How to run a business into the ground
The other night I was having dinner with some friends of mine who were raving about a new shopping plaza that had been built near to where they live.
As they spoke, I couldn't but wonder what effect the new shopping center would have on the smaller, older grocery/liquor store that had long been in their neighbourhood.
"That place?" my friend said with a tone of disgust, when I mentioned it. "We haven't shopped there in years!"
I was surprised to hear that because I knew he and his wife used to go shopping at that store at least once week.
So I asked him why he stopped.
Well, it turns out the store had been bought by new owners, who had driven it into the ground.
Not by poor management or lack of decent product to sell -- but by POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
My friend's wife told me about how she'd once gone in there to return a bunch of plastic water bottles for deposit -- something the old owners had always welcomed her to do.
The new owner on the other hand, pointed to a sign that said, "No Pop Bottles" and yelled at her saying, "Can't you read the SIGN?"
"Yes," she replied, confused and ashamed, as other shoppers turned to stare at her. "But these aren't pop bottles, they're water bottles."
"Same difference," the owner snapped.
He reluctantly took the bottles anyway and gave her the money, but not without telling her, "I'm doing you a FAVOR, you know."
Well, wouldn't you know it, a small neighbourhood store that had once been a local hangout selling over $1 MILLION a year in alcohol alone (according to my friend, who handled the business's insurance at one time) is now a virtual ghost town.
A parking lot that was once crammed with cars now stands empty.
And not because a bigger, shinier shopping center moved in down the street, but because the owner forgot the number one rule of doing business:
TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT.
How about you? Do you have any customer relations nightmares you'd like to share?
Here's your chance to vent!
As they spoke, I couldn't but wonder what effect the new shopping center would have on the smaller, older grocery/liquor store that had long been in their neighbourhood.
"That place?" my friend said with a tone of disgust, when I mentioned it. "We haven't shopped there in years!"
I was surprised to hear that because I knew he and his wife used to go shopping at that store at least once week.
So I asked him why he stopped.
Well, it turns out the store had been bought by new owners, who had driven it into the ground.
Not by poor management or lack of decent product to sell -- but by POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
My friend's wife told me about how she'd once gone in there to return a bunch of plastic water bottles for deposit -- something the old owners had always welcomed her to do.
The new owner on the other hand, pointed to a sign that said, "No Pop Bottles" and yelled at her saying, "Can't you read the SIGN?"
"Yes," she replied, confused and ashamed, as other shoppers turned to stare at her. "But these aren't pop bottles, they're water bottles."
"Same difference," the owner snapped.
He reluctantly took the bottles anyway and gave her the money, but not without telling her, "I'm doing you a FAVOR, you know."
Well, wouldn't you know it, a small neighbourhood store that had once been a local hangout selling over $1 MILLION a year in alcohol alone (according to my friend, who handled the business's insurance at one time) is now a virtual ghost town.
A parking lot that was once crammed with cars now stands empty.
And not because a bigger, shinier shopping center moved in down the street, but because the owner forgot the number one rule of doing business:
TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS RIGHT.
How about you? Do you have any customer relations nightmares you'd like to share?
Here's your chance to vent!