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Old 02-20-2023, 10:09 AM   #18
John Mercier
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Biggd View Post
Of course you can adjust business models, it happens all the time. During the pandemic many businesses had to adjust their business model just to stay alive.
Labor adjustments require customer efficiency.
During the pandemic, customer efficiency was forced by take-out.
Retail went to on-line and delivery. Some went to a no return policy.

The present system is working on just not servicing the inefficient customers due to the lack of labor.

I see that even at the Belmont Town Hall, where they now close for lunch.

Last Saturday, I had a customer request that we stay open more hours on the weekend - adjust to the customer rather than the customer adjust to the situation. Since I am the youngest person in the store on the weekends, and already work Monday through Saturday... even though I have more than enough to retire. It simply would not work. Higher efficiency for me would be to shutdown on the weekends and just stay open an extra hour during the weekdays.

A business model change, as you suggest, is really about changing the customers. No more eating in - just take out. No more meandering through the store, you need to know what you need and order on-line or over the phone for curbside. Knowing that you may need something for a project and it is going to take a couple days to get to you rather than be right at hand.
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