Don't Punish Good Customers for the Bad Economy!

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Don't Punish Good Customers for the Bad Economy!

Posted Nov 28th 2008 12:00PM by Mo Rocca

(The conclusion of my near-death Dim Sum adventure is coming soon. I promise. But first...)

It's unmistakable. You can hear it in their voices, you can see it in their eyes. The hunger, the stress, sometimes desperation of merchants whose jobs are on the line.

It's a weird kind of economic crisis for individuals outside the financial sector: we keep getting told that this is the worst economy since the Great Depression. But the current unemployment rate is nowhere near November 1982's 10.8%. So much of the current distress is about what's to come, rather than what is now. We're waiting for the hammer to drop.

As the son of a small business owner, I'm sympathetic ... to a point. Here's where I'm unsympathetic:

There's no excuse for merchants to start turning the screws on their good longtime customers. In four instances over the last week, this has happened to me...

***

At my favorite restaurant, there's a lovely barmaid who is never less than sweet. I brought two of my Colombian cousins for dinner last Friday. Before we sat down we decided to have a glass of wine. The barmaid seemed uncharacteristically agitated: "What can I get you?" No hello or "how are you?"

Esteban asked for three glasses of the Beaujolais Nouveau 2008. As the barmaid began hastily pouring them, she started pitching us: "You can have the whole bottle for $45. It's a great deal. I'll give you a plate of cheese and charcuterie."

"I'm sorry?" asked Esteban, who couldn't quite hear her.

"You're going to pay $36 for three glasses," she snapped. "$45 for the whole bottle and a plate of appetizers."

"I think we'll just have the three glasses," he said gently.

"Look, I'm just trying to give you a deal!" she said, frustrated, with an almost wild-eyed look.

The wine was lousy and she had a lot to unload. Still this restaurant is my Regal Beagle. I eat there all the time and didn't appreciate the hard sell, especially when she must have realized the wine was dreck. She wasn't looking out for me!

***

At my gym, my yearlong membership was up for renewal. Because I regularly use one of the gym's personal trainers, they had waived the monthly gym fee last year. (A good part of the trainer's fee - far more than the monthly fee - goes to the gym.) But suddenly, and inexplicably, I was being told that the monthly fee was being reinstated, in addition to the trainer's fee.

This made no sense at all. The membership director, a terrific guy, was simply taking orders from above. And it was clear that those orders were a response to tough times. But why on earth would you penalize a good customer for the economic crisis? I only use the gym for the trainer. What's more, between sets I give my trainer (and anyone else in earshot) synopses of the latest episodes of Real Housewives of Atlanta -- free of charge.

I'm very happy to report that this has been resolved.

***

At Jamba Juice - an establishment with which I have a very complicated relationship - I walked in, as I do after every workout, and presented my filled out punchcard (7 proofs of purchase, get one free).

"Card's expired," the cashier pertly told me. Rules are rules, I suppose, so I tossed the card away and ordered my Protein Berry Workout. I had to remind her to offer me a free Immunity boost, that's how anxious she seemed.

"Buy the JambaCard for $25 and get a free smoothie!" she blurted out.

"Excuse me?"

"JambaCard for $25!"

I could barely understand what she was saying, she was so harried, but I knew I wasn't interested. Frankly I was offended that she hadn't honored my punchcard, when clearly she could have bent the rules. (Since when are Jamba employees such Strict Constructionists?) And now she was harassing me to spend double digits on another card.

"You sure? JambaCard for $25!!" she harangued me.

"No," I deadpanned.

I paid for my juice, but before she gave me my change, she asked a fourth time: "You sure? $25?"

My eyes narrowed: "I am impervious to your pitch." I was instantly embarrassed by my lame and pretentious response -- especially since she seemed genuinely hurt.

"You don't think my pitch is good?" she sulked.

"It's fine," I said, improvising an excuse. "It's my own problem. I'm ... I'm just not ready for the JambaCard, I guess."

