Things that make you want to scream.

Supporting small local business is important enough to me to spend extra time AND money to do so. Which makes me doubly pissed off when they let me down.

Frustrated with white balance issues, I decided to add an X Rite Color Passport to my DSLR toolkit. Asking a friend for a local outlet, he suggested Focal Point Photography in Dallas, OR. Calling to ask if they had them, the young man who I spoke with assured me they did. As I was coming from Salem for that reason only, I asked if he could check to make sure they had one in stock.

They did not. Good thing I asked.

Could they order me one? Yes, and it would be arrive in about a week. Disappointed, but willing to wait in order to buy local, I left my name and number. Having that tool for an event that same weekend would have been really nice. AND this past weekend doing some outdoor shots would REALLY have benefited, as well.

But, I was willing to wait to support a local business.

Tomorrow marks two weeks from that conversation, and I'd heard nothing. This afternoon I call and the same young man says they aren't in, cups the phone and turns to ask someone if they've been ordered yet. (THIS IS TWO WEEKS LATER, mind you.) The answer was that he just ordered them, and...

It'll be in, in about a week.

"Did you leave your name and number? Oh yes, I see it, here it is..."

I politely said I couldn't wait any longer, thank you. That is most certainly NOT what was running through my head. (Think flying frothy spittle, very creative profanity, acts of violence, suffering, etc.)

Not only did you NOT come through for me, local retailer, but you screwed me for two weeks in the process. And you wonder why people are buying things online? Even when you have a customer who is willing to WAIT for you to stock the item, DRIVE 20 minutes to you to pick it up, AND pay a higher price... you fail to deliver.

WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM YOUR CUSTOMERS??

And your response was like, "Oh. Whatever." If you'd at least been, "Oooh, I'm SO sorry, the boss had his hand in a meat grinder and couldn't call to place the order," or SOMETHING, I would have said, "S'kay, it happens. Have a nice day," and maybe called upon you the next time I need something.

If anyone ever hears this business or its operators bemoaning the state of buyers flocking to Internet retailers, smack them, because they deserve it. And tell them Amy sent you. Jesus.