Being from a small town in the South, I interact with many small businesses. Many of these businesses are operated by individuals and families who only seek to make enough money to sustain themselves. And that?s fine.
These mom and pop businesspeople offer a useful product or service (often in a monopolistic or oligopolistic market), but don?t understand the value of treating customers as the source of their livelihoods. To them, it is almost a foregone conclusion that people will continue to come to their establishment just because they are one of only a few options.
The main culprits of shady customer service are small-town restaurants and convenience stores. And I?m calling out the employees and policies that leave me shaking my head time and time again.
The handwritten paper sign that delivers an off-putting and often abrasive command for customers
An example I saw just yesterday in a restaurant bathroom was a sign that eloquently suggested: ?Don?t pee on the seat. If you do, clean it up.?
Thank you for that. I?ll keep that in mind and try and aim at the toilet this time.
The debit card minimum that completely alienates any customer who doesn?t carry cash
Establishing a debit card minimum is against the commercial agreements between small businesses and most major credit card companies. This is even worse when paired with flaw #1.
The waitress who acts like you?re the reason she?s having a bad day
She doesn?t provide a ?hello? or a ?how are you?? but instead puts forth a bare minimum effort to do her job. She doesn?t have to wear flair or converse with me, but she can at least be friendly.
It?s not that these policies don?t have their targets (i.e. people who pee on seats, people who use debits cards to purchase a single Diet Coke, and people who make waitresses? lives a living hell), it?s just that customers don?t deserve to be treated as a collective whole.
My point:
Treat customers as individuals, and don?t let your business practices alienate the ones who are loyal and beneficial to your business.
To the small business owners who treat the upstanding citizens like ignorant minions: please don?t do that.
Source: http://jonathanrivers.com/small-businesses-bad-customers-service/
the dark knight watchmen cupcake recipes cupcake recipes wilfred wilfred constantine
No comments:
Post a Comment