The other day I went into the tool store to look for some new tools
for my shop.  I had several thousand dollars in my pocket and was
itching to spend it.  It was interesting to watch the salesmen as we
waited.  When they finished with one customer, you could see them look
over those still waiting for service trying to decide which were really
going to buy and which were the tire-kickers.  Apparently I looked like
a tire-kicker, because I couldn’t get anyone to help me to save my
life.  Of course, I finally left.

I can’t help but reflect on how hard they’d tried to get me into the
store.  They’d paid for advertising, they’d cleaned the store, they’d
hired (and paid) salespeople, they’d paid heat, rent, lights, etc. to
have a store, all so that I wouldn’t take my thousands to the internet.
. . .   Then they hosed it all by ignoring me when they finally got me
to come in.  The battle was over (the war is over as far as I’m
concerned) without one single shot having even been fired.

The sad thing is, they don’t know they lost the war.  They’ll just
wake up one day and the war will be over and they’ll wonder where it
went.  Make sure you don’t give up without a fight.  You have too much
invested.