A good morning! I have checked all the signs and portents and see nothing on the horizon to make this less than a good morning. Yeah, right! I certainly hope so, as I have to take the car to the dealership for work. We have one of those pesky “Check Engine” lights coming on and we have the right headlight out…for the 3rd time in 6 months.
Some news…
Big Box Battle: Home Depot vs. Lowes
The home-improvement giants have been hammered by housing-market worries. Which can better withstand a slump?
A pox on both of their houses! At first, I was delighted by the appearance of Lowes in the home-improvement market. The stores were well lit and clean; they had plenty of stock. But, apparently they hired people with a Home Depot mindset and service went out the window. The stores are now as dirty as Home Depot and they rarely have the one thing I need.
Service is really the key and with good service a consumer can forgive just about anything. I was reading an article the other day about “service” and apparently we have raised generations of shoppers that don’t expect service as the norm. They actually expect clerks to be rude. And now some retailers have re-discovered service as a promotional item… “We Will Give You Good Service!” Not an original thought, but it is effective!
Of course this thought leads to the topic of the minimum wage. How do you emphasize service when you are paying the employees so little? Our acting governor thinks that a minimum wage of $8 is good enough, only because when compared to the federal standards, it looks magnificent. In truth, it’s about $3 less than it should be if the government had followed the rate of inflation through the years.
And what does that tell you about your own wages?
It would be great if Labor wasn't always looking for a sponsor (political parties or the mafia) whichever pays the most. The labor leaders are not leaders and pander to anyone who will pay. And I don't necessarily think that labor unions = high pay = better service.
ReplyDeleteOn another point, I beg to differ, people do want service, but have not had it in so long, they have forgotten that they deserve good service.
So true...
ReplyDelete"people do want service, but have not had it in so long, they have forgotten that they deserve good service." That's exactly why some businesses have embraced service as the latest and greatest way to compete.
Union or non-union, only when you pay enough for your labor can you demand and expect more of that labor. "Ancient Law", you get what you pay for.