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Stealing Customers Is Like Taking Candy From a Baby
May 7, 2007
This weekend, my husband, some friends, and I decided to take all the business from the local bakery. Sounds harsh, doesn't it? It would be harsh if we actually had to do anything more than greet the customers with a smile. The local bakery down the street from us used to be a wonderful, thriving business. People traveled from all over to get their cheddar and spinach scones, and their fresh baked bread that filled the bakery with warm aromas when you walked through the doors. The people who worked the counters always smiled, called you by name, and prepared your order as they chatted about the day. The line used to wrap around the small building and people would wait regardless. After all, this was Ollie's Bakery. A local, homegrown establishment that succeeded because people loved the atmosphere.
The owner sold it a little while ago and, as we approached the business on Saturday morning expecting it to be packed, we were alarmed to be one of three couples in the entire place. Approximately 10,000 people were about a block away preparing to run/walk the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and would be passing by the bakery in 10 minutes. Why wasn't it packed? We thought we'd grab some coffee and a scone and wave to everyone as they ran past. Within minutes of the first crowd of racers, a note appeared taped to the door, "Only customers can use the restroom." This is a small town and there are places to use the bathroom every hundred feet (especially on race day), so this offended too many people to count. Potential customers headed to the door to buy a pastry, saw the sign, and backed away, mumbling under their breath about what a welcoming place Ollie's used to be. The previous owner, they said, would welcome everybody regardless. Of course, I thought, because if someone opens the door to those wonderful smells, they're going to be overpowered by their grumbling stomach and compelled to buy something.
I had heard through the neighborhood grapevine that Ollie's had "gone downhill" and the new owner was enough to keep people from stopping by their favorite establishment. She had, as the rumor mill stated, actually told her employees not to get too chummy with the customers. Whether she said this or not, my neighborhood started a boycott of biblical proportions and this past Saturday, we were upset to have to join the ranks. We were ignored, treated indifferent when we made our purchase, and then I was told that I - a paying customer - couldn't use the bathroom either. It was only when she noticed that I was throwing away my coffee cup and paper plate that she said I could use it. The old staff that greeted me when I bought my coffee each morning had left, the bakers had all jumped ship, and now I knew why. Ollie's, my favorite little bakery, had forgotten why they were so successful in the first place...customer service. The magic, the glue of the place, is lost.
Now we are pursuing our dream of opening a bakery down the street. The demand is there, and I'll use my family's successful recipes from their days in the bakery business to get us started. And each day people walk into the store, we'll smile and welcome them by name. Sadly, taking Ollie's business will be like taking candy from a baby, and it could have been so easily prevented. On race day next year, we'll be outside with small paper plates of warm baked goods, piping hot coffee, and coupons, inviting people to stop in or grab something as they run by. We'll fill bellies and hearts with good food and hand it away free for a good cause. As they race for a cure for cancer, we'll aid their stomaches as they run.. Our employees will wave and cheer as people go by and we'll keep the doors open for whoever needs to come in for a small respite. We'll be the neighborhood bakery again. We'll fill the need that is now missing.
Customer service, no matter how many times I say it, is THE most important part of your business. Here is a great video that I recommend watching, and when you're through, think about what you will do to be like Johnny. Don't let someone steal your business, too.
Posted by Suze Bragg on May 7, 2007 | Comments (8)
