Vote With Your Dollars: Reward The Kind Of Business You Want To See In The World

Now more than ever, it’s vital to consider what kind of business practices we want to see more of and then take steps to positively reinforce those behaviors. The extended and permanent shuttering of many businesses inevitably lies ahead as the COVID-19 crisis continues to beat down on both small and large companies and entire industries around the globe. This economic climate, as depressive and demotivating as it sounds, paves a clear pathway for innovative, human-centric strategies to stand out in the crowd.

With so much bad news circulating in the world, it’s a little easier for the bright spots to shine through. Consumers are searching Google for ‘good news’ at an all-time high, so isn’t it time we pour some accelerant on exactly what the people want?

I was born and raised in the New York metropolitan area, a dense hotbed for cutthroat competition. But I have recognized since traveling extensively around the world and then relocating abroad that the uniquely competitive ethos in my hometown that pushed people for better or worse was equally balanced by close kinship and generosity that I often took for granted.

My father, a former specialist who worked on the trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange, instilled in his children that we should always vote with our dollars. Whenever he had a bad experience with a business or received a low-quality product, he didn’t file a complaint or badmouth the company. He simply never patronized it again. On the flip side, a business that he respected earned innumerable repeat visits, sometimes a few too many, and he became friends with the owners and employees like at his favorite Italian bistro on the corner.

Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want. -Anna Lappé

Voting with your dollars is a concept that was more clearly expressed by American food systems expert Anna Lappé in a 2003 interview with O Magazine where she explained, “Every time you spend money, you’re casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” Since all businesses will not survive this shutdown, I’ve been on the lookout for ones that have instituted proactive measures long before they were mandatory directives so I can cast my votes in the right places.

Two weeks ago, my brother was ordering dinner for his family of six (no small bill!) in their suburban New Jersey town, and he wanted to support the local businesses that they frequented in pre-COVID times. One restaurant, newly thrust into fulfilling takeout-only orders, proved to be a real letdown. The food was ready 45 minutes later than promised, and the order contained a side dish that was incorrectly swapped out, incurring an additional charge of seven dollars.

“I didn’t bother calling to get any money back. I just won’t order from there again,” my brother told me.

Conversely, a sit-down pizzeria that had to convert entirely to takeout won high praise from my brother. Though they had prior experience offering the service, they did not rely on their old system to meet the higher demand in the current landscape. The entire inside of the restaurant was modified into a takeout fulfillment operation designed to minimize contact with and among patrons.

They have it figured out.

Last week, I wrote about my favorite family-owned café in Burlington, VT, which also has it figured out. Nevertheless, I suspected Barrio Bakery could use a helping hand. When I saw that they had expanded their product line to include flour and other hard-to-come-by baking provisions and announced they would close on Sundays to give employees a rest, I was further convinced to demonstrate my support.

Sure, I could donate or buy a gift card, but the impact would be limited. I wanted to do something more far-reaching with the potential to grow and expand. So I launched the following experiment.

I calculated how much money I would have spent on typical purchases over three months if I still lived nearby. Then broke that total down into $15 gift cards. I sent those gift cards to some close friends, but most of my recipients were slightly more random acquaintances who had helped me out at some point. I hoped to remind past customers that the bakery existed and to also introduce others to Barrio’s delights, potentially sparking new repeat customers.

Please excuse my elementary drawing abilities, but here’s the gist. That first image is a latte, not a frothy beer. 

The outcome of the experiment revealed two unforeseen consequences. One person who received the gift card was overjoyed by the reminder to visit Barrio, but then she was further inspired by the idea to help the local outdoor gear shop in a similar fashion. The pay-it-forward initiative was an aspect I had not considered in my model, but I gladly welcome it.

Secondly, I recalled while distributing the gift cards that the DJ at my wedding last summer was also an ICU nurse. I felt compelled to send him one because of his efforts on the front line in the battle against coronavirus. I hesitated for a moment while questioning if it would be weird to receive a gift card from an otherwise stranger whose wedding you DJ’ed nine months earlier, but then I pulled the trigger because, well, everything right now is pretty weird. He tapped out a short but grateful response that reminded me just how hard it is for healthcare workers right now: “You rock, thanks, means a ton, stay safe!!!!!”

I knew that helping out the bakery would make me feel better, but somehow I had overlooked how showing appreciation for others via an unexpected gift card would make us all feel.

Though I’ve focused mostly on the hard-hit foodservice industry here, there’s also much to be said for small businesses that have swiftly shifted production models to provide PPE as well as multinational corporations that are publicly pledging to retain their workforces and suspend layoffs for the next several months. There’s good news out there if you’re looking for it, and we all need to collectively support the companies that are taking a hit by doing the right thing.

Consider the practices, on full display right now, of the businesses and brands you frequent, and question if they align with your values. The coronavirus can spread exponentially, but so too can the initiative to make organizations more forward-thinking and human-centric.

C.J. Feehan is a communications manager and organizational strategist who previously worked as Editor in Chief at a US-based media agency and served on the marketing and comms team at the International Ski Federation where she coordinated the World Cup and Olympic Winter Games. She holds master’s degrees in Creative Writing and Organizational Leadership from Dartmouth College and the University of Colorado.