economics point of view,) Starbucks has needed to employ Dr. Scheinmann's axiom to keep customers responding.

It's working for me.  Since the sign-up via Blackberry from the "shopping" Starbucks, I have seven stars.  I'll be Gold in just 23 more.  Safeway kiosks aren't equipped to deliver the "rewards," but my everyday purchases count as stars.  At my pace, that's only about a month. 

Dave is "responding to incentives."

Memorable Merchant: New Choice Health

I know, you're thinking I'm going to pitch the merits of some insurance company.  Blah, blah, they paid everything, blah, blah, blah.

Nope.

I learned about New Choice Health today from a podcast on NPR's Planet Money.  NewChoiceHealth, Inc. is a leading online comparison shopping marketplace built for the sole purpose of providing healthcare consumers a way to save money. Consumers can easily locate medical facilities and compare medical procedure costs for common procedures such as MRIs, CT Scans, Mammograms, and more.  You can shop nationwide or right in your own local market from over 20,000 medical facilities for over 400 of the most commonly performed medical procedures.

The podcast's topic was related to health care and why hospitals charge so much.  That's a big bucket and a topic all by itself for another time.  The part that struck me was the ease at which the average patient (consumer) can shop for medical services using NewChoiceHealth.com.

First some background about the founder.  From their About Us page:

"Brad Myers is a medical cost expert and a founder of NewChoiceHealth.com. Brad has over 24 years of broad experience in the healthcare industry with extensive knowledge in medical cost informatics, healthcare insurance, managed care, clinical laboratory, and health and life insurance. It was his passion that drove him to bring price transparency to healthcare consumers through the web site www.NewChoiceHealth.com. It’s a simple message we are trying to bring to consumers, "shop and save!"

Being a "50-something" I decided to select an example of something near and dear to my... well... er... um... heart.  Here's a partial look at a search done for a colonoscopy in the Portland, Oregon area and the dramatic differences in pricing:

As I said before, the overall cost of health care is a topic for another day.  But I need to make an important point.  Many of us are fortunate enough to have insurance coverage, and our out of pocket costs for a procedure like this is small, relative to the published prices.  Because of that insurance, we simply don't have a good feel for what something costs.  Frankly, I was shocked to know the cost - and the range of costs.


For everyone thinking about any sort of medical procedure (even you, "Perfect Specimen John,") shop around.  You will likely save yourself some money.  For those procedures covered by insurance, the more we take action to reduce costs, the more competition there will be, and the lower costs will become.  Economics 101 - yet another topic for another day.


Dave

Agave Azul

New restaurants come and go, but occasionally one comes along that you really wish could stay.  Agave Azul had a brief mention in a recent edition of the Oregonian and the "healthy selections" part caught my eye.

I can only speak for the chicken fajitas - that's what Margaret and I each ordered.  (Of course there was a margarita and a glass of wine involved.)

Our new friend, Maria brought the fajitas to the table with the requisite sizzling pan, but when we dug in, we were both surprised - no grease.  When I pointed that out, Maria said simply, "we use wine instead!"

If you can't read the graphic, they are in Gresham (of course) just off Powell on Vista, near 242nd.  Treat yourself to a friendly atmosphere and wonderfully light fajitas!

Dave

Philadelphians Group Tours

It is always a pleasure to learn something new about a friend. I've been playing tennis with Grant Beldin for several years and never really knew about his company, Philadelphians Group Tours. I'd always heard bits and pieces, but never actually put two and two together. Until just recently.

Grant and his wife, Marilyn own and operate Philadelphians Group Tours, Inc. They have been creating and hosting non-smoking Christian tours since 1980 and here I am just finding out! Their tours are selected with seniors in mind and delivered in a caring and comfortable way.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have not enjoyed one of their tours myself. But I have a different perspective. A perspective most clients don't get to see. I see in Grant a caring, humorous, family-oriented gentleman. If just half of the personality I've known for years comes through in his tours, you're in for a treat.

The conversation I had with him recently that educated me about PGTI painted the picture of detail-oriented planning, the utmost concern for the guests' comfort and safety, and an overall feeling of him truly being a part of ever group he hosts. Not a bad way to travel.

Check out Philadelphians Group Tours, Inc. If you have the need for caring and comfortable travel, where all the details are handled for you, they are indeed your choice.

Dave

Free Pastry at Starbucks Tuesday

Yes, Starbucks is rolling out the free carpet - at least for one day. Purchase a coffee before 10:30 AM and get one of a variety of pastries FREE.

With McDonalds pushing the latte' wars and Dunkin Donuts fighting hard with great coffee, Starbucks continues to fight back.

