Local Businesses Self Destructing

[Ankerson]

Yes, dealing directly with the public can be one of the hardest jobs on the planet at times.

MOST of the time it's fine, it's those times that it's NOT fine that the store owners, managers etc need to stick to the rules, company policies etc.

If they don't the customers will end up running all over them, I have seen it happen way too many times over the decades.

You know what's even harder?

Fixing a place after the last management team let the customers walk all over them for years.

Been down that road too a number of times.

[James Y]

"The customer is always right" Many stores hate this saying and prefer to say that it's not true. But the problem is the meaning of that saying is lost on the modern generation. What it really means is " Treat the customer like they are your Boss" or in other words put them first.

If your boss asks you to grab something. "You don't roll your eyes and say "Yeah in a minute" and continue chatting with your co-worker. You snap to it and grab it. Same goes for a customer. You snap to it when they ask you for something. Because thier purchases are paying your wage so they are indirectly your Boss!

If businesses treated thier customers with utmost respect. They would get way more business.

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

This is true. When I was right out of high school, I got experience working as a busboy in a couple different Chinese restaurants, and while most people were fine, some customers were complete you-know-whats. And some were just that way because they felt they were entitled. A few were even racist. In retrospect, it was a very weird time. Our boss at one of the restaurants had a hot temper and would only take so much. On a few occasions fights broke out. I won’t say more about that, except that none of US ever got hurt. TBH, I can’t even imagine that happening in my wildest dreams today, with litigation and all that (this all happened back in the early ‘80s). About half the troublemakers were in the Navy, and half of those came in drunk. So no, the customer isn’t always right.

Jim

[Ankerson]

"The customer is always right" Many stores hate this saying and prefer to say that it's not true. But the problem is the meaning of that saying is lost on the modern generation. What it really means is " Treat the customer like they are your Boss" or in other words put them first.

If your boss asks you to grab something. "You don't roll your eyes and say "Yeah in a minute" and continue chatting with your co-worker. You snap to it and grab it. Same goes for a customer. You snap to it when they ask you for something. Because thier purchases are paying your wage so they are indirectly your Boss!

If businesses treated thier customers with utmost respect. They would get way more business.

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

This is true. When I was right out of high school, I got experience working as a busboy in a couple different Chinese restaurants, and while most people were fine, some customers were complete you-know-whats. And some were just that way because they felt they were entitled. A few were even racist. In retrospect, it was a very weird time. Our boss at one of the restaurants had a hot temper and would only take so much. On a few occasions fights broke out. I won’t say more about that, except that none of US ever got hurt. TBH, I can’t even imagine that happening in my wildest dreams today, with litigation and all that (this all happened back in the early ‘80s). About half the troublemakers were in the Navy, and half of those came in drunk. So no, the customer isn’t always right.

Jim

Jim,

Seen some of the raciest stuff too and I normally threw them out of the stores.

It's not tolerated under any circumstances period.

Yeah I am sure in this day and age the way things are the litigation would be a nightmare over some of the things we used to do back in the 80's.

Those who believe they are entitled got NOTHING from me period, everyone is the same in my eyes.

That was employees or customers..

I would go as far as I could to help people as far as the rules allowed, but I wouldn't step over the line and put my job at risk for anyone.


Jim

[cbrstar]

"The customer is always right" Many stores hate this saying and prefer to say that it's not true. But the problem is the meaning of that saying is lost on the modern generation. What it really means is " Treat the customer like they are your Boss" or in other words put them first.

If your boss asks you to grab something. "You don't roll your eyes and say "Yeah in a minute" and continue chatting with your co-worker. You snap to it and grab it. Same goes for a customer. You snap to it when they ask you for something. Because thier purchases are paying your wage so they are indirectly your Boss!

If businesses treated thier customers with utmost respect. They would get way more business.

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

Your sense of entitlement is why businesses are failing all across America. Do you enjoy being ignored, looked down on, or being treated with hostility when you buy something? No you don't! The real fact is a happy customer will tell 4-6 people about a positive experience, but an unhappy customer will tell over 9-15 people about a negative experience. And thanks to the internet it's even easier to leave a bad review which hundreds can see. They say you need 40 positive reviews to offset one negative. https://beyondphilosophy.com/15-statist ... ut-havent/

And the customer is the Boss. Just google "How to treat your Boss" and you usually will see something like this. Sounds a lot like great customer service to me.

1. Accept the fact that your boss is your boss.
Same goes for customers. You need to accept that you're there to help them. You wouldn't be a jerk to your Boss and expect to stay employed, yet I see CSR's be jerky and condescending to customers all the time. A true Professional treats everyone well, no matter their social status, race, and if they have poor behavior. There is rude Bosses and there's is rude customers, but a true Professional controls how they act towards others.

2. Prove that you’re trustworthy.
Trust in Business is the number one rule and without trust any business will fail. It takes incredible amounts of work to build trust which can be easily undone.

3. Don’t complain about your boss with others.
Don't complain and say negative things about your customers or your company It only reflects poorly on you. And it will bite you in the end.

4. Don’t whine!
Have you ever had a clerk whine about something you asked them to do? I have and it immediately makes me wonder if they are competent enough to do the job.

5. Look at the situation from your boss’s point of view.
Put yourself in your customers shoes when they have a problem. In the end you might not be able to help them but at least the sincerity may make a negative situation much better. Really often customers know they can't be helped they just want someone to listen and understand them.

6. Treat your boss with respect.
You're their to respect the customer It's not mutual. A good example of this is the recent Starbucks employee who wrote "PIG" on a Police Officers coffee cup. All it did was make the Starbucks look bad, and get the employee fired. A belligerent customer of course should be removed, but you still need to serve the grumpy customers also.

