Top 5 Mistakes Retailers Want You to Make

As the owner of an independent retail store, I was not only disheartened but actually furious about your Retail Ripoffs stories. Maybe some try to strong-arm, cajole and manipulate the people that walk through their door, but many of us genuinely care for our customers, work exceptionally hard to make sure that they are matched with the right products to make their life work and struggle to bring fair prices for the products that they sell and the service that they provide. Service that is rarely accounted for in these stories extolling the virtues of comparison shopping apps. You are right as a brick and mortar store I dread seeing someone pulling out a smart phone to scan the barcode, but it's because I just spent a great deal of time walking that customer through making a decision, teaching them about the benefits of one option versus another and helping to determine what combination of products will make their life work the best, sometimes upwards of an hour, only to lose the sale to an online only retailer selling it for a couple of dollars less. People always wax nostalgic for the days of Main Street, but "showrooming" is what is killing it. Yes, retailers have actually had to create a term for customers using our time, expertise, facilities and products only to shop a random online or big box competitor to save a few dollars. Unfortunately, there is a cost to us being there for you to experience the products. My online store expenses are only 5% of what the expenses are for my brick and mortar storefront.

Just because retail is everywhere, doesn't mean that doing it well is easy. You pay your server in a restaurant a tip for even okay service, your hairdresser, cab driver, bell hop a gratuity for doing their job; retailers never ask that of you, all we ask is that you give us the benefit of the doubt on the pricing... in our case manufacturer's suggested retail or less.

As for saying that salespeople are pretending to try to be your friend just for the sale. How bitter can you be? My favorite part of my profession is getting to know my customers and their families, and getting to play a small part in their story.

And the emails, many times it isn't about selling a list; it's about keeping track of your purchases so if you call us a month later and you need a receipt, we can get it to you. We've never sold our list and we do in fact send special appreciation coupons and notices about special events that their family may enjoy. Sure not every retailer works the same way we do, but among independent retailers there are more like me than like the ones you are describing.

As for not liking returns, if you take pride in what you do who would like seeing it come back as unsatisfactory. Yet most of us bend over backwards to try to keep our customer happy, even if it is to our own financial detriment. Yes, there is a cost for us taking a return as well: transaction fees and having to donate items that are no longer in condition to be sold.

Retail in today's market place isn't for the faint of heart. Yet a lot of us take a lot of pride in what we do. I really didn't expect this from someone whose work I've respected and enjoyed for so long.