American Capitalism, an experience.

www.dougwall.com ^ | 8/5/2011 | Doug Wall

[SouthWall]

A year ago, I had an unpleasant experience at a shipping store.

Last week, the unpleasant experience repeated itself.

I, many times a year, ago to a shipping store and have had great customer service, and enthusiastic help from every employee. Over a year’s time, I may spend four to six hundred with these people.

A year ago, when I was ten or twelve miles away from the great shipping store, I tried another shipping store with the same name. I needed four copies of one document and two of another. First, the price of each copy was almost 25% higher, but for six copies, I thought, ‘Okay’.

I handed the lady my memory stick.

“There will be a two dollar and ninety five cent charge to open each file.” She said ready to insert the memory stick into the computer.

“Stop.”, I said quickly and perhaps a little loudly.

Last year, what I did not say was, “I will not pay you three dollars for opening a file. I will take my business elsewhere.”

This year, I extended my hand for the memory stick and said “You know, don’t you that I will go to another store, and they will make my copies without the opening file fee?”

She said “Yes, I know. But those are the headquarters rules. I just work here.”

I drove the fifteen miles to the other shipping store with the same name and the same corporate rules. I got my copies. I did not pay for opening a file. There were two employees, and they had a couple of customers while I was there. The other store only had one employee and no other customers while I was there.

To me, this is the beauty of American capitalism. I do not have to buy from a company if I do not like the service, or the price, or for that matter, the color of the employee’s hair. I have the right and the opportunity to go elsewhere, where the customer is treated reasonably and fairly.

I don’t think I saved any money on the transaction (because I spent more money on gas), but I was able to deal with the people I wanted to, and not to deal with those I did not. And that’s as it should be. One store will not be given a third chance, the other, customer loyalty. American capitalism at it’s best.

My wife and I run an original art business. If someone came to my wife with a photograph, not on paper, but had an electronic copy, I would happily use the electronic copy to print the picture for my wife. No charge. I would be happy to get their business and happy to put a few extra dollars in the till.

There is good, and there is bad. Choose the good.

[SouthWall]

How was your day?

[ClearCase_guy]

I do not have to buy from a company if I do not like the service, or the price, or for that matter, the color of the employee’s hair.

Don't worry. The administration is working on fixing that. The changes within the insurance industry are pretty much finished. Copy stores will also have their turn.

[isthisnickcool]

The problem with contemporary American business is that the younger workers have not clue about what we call "The American Work Ethic". I was recently in the midst of 20 somethings that worked for places like Starbucks. All they did was bitch and complain about who they worked for and how little money they made.

These were all pretty smart and technology savvy people. But I found none of them that had the ability to conjure a way to make a buck outside of working for some big company. The place I ran in to these youngsters was on the water. I had one of my boats out and took several of them for a ride. Another thing I noticed was that the females seemed more mannish than the males. In fact, the males were kind of girlish. I later found out that most of them were "gay". Maybe that is why none of them asked me about the size of the engines, etc. A couple of the females loved going 60+ MPH on the water in the dark (not that dark) at midnight. The males seemed afraid.One of them kind of had a chip on his shoulder and was a smartass with me. That did not do him much good and he was apalled that the watch I had on cost more than what he makes for a year.

I went away from all of this being sad. What happened to some of the young people? As I explained to one of them all they have to do is find something people want, provide it to them and charge them money. That all you need to know is buy low, sell high, collect early and pay on time. And know what is in your pockets, coming in to them and what is going out. They looked at me like I was crazy, or a bug.

As exampled by illegals and people from places like Korea, Vietnam or whatnot America is the land of opportunity. Anyone can get rich in America. All it takes is work. Not the government.

I don't know why but we have failed at schooling our kids that they have the world laying at their feet. For some reason we have not taught them that they have the freedom to be great and how to become great.

[SMARTY]

My friend worked at a large well known remodeling co. They had great traffic, super selection and competitive prices. He was there for years and was the most knowledgeable and top paid sales person.

Management was NEVER questioned. It was remote and indifferent to everything on the 'ground'. The organization instituted more and more counterproductive regulations and self defeating rules that finally paralyzed sales. They have had a sharp and almost immediate decline in traffic, a drastically diminished profit across the board, and had to lay off most of the sales people. My friend stayed.... He was handed more crippling 'rules' and guidelines, he covered ALL the shifts, made less money and handled way less traffic. Still there were more rules and stupid regulations which cost him commission and drove customers away.

He finally left and began working with a local mom and pop organization. He is doing fine and has almost more work than he can handle.

[ClearCase_guy]

He was handed more crippling 'rules' and guidelines, he covered ALL the shifts, made less money and handled way less traffic. Still there were more rules and stupid regulations which cost him commission and drove customers away.

Right out of "Atlas Shrugged". The story of the Twentieth Century Motor Company. How do you stop the motor? How do you stop the engine of the world? How do you kill capitalism?

Keep adding senseless rules and regulations.

[I still care]

I’ve written this before but it bears repeating.

Just before Christmas I went into the local PO, in a quite blue area. (Jewish)

The line, as usual, was out the door, and they had only two clerks on, as it was lunch. People were standing in the cramped space holding their boxes etc.

A manager came out saw the problem and started to help, briskly, efficiently. One of the clerks, an old man, raised his voice and began to crabbily complain. “You are not allowed to be here! I’m going to make a complaint! This is our job!”

In any normal business he would have been told to mind his business and keep working. But this was the government, run by union regulation, and she blushed. She kept working, but she was ashamed. She had done wrong.

It was not the customer who was king, but the worker. Just like in schools it is not the child whom decisions are made for, but the teacher. It is so, so, sad. And the cultural change it is producing is destroying the engine of America.

I kept looking around. No one said anything. I kept wondering, do people here realize, this is what voting liberal leads to?

[muir_redwoods]

I went to a shipping store with the intention of sending my friend in NZ a book as a Christmas present. I asked what that might cost and was told that they couldn't made me an estimate without the book. In frustration I asked for the per pound rate to NZ and was told they could only give me that if I had something to ship. I tried once more to ask what it would cost to ship the phone book behind her on the shelf. She replied "$1000" with a smug smile.

I told her I now understood that their nickname of the "box Nazis" had nothing to do with their brown shirts.

I have not done business with them since and even cancelled an Amazon order when informed that that company would be the shipper.