7. Try to understand your boss’s management style.
Same goes with customers. Some are loud, some are kind, some have cultural differences. You need to understand how they manage problems and adapt to it.

8. Try to make your boss look good!
Same goes for your customers. If you can make them feel better about themselves you're going to have repeat business from them.

9. Try to make your boss’s job easier.
Again basic customer service. If you can make something simpler and easier they will come back to you and not the competition.

10. Keep your boss in the loop.
Take the time to explain products and services. If a new product the customer will like more, or if a sale is coming up let them know about it.

11. Express some sincere appreciation for your boss.
If a customer feels valued and appreciated they will be back. Ones who don't may never come back no matter how good the deal is.

12. Don’t feel entitled.
You're replaceable no matter how important you think you are. Customers are not, and if you loose too many you're going to be either out of a job, or out of business

13. Offer solutions — not just problems.
Offering solutions to the worst problems is the best way to up sell. I've seen store associates talk people out of things because it's "too difficult". Heck I've had it done to me because I was pre-judged before speaking to them. Little did they know I'm an expert at it already.

14. Do your homework!
Nothing worse then a sales person who has no clue what they are selling and can't answer a single question. Smiles don't hide incompetency.

[Ankerson]

"The customer is always right" Many stores hate this saying and prefer to say that it's not true. But the problem is the meaning of that saying is lost on the modern generation. What it really means is " Treat the customer like they are your Boss" or in other words put them first.

If your boss asks you to grab something. "You don't roll your eyes and say "Yeah in a minute" and continue chatting with your co-worker. You snap to it and grab it. Same goes for a customer. You snap to it when they ask you for something. Because thier purchases are paying your wage so they are indirectly your Boss!

If businesses treated thier customers with utmost respect. They would get way more business.

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

Your sense of entitlement is why businesses are failing all across America. Do you enjoy being ignored, looked down on, or being treated with hostility when you buy something? No you don't! The real fact is a happy customer will tell 4-6 people about a positive experience, but an unhappy customer will tell over 9-15 people about a negative experience. And thanks to the internet it's even easier to leave a bad review which hundreds can see. They say you need 40 positive reviews to offset one negative. https://beyondphilosophy.com/15-statist ... ut-havent/

And the customer is the Boss. Just google "How to treat your Boss" and you usually will see something like this. Sounds a lot like great customer service to me.

1. Accept the fact that your boss is your boss.
Same goes for customers. You need to accept that you're there to help them. You wouldn't be a jerk to your Boss and expect to stay employed, yet I see CSR's be jerky and condescending to customers all the time. A true Professional treats everyone well, no matter their social status, race, and if they have poor behavior. There is rude Bosses and there's is rude customers, but a true Professional controls how they act towards others.

2. Prove that you’re trustworthy.
Trust in Business is the number one rule and without trust any business will fail. It takes incredible amounts of work to build trust which can be easily undone.

3. Don’t complain about your boss with others.
Don't complain and say negative things about your customers or your company It only reflects poorly on you. And it will bite you in the end.

4. Don’t whine!
Have you ever had a clerk whine about something you asked them to do? I have and it immediately makes me wonder if they are competent enough to do the job.

5. Look at the situation from your boss’s point of view.
Put yourself in your customers shoes when they have a problem. In the end you might not be able to help them but at least the sincerity may make a negative situation much better. Really often customers know they can't be helped they just want someone to listen and understand them.

6. Treat your boss with respect.
You're their to respect the customer It's not mutual. A good example of this is the recent Starbucks employee who wrote "PIG" on a Police Officers coffee cup. All it did was make the Starbucks look bad, and get the employee fired. A belligerent customer of course should be removed, but you still need to serve the grumpy customers also.

7. Try to understand your boss’s management style.
Same goes with customers. Some are loud, some are kind, some have cultural differences. You need to understand how they manage problems and adapt to it.

8. Try to make your boss look good!
Same goes for your customers. If you can make them feel better about themselves you're going to have repeat business from them.

9. Try to make your boss’s job easier.
Again basic customer service. If you can make something simpler and easier they will come back to you and not the competition.

10. Keep your boss in the loop.
Take the time to explain products and services. If a new product the customer will like more, or if a sale is coming up let them know about it.

11. Express some sincere appreciation for your boss.
If a customer feels valued and appreciated they will be back. Ones who don't may never come back no matter how good the deal is.

12. Don’t feel entitled.
You're replaceable no matter how important you think you are. Customers are not, and if you loose too many you're going to be either out of a job, or out of business

13. Offer solutions — not just problems.
Offering solutions to the worst problems is the best way to up sell. I've seen store associates talk people out of things because it's "too difficult". Heck I've had it done to me because I was pre-judged before speaking to them. Little did they know I'm an expert at it already.

14. Do your homework!
Nothing worse then a sales person who has no clue what they are selling and can't answer a single question. Smiles don't hide incompetency.

That's really funny and complete BS. Out in the real world things are much different than the cool-aid they try and push.

Stop drinking the cool-aid and actually read my post.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

A whiner will whine about anything and everything, especially these days.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

The businesses know who the complainers are, because they complain all the time and they are generally on a list.... And they can see that persons past history.

Or if they are a problem customer, everyone in the place knows who they are already, including management.

Now yes, some of the stuff that has happened in the past 10 years or so has been politically motivated. Like the pig thing on the cup etc.

Things like that are NOT tolerated and never should be, and in every instance the people were fired including the managers.

Those things have nothing to do with the business however, that's an individual problem with the said employee. They should be fired and people like that usually are.

Politics of any kind has no place in the workplace period, especially when dealing with the public directly.

That said people who worked for me were with the program or they didn't last for very long.

Customer service is part of their job.

