Sorry my column is late guys and gals, I have been in a bit of turmoil this past month - what with my divorce, and all that. Sorry, I will try to be more punctual in the future - I know many of you readers actually look forward to my column, and that is the reason I still stick to doing it. At GTS, Origins, GenCon, DragonCon and even the comic cons and smaller game cons I attend, I usually hear from 2 or 3, or up to several dozen, readers of this column who said they enjoy it. I thank you all for that.

This month I wanted to just yak a bit about my perspective over the years, and how I view customers. The saying "The Customer is Always Right!" is something I have heard many times, yet never found in a text book anywhere. Is it true? Is it usually true?

Over the years - and I've been selling games for 20 years now - I have had occasion to ask a customer to never return to my business. Though this happens rarely it has happened enough over the years to have left an impression on me. And, usually the kind of customer you want to grab by the ear and throw into the street is the same kind of customer that will say "But, what about 'The Customer is always right?'".

Customers, Browsers, Friends, Family & Wastes of Time

My definition of customer would be thusly worded:

Retail Customer: A person who comes into the store, browses, asks questions, finds things they want, purchases them, and comes in again at least monthly.

Online Customer: A person who visits the site, selects items, may ask questions, and makes a purchase at least quarterly.

By this definition a customer is someone who buys regularly. Not weekly, mind you, though customers like that do exist: we call them T5s (Top 5 Percenters).

Browsers on the other hand are people who come in and look, may or may not ask questions, may or may not engage in conversation, and occasionally buy something, maybe. Browsers are important to treat well, because they often will become customers if they get a raise, find things they like, and are treated well. Whatever it is that is keeping them from being customers at the moment may, and usually does, change. The trick is to get them to become my customers.

Obviously, a retail store needs customers - has to have them, in fact. Customers are vital to the survival of the company. But, when is it okay to fire a customer?

Well, it is a simple case of economics. If it costs me more to service a customer - regularly - than I profit from his business, then that customer is not profitable. And, for those who are reading, and thinking "That guy just wants to make money", you are 100% right, I do.

See, that's the thing: It is business for me. And, though I like what I do, I have to make a profit or get a different line of work.

Now, not every customer will be profitable all the time - in fact, most won't be profitable all the time. I mean, I have customers who spend $100 to $400 per visit. They are profitable all of the time. But, usually, a customer is profitable more often than not, and that is good enough.

As a retailer, I sell lots of stuff I don't actually profit from. Let's say: Loose dice. I pay 45¢ for a nice loose die, sell them for a buck. What did I make? 55¢? Nope, actually, I lost money. The cost of displaying those dice, inventorying them, ordering them, showing them to customers, and the cost of labor to ring up a die is far more than the 55¢ I netted from the sale, so I lost money selling that die.

I also don't make a profit on paints individually, or most individual figures. Or a single deck of cards, or one thing of sleeves for cards, or even on the sale of one booster of cards.

So, why do I carry them? Cause I have to. Sure, it'd be great to have only items I made $5 or more on each sale, and only customers who bought $100 or more per trip. But, that is not reasonable. Even my $400 a week wargame customer we call "Number One" (like on Star Trek?), may drop in in a rush to buy 4 dice now and then - or one pack of boosters, and a bottle of cola.

It is the sum of the whole that makes the shop profitable, and which makes the store worthwhile.

So, why the talk about firing customers? I dunno, I needed a topic this week, and I recently fired a customer who was just more trouble than I cared to put up with.

I mean, I could make more money driving a truck - and I am pretty good at it too ("I'm An Excellent Driver!") and I liked the work. I could make more money as a welder, or a mail carrier, I am sure. But, I got into this line of work cause I wanted to enjoy my work. I sell games, and comics. And, DVDs, Movies, Music and a bit of other stuff. It is fun, it is rewarding. I like it.

And, I realize something fundamental about this business: Most of my customers love my store. They love it. They look forward to coming in, and browsing, and shopping, and talking, and having a good time. It is a therapeutic for some, a hobby for most, and the highlight of the week for many of them. I know that my customers may look forward to coming in for days, planning their week around the comic delivery, or the new games releases.

And, believe you me: Those are the customers I love, too. They are the highlight of my week. They come in excited, and actually rejuvenate me tremendously. They, most of them, also evangelize my store to others, and grow my customer base. I love those customers!

I also have online and mail order customers I love, and who I know value the service, selection and price we provide. Customers who call with a want list, pay what we are asking, and whose only special request is that we box it nicely, or pack it carefully (which, I would say, we always do).

So, Who Gets Fired?

The guy who argues for 15 minutes about us charging sales tax on a used Magic Card, who wants to yell, curse, or speak rudely to my employees or daughters, or who simply makes such a nuisance of himself (or herself) that dealing with them makes me not want to deal with them. And, I don't have to.

And, the guy who insists that the item I mispriced on the website must be sold to him at that price, even though I have explained that the item is being sold on consignment, it was a typo, and he wasn't even the first person to attempt to buy it.

So, what's the whole point of this long, meandering, column this month?

Just this:

You, gamers, go forth to your game stores, and show love to your retailers. Don't just buy from us online guys cause it is easier. Shop your local stores. Share the love, browse, shop, ask questions, make a friend or at least be friendly with your local retailers. If the retailer doesn't treat you nicely don't respond with "the customer is always right". Try this instead:

"I look forward to coming to your store all week". Us retailers need to hear, remember, and understand that simple truth. Cause, if not for the enjoyment of myself and others, what am I doing all this for, anyway? Like I said, I could make better money driving a truck.

Everyone have a Merry Christmas (whether you are Christian or not), and I look forward to hearing from you all again next year.

Marcus King
Owner of TitanGames.com
Owner of 3FREEgames.com
Owner of Titan Games Retail Store.

Titangamesinc at aol dot com
http://www.titangames.com

Titan Games
637 Capital Ave SW
Battle Creek, MI 49015

NOTE: We are buying all used games and game collections, so send them in, and we will paypal or send you a check