Like all retailers I think my customers are a little special and I am lucky to have them, but last week one of my customers not only purchased lots of goods, Penny King promoted my business too!

It is universally agreed that word-of-mouth customer recommendation is the best type of advertising, but Penny went one step further and told an acclaimed author Owen Sheers (pictured) that he had to visit our little store in South Herefordshire.

Penny a literary groupie attended the internationally renowned Hay Festival (www.hayfestival.co.uk), where after a question & answer session on Owen’s debut novel Resistance, (starring Michael Sheen and being made into a film in our neighbouring Olchon Valley), Penny proceeded to tell him to visit us. She must have been fairly persistent as I was given instructions on how to contact Owen direct and he said he would see what he could do.

Ten days later and Owen Sheers is giving a book reading in our store, this Friday! I can’t tell you how excited I am and how grateful to Penny for promoting us. I would never have dreamt that Owen would come to our store let alone do a reading!

This would never have happened unless our hero of the hour Penny had told Mr Sheers not only of our existence but that we stock all his books.

So from now on, I must remember my customers are my business advocates as well, telling others just how great we are.

If you want to know more about the novel Resistance click on this Youtube clip.

To find out more about Owen Sheers click here.