09/03/2026
**One of the things I learned this weekend at Route 2 Relics…**
Sometimes you have to give yourself permission to say, *“Just a minute, and I’ll be right with you.”* ❤️
Here’s what happened…
I had a customer come in right when I opened. They looked around, picked out a few things, and brought them to the counter. Shortly after, another customer came in and started browsing.
I was helping my first customer check out when the second customer asked about a shelf on the wall and whether they could take it down to get a better look.
I said, “Sure!” because I wasn’t sure how long I was going to be with the first customer.
**Mistake #1.** 🤦♀️
I should have simply said, “Absolutely! Just give me one minute and I’ll be right with you.”
Then, while I was finishing up with the first customer, they asked if I would take a little less for their purchase.
I said no.
**Mistake #2.** 🤦♀️
And the funny thing is…I totally would have taken the lower price! 😂 I was distracted and trying to help both customers at once, and I just wasn’t really paying attention in the moment.
After I said no, the customer gently put everything back and left.
And I felt terrible.
Not because I know they were upset—I **don’t** know that. That’s just the story I started telling myself. There was absolutely no evidence that they were unhappy.
But I would have loved to see that shelf find a new home, and I left the weekend thinking about what I could have done differently.
So here’s my lesson:
**It’s okay to ask a customer to wait a minute.**
As a small business owner, I sometimes feel like I need to be everything to everyone immediately. But I don’t. I can take a moment to finish helping one person and then give the next person my full attention.
And honestly, as an antique shopper myself, I’ve waited for a shop owner plenty of times—and I never mind! Usually I find another cool treasure while I’m waiting anyway. 😉
So next time?
“Just give me one minute and I’ll be right with you.”
Lesson learned. ❤️
Owning Route 2 Relics is teaching me SO much—not just about vintage, but about people, business, and myself.
And apparently…there’s always another lesson around the corner. 😂
