A while ago, I wrote about one of my favorite markets in San Francisco -- Bi-Rite Foods. This month, the wonderful U.K. magazine, Monocle, featured this grocery store in an article. I bought this issue of Monocle at a local magazine kiosk, but I think you have to subscribe or order a copy online to read the whole thing.
The bottom line is that some businesses are doing very well in this economy because they have what people want and need, they stay within a manageable scale, and they care enough about their customers, their quality, and their environment that this enthusiasm spills over and builds them a loyal and happy following. Isn't that how it should be?
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
"Warranty Alert" -- (201) 917-7310
I didn't answer the phone call when it came in, but remarkably, the caller ID on my phone actually read "Warranty Alert" and "(201) 917-7310." I do believe it was our friends from the "This is your final warning about your car warranty...." scammers. The ones who everyone in the USA gets phone calls from, but no one pursues.
The phone number, according to reverse phone lookups, corresponds to "Paetec Communications" in Cliffside, New Jersey. However, as we all know, these phone calls come from every state and from different phone numbers registered to different names.
Why no one goes after these people-who are clearly not involved in the warranty of our automobiles, but something far more nefarious-- is beyond me. But then again, guys like Bernie Madoff can steal $50 billion dollars, admit it, and not even go to jail. (If Bernie had only been growing a pot plant in his Manhattan apartment...he'd be put away already!)
And I'm just sitting here and googling that phone number into my computer, just like the rest of you. Are these people really that hard to catch?
The phone number, according to reverse phone lookups, corresponds to "Paetec Communications" in Cliffside, New Jersey. However, as we all know, these phone calls come from every state and from different phone numbers registered to different names.
Why no one goes after these people-who are clearly not involved in the warranty of our automobiles, but something far more nefarious-- is beyond me. But then again, guys like Bernie Madoff can steal $50 billion dollars, admit it, and not even go to jail. (If Bernie had only been growing a pot plant in his Manhattan apartment...he'd be put away already!)
And I'm just sitting here and googling that phone number into my computer, just like the rest of you. Are these people really that hard to catch?
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Why this Office Max store will fail
Office Max is #3 in the world of big-box office retailers (behind Staples and Office Depot). I don't know if this economy can support three big-box chains of office stores--not when you can buy so much for less on the Internet-- but if things continue to go downhill, here's why my local Office Max could fail.
It's not the location. Although this Office Max is located in the nowheres-ville zone of a freeway overpass, its neighbors on each side of the street (Best Buy on one side and Rainbow Grocery on the other) enjoy a booming business and lots of customers all day long. No, Office Max's problems are: bad attitude, bad service, and lack of innovation.
Let's talk first about their attitude. They don't seem to have issues with the hordes of people who go to the Best Buy on one side of them, but they're really hostile to the health-food store customers from Rainbow Grocery on the other side. I realize this is because they can see the Rainbow customers parking in their lot when there's no more room in the health-food store lot or on the street. In fact, it bothers Office Max so much that they put up a big, handwritten sign in their front window (what could be more impressive than that?) that warns Rainbow customers that they'll tow them away if they park there, and they have a tow truck stationed in the lot most of the time to make sure no vegetarians go untowed from their lot.
Here's an idea: why not "welcome" the Rainbow customers by offering any Rainbow shopper a 15% discount in their store with proof-of-purchase of Rainbow groceries? Imagine that--they'd increase their walk-in customer base substantially, because this area of the city has neither pedestrian traffic nor adequate bus service. There's NO walk-in traffic. The only people walking around the area (besides the aforementioned customers getting out of their cars for the other stores) are the legions of bums who live under the overpass. So that's my first bit of advice, Office Max: drive business to your store by offering your neighboring customers a discount...d'oh!
Well, but then there's problem number 2: customer service. The store is huge, wide, and monstrously bright. The ratio of customers -- at least any time I've been there -- to Office Max employees seems to be a solid 1:1. But try to get any of them to help you, or to ring you up at one of their many empty cash registers...forget it. In fact, you can be the very next person in line and wait 10 minutes for the clerk to help you. I'm beginning to wonder if they don't have a policy that makes you wait in line for a cashier simply to make their store look busier. So my second bit of advice to Office Max is: train your employees to serve your customers in a reasonable fashion, in how to talk to your customers, and make your employees knowledgeable about your products. Right now it seems like some of the people who work there couldn't get a job anywhere else and barely made it through high school.
Problem #3 is innovation. Let's talk about customer demographics for a minute. You're in a city that has progressive politics and you're sitting next to a hugely successful, employee-run health food store that's been in business for almost 35 years. Maybe you might want to think about providing some services that might draw them in (besides the neighbor discount). What about offering services that help people recycle their old computers, monitors, office equipment, and batteries? What about selling "green" office supplies? How about working on your store's Feng Shui, so you feel drawn in by appealing window displays (instead of a crazy-looking, hostile sign) and an inviting layout? And what about the aesthetic appeal of some of your products? Is there some reason why you have to sell the ugliest possible laptop bags, storage systems, day timers, and other gear? What if you sold appealing brands and styles, instead of just sacks of black vinyl? A lot of your merchandise has a 1970s "you don't have a choice" aesthetic. So my third bit of advice, Office Max, is that you offer services and merchandise that fit your demographic area.
