Too many database marketers use their best customer list to push more products to customers who are most likely to buy without knowing anything more about them.

The risk of alienating these customers (by pushing products they have no interest in) can far out weigh the benefit of a quick sale.

Rather an effort to understand why a customer likes to buy from a business may be much more rewarding.  Sometimes the motivation to buy is not what you think.

Sometimes a quick email (or phone call) thanking a customer for their business can start a very relevant communication exchange .     

What! I could not believe it. In this new era of the customer does the owner really understand the implications of this business decision.

First off many people keep their social expenses on one card. Often this card is American Express due to the travel points etc. Secondly people don’t carry many cards when they go out for fear of losing a wallet. And finally with the amount of restaurants to choose from today, shouldn’t an establishment to business in a way that makes it easy for the customer?  

When  a restaurant refuses to take any credit card I simply can’t believe it! If I have to make a special trip to the ATM to withdraw a few hundred dollars cash (often after dark) to go have dinner I am pretty sure I will go somewhere else.

Now I was a small business owner and know the extra expense of taking credit cards (especially american express) can add up. 

But to lose the life time value of an embarassed or frustrated customer over a few bucks just doesn’t make sense! 

In one place my wife and I had to scramble to come up with enough cash to pay the bill. The result was that the waitress did not not get the tip she earned.

So tell me who wins not the rstaurant, not the diner, not the employees! Who?   

I am a parent of 2 teenagers who tend to be a little bit spoiled :). Their cell Phones have become one of my only bargaining chips  in bringing them back down to earth.

Threatening to drop their phone service is a very effective way to get their attention.  I would like to have more control as to suspending their service temporarily if I think it is necessary.

But I have to keep calling T-Mobile every time and request (verbally) that service be suspended. Then call back to unsuspend it.

Can’t they give me an option online where I can turn a phone(s) off and on whenever I want.  Someone told me this is common practice in Europe.    

The bottom line is that when my contract expires I would be willing to listen to a competitor who has this option.  

T-Mobile get with it!