***

Finally, at my favorite clothes shop (which shall go unnamed, since it really is one of New York's great institutions), I walked in last Sunday and was accosted by a sales rep I'd never met: "We have a jacket you'll love!"

It was a purple velvet jacket -- two sizes too small. I squeezed into it.

"It looks great," he said, a tense smile across his face. (For the record, I'd love a purple velvet jacket. I'm willing to go there. But if I'm going to wear a purple velvet jacket, it damn well better fit perfectly. Otherwise I'm really asking for an ass-kicking.)

***

What about you? Have you seen the stress at your favorite businesses? Do you think merchants are handling this situation in the best way possible?

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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)

1. Mr. Rocca;

It strikes me that your dilemma may correspond directly w/ your city-dwelling lifestyle. Out here in the sticks of the pizza joint separating the 2 Connecticut casinos, I am having the opposite experience w/ my Mom & Pops. My favorite juice peddler, Mahesh, has kept my poison @ the same price it was before he bought the place out from the 12 year-old who owned it previously. Rather than rely on gimmicks, my local orchard's retail produce shop expanded its cheese selection & found creative ways to overprice their house-made quiche, in addition to producing their own pear wine.

Meanwhile, the casinos are duking it out for patrons w/ deep pockets. Slot revenues are way down, according to them. The brand spanky new MGM Grand Hotel that Foxwoods installed is running a special "Extra Deluxe Room $99.00" rate. While both Neil Diamond & Mylie Cyrus command $1,000 ticket prices (what's wrong w/ THAT picture?), there are nosebleed seats to be had for a mere $65.

What you are experiencing seems to be in line w/ what made Starbuck's shut down every-other-corner, & what made Krispy Kreme stock plummet when they declared, "If the people won't come to the donuts, we'll bring the donuts to the people". America may be "running on Dunkin'", but now that you can spit from 1 to the other, there's really no need for more than a meandering pace.

Those examples are just the companies that strangle themselves w/ oversaturation of product... I imagine that in your neck of the woods, the competition is more fiercely driven among the independent businesses which seek actual COMMITMENT - a contract, for fear of losing you to another purveyer. That contract would be in the form of you designating a larger portion of the contents of your wallet, figuring that the larger your investment, the more likely you will remain "loyal" to them... This is a 1/2 assed & desperate approach, but effective in the short-term... If you *have* that Jamba Juice card, you are more likely to continue to patronize them & "get your money's worth", even after they decide to phase in cut backs on product quality & raise prices - which is next.

You have the advantage in The Big City of being able to jump on the subway or in a cab going in *either* direction, rendering the competition as near to you as where you frequent - which pressures them to engage you, whether by positive means or not. Economic panic has opened the door to the vinegar, rather than honey approach. Considering that, in New York City, you can go a whole day w/o having to look another person in the eye, they have the court advantage of not really *having* to be nice about it. There is a larger pool of punters for them - but as I stated, this lacks foresight.

If Mahesh gouges his wine prices, or pushes a punch card that will get me a free liver transplant every 500 bottles, all I have to do is casually mention it to the head of the PTO. Frazzled moms w/in a 10 mile radius will point their Volvos in the direction of the other store that's 2 towns away - & pay more for the priviledge of not feeling obligated by any1 other than their soccer playing ankle biters.

The casinos also have "player's cards", etc... Foxwoods just laid off 800 people, (after a gazillion $ expansion for that MGM nonsense), & Mohegan Sun just halted their own expansion project, after construction began... This is why I say the "unfriendly" system is short-sighted.

The sudden shift in your regular haunts signifies that they are on their way out, & pressure is being put on the person behind the counter to push you, for fear of losing their jobs. It must be awfully uncomfortable for them. Just imagine if, before your Sunday morning segments, you had to deliver a pitch for... Oh.... (insert universally despised product of choice here)... You'd hate doing it, but you want to keep your gig.