Best of luck to you.
It's not the location. Although this Office Max is located in the nowheres-ville zone of a freeway overpass, its neighbors on each side of the street (Best Buy on one side and Rainbow Grocery on the other) enjoy a booming business and lots of customers all day long. No, Office Max's problems are: bad attitude, bad service, and lack of innovation.
Let's talk first about their attitude. They don't seem to have issues with the hordes of people who go to the Best Buy on one side of them, but they're really hostile to the health-food store customers from Rainbow Grocery on the other side. I realize this is because they can see the Rainbow customers parking in their lot when there's no more room in the health-food store lot or on the street. In fact, it bothers Office Max so much that they put up a big, handwritten sign in their front window (what could be more impressive than that?) that warns Rainbow customers that they'll tow them away if they park there, and they have a tow truck stationed in the lot most of the time to make sure no vegetarians go untowed from their lot.
Here's an idea: why not "welcome" the Rainbow customers by offering any Rainbow shopper a 15% discount in their store with proof-of-purchase of Rainbow groceries? Imagine that--they'd increase their walk-in customer base substantially, because this area of the city has neither pedestrian traffic nor adequate bus service. There's NO walk-in traffic. The only people walking around the area (besides the aforementioned customers getting out of their cars for the other stores) are the legions of bums who live under the overpass. So that's my first bit of advice, Office Max: drive business to your store by offering your neighboring customers a discount...d'oh!
Well, but then there's problem number 2: customer service. The store is huge, wide, and monstrously bright. The ratio of customers -- at least any time I've been there -- to Office Max employees seems to be a solid 1:1. But try to get any of them to help you, or to ring you up at one of their many empty cash registers...forget it. In fact, you can be the very next person in line and wait 10 minutes for the clerk to help you. I'm beginning to wonder if they don't have a policy that makes you wait in line for a cashier simply to make their store look busier. So my second bit of advice to Office Max is: train your employees to serve your customers in a reasonable fashion, in how to talk to your customers, and make your employees knowledgeable about your products. Right now it seems like some of the people who work there couldn't get a job anywhere else and barely made it through high school.
Problem #3 is innovation. Let's talk about customer demographics for a minute. You're in a city that has progressive politics and you're sitting next to a hugely successful, employee-run health food store that's been in business for almost 35 years. Maybe you might want to think about providing some services that might draw them in (besides the neighbor discount). What about offering services that help people recycle their old computers, monitors, office equipment, and batteries? What about selling "green" office supplies? How about working on your store's Feng Shui, so you feel drawn in by appealing window displays (instead of a crazy-looking, hostile sign) and an inviting layout? And what about the aesthetic appeal of some of your products? Is there some reason why you have to sell the ugliest possible laptop bags, storage systems, day timers, and other gear? What if you sold appealing brands and styles, instead of just sacks of black vinyl? A lot of your merchandise has a 1970s "you don't have a choice" aesthetic. So my third bit of advice, Office Max, is that you offer services and merchandise that fit your demographic area.
Best of luck to you.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
"Top 25 Countries for Women" - doesn't include USA
I recently ran across an article and a slideshow online from Forbes about the top 25 countries in the world in terms of female empowerment and gender equality.
It listed the top 25 countries with these four attributes for women: economic opportunity, health and survival, education, and political empowerment. Not surprisingly, the Nordic countries ranked the highest (Norway was #1), along with several predictable European countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Some of the other highest-rated countries included the Phillipines, New Zealand, Latvia, and Sri Lanka.
Moldova (shown below, in a screen cap from the slideshow) ranked as #20. Trinidad and Tobago had high ratings, as well.
The USA was ranked at #27 -- not even in the top 25 (#25 was Cuba by the way). Of course, this doesn't make the USA the worst country on the planet for women. Other countries that fared far worse included Canada, Israel, and all the countries in the Middle East.
It listed the top 25 countries with these four attributes for women: economic opportunity, health and survival, education, and political empowerment. Not surprisingly, the Nordic countries ranked the highest (Norway was #1), along with several predictable European countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Some of the other highest-rated countries included the Phillipines, New Zealand, Latvia, and Sri Lanka.
Moldova (shown below, in a screen cap from the slideshow) ranked as #20. Trinidad and Tobago had high ratings, as well.
