if you don't stay up with technology and human interactions on how things have changed in the last 10 years. .

 

A business needs to be in BUSINESS. Not try to manipulate the naivete' of people who are focused on the newest thing. I worked for a man in high school who retired quite wealthy by going after the customer. Suggestive selling for instance. You don't ask if someone wants dessert. You ask them what kind of pie they would like for dessert. Half will pass and half will ask what you have. Of those, half will get something. You now have a 25% sales rate where there would have been nothing. If they order a pie that suits it, like Chess, Cherry or Apple pie, ask them if they would like one scoop or two of ice cream. Of those half will pass. You will still have a 50% sales rate compared to nothing. There is money going into the cash register instead of walking down the street.


We also had as fast, if not faster service than the current fast food joints and you could watch the cook making your meal. You got more for your money and got it faster. You were a customer, not a cog in the money machine.

 

Many restaurants have gone to the system of paperless menus and ordering. They don't mind that you left. The cost of printing menus and conducting bank runs for petty cash and deposits doesn't make the business profitable. They figured out a customer base that accepts the paperless offering and digital pay improves their bottom line. Business is in business to make money, not a convenience service at their own revenue loss. Easy stuff if you understand the model. If their highest volume customer base demanded paper menus and cash transactions they would adjust. They don't change the whole model to satisfy a one time whiny traveler. That's free enterprise. Sorry you had to eat pop tarts!

 

That is the sort of thinking that destroys a business. Look at Sears. Their original business model was mail order. They were an early Amazon. They started by selling watches by mail order and by 100 years ago, you could buy more types of things than Amazon sells today. Need a watch or sweater? Sure thing.Need a car? Yep, the Allstate. Motorcycle? Certainly! You could even buy a prefab house kit that would be delivered to your lot. Mail order is just an early version of the internet. Now, just try and find a Sears store.

Sears isn't alone. Forever 21 nearly went under when the CEO only wanted to sell to the young and beautiful. Victoria's Secret likes to sell to the sweet young things when there is a huge market of women who are NOT young anymore. Maybe she's been married 20 years but is still in love with her husband and wants to "spice" things up. What can she buy? Unlike that 20 year old bikini babe, the older woman may have a career and most importantly, MONEY to spend.