After ploughing through this thread I'm drawn to one recurring
reference, which is to "unprofitable customers". Forgive me for
asking, but doesn't the store and not the customer decide what deals
will be offered for sale? In that context, then it's the store's
responsibility/fault if they offer a deal that doesn't turn a profit.
Also in that context, it's totally out of line for the store to turn
around and blame the customer for those losses, the deals didn't have
to be offered in the first place.
Now, we all know about loss leaders, don't we? The store offers a
doorbuster price usually at a loss, but hopes to turn it into a profit
by upsizing the customer before they reach the checkout. Then, is a
customer who hops from one store to another and buys only the loss
leader but never the upsize a bad customer? No answer is needed for
two reasons. One is that the store offered the deal, it's as simple
as that. The second is that there's no workable way to filter out or
discriminate against a customer because of how many items you ~think~
they'll put in their cart. If the business model for loss-leaders
isn't working for a store, then they need to remedy it, not demonize
customers who accept the offers.
In essence - an unprofitable transaction is the result of the business
practice that led up to it, not the customer who entered into it.
Finally, a question for Henry Posner. If you could replay this event
that has caused so much grief, would you once again stand by your
legal/moral position for the sake of $250, or would you let it slide,
let the customer have the benefit-of-the-doubt (even though you
believe he is wrong), and circumvent the ill-will and misunderstanding
that it has spawned?
What does advertising cost these days, anyway? More than $250?
(Rhetorical questions).
regards, Anthony
"Of what use is lens and light
to those who lack in mind and sight"
(Anon)
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