There are few things these days I truly rant about. However, as someone who has seen so many “favorite” restaurants come and go... I’m truly amazed at just how many mistakes local businesses make.

Competing with chains is hard, or is it? Dealing with people is hard, or is it?

As a customer, I don’t think I’m extraordinarily difficult. I know what I like, and I go where I can expect it. Give me a great product with a smile, and it’s very likely I’ll drop $200 a month at your business.

Take that product away? I’ll take my $200 a month elsewhere. Take the product away with a smile and/or a lame excuse? I’ll take my money elsewhere AND tell my friends.

Currently, I’m reading a book I picked up at a conference called Reinvention Made Easy. It’s not your typical marketing book, in that it sugar coats nothing. The message can be summed up from the following quote:

Whatever excuse you choose for avoiding change, it will lead to your extinction.

So many business leaders seem to forget that what worked for them yesterday doesn’t always work for them tomorrow. I see them turn inward. I see them disregard their customers... occasionally going so far as to flat out tell customers they’re wrong.

Now, I may be mistaken... but it seems to me if you chase off enough customers, it may get increasingly difficult to pay your people, keep the lights on, and stay open.

Okay, so allow me to take a look in the mirror. The product in question is a tea latte. Can’t get enough of them. It doesn’t seem too unreasonable to expect to get tea from a coffee shop. Logical so far, right?

I mean, every coffee shop seems to offer them. Ones that don’t are the exception and not the rule.

And, for what it’s worth, this coffee shop is still offering tea. They’ve switched brands for the second time in a year on some quest that I’m not in the know on. The new tea is loose leaf, I guess it’s amazing. Great! I’m down to try new teas!

“Wait, no Earl Grey? Okay, I see the company offers something that offers similar flavor notes, yet is even more natural. Oh, you didn’t order that one. Okay, well make a tea latte with... um... that one. Really? What do you mean, no you can’t?”

Yet, I keep going back. They’ve been doing this for a year now. They switch companies. They run out of Earl Grey. They get some in. They complain about calling the tea latte a “London Fog,” because that’s a Starbucks drink, and “we’re not Starbucks.”

Well, Starbucks has a finger on the pulse of customers. Starbucks will still be here after you’re gone... in spite of the fact I’d MUCH rather support a local coffee house that I’d like... and that it’s becoming more and more obvious doesn’t care for me or my money.

Plus, as I mentioned earlier, I can get my tea latte at every. other. coffee. house. in. town.

I’m always sad when local businesses fail, but that does bring up another lesson from my current reader:

The value in failing is that it removes us from our false beliefs regarding success.

Profound.

Cheers, I’m going to get back to enjoying my latte now.