Just a friendly note to small businesses:

I know that your employees may be stressed right now. Many businesses are having tough times, and that makes things even harder for those small businesses who are already up against the low prices of the corporate giants and the anything-for-a-buck-made-in-China-loving American public.

So, if you, Mr. Small Business Owner, decide to run a special in order to attract business, please ensure that your employees know about the special and that they hide any dislike for what may be a loss leader.

If you own a hardware store, and you have to special order an advertised item, please actually order the item for the customer. Odds are fairly high that the customer actually wants the item for which they drove to your store to purchase. They may even want it fairly quickly. And if the customer calls to inquire if the advertised item that had to be special ordered has arrived (since your employees didn't call like they said they would), please tell the employees to check thoroughly before saying "yes, it's here". The customer has already gone out of their way to shop at your store, no need to have them return solely for an exercise in asking for a product that isn't there.

Also, if you own a hardware store and an item is advertised at a specific price in the sales flyer and on the shelf tag, it would be good if you actually charged the sales price for that item. If the Murphy's Oil Soap is advertised at $2.50, please ring it up at that price, and not $4.29. As a matter of principal, I will be back for my $1.79 and I will be less inclined to go out of my way to shop at your place if it takes 3+ visits to get what I need. I may be a savant as far as what everything in the cart should ring up, but I should be able to send my husband to buy a few things without being grossly overcharged. He isn't a savant in that regard, and he trusts you to do what you say, i.e. charge him the correct price for the stuff he buys from you.

If you own a restaurant, and you run an ad for a weekday dinner special, please inform your waitstaff of said special. Let them know that you need the new customers and perhaps even mention that the customers are not a bother but rather an asset. Customers who come in for the special, but are served up a heaping plate of attitude along with their Italian food are not likely to return to purchase entrees at full price. I don't want to be treated like a burden for taking you up on an offer that you voluntarily extended. By "you" I mean you or your employees because they are representing you. Yes, we took you up on your two dinners for $17, which was a killer deal, but we also bought a bottle of wine and a dessert, and tipped and spent $60 at your restaurant instead of our original plan of eating soup and sandwiches at home.

Small business cannot survive "just because". I will not pay the same or higher prices to be treated poorly. We don't live in Mayberry, RFD. There are alternatives out there and while I may not like them, if their service manages to surpass yours, I don't plan on paying more for inept or flat out bad service. Yes, everyone messes up from time to time, and I'm the first one to acknowledge that, but a bad attitude is not okay.

Times are tough right now, small business owners. Don't let bad attitudes or misguided employees sink your business!