So I'm struggling to come up with something to write about this morning.
Do I comment on the asinine real estate blogs who trumpet "Best Time to Buy!"?
Do I talk about how surprised I am that the Deschutes Commissioners actually issued a default on Pronghorn? Or what that means? Can they just take the money and not build the hotel?
Do I observe the obvious headline, "Economic Analysts are Wary of Mixed Signals." Well, duh.
But at the back of my mind is an incident that happened at my store yesterday, that I really want to talk about, but which probably doesn't make me look too good.
I was talking to a couple of young women, one of who had just been published in a book of essays about comics, and which I had special ordered for her. It was a very esoteric title. But I thought to myself, that I would order another copy for the shop.
She was from Seattle. I asked her if there were any "good" comic shops near her.
"Oh, it's a mixed bag. There are some really good ones, and some really bad ones. Dirty. The one I go to is really dirty, but they give a really large discount."
"Don't you think you ought to give your business to the "good" comic shops, rather than going for the cheap?"
She just looked at me like I was a dunce.
"Actually," she says. "I buy from a guy who delivers comics to me, who doesn't have a store."
"Well, you know." I said. "About 45 cents out of every dollar I makes goes to overhead: rent, electricity, insurance, employees, taxes. This guy is buying comics wholesale and not paying any of those things."
Again, she looks at me like I'm a complete idiot. Now, I'm not naive. I know that in this age of internet just about anyone with a website can maintain he's a retailer, and get wholesale discounts if he or she buys enough. Nothing is probably going to change that.
But it was the look in her eye that set me off. She didn't argue her point. She didn't have a point. She was laughing at my concern. She didn't have a clue. She couldn't give a damn.
This is a woman who wants to be part of our wonderful industry. But who can't be bothered to support the exact kinds of shops that would be most likely to carry her book.
"You're a F%@king moral idiot!" I said loudly and walked away from her.
I regret using the word "F@#king." I regret raising my voice.
But I don't regret the "moral idiot" part.
It's my wonderful customer relations that's gotten me so far, obviously.
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5 comments:
Good for you, Duncan. Of course you're not going to change the world very much this way, but it is a world that doesn't want to be changed.
I'm not sure I did the right thing.
I'm willing to listen to others viewpoints on this. Obviously, it doesn't fit the "customer is always right" model.
But that isn't my concern. It's more, I wish there was some way she could have taken the discussion more seriously.
Duncan.. you and I are very similar in that regard. We educate people against their will.
We won't change them necessarily, but it must be said. That is my failing at least.
What's unfortunate, is that the other young woman has been a customer and wasn't the target of my ire, but no doubt took offense for her friends sake.
To which I say, she might want to examine her friend's values or lack thereof.
Shocked I am that Deschutes County didn't bend over yet again for a destination resort. Of course, putting Pronghorn in default might not mean much. Maybe though it puts other destination resorts like Tetherow on notice that this extension after extension needs to stop. I did like the idea of not issuing any more permits until the over night lodging is complete. This shell game has gone on long enough. Not surprised that the bond put up won't come anywhere near the price to build a hotel. Developers put up as little as possible. I fault the county for letting that slide.
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