Me? I'll make my normal purchase and enjoy a free pastry. Click on the picture to view the large version, print it and enjoy.

If that doesn't work, click here.

Dave

YMCA Camp Collins

Summer Camp.

Just these two words conjures up a time when nothing else really matters, September and the start of school is a lifetime away and kids can just be kids. Unfortunately, that isn't often enough these days. Although I didn't enjoy summer camp as a kid, I have been fortunate to be exposed to its virtues in a number of ways since then.

In this area of the country, many 6th graders enjoy "Outdoor School." They spend a week during the school year attending a summer camp along with their teachers and spend an environmentally educational week. For many, it's the first time away from home alone.

Outdoor School didn't yet exist when I was a 6th grader, but I had the chance to be a counselor when I was a senior in high school. All the best of summer camp and more rewarding at the same time.

Then, Daughter Collette went to Camp Collins as a 1st grader. Six years old and a camper for life. On the banks of the Sandy River east of Gresham, Oregon, Camp Collins is the ultimate location. Sitting in a horseshoe bend in the river, it makes it easy to ride the river in an inner tube and not travel far from your base.

But tubing is a small fraction of the benefits that come with a stay at Camp Collins. First of all, your stay will include my 21 year old as the Arts and Crafts Director. Yes, a camper for life. The video above should be your first clue why she's a camper for life and I take every chance I get to visit camp. Add horses, archery, a climbing tower, a ropes course, songs, nonsense, well... you get the idea. A great environment, all with the positive YMCA virtues of love, respect, honesty, responsibility, and service.

But why am I sharing this? Camp Collins needs your help.

Each year the camp raises over $100,000 dollars to help families with tuition assitance. Assistance is strictly needs-based and those needs are increasing during these challenging economic times. Couple that with a more challenged donor base - for the same reasons - and you see the need for this plea.

If you want to help make a difference in a child's life - a difference that amounts to the only positive influence in some kids' lives - please give what you can. A dollar or a thousand dollars - it all makes a difference.

Click on this link, visit the Camp Collins web site, donate, and help make another camper for life.

Dave

Donate Life Northwest Raffle

Donate Life Northwest

A good friend of mine is the Program Director for a small non-profit organization in Portland called Donate Life Northwest. They are responsible for the statewide public education about the importance of registering to be an organ donor.

Part of their fundraising efforts is an annual benefit raffle which is coming up in August. I am reaching out to all Ultimate Blogging Toolkit readers and fellow bloggers to buy a ticket or two. There are six great prizes and if by an unfortunate chance you don't win, all of your charitable gift is tax deductible and 100% goes towards their wonderful programs.

You can buy tickets online at their secure website:

https://donatelifenw.ejoinme.org/MyPages/AnnualBenefitRaffle/tabid/131609/Default.aspx

And what great prizes!

• Grand Prize: Roundtrip airfare for two on Alaska Airlines within the continental US
• 2nd Prize: Seven day stay at Eagle Crest Ridge in Redmond, OR (sleeps 6)
• 3rd Prize: Central Oregon Getaway - weekend stay in a cabin on the banks of the Metolius River and dinner at Chloe Restaurant
• 4th Prize: 16GB Apple iTouch
• 5th Prize: A one-of-a-kind handcrafted jewelry piece by local artist Jessica Vasi
• 6th Prize: Beach Getaway - Two night stay at a charming cottage on the Yachats River in Yachats, OR (sleeps up to 6)

For more details on the prizes and some pictures of the getaway cottages, you can check out their website.

I'm already signed up as an organ donor. If that appeals to you as a way to help another person, sign up or just buy a raffle ticket. Hey, you may get to pick up one of these prizes.

Donate Life Northwest
PO Box. 532
Portland, OR 97207
Office: 503-494-2257
Fax: 503-494-2290

Register today to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Thanks for your support.

Dave

JA Biztown Bonanza

In JA Biztown - Kids Conducting Commerce, I was giddy about my experience at the volunteer orientation for Junior Achievement's JA Biztown day.  Well, that was today, and giddy isn't anywhere close to explaining my excitement about the program.

Today was a culmination of many weeks of work by three of our local 5th grade classes, who were able to exercise their newfound skills in money management, business operations and a taste of grown-up responsibility.

Kids... er... ah... workers, were given paychecks, asked to make bank deposits, manage their cash and checkbook registers.  As employees, they created and distributed invoices, collected payments, made deposits, interacted with retail customers and generally saw how hard it was to "work."  (Not my assessment - direct quotes.)

This was the most enjoyable morning I've spent in a very long time.

