Customer Concerns

This one really irks me! I go out and have a great meal with good service only to be notified at meals end that this establishment does not take American Express or better yet they do not take credit cards - period-.

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?