I say overall that your choice is to either stop patronizing these establishments, or patronize them MORE, so they stay in business. Try a little tenderness. Especially w/ the barmaid... People really respond to the acknowledgment of their tough lot in life. Say something like, "You must be really stressed out from the way the economy is slamming the restaurant business..." & tip her a little extra. She'll either quit the pitch, or @ least roll her eyes when she delivers it - which will be code to *you* that she hates doing it & appreciates your patience - & she won't be snotty if you politely decline. Or she'll throw something @ you.

Ouch.
That was way too long.
Sherry

S.L. at 12:13AM on Nov 29th 2008

2. I work for a small art store in Houston TX, the economy has had an obvious impact on the environment. I am harassed pretty constantly to try to push customers to buy more products which sort of goes against the style of the store. I have expressed some concern because this method turns people off and has actually lowered our sells pretty constantly on a month to month basis. It seems that friendly customer/consumer relationships have to be put on the back burner in hopes of increasing sells and store clerks hate it. Feeling like they are forced to sell more or face cut hours or being laid off has changed the mood and the terrible truth is that most low wage workers can't afford to go against it, retail in particular can be a double edge sword when sells are down. I agree that good customers shouldn't be punished but with the service industry suffering the consumers suffer to.

Dexton at 11:09AM on Nov 29th 2008

3. Bravo, S.L. for your fascinating perspective from outside the big city. Great analysis.

Thanks, Dexton, and sorry you're being pushed. Important to remember how the clerk is caught in between. Welcome to the blog.

Mo Rocca at 11:56AM on Nov 29th 2008

4. My first job was as a car hop at an A&W drive-in. We'd take the orders over the intercom. Our boss urged us to ask, "would you like chips(fries) with that?" I'd only do so if the boss was within earshot. Most people just said 'no thanks' but, once in a while you'd hear the annoyance coming through loud and clear on the intercom speaker. You know they must be thinking, "Just take my order and stop pestering me". It was usually a young man didn't have any reason to feel a connection the person serving them. I'm glad I had that job because it is easy for me to see the living breathing human being serving me, someone who would appreciate a smile a simple response, "no thanks."

JillJG at 1:57PM on Nov 29th 2008

5. I don't even go shopping anymore so I couldn't tell you if it's changed for me any. Are you sure this isn't just the usual holiday stress that turns everyone into jerks every year? Maybe the higher-ups are putting extra pressure on sales people this year because they fear reduced profits for Christmas because of people like me that stopped shopping. heh sorry about that Mo

madking at 8:20PM on Nov 29th 2008

6.
Thank you, Mr. Rocca.

Sherry xoxo

Tonight I'll sing my songs again.. etc.

S.L. at 9:29PM on Nov 29th 2008

7. Well, I don't do much brick-n-mortar shopping, but I did go to the cell phone store today to upgrade my phone. The company has recently changed all their calling plans, making mine obsolete. However, when the sales guy started punching in the numbers, he didn't try to sell me the big package plan, and even lamented that he had to change my plan at all (same plan, different name). And this is a company that has recently lost a lot of their customers.

So, maybe that Jamba Juice location has a bad manager, motivated by desperation.

mo-NEEK-a at 6:11PM on Nov 30th 2008

8. I don't know, man, I'm living in Scotland and people seem pretty chilled out here. So much for we Americans bringing the rest of the world down with us.

Madking may have a point, though, about the holiday season. Black Friday, etc. (Apparently, in the UK, people aren't into stampeding over each other to pay slightly less money for useless crap.)

peace

cody at 9:55PM on Nov 30th 2008

9. Mo, I think there's a difference between being employed and being fully employed. So many people are underemployed. Then there's also the difference between employed in a business that provides a good or service, and being employed in a usury position. There are many people that are employed as financial vampires or healthcare vampires. Stepping between a patient and their doctor, or between an elderly man and woman and their retirement fund. Numbers are deceiving.

Curtis at 7:13PM on Dec 1st 2008

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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.