What may seem like a good idea at first glance, often turns out to be something different and more complex. No, I’m not talking about politics, but the more mundane world of business; in this case, about Lowes, the ubiquitous DIY home improvement chain. I try to like them but am often rebuffed by their choice of business practices. Last week I was in there to buy a few things and found they no longer had live checkout lines and services, and required everyone to use one of 6 self-checkout stations, staffed by one lonely and harassed employee. The line was long because, in addition to people like me with only a few items, some had more and others had a question or two. The number of retail self-checkout lines has been growing over the past several years – ostensibly (this is what they say) to facilitate faster throughput by those with only a few items. At-a-glance, that sounds practical, but once they cut back on or eliminate the number of full-service lines it’s apparent, they’re just trying to save money. That’s their prerogative (of course), but I object to their blurring the truth by hiding the lie. So, here’s my point – companies can do anything they want but they should truthfully tell the buying public why. Since there are more than enough customers to support the myriad of service options available, companies should be truthful and respectful and let people make their choices based on the facts today[1].
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (1918 – 2008): Soviet and Russian author, dissident and Nobel Prize winner who helped to raise global awareness of political repression in the Soviet Union, especially the Gulag prison system.
[1] Case in Point: Trader Joe’s clearly advertises their stores as being full service while their sister company, Aldi, stresses that they offer only limited service. Both are regularly packed.
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