Biztown is funded in part by naming rights of the companies represented in the "town."  (See previous post on the subject for an impressive list.)  I've added a "Memorable Merchant" tag to this post as an indicator that not only was the experience memorable, but so is the willingness of the sponsors to support it.  Operationally, it relies heavily on contributions.

Contact your local Junion Achievement office, specifically, the Portland office at:

JA of Columbia Empire, Inc.

7830 S.E. Foster Road

Portland, OR  97206

Phone: (503) 238-6430

Email: bsmith@ja-pdx.org

Web address: portland.ja.org

Contribute your time, your money and your enthusiasm - you won't be disappointed!

Dave

JA Biztown: Kids Conducting Commerce

After eight years on the School Board, I finally have an opportunity to participate in Junior Achievement's "JA Biztown."  This is an area of curriculum provided to schools that culminates in a field trip "simulation" at the Junior Achievement facility.

"Simulation" is used to describe the event since it allows 5th grade students to use their new skills in writing checks, making deposits, updating check registers, issuing invoices and much, much more.  All of this in the simulated environment of a small town square.

Local Portland area merchants and companies support the program by lending their names (and I'm sure some resources) to help make this happen.  From their web site, the Partners are:

• Key Bank
• Trans Canada
• Allstate
• HSBC
• Quest
• CB Richard Ellis
• PGE
• Best Buy
• Weyerhaeuser
• IBM
• Portland Business Journal
• Fred Meyer
• UPS
• Northwest Natural
• Intel
• Northwest Sign Council
• Kodiak Pacific-Hamilton
• Associated General Contractors (Oregon Columbia Chapter)
• Northwest Sports

As you can see, there are some heavy hitters in the local community supporting Junior Achievement's efforts.

The best way to describe the experience is to simply quote two paragraphs from the JA Biztown page on the web:

JA BizTown is a dynamic, hands-on learning simulation that engages students in the American free enterprise system, and exposes them to business, entrepreneurship, and financial planning. Serving schools and students throughout the region the center and its program will be models for workforce development, economic education and state-of-the-art experiential learning.

The students' experience varies from working in a bank, a real estate business, or a retail store, to managing personal finance such as writing checks and bookkeeping. Prior to the day-long visit to JA BizTown, students complete an in-class curriculum on economic concepts. Then it's off to JA BizTown, where everyone participates in a hands-on simulation.

Today was simply my two hour orientation and I'm already jazzed over the idea.  Look for a comprehensive recap after the event in a few weeks.  Check it out for yourself at Portland's chapter of Junior Achievement.

Dave

Go With What Got You There

Any athlete, professional or amateur, who has been involved in any sort of playoff setting knows what this post's title means. The strategies, experiences and successes (and failures for that matter!) all were factors in getting you there. Once at the big dance, you continue to use tools that were successful.

Enter The New Blogged Word. For those of you who followed The Blogged Word, the reason for the move was to simply organize Google accounts. But there's more to it. While The Blogged Word was my first foray into blogging and one that provided significant perspectives, it also was a springboard. The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit was born from that experience.

The "Kit" became formal. It's own URL, paid hosting, and experience with the new platform of WordPress. It has been a very interesting journey. It allows me to capture those things I'm learning (like URLs, hosting, WordPress, etc.) and share with others. The tag line is, "Blogging Tips and Resources for the Average Blogger." That's me. Just sharing my experiences.

But why is The New Blogged Word still being fed? Remember the title? WordPress is a very dynamic and feature rich environment, but Blogger is what got me there. It's not the first time someone kept two blogs. (I would suspect it's less work and more cost-effective than keeping two wives!) My challenge of course is to do each one justice. Here's how I'll approach that:

• The Ultimate Blogging Toolkit will continue to house those nuggets of knowledge gained through this new passion called blogging. Let's consider that the "educational sandbox" in which we play.
• The New Blogged Word will allow me to get back to the basics - talking about anything and everything. In a narrow way, that is what was done with the original topics of the Bathroom Remodel, Memorable Merchants, and the Retirement Countdown. Consider that just the beginning.

Although the bathroom is done, retirement might be extended since the old 401(k) is more like a 201(k), and area merchants who perform well will always be in favor. If the Kit is a place for business with some humor, the Word will be light-hearted business.

Pick your poison.

Dave

Starbucks at Gresham Safeway

It's often said that it's one thing that brings you in to a merchant, but it is something else (sometimes many things) that keeps you coming back.

I'm a frequent flier, so I have the affinity program gene.  If I can get points or some sort of credit for a purchase, I will.  Tying my United Airlines Mileage Plus program to my Safeway Club Card made a lot of sense to maximize the benefits of my daily Starbucks fix.  Sure, Starbucks has their own program now, but I don't want to pay $25 per year for a Starbucks Gold Card.  So, Safeway it is.