[cbrstar]

"The customer is always right" Many stores hate this saying and prefer to say that it's not true. But the problem is the meaning of that saying is lost on the modern generation. What it really means is " Treat the customer like they are your Boss" or in other words put them first.

If your boss asks you to grab something. "You don't roll your eyes and say "Yeah in a minute" and continue chatting with your co-worker. You snap to it and grab it. Same goes for a customer. You snap to it when they ask you for something. Because thier purchases are paying your wage so they are indirectly your Boss!

If businesses treated thier customers with utmost respect. They would get way more business.

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

Your sense of entitlement is why businesses are failing all across America. Do you enjoy being ignored, looked down on, or being treated with hostility when you buy something? No you don't! The real fact is a happy customer will tell 4-6 people about a positive experience, but an unhappy customer will tell over 9-15 people about a negative experience. And thanks to the internet it's even easier to leave a bad review which hundreds can see. They say you need 40 positive reviews to offset one negative. https://beyondphilosophy.com/15-statist ... ut-havent/

And the customer is the Boss. Just google "How to treat your Boss" and you usually will see something like this. Sounds a lot like great customer service to me.

1. Accept the fact that your boss is your boss.
Same goes for customers. You need to accept that you're there to help them. You wouldn't be a jerk to your Boss and expect to stay employed, yet I see CSR's be jerky and condescending to customers all the time. A true Professional treats everyone well, no matter their social status, race, and if they have poor behavior. There is rude Bosses and there's is rude customers, but a true Professional controls how they act towards others.

2. Prove that you’re trustworthy.
Trust in Business is the number one rule and without trust any business will fail. It takes incredible amounts of work to build trust which can be easily undone.

3. Don’t complain about your boss with others.
Don't complain and say negative things about your customers or your company It only reflects poorly on you. And it will bite you in the end.

4. Don’t whine!
Have you ever had a clerk whine about something you asked them to do? I have and it immediately makes me wonder if they are competent enough to do the job.

5. Look at the situation from your boss’s point of view.
Put yourself in your customers shoes when they have a problem. In the end you might not be able to help them but at least the sincerity may make a negative situation much better. Really often customers know they can't be helped they just want someone to listen and understand them.

6. Treat your boss with respect.
You're their to respect the customer It's not mutual. A good example of this is the recent Starbucks employee who wrote "PIG" on a Police Officers coffee cup. All it did was make the Starbucks look bad, and get the employee fired. A belligerent customer of course should be removed, but you still need to serve the grumpy customers also.

7. Try to understand your boss’s management style.
Same goes with customers. Some are loud, some are kind, some have cultural differences. You need to understand how they manage problems and adapt to it.

8. Try to make your boss look good!
Same goes for your customers. If you can make them feel better about themselves you're going to have repeat business from them.

9. Try to make your boss’s job easier.
Again basic customer service. If you can make something simpler and easier they will come back to you and not the competition.

10. Keep your boss in the loop.
Take the time to explain products and services. If a new product the customer will like more, or if a sale is coming up let them know about it.

11. Express some sincere appreciation for your boss.
If a customer feels valued and appreciated they will be back. Ones who don't may never come back no matter how good the deal is.

12. Don’t feel entitled.
You're replaceable no matter how important you think you are. Customers are not, and if you loose too many you're going to be either out of a job, or out of business

13. Offer solutions — not just problems.
Offering solutions to the worst problems is the best way to up sell. I've seen store associates talk people out of things because it's "too difficult". Heck I've had it done to me because I was pre-judged before speaking to them. Little did they know I'm an expert at it already.

14. Do your homework!
Nothing worse then a sales person who has no clue what they are selling and can't answer a single question. Smiles don't hide incompetency.

That's really funny and complete BS. Out in the real world things are much different than the cool-aid they try and push.

Stop drinking the cool-aid and actually read my post.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

A whiner will whine about anything and everything, especially these days.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

You can call it BS all you want. But I've applied that philosophy throughout my career working with the public. When I worked in insurance I was able to grow my book of business from $60,000/yr to $4 million/yr within only 2 years. And working in Insurance trust me I have dealt with all sorts of angry and upset customers. My new job as Business Developer at my current company I've already been pivotal in securing two major contracts beating out much larger companies. And I did it applying professionalism and good customer service by going above and beyond what was expected of me.

I did read what you said.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

I had plenty of loyal customers as when I changed companies they often came with me. It's called building rapport and trust. I don't know what you do for a living but if you find your customers have no loyalty that's on you. And you need to do some self reflection to figure out what that is.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

Were they also wrong in choosing to come see you? From the sounds of things maybe so if you hold them in that type of contempt. The reality is they can go many other places and poor treatment will gladly send them on their way.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

The customer pays the Boss, who turns around then pays you. No customer and the Boss can't pay you. See why they come first now? An employee isn't entitled to a job or living and needs to put the company first. That's what truly forgotten in this day and age.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

No one is saying to break the rules for a customer, but you obviously never worked in sales or understand how they work. The people who produce make the rules, and the others get let go.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

Funny this site alone is full of happy Spyderco customers saying how great the company is. Not to mention FB etc. But like I pointed out and obviously you didn't read my post. People will tell more people about a bad experience then a good. It's human nature.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

[Ankerson]

This topic is well beyond that saying.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

None of which has to do with that saying.

While customer service is important, the customer is always right is the biggest pile of crap that was ever said.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

Respect goes BOTH ways, that has also been lost over the years.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

Your sense of entitlement is why businesses are failing all across America. Do you enjoy being ignored, looked down on, or being treated with hostility when you buy something? No you don't! The real fact is a happy customer will tell 4-6 people about a positive experience, but an unhappy customer will tell over 9-15 people about a negative experience. And thanks to the internet it's even easier to leave a bad review which hundreds can see. They say you need 40 positive reviews to offset one negative. https://beyondphilosophy.com/15-statist ... ut-havent/

And the customer is the Boss. Just google "How to treat your Boss" and you usually will see something like this. Sounds a lot like great customer service to me.

