You’ll have to forgive me as many of you will already know what I’m about to say and consider it common knowledge. I thought that was the case as well until I began having conversations with neighbors and friends. Apparently, it’s not as common as I once thought. Ready for it? Charlotte is expensive.
Not exactly earth shattering. Charlotte is more expensive for just about anything. Housing, gas, food, clothing, all of it is usually more expensive once you pass that state line. These are the obvious items. That’s not what I’m going to talk about. I’d like to tackle the things you may not have considered, especially as it relates to anything service related.
Years ago, I built my first house in a new neighborhood in what would be considered Lake Wylie or Clover depending on who you ask. It wasn’t a mansion by any means. It would have been defined as a middle of the road house at the time. In other words, not a starter home but not a forever home either.
We had paid for several upgrades to the house, most of them cosmetic in nature (added a sun room, hardwood floors, etc). One of the items we didn’t consider was an upgrade to the standard A/C unit offered. We simply went with what was provided and expected it to last. It didn’t, or so we thought. 
About three years after buying the house, the A/C unit stopped working. Having moved from Charlotte, I had several companies in mind that I wanted to call so I could get a quote on fixing it. I’d heard all the jingles and seen the ads on TV. It seemed the marketing had worked on me more than I had realized.
Of the three that I called, all of them recommended I buy a new unit at a cost of around $3,000. A brand new unit! The one I had was three years old at the time and I’m being told to buy a new one. I don’t think so.
I called a buddy of mine who had lived in York County his whole life. I explained the situation and asked if he knew of anyone local who could take a look at it. He gave me the name of a company in Rock Hill that he either knew or had used in the past (I honestly can’t remember). I called the company and they agreed to send someone out that day.
After looking over the unit, the technician figured out pretty quickly that I simply needed freon. When I explained to him what the other companies had quoted me, he mentioned something like, “Charlotte prices are always higher, especially on these types of things.” That stuck with me. He added freon to the unit and told me the bill would be around $100. Quite the difference from what I had been quoted from the 3 Charlotte companies.
This experience happened almost twenty years ago. Until recently, I used that same company for all of my A/C repairs. I only made the change when they didn’t offer the particular product I was looking for. If I had to guess, I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years. Not only because of the A/C company, but also because of other local small businesses within Tega Cay, Fort Mill and Rock Hill that I’ve called upon when needed. It has paid to stay local rather than delving into the Charlotte market.
As most of us already know, we’re very lucky to live here. We have the benefits of a large city when we want it and the comforts of a small town in which to raise our kids. Some of the small town traits I’ve experienced with local businesses are: honesty, hard work and a fair price. I’m not saying there are no Charlotte companies that would have all of these qualities as well, but I’ve found this is the case more often than not if I buy something local. This is especially true when it comes to services like deck repair, electricians and of course, A/C repair.
I used to see more ad campaigns to “buy local” in order to help small businesses. It’s true of course that it does help them; however, I’d counter that it also helps you. Local small businesses are well aware that Charlotte looms large with multiple franchises, bloated ad budgets and a larger workforce to draw from. Local businesses need to step up their game by providing better customer service and pricing than their larger competitors. In my experience, this has been true more often than not.
Buying local is important for the growth of our economy at home. There’s also no reason to spend more for something if you don’t have to, unless you’re just a glutton for punishment. If so, South Park awaits.
I’ll be in Rock Hill getting some gas.
