23rd March, 2011 Trading Places

Last year I drafted a blog about tack shops and how miserable and rude some of the staff can be in them. Having been brought up by shop-keepers (my grandparents had a really old fashioned ironmongery with bits and bobs hung from the ceiling, every type of screw and nail you could think of and sold loose putty) I was taught that the customer knows best. Despite five o'clock foot ache, me and my Mum were not allowed to stop and we had to be unfailingly polite to the customers . So, it was a great surprise to be so well looked after in Aivly's on Monday. One member of staff helped me to re-jig my worming programme taking into account my horses' different needs and another spent well over an hour fitting me with a new riding hat. Aivly's is a pretty posh shop these days with loads of stuff that I can't afford and luckily don't need and you all know that I'm a very scruffy RA! Times are tight for everyone and even the most successful shop needs to make sure it keeps its customers - people are very quick to switch to the internet if they can't face the hassle of going to a shop. I shall be going back to Aivly's more often.