1. Accept the fact that your boss is your boss.
Same goes for customers. You need to accept that you're there to help them. You wouldn't be a jerk to your Boss and expect to stay employed, yet I see CSR's be jerky and condescending to customers all the time. A true Professional treats everyone well, no matter their social status, race, and if they have poor behavior. There is rude Bosses and there's is rude customers, but a true Professional controls how they act towards others.

2. Prove that you’re trustworthy.
Trust in Business is the number one rule and without trust any business will fail. It takes incredible amounts of work to build trust which can be easily undone.

3. Don’t complain about your boss with others.
Don't complain and say negative things about your customers or your company It only reflects poorly on you. And it will bite you in the end.

4. Don’t whine!
Have you ever had a clerk whine about something you asked them to do? I have and it immediately makes me wonder if they are competent enough to do the job.

5. Look at the situation from your boss’s point of view.
Put yourself in your customers shoes when they have a problem. In the end you might not be able to help them but at least the sincerity may make a negative situation much better. Really often customers know they can't be helped they just want someone to listen and understand them.

6. Treat your boss with respect.
You're their to respect the customer It's not mutual. A good example of this is the recent Starbucks employee who wrote "PIG" on a Police Officers coffee cup. All it did was make the Starbucks look bad, and get the employee fired. A belligerent customer of course should be removed, but you still need to serve the grumpy customers also.

7. Try to understand your boss’s management style.
Same goes with customers. Some are loud, some are kind, some have cultural differences. You need to understand how they manage problems and adapt to it.

8. Try to make your boss look good!
Same goes for your customers. If you can make them feel better about themselves you're going to have repeat business from them.

9. Try to make your boss’s job easier.
Again basic customer service. If you can make something simpler and easier they will come back to you and not the competition.

10. Keep your boss in the loop.
Take the time to explain products and services. If a new product the customer will like more, or if a sale is coming up let them know about it.

11. Express some sincere appreciation for your boss.
If a customer feels valued and appreciated they will be back. Ones who don't may never come back no matter how good the deal is.

12. Don’t feel entitled.
You're replaceable no matter how important you think you are. Customers are not, and if you loose too many you're going to be either out of a job, or out of business

13. Offer solutions — not just problems.
Offering solutions to the worst problems is the best way to up sell. I've seen store associates talk people out of things because it's "too difficult". Heck I've had it done to me because I was pre-judged before speaking to them. Little did they know I'm an expert at it already.

14. Do your homework!
Nothing worse then a sales person who has no clue what they are selling and can't answer a single question. Smiles don't hide incompetency.

That's really funny and complete BS. Out in the real world things are much different than the cool-aid they try and push.

Stop drinking the cool-aid and actually read my post.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

A whiner will whine about anything and everything, especially these days.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

You can call it BS all you want. But I've applied that philosophy throughout my career working with the public. When I worked in insurance I was able to grow my book of business from $60,000/yr to $4 million/yr within only 2 years. And working in Insurance trust me I have dealt with all sorts of angry and upset customers. My new job as Business Developer at my current company I've already been pivotal in securing two major contracts beating out much larger companies. And I did it applying professionalism and good customer service by going above and beyond what was expected of me.

I did read what you said.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

I had plenty of loyal customers as when I changed companies they often came with me. It's called building rapport and trust. I don't know what you do for a living but if you find your customers have no loyalty that's on you. And you need to do some self reflection to figure out what that is.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

Where they also wrong in choosing to come see you? From the sounds of things maybe so if you hold them in that type of contempt. The reality is they can go many other places and poor treatment will gladly send them on their way.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

The customer pays the Boss, who turns around then pays you. No customer and the Boss can't pay you. See why they come first now? An employee isn't entitled to a job or living and needs to put the company first. That's what truly forgotten in this day and age.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

No one is saying to break the rules for a customer, but you obviously never worked in sales or understand how they work. The people who produce make the rules, and the others get let go.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

Funny this site alone is full of happy Spyderco customers saying how great the company is. Not to mention FB etc. But like I pointed out and obviously you didn't read my post. People will tell more people about a bad experience then a good. It's human nature.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

Insurance?

That's much different than working with people in a retail setting, thousands of them on a daily basis.

That is what we are talking about here, RETAIL as in face to face involvement, people shopping etc.

You know store front businesses.

Customer service is only a part of we all had to do on a daily basis.

We had everything else to worry about too so we could keep the lights on Soto speak.

It's more about the overall customer experience than just customer service.

[Ankerson]

The Customer Experience:

Is the parking lot clean?

Are there enough Parking spots?

Is the entrance to the store clean and free of obstacles?

Is the Store Clean?

Is the store well lit for a pleasant shopping experience?

Are the products the customer wants in stock?

Are the products neatly on the shelves and priced correctly?

Are the Products fresh and well presented?

Are the Employees friendly and helpful?

Are there enough cashiers to keep the lines down for a quick checkout?

Are the customers needs met and if not what can we do better?


That is what I had to worry about on a daily basis on top of the other manager duties and responsibilities.

[Ankerson]

This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

Hardly,

I ran the 3 highest volume stores in the district, I worked all 3 of them over the years and all 3 had increased sales volume when I was there.

And the Company I worked for has a massive market share, overwhelming market share over the competition.

That's because we do it right giving the customers the best overall shopping experience.

That is what keeps them coming back.

I don't work in the business anymore due to an injury I got at work so I can't work in that type business anymore.


