Nobody asked me, but … (#33)
These are rough times for the economy. Everyone realizes that, except perhaps for John McCain … and a couple of local businesses that incredibly decided they didn’t want my money last week. Let me tell you about them. But first, a little background.
When I was a child, my father was in retail. He would certainly agree with the oft-quoted phrase, “The customer is always right.” (The origins of that phrase are rather interesting - click here.) I will admit that, as the first-born child in a New York baby boomer family, I had occasional trouble with that rule, because, hey, I’m always right. But that’s off topic for today.
About 20 years later, I met a man who would inspire me in many ways. When I first got to know him, he owned a small sandwich shop. He later expanded into a chain of those shops, branched off into other retail ventures, bought out a moving and storage company, worked for the government, and ran for Congress among other things. One of the incidents I always remember happened in his sandwich shop. It was closing time, and he had finished wrapping and storing all the meats, cheeses, breads, etc. The door opened, and a young man came in, asking to buy a sandwich. It would have been easy for my friend to tell him that the shop was closed for the night, as everything had been put away. But he happily made that sandwich, adding probably $2.00 to the day’s take. Not much, right? What he said to me was, “I’m never making so much money that I can turn away a customer.”
Last week, we decided to try a new Thai restaurant that opened near our office. They had printed coupons in a local mailer, offering the standard buy-one-get-one-free deal. A nice way to try to build a new business, and a successful way to get us in the door. We were a bit tired, and decided to order our meals to go, so we could relax and eat at home. The cashier then informed us that the coupon was valid only for dining in. There was nothing at all on the coupon with that restriction on it, so I asked if she was sure about that. She replied that she was. I asked if she really was going to turn away a paying customer at a new restaurant, and she confirmed that intention. We left.
How foolish is it, to offer a deal like that to get someone to try your restaurant, and then turn them away? I suspect they won’t be in business long, if that is their policy.
On Saturday afternoon, I went to visit my local barber. This is a real, old-time barber shop, not a salon or a “hair cuttery” or anything like that. It opened probably 15 or 20 years ago, or more, and was a true local institution. The owner retired and sold the shop last year, though, and the new owner doesn’t seem to have the same dedication. Previously, I had been there when a friend brought her elderly father in for a haircut, having made an appointment with the new owner (there are other barbers working there too, but people can be choosy). The owner had gone out to run errands, and when reached by phone, said he’d be back in 15 minutes. The friend and her father waited, and 15 minutes became 30 and then 45. Finally, they left, as the shop owner never returned. I got my hair cut that day, but recognized that things were not the same as they used to be.
Back to last Saturday (sorry about all the digressions - hope you’ve been able to hang on for the ride). The shop has posted hours of 8-2. I arrived at about 1:45. The door was locked. There were people inside, a few in the chairs, a couple waiting their turns. I was told that they were closing, and that the shop owner had left early anyway.
An hour later, I had found a new place to get my hair cut. They did a decent job, and the price was just about the same. I dont’ know if they’ll miss my business at the old barber shop - after all, I probably don’t spend $200 there in a year. But that experience, and the one at the Thai restaurant a night or two earlier, brought back the memories of my friend and his sandwich shop.
There are plenty of places to eat, and plenty of places to get one’s hair cut. Customer loyalty is hard to gain, but not so hard to lose. I’ll bet it often makes the difference between a successful business and an unsuccessful one.
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