“It’s easier online — NOT!”

Everybody these day seems to think that “everything is easier on the internet”. Some things are. But not everything.

The internet is great for gathering people of similar interests but living miles apart into “communities” of similar interest. We’ve tried to do this with this site. It allows bakers to talk with other bakers, homesteaders to trade advice, and animal lovers to share ideas. I’ve used CountryLife myself, both giving and receiving advice. I enjoyed it and learned from it.

The internet can occasionally do things that even look miraculous to me. For example, a few years ago I asked our web master if we could set up a site that helped people figure out which type of fuel was right for them. To my amazement, we could! (Click here to try it.) And, I love the “Lamp Finder” tool we have on our lamp page, that can help you figure out exactly which lamp has the features and design you want.

But, how many times have you been stuck on hold listening to a recording that says, “Did you know you can do this better at our internet site?” The last time I heard that recording, I already knew that it was a lie because I’d already tried solve my problem online and gotten nowhere! (Full disclosure: Although we have a recording like that on our hold recording, we make it our goal to answer every call with live people. Many things are done best by a real live person.)

It all goes to something I’ve been saying for years: We should always be suspicious of new ways of doing things. They aren’t always cheaper, more convenient or remotely better. Like Dad always said, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”

And, all this talk of Dad and the internet, brings me to my point: I just reviewed our internet and technology budget for next year with my Dad. At 80, he still comes to work every day. He’s adapted pretty well to our wired world, but he was completely bowled over by the amount of money we’re spending to maintain our website.

“I thought anybody could set up shop on the internet for practically nothing!” he said.

To which my answer was, “Anybody can get on the internet for very little, but a good website that people enjoy using is expensive!”

Our goal is to be there for you any way you need us to be. That means by phone (888-438-5346, available 24 hours) by fax (888-780-4975), email (info@lehmans.com), by regular mail (289 N Kurzen Road, Dalton, Ohio, 44636, USA) or on the web, at www.lehmans.com. And if the website isn’t doing what you want it to do or if you don’t enjoy using it, please let me know by posting your comments below!