If my need for "loyal customer" points brought me in (way back when), it is the service that keeps me coming back.  Two stories are needed to explain why.  First, Jalyssa.

When my wife Margaret noticed a particular mug style being sold on the retail shelves, and we did not snatch them up at the time, Jalyssa came to the rescue.  When we finally decided to buy them, they were of course, gone.  On one of my regular morning visits, I asked if they had any "in the back."  Nope.  Jalyssa and I kept our eyes peeled for new ones if they came in.  Very much like Costco - you just never know what comes through the retail channel.

After some time passed, Jalyssa took it upon herself to shop the Sandy, OR store and found them!  Not only did she find them, she bought them with her own money.  My next morning visit found Jalyssa handing over the prize.  Not only did I reimburse her, but I crafted a letter to Starbucks letting them know the "over the top" service received.

There are two ways in which I appreciate and respond to service.  One is in going far above and beyond basic responsibilities.  The other is the day in and day out, steady, trusted, and now anticipated "attitude."  Most times, "attitude" is connoted negatively.  Here, "attitude" is a sense of pleasant demeanor, compentence and energy.  Enter Angela.

When Angela arrived some time ago, I could tell she was different than the rest of the people who are sometimes there for only a short time.  (You either get it or you don't.)  She got it.  Soon, she was training others.  Then, she became the assistant manager.

When you take care of customers - and train your employees to do the same - a culture of customer appreciation - and appreciative customers - develops.  Sure, there isn't the Starbucks "ambiance" there that comes with a regular store with couches, chairs and cool music, but my Safeway Starbucks has all the comfort that should come with a $3.00+ cup of coffee.  Angela simply packages it differently.

Molly Lee Cards

If you ever have the need for the most unique, personally designed cards for a special occasion, this is the only place to go.  Molly Lee sells interactive cards on her Etsy site, which is a cornucopia of handmade items.

When we moved to our new home, Molly designed a housewarming card that had all the look and feel of a moving box.  Complete with a packing tape seal, when opened, the envelope unfolded like the top of a box.  Removing the invitation was like unpacking.  I can't tell you how much fun we had sending them - and how many enjoyable comments we received from guests.  I only wish I'd kept a sample for myself.

Creativity, talent and oh, yeah - customer service!  For all occasions that need that special flair, I'm simply going to give her the theme and let her create the perfect piece!

Nameless Contractors No More

It has occurred to me that through this entire project, I have consistently called Tom and Jeff our "contractors" in my blog postings.  Maybe subconsciously, I didn't want the world to know that I had screwed up on my choice, in the event they didn't work out.  Boy, that couldn't be any farther from the truth.

As I'm sure you've read by now, we've been extremely pleased with our choice.  Not just because of the early firings of the other candidates, but the consistent manner in which Tom and Jeff have added to our confidence through open communication and thoughtful actions.  You've already read about that - no need to go into it further.  The point is that in this particular case, there wasn't any screw up on my part.  Collette, this is for you:  "No reading on the Bozometer Scale!"

It is high time these guys get a name and not just a title.  They have already had conversations with some friends in the neighborhood, but I can't resist promoting their work further.  I'm tagging this in Memorable Merchants since they more than qualify.  In Memorable Merchants, I generally write a bit about why I'm pleased, but you know where you can find those comments.  If you are considering any sort of work around your home, do yourself a favor and call Tom at 360.772.1540.  Don't risk a reading on the Bozometer Scale.

Professional Towing

When thinking of automotive towing services, the word "professional" doesn't always come.  In this case, it's more than the company's name, it is the best word to describe them.

Cars can from time to time get sick and shouldn't be driven to have them repaired.  It's never a good time when the unexpected happens, so you simply deal with it and move on.

After making a couple of calls from a random internet search, I was quickly thinking that I would have to wait up to 2 hours and deal with a company that just didn't sound like they cared about booking my business.  Thankfully, I made one more call.

When I reached a professional voice at the other end, who seemed to care by asking the reason for the tow, then empathized with the situation - and - could get there in 30-45 minutes, I was in.  Rich at "Pro Tow" is the new owner, buying the business from the long-time, previous owner.  Customer care: he gets it.

A truck was dispatched and he said the driver would call me back when he was in the area.  One better: Rich called back personally when the truck was about "a minute and a half" away.  Sure enough, 90 seconds later, here comes the truck.

Eric was the driver and quite a character.  Careful, quick, and a lot of fun to be around.  I rode with him and had a good time talking about "big trucks."  

If you need a tow, don't bother shopping.  Look to Pro Tow for professional treatment and at much more of a reasonable rate than I anticpated.