Small Biz Survival

The small town and rural business resource

A row of small town shops

When you fail to let customers know

By

Common small business mistakes have become a regular series here! This week, we’ve got another local example you can learn from.

The pizza place is closed??!

Tried to call for pizza the other day, but the phone just rang and rang. Not too unusual for them. I decided to run down and just pick up a pizza. Then I figured it out. They’re closed! One side of the sign announced a closing date the day before, and the other said reopening in mid summer. Was I the only one who didn’t know? No, the next three people I told were also surprised. Now that is an example of how not to keep your customers in the know.

Keep your customers informed

Here are my top suggestions on letting customers know.

  1. Get a customer perspective. Realize that your customers may love you, but they don’t live and breathe your business. You have to tell them, repeatedly, before they may get the message.
  2. Use multiple media. For the pizza place, an ad in the paper, a banner on site, the sign going up more than a day or two before, flyers on pizza boxes, etc., would all have been appropriate ways to get the word out. Get creative.
  3. Don’t overlook the low-tech. A simple answering machine set to announce would have saved me and many other customers a fruitless trip to the pizza joint.
  4. Repeat your message, repeat your message, repeat your message. Seriously.


Do you have examples?
You can use real world examples, real small businesses. Write it up, take a picture, or shoot a short video. Take care not to embarrass the offenders. Key point: include suggestions on how to do it right.

New to SmallBizSurvival.com? Take the Guided Tour. Like what you see? Get our updates. Want more stories? Read our shared stories from all over.

About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband own a retail liquor store in Alva, Oklahoma, and a small cattle ranch nearby. Becky is an international speaker on small business.

Wondering what is and is not allowed in the comments?
Or how to get a nifty photo beside your name?
Check our commenting policy.
Use your real name, not a business name.


Don't see the comment form?
Comments are automatically closed on older posts, but you can send me your comment via this contact form and I'll add it manually for you. Thanks!

Howdy!

Glad you dropped in to the rural and small town business blog, established in 2006.

We want you to feel at home, so please take our guided tour.

Meet our authors on the About page.

Have something to say? You can give us a holler on the contact form.

If you would like permission to re-use an article you've read here, please make a Reprint Request.

Want to search our past articles? Catch up with the latest stories? Browse through the categories? All the good stuff is on the Front Page.

Shop Local

Buy local buttonReady to set up a shop local campaign in your small town? You'll need a guide who understands how we're different and what really works: Shop Local Campaigns for Small Towns.

Best of Small Biz Survival

More of the best of Small Biz Survival