The tires on my Scion were howling like crazy (I thought.)

I went to the tire chunk of Sam’s club.

Not a customer in sight. The two service men were sitting by the front desk, waiting, I guess, for me to show.

They looked at my tires and gave me a quote for four new ones, but they would have to be ordered; didn’t have them in stock.

OK. So I decided to go to a local dealer.

I walked through the door and the place was buzzing. I had to wait in line.

They put my car on the hoist and said I only needed two new tires which they put on (same price as Sam’s.)

I walked out the door and drove down the road.

What the $#^%%; still the same gawd awful howling sound.

I drove back; was met by the same technician who put the tires on. He jumped in the car, we drove down the road and said, “Sounds like a bearing to me.”

He calmly said, “Let’s put it on the hoist again and check it out.”

“Yup, bearing on front right side is shot. We’ don’t do that here, but I suggest you go down the road, to Robins. Tell him we sent you and he’ll give a discount.’

I drove to Robins; again a busy place; cars and people moving in and out.

I set up a time for bearing replacement and two days later was driving down the road in a quiet car.

The Marketing Moral:

Here’s Sam’s Club, part of a huge Walmart Corporation, huge marketing budget, sitting twiddling their thumbs waiting for a lone customer to appear.

On the other hand, my two local small businesses found a way to work together, feed each other, serve customers well and obviously thrive.

Just image the possibilities and potential for online niche marketers who connect, collaborate, feed each other, provide great content and serve people well…