Like I said retail is DIFFERENT than selling insurance.... Not even on the same planet.

[JonLeBlanc]

I'm just here for the comments lol

[Ankerson]

I'm just here for the comments lol

Yeah. LOL :D

It's just different when you are trying to sell somebody something specific rather than in retail were we had to look at the big picture.

The whole mindset is completely different.

We weren't selling anything other than the overall shopping experience, but that's the grocery business.

What we had you could buy at any other store in the area, but the experience is what sets them apart.

Did we piss off some customers, you bet, every one of them does, but those are the ones who are trying to get over one way or another.

Nobody gets more pissed off than a customer when they get caught trying to get over and get called out on it believe me....

That's just goes with the type of business I was in, for the most part normal until they learned they couldn't get away with it. Usually a pretty small percentage depending on the area and the last management team that ran the store.

Then there was the thieves we had to worry about, flim flam artists and counterfeiters.

Then employee theft like cashiers sliding product for their friends and relatives etc.

All those little things we had to watch out for on a daily basis you know that had an effect on the inventory and the bottom line.

[cbrstar]

Your sense of entitlement is why businesses are failing all across America. Do you enjoy being ignored, looked down on, or being treated with hostility when you buy something? No you don't! The real fact is a happy customer will tell 4-6 people about a positive experience, but an unhappy customer will tell over 9-15 people about a negative experience. And thanks to the internet it's even easier to leave a bad review which hundreds can see. They say you need 40 positive reviews to offset one negative. https://beyondphilosophy.com/15-statist ... ut-havent/

And the customer is the Boss. Just google "How to treat your Boss" and you usually will see something like this. Sounds a lot like great customer service to me.

1. Accept the fact that your boss is your boss.
Same goes for customers. You need to accept that you're there to help them. You wouldn't be a jerk to your Boss and expect to stay employed, yet I see CSR's be jerky and condescending to customers all the time. A true Professional treats everyone well, no matter their social status, race, and if they have poor behavior. There is rude Bosses and there's is rude customers, but a true Professional controls how they act towards others.

2. Prove that you’re trustworthy.
Trust in Business is the number one rule and without trust any business will fail. It takes incredible amounts of work to build trust which can be easily undone.

3. Don’t complain about your boss with others.
Don't complain and say negative things about your customers or your company It only reflects poorly on you. And it will bite you in the end.

4. Don’t whine!
Have you ever had a clerk whine about something you asked them to do? I have and it immediately makes me wonder if they are competent enough to do the job.

5. Look at the situation from your boss’s point of view.
Put yourself in your customers shoes when they have a problem. In the end you might not be able to help them but at least the sincerity may make a negative situation much better. Really often customers know they can't be helped they just want someone to listen and understand them.

6. Treat your boss with respect.
You're their to respect the customer It's not mutual. A good example of this is the recent Starbucks employee who wrote "PIG" on a Police Officers coffee cup. All it did was make the Starbucks look bad, and get the employee fired. A belligerent customer of course should be removed, but you still need to serve the grumpy customers also.

7. Try to understand your boss’s management style.
Same goes with customers. Some are loud, some are kind, some have cultural differences. You need to understand how they manage problems and adapt to it.

8. Try to make your boss look good!
Same goes for your customers. If you can make them feel better about themselves you're going to have repeat business from them.

9. Try to make your boss’s job easier.
Again basic customer service. If you can make something simpler and easier they will come back to you and not the competition.

10. Keep your boss in the loop.
Take the time to explain products and services. If a new product the customer will like more, or if a sale is coming up let them know about it.

11. Express some sincere appreciation for your boss.
If a customer feels valued and appreciated they will be back. Ones who don't may never come back no matter how good the deal is.

12. Don’t feel entitled.
You're replaceable no matter how important you think you are. Customers are not, and if you loose too many you're going to be either out of a job, or out of business

13. Offer solutions — not just problems.
Offering solutions to the worst problems is the best way to up sell. I've seen store associates talk people out of things because it's "too difficult". Heck I've had it done to me because I was pre-judged before speaking to them. Little did they know I'm an expert at it already.

14. Do your homework!
Nothing worse then a sales person who has no clue what they are selling and can't answer a single question. Smiles don't hide incompetency.

That's really funny and complete BS. Out in the real world things are much different than the cool-aid they try and push.

Stop drinking the cool-aid and actually read my post.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

A whiner will whine about anything and everything, especially these days.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

You can call it BS all you want. But I've applied that philosophy throughout my career working with the public. When I worked in insurance I was able to grow my book of business from $60,000/yr to $4 million/yr within only 2 years. And working in Insurance trust me I have dealt with all sorts of angry and upset customers. My new job as Business Developer at my current company I've already been pivotal in securing two major contracts beating out much larger companies. And I did it applying professionalism and good customer service by going above and beyond what was expected of me.

I did read what you said.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

I had plenty of loyal customers as when I changed companies they often came with me. It's called building rapport and trust. I don't know what you do for a living but if you find your customers have no loyalty that's on you. And you need to do some self reflection to figure out what that is.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

Where they also wrong in choosing to come see you? From the sounds of things maybe so if you hold them in that type of contempt. The reality is they can go many other places and poor treatment will gladly send them on their way.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

The customer pays the Boss, who turns around then pays you. No customer and the Boss can't pay you. See why they come first now? An employee isn't entitled to a job or living and needs to put the company first. That's what truly forgotten in this day and age.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

No one is saying to break the rules for a customer, but you obviously never worked in sales or understand how they work. The people who produce make the rules, and the others get let go.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

Funny this site alone is full of happy Spyderco customers saying how great the company is. Not to mention FB etc. But like I pointed out and obviously you didn't read my post. People will tell more people about a bad experience then a good. It's human nature.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

Insurance?

