THINK Locally....

With all the online directory apps and websites out there like Yelp, Foursquare, etc. it's easy to find the location of your nearest restaurant, dry cleaner or other local establishment. On many sites, it is also easy to access and leave customer reviews and ratings of the establishment. 

'Tis the season to shop and that should include buying locally for all of us. When you have received outstanding service or had a good experience with a small business, rate them accordingly. Many folks rely on ratings before trying a new place. Good reviews attract more business, thus strengthening our local economy. 

On the other hand, I think it's important to realize that what you put in writing about a bad experience, can really be harmful to an organization. If you had a bad experience once, it might be more effective to speak directly with the manager before bashing them for all to see on the internet.

In this age of transparency and affinity to put everything out there for the world to see, it's important to be mindful first. While a corporate conglomerate  like Walmart  can bounce back from a detrimental customer claim, Joe Shmoe Small and Local doesn't have those big guy resources.

 
So for the holidays and always, please support your local guys. Many of these folks are your neighbors, who have families. We don't want to see anyone suffering, least of all our neighbors.

Be careful of negative reviews and, if I may be very obvious, you should never rate an experience out of anger.

If the experience needed something more, be constructive about saying it. If you are still upset from it, perhaps you should cool off before posting anything hurtful. Don't dismiss a company based entirely on one incident. If it was an insurmountable, offensive disaster beyond repair, than that is one thing. Try resolving your dissatisfaction with the direct approach first. You may be surprised; by being constructive and thoughtful in your critique, you may help spin a sub-par local business into a great place that you love. The local guys thrive on their local customers so think about it!