A Tale of Two Local Small Businesses

Here in Tampa, Florida, there’s a local sandwich shop. It is a half mile from my house. If you start going there, they will smile when you walk in. If you start going there on a regular basis, they will quickly learn your name and call you by it when you walk in.

Additionally, employees will learn the nuances of your taste, your favorite sandwich and just how you like it made.

Every time I eat there, even if I spend more money than planned, I feel like I’ve been treated well and my dollars were well spent. There’s never a post-meal bitter taste, figuratively or literally.

About a quarter mile from my house is a local convenience store.

We commonly refer to it as 'Hell Mart'.

The man behind the desk is typically impersonal, listening to sports radio, and taking his sweet time to ring you up. Upon checkout, he hands your change back without a smile, word, or any form of amiable human communication.

It is unfortunate, because the place was so damn conveniently close.

The straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back happened when I went in to buy ice cream from one of these refrigerated bins:

(Although the one in question was far more hideous, I can assure you.)

Upon grabbing the ice cream bar I realized it had melted, and the entire bin was unplugged.

At the counter I said, “Hello - just a heads up. Your ice cream machine was left unplugged. Everything is probably melted or close to it. It probably needs to be replaced.”

I’d venture there’s standard protocol response in situation: perhaps “Thank you” and a service call to replace everything, or plugging the machine back in.

To his credit, the latter happened: I know because he said “Okay” and walked over and nonchalantly plugged the electrical cord back into the wall.

A week later, I returned and tested my hypothesis that none of the ice cream had been replaced. I even reached and got a cone from the very bottom to give the shop a fighting chance.

Not so.

It was the sheer nastiness of ice cream that has been fully melted and refrozen. That was the last day I walked into that store.

This store recently went out of business.

Meanwhile, the sandwich shop is thriving and has three more locations.

Respect your customers (or watch your business die).