That's much different than working with people in a retail setting, thousands of them on a daily basis.

That is what we are talking about here, RETAIL as in face to face involvement, people shopping etc.

You know store front businesses.

Customer service is only a part of we all had to do on a daily basis.

We had everything else to worry about too so we could keep the lights on Soto speak.

It's more about the overall customer experience than just customer service.

I also worked in retail before insurance and they are quite the same. In insurance you are still selling a product, you still have a store front, and I spoke to my clients face to face. The difference is in insurance you are selling a promise. You don't have a product a client can see, smell, touch or taste. You can't rely on the product selling it self so It's actually much harder. Customer service might be only a part of the customer experience, but I'd argue it the most crucial depending on the type of your business.

I ran the 3 highest volume stores in the district, I worked all 3 of them over the years and all 3 had increased sales volume when I was there.
And the Company I worked for has a massive market share, overwhelming market share over the competition.
That's because we do it right giving the customers the best overall shopping experience.
That is what keeps them coming back.
I don't work in the business anymore due to an injury I got at work so I can't work in that type business anymore.

So you were successful by "Giving the customer the best overall shopping experience." cough* which means you put the customer first right?

Personally I think you were you in the process of being removed when you suddenly had an "Accident" Otherwise the company would have made an exception to help keep you on staff.

[Ankerson]

That's really funny and complete BS. Out in the real world things are much different than the cool-aid they try and push.

Stop drinking the cool-aid and actually read my post.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

A whiner will whine about anything and everything, especially these days.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

You can call it BS all you want. But I've applied that philosophy throughout my career working with the public. When I worked in insurance I was able to grow my book of business from $60,000/yr to $4 million/yr within only 2 years. And working in Insurance trust me I have dealt with all sorts of angry and upset customers. My new job as Business Developer at my current company I've already been pivotal in securing two major contracts beating out much larger companies. And I did it applying professionalism and good customer service by going above and beyond what was expected of me.

I did read what you said.

Bottom line is customers are NOT loyal in general no matter what you do, it's an illusion and they will go someplace else in a heartbeat for a number of reasons.

I had plenty of loyal customers as when I changed companies they often came with me. It's called building rapport and trust. I don't know what you do for a living but if you find your customers have no loyalty that's on you. And you need to do some self reflection to figure out what that is.

Truth is about 80% of the time they are wrong, it's that 20% of the time they are right that they really need to help.

Where they also wrong in choosing to come see you? From the sounds of things maybe so if you hold them in that type of contempt. The reality is they can go many other places and poor treatment will gladly send them on their way.

The customer is NOT the boss, they are a guest and need to be treated as a guest, that has been long forgotten in the business world.

The customer pays the Boss, who turns around then pays you. No customer and the Boss can't pay you. See why they come first now? An employee isn't entitled to a job or living and needs to put the company first. That's what truly forgotten in this day and age.

Company policies are in place for a reason, follow those to the letter no matter what and you will always come out on top.

No one is saying to break the rules for a customer, but you obviously never worked in sales or understand how they work. The people who produce make the rules, and the others get let go.

Happy customers in general don't tell anyone anything, they just go on about their business in general unless someone asks them.

Funny this site alone is full of happy Spyderco customers saying how great the company is. Not to mention FB etc. But like I pointed out and obviously you didn't read my post. People will tell more people about a bad experience then a good. It's human nature.

NOBODY with any brains really listens to them because they already know they complain all the time.

This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

Insurance?

That's much different than working with people in a retail setting, thousands of them on a daily basis.

That is what we are talking about here, RETAIL as in face to face involvement, people shopping etc.

You know store front businesses.

Customer service is only a part of we all had to do on a daily basis.

We had everything else to worry about too so we could keep the lights on Soto speak.

It's more about the overall customer experience than just customer service.

I also worked in retail before insurance and they are quite the same. In insurance you are still selling a product, you still have a store front, and I spoke to my clients face to face. The difference is in insurance you are selling a promise. You don't have a product a client can see, smell, touch or taste. You can't rely on the product selling it self so It's actually much harder. Customer service might be only a part of the customer experience, but I'd argue it the most crucial depending on the type of your business.

I ran the 3 highest volume stores in the district, I worked all 3 of them over the years and all 3 had increased sales volume when I was there.
And the Company I worked for has a massive market share, overwhelming market share over the competition.
That's because we do it right giving the customers the best overall shopping experience.
That is what keeps them coming back.
I don't work in the business anymore due to an injury I got at work so I can't work in that type business anymore.

So you were successful by "Giving the customer the best overall shopping experience." cough* which means you put the customer first right?

Personally I think you were you in the process of being removed when you suddenly had an "Accident" Otherwise the company would have made an exception to help keep you on staff.

It's a permeant physical injury that can't be fixed.

They actually did try to work it so I could stay with the company, do a lateral job change, but loss prevention blocked it. They would have had to pay out bigtime workman's comp.

Went all the way up to VP level in HR and Corporate, they all wanted me to stay.

I was one of the best at what I did.

I was actually in the process of being promoted again before I got hurt.

[cbrstar]

You can call it BS all you want. But I've applied that philosophy throughout my career working with the public. When I worked in insurance I was able to grow my book of business from $60,000/yr to $4 million/yr within only 2 years. And working in Insurance trust me I have dealt with all sorts of angry and upset customers. My new job as Business Developer at my current company I've already been pivotal in securing two major contracts beating out much larger companies. And I did it applying professionalism and good customer service by going above and beyond what was expected of me.

I did read what you said.
I had plenty of loyal customers as when I changed companies they often came with me. It's called building rapport and trust. I don't know what you do for a living but if you find your customers have no loyalty that's on you. And you need to do some self reflection to figure out what that is.

