Topic Control: What Makes a Business Run Well?

So when I asked my friend for a topic tonight, I think I caught her off guard because she says, "Ummmmmm...........so what do you look for in a business, like one you want to go back to again and again?"  I'm not sure where she got the question, but I felt it was a good question and rather apt for the experience we had today while shopping.

For the last several trips to Walmart, an item that we regularly buy and very much need has been missing. This is not an unusual item. It's something very, very common that many people buy and should always be in stock. But it hasn't been. In fact, when we were in Fort Smith last week, we looked for the item at the Walmarts there. Again, it was missing. Today, when ended up at another store, where the item was located and bought.

This whole mess annoyed me to no end. A common product that a store predictably has shouldn't end up being the object of this much effort and drama. And yet it was, because Walmart isn't consistent. It isn't consistent because it isn't well organized.  Worse, when you point this out to them,they try and deny it.

The usual tactic of a business that is trying to deny things is gaslighting. Because they do not have the product in question, their defense is usually to make you seem like you're crazy. "I don't know that we've ever carried that product." Translation: You made that up in your crazy brain. "We may have gotten rid of that.  No one ever buys it." Translation: You are a sick, sad person and no one else buys the crazy shit you buy. "Are you SURE you didn't see any?" Translation: You are crazy and trying to get attention. Of course the product is there. You're just too insane to see it.

Ugggh. I really hate that.

So, okay, what makes a business run well?

1. A good business is well organized. This people in the business have a firm grasp of what is happening. They know where everyone is, how their product works, and when things need to be replaced. They do not assume organization is just something that is created and stays.  They constantly WORK at organizing.  They view it as an important goal and fire people when they begin to disrupt the organizing process.

2. A good business is consistent. If someone expects to find Product A at your place of business, make sure Product A is always in stock. That is actually a pretty simple concept.  People will return to your establishment if they know they will not be wasting their time when they go there. They will have good feelings about your company if you make sure you do as you have said you would do.

3. A good business owns their mistakes. Don't treat your customers like they are children and do not treat them like they are crazy. If you make a mistake, own it. If you failed them in some way, admit to it. Find a way to make it better. Find a way to improve what is happening. Assure them that the crappy service they had this time will not happen again.  Admitting you made a mistake not only saves you a lot of time, it gives respect to your customer.  It validates that you understand they had a bad experience and you plan to make sure that doesn't happen again. You are NOT going to make them believe you did nothing wrong. They know you did. Just own up to it and move past it.

There are a lot of places I boycott. Some of them are because they made me sick. Some got too expensive for stupid reasons. Some are Chick-Fill-A. The majority of them are places where their lack of organization led to inconsistent products. When I tried to complain about this, I was treated like I was insane. For these reasons, the places are avoided. Well, except for Walmart, which is damned near UNavoidable. For now.

I know I'm not the only one who does this either. People complain about the state of the economy in this country. One of the places people should look to for change is in the way businesses are ran.  People need to be responsible and organized. They need to make sure their place is consistent.  They need to respond to any feedback without getting defensive and chasing off customers. If they could do these things, their businesses will probably grow.