A customer of ours recently sent us a photo that reminded us of one simple but significant fact:

We love our customers.

That may seem like a trite statement. But we use it here because it is simple and to the point and doesn’t require lengthly explanation. It’s just a straightforward way to say what’s on our mind. Because we really do love our customers.

We don’t love our customers simply out of necessity. We love them because they are genuine people with whom we share certain enthusiasm.

It’s fun to see the look on a customer’s face when they fit into their first pair of cowboy boots. It’s rewarding to help someone pick out a new cowboy hat when it’s a replacement for their old work hat that they’ve used for the past ten years. And of course, we all love to get ourselves a new pair of jeans.

Sharing a mutual enjoyment of quality products is only part of the story, however.

We enjoy connecting with local customers with whom we have done business for many years, and sometimes even several generations. There is something special about helping someone who remembers doing business with our grandfather. That’s just a unique and wonderful part of running a family business in a small town. We also love connecting with our non-local customers as well. Steamboat is quite a destination, after all, and people travel from all over the world to enjoy this place we call home. Being a part of their vacation and their memories is always a treat. And it is a special honor when people tell us that they came to visit us specifically. It’s humbling not only to be a part of their excitement, but to be a part of this thing that F. M. Light himself started 110 years ago. We love our customers because that is ultimately what Mr. Light did. He set out to become an integral part of a community by building one valuable relationship one customer at a time. And that’s why loving our customers is as important as ever, because we’re not representing just ourselves. We’re representing the hard work and care of those who came before us. That’s what has made this community the unique place that it is.

But perhaps we have digressed.

To get back to the straightforward and on point explanation with which we began, we love our customers. This photo is an excellent example of why we enjoy this relationship. Mr. Ball sent us the picture along with the following message:

Hi!

I was at your store a few weeks ago and got a new hat. On my way out of town I saw one of your iconic signs and took a picture with it and I think it turned out pretty well. I love the hat and had a great experience at your store.

Sincerely,

Ryan Ball

Ryan is looking mighty fine in his new hat. And the picture is rather iconic looking, almost like it could have come out of a catalog or something. Thank’s Ryan, for taking the time to send it our way! It’s not a big deal, and that’s what makes it so special. It’s  just a small gesture of appreciation that helps us remember that these are the kinds of little things that make a difference.

If you have a picture you would like to share with us you can do so on our photo submission page, as well as via Facebook. You can also sign our guestbook if you just want to write a note instead of sending a picture.

Of course, none of this is necessary either. If you are reading this then you are likely one of our customers that we have had the great pleasure of doing business with already. If that is the case then we simply hope that you enjoyed your visit to the store as much as we loved having you come in.