A Love Letter to our Customers: Thank You for 17 Great Years

In a time when people have less discretionary income, businesses should let customers know how grateful they are for their support.

In recent weeks, we opened our latest tour company in downtown Raleigh, and it has taken off. Most of our customers don’t appear to be independently wealthy, which means they make conscious choices about how they’re going to spend their money. After paying for food, gas, housing, and all of the other necessities that have become increasingly expensive, many people can’t fathom spending between $55 and $99 on a tour.

I’ve been in business since August 2009, and I have always been grateful for every customer who chooses to spend part of their day with us. We seem to be living in an alternative reality where entertainment budgets are often the first to take a hit.

Lately, I have found myself ending tours by telling people that I’m a small business owner and that I almost feel emotional about the love I have for the people who have joined me over the past few weeks.

I have always been fascinated by our customers’ stories. They come from all walks of life. Many of them probably don’t share my political views. However, for the one to one-and-a-half hours we spend together, we experience the very best of humanity. We laugh, tell stories, and discover that we have far more in common than many of the narratives around us would have us believe.

I recently spent time with a woman on a one-person tour who shared that she had recently lost her mother. I immediately felt connected to her. Even after fifteen years, losing my own mother can still feel like it happened yesterday. People who are grieving often feel like they can’t share that part of themselves and instead bottle up all of that pain. I’m so glad she shared her story with me.

Big hugs to L. I wish her much love and peace on this journey through grief.

In one weekend, I had two customers who had previously taken my tour in Charlotte bring their friends and family to experience a tour of downtown Raleigh. We had so much fun. Both tours were in the morning, and I am really not a morning person. But something magical happens once customers walk up and see our animal scooters.

Whatever may be weighing on them seems to fade away, and for the next hour or two, we all experience the kind of joy children seem to find so effortlessly. The responsibilities of adulthood often rob us of joy. That’s why I truly believe getting in touch with our inner child adds years to our lives.

One customer saw us out on a tour and booked one for that same afternoon. I’m still getting reacquainted with everything there is to do in Raleigh. I completed graduate school here in 1995—thirty-one years ago—and the area has changed tremendously.

I mentioned that there was an exhibit in a local park and asked whether, instead of taking the history tour she had booked, she’d like to explore the park with me. We took off on our Rydables in search of the five Thomas Dambo trolls hidden throughout Dorothea Dix Park, just a short ride from our shop.

I had no idea where I was going.

I entered an address into my GPS for a nearby destination, and it guided us to the House of Many Porches. A few hundred feet away, we encountered our first troll. From there, we simply asked everyone we met where to find the next one.

This scavenger hunt was so much fun.

People were tickled to see two grown women rolling through the park on Rydables. There was quite a bit of walking involved, so I couldn’t have done this with someone who had mobility limitations since we couldn’t ride the Rydables directly up to the trolls. We probably walked close to a mile and a half to see all five.

She was up for the challenge. She was in town with her husband, who was attending the woodturners convention, and she had signed up for a tennis tournament. I loved simply riding along and learning about her life and hobbies.

After hours of exploring, we returned to the shop and said our goodbyes.

Often, men—especially those from older generations—have been told what activities allow them to keep their “man card.” That’s unfortunate, although I believe it is changing. More men are giving themselves permission to participate in activities that once might have seemed outside the norm.

One evening, I hosted four guys on a Spirits and Spirits Ghost Tour, where we explore Raleigh’s ghost stories before sharing a cocktail at a local pub. I knew a man had booked the tour, but I had no idea he was bringing three of his best friends, friendships that stretched all the way back to elementary and middle school.

They were four big, buff guys with wives and kids, and I immediately knew they were exactly what my social media needed.

More importantly, I was thrilled to be part of their clubhouse for a few hours.

They laughed, teased each other, embraced the silliness of riding animal scooters, and seemed to enjoy every moment of the experience. At the end of the evening, we shared a group hug before they headed off to a local barbecue joint.

These are just a few recent stories from people we’ve met in only one of our cities. There are countless others just like them.

If there’s one thing this business has taught me, it’s that people are good.

That feeling you get when you meet someone who initially makes you a little anxious, but then causes you to smile, laugh, and feel connected—that feeling is love. The only way I know how to describe it is Agape: a deep and unconditional love for humanity.

So, to everyone who has chosen to spend their hard-earned money with us over the past seventeen years, thank you.

Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your stories.
Thank you for your laughter.
Thank you for reminding me, day after day, that there is far more good in this world than we often give each other credit for.

Dianna Ward

Owner Charlotte NC Tours, Chattanooga Rydables, Raleigh Rydables