When it was time for me to buy a new-to-me used car several months ago, I researched well, shopped a lot, and when I had settled on what I wanted, I headed straight to my favorite of all the used car dealers, CarMax.  When I moved two states away, I was thrilled to find there is a CarMax only an hour away from me! For the most part, I can take my car to the Toyota dealership in my city, and will be glad to do so. But for a couple of specialty items, it has to be CarMax and I was so relieved to find a friendly one so close by.

I spent most of my day there today and enjoyed their delightful hospitality. I especially appreciated that they have two desks available in the waiting room, complete with electrical outlets! My old CarMax didn’t have that but it was only five minutes from my house so I didn’t need it as much. It was wonderful to be able to get some serious work done for the time I was there. I actually got extra work done since I had no internet available. I was able to do some weeding, some filing, some planning, and some writing. It was great!

The Toyota dealership I went to in Virginia offered the same kind of setup and provided free wi-fi, so I was thrilled with them as well. Generally, if I have to leave my car for a prolonged period, I just have them give me a ride to and from my home. But for shorter trips, like taking advantage of their great oil change coupons (one of my favorite ways to save money is to get a high-quality yet cheap oil change with coupons ), it’s easier to just tote my laptop with me and work in peace and quiet at one of their desks.

I appreciate both the CarMax and Toyota dealership for providing these pleasant waiting areas for their customers. To me, it’s a sign that both these businesses are going the extra step to provide excellent quality service and I bet I’m not the only one that makes good use of the areas.

If you aren’t a writer or a blogger, it’s still a useful area for you as well. You can use it to get caught up on all those letters you never get a chance to write, work on your checkbook, or update your To Do list and calendar. It’s a great way for all of us Sandwich Generation senior home care givers and grandparents to get some serious multi-tasking done!