This article shows what has been lost in retail sales today. The Lazarus Store was a high end department store in Columbus now long gone. The president and owner of the store took his responsibility to his customers seriously. So seriously that he had his personal home phone number in the local phone book.
Can anyone imagine finding Jeff Bezos' phone number in the phone book?
When I had my 20ac nursery/landscaping/garden center, from 1990-2012, I used to take calls from customers who had questions or problems, and stop by their homes during the day or evening, and the come back to work until 0-dark-thirty.
I’d make them an “expert” in a single visit, after my crews had installed their plant materials, or help them rectify problems they had when they brought from my greenhouses and nursery display areas. I really enjoyed it.
The repeat business was fantastic. I closed and retired in 2011 when Obummer’s economy went into the dumper, and sold the property a couple of years ago.
I believe in the marketplace.
But there is more to life than the marketplace. The marketplace is what allows Walmart to push out the Mom and Pop stores. The marketplace is what makes Amazon king of all shopping.
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a great movie. But part of the point is that Mr. Potter turned Bedford Falls into a bustling metropolis with neon lights and a gaudy downtown. That’s the marketplace.
Life is better is a small town where the store owner will really help you out and provide the personal touch. Like Jimmy Stewart did.
I used to love spending time with my grandmother at her small town Sears. She was endlessly loyal, based on them extending credit to her when otherwise at least some of her seven kids would’ve probably gone to school with holes in the shoes. And they were loyal to her, always willing to spend an extra minute or thirty helping her find just what she needed. It was an experience almost entirely unrelated to what happens in a Walmart today. But I suppose if one wanted to pay a premium, you could get similar experiences at higher end establishments.
I wouldn’t think of calling a department store up now with such a question. First, they would artfully dodge you, by hiding behind all manner of voice mail.
If that didn’t work to make you hang up, the person at the other end may not know anything about that department. Their only job would be to transfer messages.
If there was nobody to transfer to, the receptionist would refer you to their Website.
There is always the 30% chance that someone will help you.
I worked for the Columbus, Ohio Lazarus in the late 70’s.
I helped to put ad layouts together for the newspapers.
They also used to have a competitor across the street called The Union. Most people didn’t know that Lazarus also owned The Union, but thought it best to have the appearance of a competitor, so they could play with the prices a little.
So Circuit City fired all of their staff and hired people at lower cost who were just there to minimize shoplifting. They soon went out of business as they no longer had anything to offer that wasn't at Best Buy or Walmart or Target.
If we can now get all the information, reviews, critiques, etc. of all of the companies, products, and services we want on line, then why shop for anything except price? And maybe return policy.
If it weren't for porch pirates, I and many others would be doing most of our shopping on-line. And now that stores are offering to have products delivered to local stores for pick-up by customers, there's really no reason to go into a store unless you want to really see what something looks like and don't trust the photos/videos on-line.
I highly resent this manipulation of my time and would like some suggestions on how to retaliate in a fashion that gets them to stop this practice.
Also, they keep the most frequently purchased products as far away from each other as possible. I can live with that as long as they don't keep shuffling them around.
I do not go 'shopping', I know exactly what I want each time I go to a store. I hate these bastards for wasting my time.
My daughter was the children’s lead at a Barnes and noble store. She had regular customers and kids who would tell their mom they wanted to go see her at the bookstore. Her sales remained flat while the rest of the store lost sales every year.
So, when she showed great competence and quality, instead of rewarding her, they made her work then cash register or serve coffee, instead of selling books, and selling more books than customers planned to buy.
She finally quit.
Stores that gave their sales associates commissions, usually have the best customer service.
I’m thinking primarily of Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom’s, e.g.
We had a local grocery chain that had red carpeting in all it’s stores because the effort was to give every customer Red Carpet Service. His courtesy clerks took your purchases to your vehicle and packed them into the car for you. No matter the weather you could count on your groceries being packed into your car for you...with a smile and a Thank You.
We also had a general store that sold everything except groceries.
You needed hardware? He had it and knew everything about it.
You needed towels, wash cloths, curtains, fabric? He had it and knew all about each brand.
A girl or lady needed everyday dresses? He had everything a lady needed from inside to outside.
A man or boy needed work clothes, boots, belts or lomgjohns? He had it. Knew each brand and measured every customer to make sure they bought the correct size.
Can’t get service like that these days without paying much extra for it. Back then it was an everyday part of business.
I use my hometown hardware store. Excellent service. The guy has been there 50 years and his kid will most likely run it another 50 years. The markup they charge is within reason. Almost never go to Home Depot.
There was a time in our country when our ‘elites’ were really elite ...kike the man in this piece.
Now our so-called ‘elites’ look down on most citizens and they’re as phony and tacky as a three dollar bill...
G. Fox was like that...matter of fact, there was a fire and most of the records were lost...most people paid what they owed. G. Fox was like that until Mrs Auerbach (G. Fox daughter) sold to May Department Stores in 1968.
Hit WalMart yesterday for a variety of goods, one of them an impulse buy of a bulky box set of pots and pans.
We had taken one of the smaller carts as “we weren’t going to buy much”. The damn thing ended up loaded to the gills, with the big box perched precariously on the front.
As we were going out, one of the employees (Tammy) offered to carry it out. We demurred, but she grabbed another empty cart and said “Lead the way, I’m on my break anyway.”
Well, we get out to the lot and damned if we can remember where we parked the car. (Yet another Senior Moment). She said “If you have Smart Keys, give it to me and I’ll walk up and down the lanes, pressing the horn icon until we find it.”
Fifteen minutes later we do, one lane over and facing a direction distinctly different from what I “remembered”. I apologized for wasting her break time, but she blew it off as “It happens to me too.”
Something you don’t expect nowadays. (I wrote the manager about it).
Yeah, Lazarus was a central Ohio institution for decades. Actual personal service,quality, and va!ue. Sadly they went the way of Spook Beckman, Flippo the Clown, and Lucy's Toy Shop.
Great story. Thanks for posting.
Now when you are “waited on” at a big store you get (i) a millenial who is bothered to have to put away their phone, and who, if you make the purchase and tell them “you’re welcome” because they did not have the sense to tell you “thank you” for your purchase, they look at you as though you’re from outer space because they can’t process the thought that you are indirectly paying their wages, or (ii) an affirmative action hire with an attitude so bad that you seriously consider that it might be worth it to drive miles away to another store so as not to have to put up with them, or (iii) someone who seems to have just stepped off the banana boat that morning with about 12 to 15 words as their only English repertoire.
Having any store salesman give you extraordinary service these days, let alone the CEO or owner of the store, is truly a memorable event.
We had deliveries from G Fox, Sage-Allen, Lord & Taylor, and Brown Thompson in Ct when I was young.
My grandmother had her own buyer in most of the stores and they would call when there was merchandising and clothing that might appeal to her. All was sent in on trial and what she didn’t want was sent back. It was a different time.