Companies lose our business doing THIS

I made an appointment yesterday to get a haircut at my local barbershop. One of the reasons I switched from my old barbershop to this one was because I grew tired of having to wait 30 or more minutes for my turn despite my making an apppointment.

Since making the switch about 8 months ago, I never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be attended. That all changed last night.

Whether it was the fact that Valentine's Day is a couple of days away, or it just so happens that many people showed up at the same time on the same night, I had to wait close to an hour to be tended to. (Another woman made an appointment to get her hair dyed at 6:30, the same time I scheduled my appointment for.)

I'm willing to look past this annoying incident given that, up until now, the place has never disappointed me. However, if this begins to happen more frequently, I won't be a happy camper.

I spend so much time stuck in traffic each day (an hour to work and another hour going home) that I do anything I can not to have to wait much for anything else.

If a restaurant or theater is too packed, I simply go elsewhere. If going to the fair means standing in a line that snakes around the block, I avoid it like the plague.

Having to wait an hour to get a haircut I made an appointment for is unacceptable. I would understand the wait if I hadn't made the appointment, but that wasn't the case.

Here's one thing companies need to keep in mind: Consumers have no shortage of options available to them. Barbershops, restaurants, department stores, car dealerships -- they're a dime a dozen.

If they want to keep our business, they need to do more than offer a great product at an affordable price.

If the service is lackluster, that alone will send consumers running to the competition. Anything a business can do to save the customer time is paramount.

While helping us save money is surely a plus, many of us feel time IS money and would rather pay a little more if it means spending more time at the gym or with family.

If businesses want us to be loyal to them, they have to earn it, and that starts with doing the little things to ensure we have the best experience possible.

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