Do you like the idea of supporting local businesses?
Is that like asking a politician if he’s for more jobs and against crime?
But … and it’s an awfully big but … your locally-owned business has got to meet me MORE than halfway. Sorry if that seems unfair. Heck, it is unfair.
Get over it.
One local restaurant urges folks to get on board to help them beat the chains. “Chains are bad. We are good.” That sorta thing.
To wit:
- Twice before the holidays, I called for delivery and was greeted with ‘hello?’
- Both times, it sounded kind of like I was bothering them by trying to offer them money.
- I asked if I was, indeed, calling the restaurant. Both times, I was greeted with a self-righteous, “yeah.”
- The second time, I was abruptly cut off twice when asking simple questions.
- Neither time did the phone person say ‘thank you’ or ‘good bye.’ Each time, they simply hung up.
Help you beat the chains? Help yourself.
<insert Superfriends transition sounder> Meanwhile …
One of those nasty chains – Target – answered the phone over the holidays at not one, but two different stores in two different towns by nicely saying,
“Hello, this is Target. What can I help you find today?”
That’s right. A real, live, human being person answered. No automated phone tree. Also no hangups or entitled, snippy, self-righteousness.
Target obviously had a system in place. How exactly was that evil? That’s like calling kittens evil.
Your locally-owned business has got to meet me more than halfway.
Or you’ll lose.
It’s not a temporary inconvenience. It’s the new reality of your business, and you best embrace it and – more importantly – develop chain-like, repeatable systems to do it better.
Remember, in this age and day, whether you deliver an exceptionally good or bad experience, social media will only accelerate the inevitable.
I want to celebrate our independents. I really do. I’m sure you feel the same way to one degree or another. Help me, please.
‘Thank you.’
Bingo. Well said. I’ll do all I can to shop locally, and pay more for the privilege on occasion, but I won’t tolerate bad service as well.
The righteous indignation bugs me the most, Alex.
There’s too often a chip on the local shoulder that occasionally teeters into defeatist whining. If certain local merchants mustered all that whine-energy and channeled it instead toward improving the customer experience, they’d have much less about which to whine.
That said, whining can be a particularly nasty addiction.
I want what I want. I don’t care if it is local or national.
My final buying decision is based roughly on “Will this vendor be able to keep delivering the best value in this category” My value is then judged by quality/service/experience/price (I think!)
Tim,
As the owner of a large independent store and also VP of our shop-local campaign I have to say I agree wholeheartedly with this post.
It is not enough to just be local to garner someone’s business. You first have to be as good or better than the competition. And the competition are not the slackers many portray them to be. Sure, there are a bunch of stiffs working many of chains who don’t care one bit about their jobs or your business with them. But get a good manager in there, and there are some big box stores that are doing absolutely everything right (with cheaper products and larger selections to boot)
I coach all of our shop-local members on this – that it is not enough to be local, you have to also be better. Then, playing the “local” card has some power.
Paul, I understand your position wholly. You want a vendor you can trust. Just keep in mind that the biggest discrepancy between local merchants, chains and the Internet-based vendors is TAXES. Many of the services we all take for granted are provided by the property and sales taxes collected unproportionally by the local merchants.
If all else is equal, give your local guy the business. Better yet, help him learn how to be better.
In three weeks we kick off our third annual Jackson Retail Success Academy – an 8-week course to teach local retailers to be better.
This is so critical, so important, yet so very basic for local business marketing success.
Every prospect, before I agree to engage them as a client, is given a phone answering script to test. Funny, how the businesses who really are serious in growing their businesses will embrace this, while those who aren’t will find every excuse or reason not to do it. They think it’s not important, or they’re looking for something more exciting or sexier.
Last year my brother referred me to one of the top local computer repair/networking shops looking for marketing help to grow their business. Right up-front, I gave them my phone answering script “test”.
“First thing you need to do “Joe”, before I agree to work with you, is change how you answer your phone. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. Here’s what you need to say:”
“Hello, This is Joe’s Computers. What computer problem can we help you solve today?”
The owner gave me all kinds of excuses: “Our people won’t say that.” “It sounds fake.” “Our clients will feel like we’re trying to sell them something.”
Humm… This doesn’t sound good… “Fair enough, let me ask you this “Joe”… Why would I call a computer shop if I didn’t have a computer problem?”
His response was… “I already know all that stuff… about answering the phone.”
“That’s great Joe, so now if you want me to help you market and grow you business, you gotta DO what you know.”
“Joe” wasn’t willing to DO. “Joe” also didn’t ask me if I had a computer problem to solve. I bought a new computer the next week at Best Buy.
Sometimes you can’t save ’em if they don’t wanna be saved…