“Is Shannon here? I need to talk to her. Its urgent.” I hear this each and every day, sometimes 3, 4, 5 times a day. It can be exhausting.
When we first opened and this would happen, my staff member would come running, “Shannon, there is someone here up front who needs to talk to you. They say its urgent!” Or stand over me, lurking, as I try to have a conversation with a customer, phone in their hand, panicked look on their face, “There is someone on the phone, they need to talk to you nnnnooowwww!”
Who is it that always needs to talk to me and never has the patience to wait 5 minutes? Sometimes its a person who is looking for a donation for their kid’s school or a bank who wants me to change my credit card machine or some other company who thinks I am crazy for not using the service they are pedaling. But most times, it is someone selling advertising. I used to be very courteous and actually listen to their spiel, but not anymore. I have developed the supreme knack of just saying no. ” I do not do any advertising. Not right now. No thank you.” Then I hang up or simply walk away. The person will usually become flustered and try to explain all the reasons I need to be in their magazine, coupon clipper or map of Santa Barbara. But I just keep repeating the same thing, ”No thank you.”
Yesterday someone came in from a local magazine, one that I think is reputable and worth reading but I do not want to pay $1500 for an editorial. Call me crazy. He couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the idea that I was not interested. “But you could have beautiful pictures in here, look at this spread! Its gorgeous! This could be you and your business in my magazine!” Yes, for $1500. I told him that Sunset Magazine just did a whole article about us, and get this, for free! Just because they think our business is cool and interesting. Meanwhile, our cafe had a line out the door and we were selling out of cupcakes right in front of his eyes. “I really don’t think I will be needing your $1500 editorial right now. No thank you.” He left, defeated. His hopes dashed away as customers tried to rush in past him.
A week or so ago I had a woman show up here from a local marketing company. She told my employee that we actually had an appointment and I was late. Freaked her out so much she made my employee call me on my cell to have me rush back from the bank to make it back here for our appointment. I arrive, frazzled, trying to think who I had an appointment with. Was not surprised to discover that the appointment was only on her calender, not mine. But she insisted that we had spoke and I was excited about meeting with her and hearing her brilliant marketing ideas. Her fabulous and original ideas included setting up a company facebook and twitter account. All for a low fee of $75 per hour.
“Uuummm yeah, I already have both a crushcakes facebook and twitter account.”
“Maybe you have one, but I want to set one up for your business. That way your fans can talk to you and you can advertsie specials to them. And you can put pictures of your food and cupcakes up on it. Your friend base will grow so fast, you will hardly be able to keep up!” Again, speaking about all of the advertising I must need as the cafe began filling up around her. Some may have even been discussing the soup of the day that I had posted on facebook that morning.
“I have a crushcakes facebook. It has pictures of my cupcakes all over it. I post my daily specials for cupcakes and our cafe every single day. I have been doing it for months.” Maybe if you had done a little research before you came in here, you would not be wasting your time and mine.
“Who set it up for you?”
“I did.” And I am no technical genius, I assure you. So if I can do it, so can anyone, know what I’m saying?
“And it is not a personal facebook?”
“No, check it out for yourself, go to crushcakes.com, then sign up to be my friend on facebook right online.” You must think I am a complete idiot. “And we did not have an appointment today, so I will be going back to work now. Have a good day.” And don’t let the door hit you on your way out…
Yesterday this guy, very thick accent, must have called here 3 or 4 times within an hour. He insisted that he talk to me and tried to get my cell phone number from my employee. Luckily she resisted. When I returned his call, it was only to tell him to stop harassing me and my staff and to never call here again. “But I am offering free money”, he said, “don’t you want free money?” Is that like the money that grows on trees I had always hoped for as a kid???
“No thank you!” Sometimes I say it so often it is coming out of my mouth before the person even has a chance to speak. “Wait, dont you even want to hear what I am offering? It’s perfect for your business!”
No thank you!
peace.love.food.
SN