"I wanted to take a moment to applaud you and the staff at HomeMedia. Although we may not be your biggest clients, we may be your biggest fans.

My husband and I recently relocated to Richmond from Florida and purchased a house in Henrico County. The home we purchased included built-in speakers and had been wired by the folks at (a local competitor). At the suggestion of the previous owners I visited (a local competitor) store to inquire about what it would take to get our system up and running.

After spending an hour listening to the techno-blab of one of their 60s throwback sales people, I left the store knowing no more than I did when I entered the shop. In a funny way I felt victimized- the condescending sales clerk employed all of the old fashioned sales tactics including inquiring about the model, year and make of my car, and suggesting that if I failed to purchase the proper amp (the one that he was selling) I could come home one day to find my house in flames. Did I mention that he also quoted me three different prices for the same piece of equipment?!

Frustrated and annoyed, I left the sleazoid realm and set off in search of normalcy. After a quick trip to Circuit City ( you should send them a quick thank you note) they referred us to your shop as a reasonable dealer in higher end home electronics.

As soon as we pulled up to your store I knew things were going to be different. I can only describe it as Disneyesque ( must be the "singing rocks.") We were greeted by John Lohmeyer who seemed to sense our pace and took us on a leisurely tour of the latest and greatest in home electronics. Instead of blitzing us with techno-speak, which we would neither understand nor remember, he provided us with a layman's explanation of stereo componentry. Unfortunately, he also took us on a tour of high definition TV land and since then my husband has nightly fantasies about a plasma television.

We were so pleased with the treatment we received that we purchased an amplifier that day (the same one that the dork from (a local competitor) was pitching to me.)

To our surprise, John insisted that he come to our home to deliver, set up, and install the new amplifier with our other stereo components. Because my husband and I are somewhat electronically challenged, this was an offer we couldn't refuse. What great service! John was timely, polite and just a nice guy.

I can't tell you how refreshing it is to do business with a company that appreciates the value of customer service and quality merchandise. We left your store understanding what we bought and why. We also left feeling as though we paid a reasonable price for the equipment we purchased. We will definitely be back (NOT for a plasma TV) and we'll be certain to recommend your store to our friends and colleagues."

Carolyn Zalewski