The USA was ranked at #27 -- not even in the top 25 (#25 was Cuba by the way). Of course, this doesn't make the USA the worst country on the planet for women. Other countries that fared far worse included Canada, Israel, and all the countries in the Middle East.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The un-supermarket
I like to shop for food in places where I feel like I'm doing something good for my health, and where I don't feel like I'm on a torture track. That's why I try to avoid bad shopping experiences like the one I wrote about at Safeway, and also why I avoid going to giant stores like Costco-- where you wait for 30 minutes in long queues of people who've loaded rolling flatbed wagons full of processed food and often, sadly, look like they eat too much of it.
So I go to places like Rainbow Grocery or Bi-Rite foods, where the produce is local and the stock looks well-maintained and thoughtful, and where the staff greets you and asks you if you need any help. When you're in the wine section, they'll ask you what kind of wine you'd like and then make suggestions. The same with the cheese, and so on.
It really seems like they care that you find the right stuff and that you're happy about it. So I don't mind spending a little extra money at these stores because I know what I'm getting, I know I will like it, and I don't get punished for being there. Even the people at the checkstands (and yes, they seem to have more working checkout people than the giant Safeway does!) seem to be in good moods, and they greet you with friendly conversation. The line moves quickly and you don't feel like you've sacrificed half your day trying to get through the store. And it's kind of fun to look around and see what they have to offer.
I think I'll go back to Safeway soon and go through the "downer cow" experience there again, just to see if anything's changed during these past few months, or if the economic downturn has also created more of a "breadline" vibe there, as well. Anyone want to join me for this social/anthropological excursion?
So I go to places like Rainbow Grocery or Bi-Rite foods, where the produce is local and the stock looks well-maintained and thoughtful, and where the staff greets you and asks you if you need any help. When you're in the wine section, they'll ask you what kind of wine you'd like and then make suggestions. The same with the cheese, and so on.
It really seems like they care that you find the right stuff and that you're happy about it. So I don't mind spending a little extra money at these stores because I know what I'm getting, I know I will like it, and I don't get punished for being there. Even the people at the checkstands (and yes, they seem to have more working checkout people than the giant Safeway does!) seem to be in good moods, and they greet you with friendly conversation. The line moves quickly and you don't feel like you've sacrificed half your day trying to get through the store. And it's kind of fun to look around and see what they have to offer.
I think I'll go back to Safeway soon and go through the "downer cow" experience there again, just to see if anything's changed during these past few months, or if the economic downturn has also created more of a "breadline" vibe there, as well. Anyone want to join me for this social/anthropological excursion?
Friday, December 12, 2008
Heard from your carpet cleaners today?
Some of you might recall my post about the phone spammers who call incessantly with the dire warning that your car warranty is about to expire. Their tactic is to deposit a recorded announcement in your voicemail or blast you when you pick up the phone. Each time they call from a different number and they don't identify the name of their company, nor can you successfully get off their calling list.
Similarly, there's a scam that uses the same tactics for an alleged carpet cleaning company. I don't know their name, and they probably don't have a name, because I doubt they're actually cleaning carpets, and judging from their various phone numbers from different U.S. states and outlying areas, it would be highly inconvenient for anyone to use their services, because they're not local.
Most recently, I received a recorded carpet-cleaning phone blast from "Heather" using this telephone number: (208) 656-4565. This corresponds to a land line in Idaho Falls. Yes, in Idaho. However, these people have called me from all kinds of numbers, including some that begin with "0," which are either out of the country or from a Skype number of some kind.
I've never quite figured out what they're after...obviously it must be money of some sort. They're clearly not looking for customers who want their carpets cleaned, or who are concerned about their vehicle car warranty expiring (I'm guessing these are the same people). They want money, or credit card numbers, or your ID, or something else.
Has anyone actually talked to a human at these so-called carpet cleaners?
Similarly, there's a scam that uses the same tactics for an alleged carpet cleaning company. I don't know their name, and they probably don't have a name, because I doubt they're actually cleaning carpets, and judging from their various phone numbers from different U.S. states and outlying areas, it would be highly inconvenient for anyone to use their services, because they're not local.
Most recently, I received a recorded carpet-cleaning phone blast from "Heather" using this telephone number: (208) 656-4565. This corresponds to a land line in Idaho Falls. Yes, in Idaho. However, these people have called me from all kinds of numbers, including some that begin with "0," which are either out of the country or from a Skype number of some kind.
I've never quite figured out what they're after...obviously it must be money of some sort. They're clearly not looking for customers who want their carpets cleaned, or who are concerned about their vehicle car warranty expiring (I'm guessing these are the same people). They want money, or credit card numbers, or your ID, or something else.
Has anyone actually talked to a human at these so-called carpet cleaners?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Yes We Can - And We Did
I know I put this video on my blog back in February, but I wanted to see it again. Yes, history has been made, but more importantly, the USA has elected someone who might actually have the capability of fixing this broken country--it's not going to be easy. It's been under siege nonstop for eight long years.
People are partying in the streets on this election night to celebrate the changing of the tide. I sure don't remember anyone celebrating like this when George W. Bush was appointed president in 2000.
Congratulations, Barack Obama.
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