what keeps you going back?

[untamed]

I will deliberately pay more for any particular item if I feel that the store has invested any customer service value into me.

Nothing frosts me more than a consumer who spends an hour of a person's time getting advice...and then asks the store to match another retailer who doesn't make the same investment. Good advice and employee time is not free!

That's why I'm not a retailer. I would lose my mind if a customer did that to me.

[Ian]

I voted customer service. As a relative newcomer to salt I need to rely on the store giving me good advice and being more concerned about my success than just making a sale. I keep a few books in my car when going to LFS' just to double check information I am being given but still have made a few mistakes purchasing livestock because I trusted what I was told. Needless to say those stores are not seeing me often now.