Jackson commented I should change the name of these blogs to ‘Week and a Half Out West.’ Our mishap on the mountain has left us stranded in Montrose, CO, waiting on a part to arrive before his car can get fixed. The part isn’t expected until Tuesday which puts us leaving Tuesday night at the very earliest. This morning we started walking towards the downtown area in search of our kind of store; a gear shop. Since we work in the outdoor retail industry, we always want to hit up the gear stores in town. But today, we were on a mission to find more than just a familiar atmosphere. We were looking for a place that might rent bikes and give us a way to explore the town. We passed the bike shop to visit the gear store first, ‘Great Outdoors Company.’
Upon stepping inside, we felt at home. The owner immediately welcomed us and struck up a conversation that led to how we ended up in Montrose. We talked parks and things to do in the area and then he said something we would never have expected. Casually, as if he were offering us a drink of water, he shrugs and says, “Oh you can take my car to get there, that’s no problem.” Jackson and I were stunned. This guy knows little more about us than the fact that we manage an outdoor gear and apparel store, we have a pretty chill puppy, and that a car accident is the reason we landed here. And yet, he was offering us his car.
We were blown away. We told him we’d think on it, continued to look around his store, and then told him we’d be back.
Just across the street we decided to go into the pet store. We were immediately greeted by friendly faces. They cooed over Kona, as many do, offered her treats and asked us what brought us in. Again, we shared our unfortunate but comical tale of being stranded just as we were about to wrap up our vacation. And again, we were met with the most remarkable response. We were offered dog food samples to help get Kona through the trip until we get home. They were attentive, helpful and social. Jackson and I are tough judges when it comes to customer service, because it’s what we do. The people at Chow Down Pet Supplies blew us out of the water.
We stepped outside and admired the blue sky littered with only a few clouds. Fifty degree temps, a whole afternoon, and an offer on the table for a usable car meant adventure was calling our name. We hopped into the bike shop, Papa Wheelie’s Bicycle’s, just to get an idea of renting bikes for Monday, and were once again met with the kind of service that makes you eager to give someone your business. The bike shop owner talked us through some options and let us know that he is closed on Monday, but more than happy to come by and get us set up.
At this point, we were overwhelmed. We thanked him, assured him we’d be back, and returned to the Great Outdoors Company to take our new friend, Steve, up on his offer. We drove ourselves to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on his recommendation and marveled the whole way at the scenery, the beautiful sky, and the people that had turned our circumstances from less than ideal to the perfect cap on our vacation. We returned the car in the early afternoon, too hungry to stay away from town for long, but optimistic about the time still to be spent here.
We work for a company that prides itself on service. We strive to go above and beyond for our customers every chance we get. Being on this side of service, I am reminded exactly why we do it. Work is work, we do it for a paycheck. But we serve people because it’s incredibly rewarding. It’s influential. It makes a difference. The people we met today will never understand what their kindness and offerings meant to us. They can’t understand how much we appreciated it. Their generosity reminded me that we should always offer what we can, because we can’t understand how much that will mean to the person we serve.
A very unfortunate road accident has turned into a reminder of why it’s so important to travel. The unexpected has taught us to roll with the punches. A rock in the road sent us to a town we would have driven right through but now appreciate and admire. Being stuck has reminded us it’s okay to accept help. And the people of Montrose have inspired us.