‘Nothing to do' is the wrong answer
I've heard this story three times, from three different people in the last three weeks. Jeff Almond of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation shared it with a group of local business people gathered for an awards breakfast prior to the Chamber of Commerce and CCC&TI Small Business Center Business Expo Wednesday morning.
Just in case you haven't heard it yet, I'll share it with you now.
Some travelers from out of town were headed “up the mountain” for some shopping and sight seeing but decided to stop short when they learned U.S. 321 would be closed due to the road widening project just north of Lenoir. They stopped in at a service station and asked the clerk, “What's there to do in Lenoir's downtown?”
Unfortunately, the clerk responded with the typical low self-esteem answer that too often is given when Caldwellians are asked about their community. “You don't want to go there; there's nothing downtown.”
Fortunately, the visitors didn't listen. Rather than turning around and coming somewhere else, they took a risk and had a delightful afternoon in downtown Lenoir. They relayed their experience to one of the many shopkeepers in downtown Lenoir, while at the same time purchasing about $100 in merchandise.
Imagine if they had listened. I wonder how many other tourists have been turned away from visiting one of Caldwell County's countless attractions because someone let their personal opinion or lack of knowledge speak for all of us.
I share these stories not to shame those involved. They certainly are entitled to their opinions, but I bet their employers (who certainly wouldn't mind having a few more out-of-town dollars coming into the area) weren't too happy about the impressions they made in a very brief interaction. Not to mention the number of times these stories have been shared in the local business community.
I share these stories so that we can learn from our mistakes.
Could the instances mentioned above have been avoided? Sure they could. As an employer, talk to your customer service people about how to treat customers and post a list of “things to do” in Lenoir, Hudson, Happy Valley, Granite Falls and Collettsville. If you're not sure about what's going on, post the daily community calendar or weekly entertainment planners from this newspaper or check out www.caldwellcochamber.org. And if you're still not confident that your people will give the right answer, direct them to the Chamber of Commerce (located adjacent to the Broyhill Civic Center) or to one of the downtown business districts. There are plenty of people at those places who will give the right impression and are more than happy to lend a helping hand.
As for the rest of us, we need to take more pride in our community. This is our home and a place that deserves the kind of attention we would receive if only people knew about all the great things we have to offer.
If that's not good enough to convince you, then follow mom's advice: if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.
Edward Terry
Editor