Ukrop's not HAMpered by last-minute Christmas request

[Encore post from 12/21/2007 ... one reason why Ukrop's was so loved in Richmond.]

My brother-in-law is a general contractor with a large commercial builder currently working on a job in Charlottesville which causes him to commute daily from Chesterfield. This morning his Christmas cheer was almost sidelined but Ukrop's Supermarkets came to the rescue....

This post is not a slam on Kroger but, rather, a tribute to Ukrop's because they go over and beyond the call of duty. They also prove that shopping the local "mom-and-pop" stores often provides better service than the chain stores whose employees may not be invested in the company.

My brother-in-law ordered 30 hams ($900) from Kroger last week with instructions that they were to be picked up at 7:00 this morning. These were Christmas gifts for his employees on this last day of work before the long Christmas weekend.

When he arrived at Kroger's this morning there were no hams ready and no manager available (the manager was supposed to be there at 7:00). Crunched and needing to hit the road to Charlottesville, he sat in his company truck in the parking lot and called Ukrop's ... yes, they had 30 hams. He arrived 20-30 minutes later to pick them up.

Ukrop's not only had the hams boxed when he arrived and the ticket written up ... but he was given an unasked-for discount at the register.

Service. That is what is often missing in today's society ... but service has always been a priority at Ukrop's, a store my family has shopped at since the 1960s.

My sister emailed to tell the story, adding that she told her husband to drive safely to Charlottesville or he would be on the news ... can you see the headline?

"Breaking News! Hams spilled on I-64 create two-mile backup."

Thanks, Sis, for my laugh-out-loud of the day!

Ukrop's ... a family-owned business that is still owned and run by the family ... and it shows in their service and commitment to the community.