A lesson in Black Econ 101

I’ve often heard the complaint about not supporting black businesses, and sometimes I’ve led the charge in the argument. But ironically and hypocritically, I still was known to go to the local Asian stores just because it was more convenient to me. So feeling a little guilty I decided to engage in a personal endeavor of supporting as many “Mom and Pop” stores as possible. This weekend my crusade ended.
I was hungry and decided to find a small black owned barbeque place since I was starving for a plate of ribs. This is exactly how my encounter went:
As I walked in the store I noticed a black waitress on the phone. I stood at the counter for five minutes waiting for service, then I spoke up.
“Y’all open?”
“The door open ain’t it?”
“What do you recommend? I’ve never been here before.”
“You can’t read! The special’s posted!”
“Damn ma! You ain’t gotta be so rude.”
“They don’t pay me enough to deal with you or be nice so what you want?”
“Lemme get the special.”
“We ain’t got no barbeque sauce!”
“The hell? Anyways, let me just get some baked chicken?”
“I hope you want breasts cuz I don’t feel like making nothing else.”
“Well I want drumstick and thighs, y’all got juice?”
“We got cold drank!”
“So no juice?”
“COLD DRANK!”
“Well let me get an orange soda.”
“We aint got it.”
“What you got?”
“Everything else!”
“Well let me get a grape.”
“‘Cept that.”
“You know what, f**k it.”
I’ve been known to be irrational when going to restaurants, but I was being as cordial as possible. So for future reference let me help black businesses so they can make people want to support them…
Customer service does go a long way. No matter what type of store it is, the customer always wants to feel like his business and time is valued. If you are having a bad day or don’t like your job, that is not our fault so don’t take it out on us. Manners are a necessity when trying to get someone to spend their money on your product. Owners, you know what type of workers you hired and know they have the ability of making customers return or stay away from your store.
Have all employees be professional at all times, from dressing attire to greeting customers. It is very unprofessional and tacky to come into a business to see employees on the phone, playing in their hair or in the back eating the food. It also looks bad when waiters are out of uniform. It gets worse when these same employees do not know how to speak proper English. If they can’t talk, they don’t need to be waiting tables or taking orders. If they don’t have patience or know how to be humble, they don’t need to be working in a business that relies on customer service.
Make your business supportable, keep stock of everything your store is supposed to carry. Have a sense of pride in what you serve. That has got to be embarrassing to be a barbeque restaurant with no sauce! I guarantee you McDonald’s won’t run out of Big Mac sauce, or Asian places won’t run out of soy sauce. There is no excuse for not keeping a constant supply of your trademark if you are really trying to run a business. Don’t try to cut corners and save money and only buy things when they are out, keep a back up supply for your back up supply. Therefore you can always have your customers order in bulk, and ultimately maximize your profits.
I’m still all about supporting black businesses but they need to become supportable. I don’t mind paying Asians, Hispanics or the Jewish owners money because I know they are appreciative of my business. It’s only when I go into some black businesses that I feel like I am a burden to the store because the employees feel they have better things to be doing.
And on one final note, if you deserve a tip, you don’t need to negotiate with me for it. You didn’t “hook-up” my food, so I don’t need to “hook-up” the change!
TRYing to Uplift My Folks