
Good.
I am frankly glad that shops (and I'm also talking about independant shops here) are given the challenge of a statement like this. Frequenting shops in small towns and cities is a frustratingly unsatisfying experience...
The reasons for this are mutiplefold:
- Poor customer service as a rule... but more importantly a vast chasm in terms of understanding what that means.
- Parochial, League of Gentlemen style, "local" customer service.. if they dont know your name, you are treated like a second class of shopper
- Ridiculously impractical opening hours (I particularly love the slavish adherence to opening shops during working hours...when the vast population are at work)
- The idignant shock that a shop selling paperweights with 10.30 -16.30 opening hours didnt make any money (personally I like to do my paperweight shopping in the evening)
- Cash only!!!!
- "do you have anything smaller" in terms of money... I make it a rule to never use that shop again... do you think I care that you cant provide appropriate cash to manage your day.. you deserve to go out of business.
- The vision for most shops is very much based on one person's views and they are lucky if that aligns to public demand. There is rarely flexibility or the understanding that the customers are the shops, it's not a little slice of ego that makes money for you.
- Sure there are exceptions, but they are exceptions
Shops in this country need a massive kick up the arse, but the art of shopkeeping needs it more.