Where they also wrong in choosing to come see you? From the sounds of things maybe so if you hold them in that type of contempt. The reality is they can go many other places and poor treatment will gladly send them on their way.


The customer pays the Boss, who turns around then pays you. No customer and the Boss can't pay you. See why they come first now? An employee isn't entitled to a job or living and needs to put the company first. That's what truly forgotten in this day and age.

No one is saying to break the rules for a customer, but you obviously never worked in sales or understand how they work. The people who produce make the rules, and the others get let go.


Funny this site alone is full of happy Spyderco customers saying how great the company is. Not to mention FB etc. But like I pointed out and obviously you didn't read my post. People will tell more people about a bad experience then a good. It's human nature.


This tells me everything I need to about you. I assume you work with the public and this would explain why your customers don't return or have anything positive to say.

Insurance?

That's much different than working with people in a retail setting, thousands of them on a daily basis.

That is what we are talking about here, RETAIL as in face to face involvement, people shopping etc.

You know store front businesses.

Customer service is only a part of we all had to do on a daily basis.

We had everything else to worry about too so we could keep the lights on Soto speak.

It's more about the overall customer experience than just customer service.

I also worked in retail before insurance and they are quite the same. In insurance you are still selling a product, you still have a store front, and I spoke to my clients face to face. The difference is in insurance you are selling a promise. You don't have a product a client can see, smell, touch or taste. You can't rely on the product selling it self so It's actually much harder. Customer service might be only a part of the customer experience, but I'd argue it the most crucial depending on the type of your business.

I ran the 3 highest volume stores in the district, I worked all 3 of them over the years and all 3 had increased sales volume when I was there.
And the Company I worked for has a massive market share, overwhelming market share over the competition.
That's because we do it right giving the customers the best overall shopping experience.
That is what keeps them coming back.
I don't work in the business anymore due to an injury I got at work so I can't work in that type business anymore.

So you were successful by "Giving the customer the best overall shopping experience." cough* which means you put the customer first right?

Personally I think you were you in the process of being removed when you suddenly had an "Accident" Otherwise the company would have made an exception to help keep you on staff.

It's a permeant physical injury that can't be fixed.

They actually did try to work it so I could stay with the company, do a lateral job change, but loss prevention blocked it. They would have had to pay out bigtime workman's comp.

Went all the way up to VP level in HR and Corporate, they all wanted me to stay.

I was one of the best at what I did.

I was actually in the process of being promoted again before I got hurt.

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. I went a little too far and I apologize.

[Ankerson]

Insurance?

That's much different than working with people in a retail setting, thousands of them on a daily basis.

That is what we are talking about here, RETAIL as in face to face involvement, people shopping etc.

You know store front businesses.

Customer service is only a part of we all had to do on a daily basis.

We had everything else to worry about too so we could keep the lights on Soto speak.

It's more about the overall customer experience than just customer service.

I also worked in retail before insurance and they are quite the same. In insurance you are still selling a product, you still have a store front, and I spoke to my clients face to face. The difference is in insurance you are selling a promise. You don't have a product a client can see, smell, touch or taste. You can't rely on the product selling it self so It's actually much harder. Customer service might be only a part of the customer experience, but I'd argue it the most crucial depending on the type of your business.

I ran the 3 highest volume stores in the district, I worked all 3 of them over the years and all 3 had increased sales volume when I was there.
And the Company I worked for has a massive market share, overwhelming market share over the competition.
That's because we do it right giving the customers the best overall shopping experience.
That is what keeps them coming back.
I don't work in the business anymore due to an injury I got at work so I can't work in that type business anymore.

So you were successful by "Giving the customer the best overall shopping experience." cough* which means you put the customer first right?

Personally I think you were you in the process of being removed when you suddenly had an "Accident" Otherwise the company would have made an exception to help keep you on staff.

It's a permeant physical injury that can't be fixed.

They actually did try to work it so I could stay with the company, do a lateral job change, but loss prevention blocked it. They would have had to pay out bigtime workman's comp.

Went all the way up to VP level in HR and Corporate, they all wanted me to stay.

I was one of the best at what I did.

I was actually in the process of being promoted again before I got hurt.

I'm sorry to hear that happened to you. I went a little too far and I apologize.

It happens sometimes, people get hurt, their body just gives out and something breaks when you push as hard as I did over the decades.

I always gave it 100% everyday.

I ran a clean store, better than most.

And yes taking care of the customers is what it is all about in general.

Giving them the best experience possible, that's what I did and within the guidelines of the Company.

In short letting the customers do what they really hate doing, but have to if they want to eat, with as little pain and headache as possible.

That is the real key to it all, if a store is a real PITA to shop in and dirty MOST people won't come back. It's all about having the products they need in a clean store with plenty of cashiers so they can get out quickly.

I know it sounds simple, but it's really not as simple as it sounds, because the store has to make money too. While still getting all the work done etc.

In short I made them a lot of money, with well over 1 Million a month in sales.

We all worked as a team so I can't take all the credit.

[ChrisinHove]

Whilst there are certainly some apparent similarities between selling goods and selling a service, there are also very significant differences.

A branded product is just that, and no more. Whilst you can make the process of acquiring it a more efficient and pleasurable experience, ultimately the customer just ends up with the product. It is also ridiculously easy to price compare, especially nowadays.

The service you provide and can charge for can vary significantly, on top of that process. Discrimination on price alone can be much more difficult for someone buying a service, and as the provider you have a little more room to create a valuable difference and perhaps some loyalty.

[Ankerson]

Whilst there are certainly some apparent similarities between selling goods and selling a service, there are also very significant differences.

A branded product is just that, and no more. Whilst you can make the process of acquiring it a more efficient and pleasurable experience, ultimately the customer just ends up with the product. It is also ridiculously easy to price compare, especially nowadays.

