You Can't Suck and Blow In The Same Breath

You can't suck and blow in the same breath. You can do one or the other, but you can't do both at the same time. I have a soft spot for service providers, having spent over 30 years as general manager of a major retailer and an award-winning entrepreneur. Profit and being profitable is not a dirty word. When businesses go out of business, the whole community suffers. You have a choice to make. You can pay lower prices for the goods and services you buy or have exceptional customer service, but you can't have both.

Change is inevitable. And it will happen with or without you.

I remember, yes, I'm that old when my local bank installed an ATM - Automatic Teller Machine along the side of the building. You had to stand outside, sometimes in inclement weather, to use it. Customers had a choice. You can go inside the bank, stand in the lineup and wait your turn to get served by the teller or learn to use the machine. Initially, there was much pushback from customers who refused to use the ATM. If you want the bank to hold the line on what they charge you for their services, something has to give. Either they must increase the price of those services to afford to hire more tellers or install more ATMs, but they can't afford to do both,

Change is constant. And you can do nothing about it.

I know many customers are upset with retailers who have installed banks of self-serve checkouts. Some are going so far as to boycott those stores. As a former retailer, I understand the challenges they are facing. Their profit margins continue to be squeezed. Costs continue to go up. Business owners pay more for the goods they sell, utilities they use, and the equipment they lease or buy. You have a choice. If you want exceptional customer service, you'll have to be willing to pay more for the products you purchase. Most small businesses can't afford to offer you lower prices and exceptional customer service.

Change or get left behind. It's a choice you get to make.

I love the touch screen machines at fast food outlets. You have a choice. You can either embrace the newest way of ordering food and paying for your purchase or stand in the lineup. Contactless service is here to stay. Handling cash is almost becoming a thing of the past. Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are experimenting with various ways to try and keep the cost of doing business down by not providing bags and making you pack your own, having multiple drive-through lanes, ordering and paying for your purchases using your smartphone or laptop and having them delivered to your door or pick it up at curbside or a dedicated area in the store. I'll go out on a limb here and bet that if you had to choose between low prices or exceptional customer service - like me, most would pick low prices. You can't suck and blow in the same breath.

Copyright 2024. Brian Smith—Power Link Dynamics. This article was written by Brian without AI Assistance and is not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a training provider for yourself or your management team? Brian specializes in soft skills training and leadership development. To find out more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, check out his website: https;//briansmithpld.com.