The service you provide and can charge for can vary significantly, on top of that process. Discrimination on price alone can be much more difficult for someone buying a service, and as the provider you have a little more room to create a valuable difference and perhaps some loyalty.

There are a lot of different factors at play.

Cost is a factor defiantly and that alone will sway a lot of people, low cost but horrible experience with them complaining the whole time. While they wait in line for 20 mins to be checked out and couldn't find all what they needed because it was out of stock. I have seen it many times over the years when shopping.

Or have you ever walked into a grocery store and the floor was dirty, turning brown it been so long since they were cleaned correctly?

Or noticed an awful smell as soon as you entered the store, that's from the meat department not cleaning their cold cases. Who knows what is growing in there...

Not getting into the rest of it, I will just say it gets much worse the deeper you look. If they aren't taking care of the basics the rest is a nightmare waiting to happen.

But hey, the prices are cheap... :rolleyes:


All that said Wal-Mart does run a clean store, the whole experience might not be the best, but at least they are clean and kept up well from what I have seen. Even the back rooms look like you could eat off the floors, the ones I have walked through over the years have anyway.

What most people don't know is if you are in management you can actually check out the competition and they allow you to walk the stores. Just like the they checked us out. We also do price checks in their stores as they do in ours.

[ChrisinHove]

Whilst there are certainly some apparent similarities between selling goods and selling a service, there are also very significant differences.

A branded product is just that, and no more. Whilst you can make the process of acquiring it a more efficient and pleasurable experience, ultimately the customer just ends up with the product. It is also ridiculously easy to price compare, especially nowadays.

The service you provide and can charge for can vary significantly, on top of that process. Discrimination on price alone can be much more difficult for someone buying a service, and as the provider you have a little more room to create a valuable difference and perhaps some loyalty.

There are a lot of different factors at play.

Cost is a factor defiantly and that alone will sway a lot of people, low cost but horrible experience with them complaining the whole time. While they wait in line for 20 mins to be checked out and couldn't find all what they needed because it was out of stock. I have seen it many times over the years when shopping.

Or have you ever walked into a grocery store and the floor was dirty, turning brown it been so long since they were cleaned correctly?

Or noticed an awful smell as soon as you entered the store, that's from the meat department not cleaning their cold cases. Who knows what is growing in there...

Not getting into the rest of it, I will just say it gets much worse the deeper you look. If they aren't taking care of the basics the rest is a nightmare waiting to happen.

But hey, the prices are cheap... :rolleyes:


All that said Wal-Mart does run a clean store, the whole experience might not be the best, but at least they are clean and kept up well from what I have seen. Even the back rooms look like you could eat off the floors, the ones I have walked through over the years have anyway.

What most people don't know is if you are in management you can actually check out the competition and they allow you to walk the stores. Just like the they checked us out. We also do price checks in their stores as they do in ours.

I absolutely agree. Retailers have fewer areas to make their difference obvious, and so these are more critical. My heart just sinks in badly run shops.

[Ankerson]

Whilst there are certainly some apparent similarities between selling goods and selling a service, there are also very significant differences.

A branded product is just that, and no more. Whilst you can make the process of acquiring it a more efficient and pleasurable experience, ultimately the customer just ends up with the product. It is also ridiculously easy to price compare, especially nowadays.

The service you provide and can charge for can vary significantly, on top of that process. Discrimination on price alone can be much more difficult for someone buying a service, and as the provider you have a little more room to create a valuable difference and perhaps some loyalty.

There are a lot of different factors at play.

Cost is a factor defiantly and that alone will sway a lot of people, low cost but horrible experience with them complaining the whole time. While they wait in line for 20 mins to be checked out and couldn't find all what they needed because it was out of stock. I have seen it many times over the years when shopping.

Or have you ever walked into a grocery store and the floor was dirty, turning brown it been so long since they were cleaned correctly?

Or noticed an awful smell as soon as you entered the store, that's from the meat department not cleaning their cold cases. Who knows what is growing in there...

Not getting into the rest of it, I will just say it gets much worse the deeper you look. If they aren't taking care of the basics the rest is a nightmare waiting to happen.

But hey, the prices are cheap... :rolleyes:


All that said Wal-Mart does run a clean store, the whole experience might not be the best, but at least they are clean and kept up well from what I have seen. Even the back rooms look like you could eat off the floors, the ones I have walked through over the years have anyway.

What most people don't know is if you are in management you can actually check out the competition and they allow you to walk the stores. Just like the they checked us out. We also do price checks in their stores as they do in ours.

I absolutely agree. Retailers have fewer areas to make their difference obvious, and so these are more critical. My heart just sinks in badly run shops.

Yes, some things are really expected to be done daily, should be standard practice in every store.

If those things are not done then more than likely it gets worse the deeper you look as I said.

I also have a problem when I walk into a poorly run store, it just makes my head hurt and I notice everything....

That's from that small piece of paper on the floor in the corner to the bad produce that needed to be pulled to the bad lunchmeat that should have been pulled that morning to the dented can that shouldn't be on the shelf to that steak that is behind the can of beans on the grocery shelf to the chicken in the hot case in the deli that needed to be pulled a few hours ago. That's just me walking through shopping and not really looking.

[James Y]

I haven’t had the misfortune of walking into any disgusting grocery stores around here; they all pretty much seem to be very clean, even obsessively so. But many, many years ago, I did walk into a small knife shop that smelled like a truck stop rest room. I’ll leave the description of that to your imagination. The odd thing was, it didn’t seem like the owner or the other customer(s) inside were even aware of the smell. Maybe it was simply there all the time and they’d gone “nose blind” to it.

Jim