Why a small store is better than a chain store

A couple of weeks ago, I visited a small independently owned pharmacy. I know that is quickly becoming a rarity, but I’m glad I did. I have been to chain store pharmacies and I must tell you that I often leave feeling less of a person than a dollar sign. In other words, my experience with large chain drugstores and other types of retail stores is that they are generally impersonal and there is room for improvement for the level of customer service.

What is better in small stores?

When I go to large pharmacies that are associated with a national store, there are usually one, maybe two, people who work at the pharmacy. So inevitably I’m waiting in line to drop off my recipe. Once I get to the counter, no matter what the medication is, they tell me I have to come back in at least an hour, at which point something that should take a few minutes (and used to) turns into a multi-hour exercise. . . I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I pick up a prescription the medicine is for someone who is not feeling well and the sooner they get it the faster they will feel better. I don’t think the big pharmacies understand how vital fast delivery is to people.

When you return to one of the big pharmacies to pick up your prescription, you are back in line waiting to reach the single person who is working the counter. And, even if it’s past the hour, you may be asked to wait a bit longer, so hopefully a seat will be available for you.

However, when you go to an independent pharmacy, the experience is different and better. When I picked up my prescription recently, I waited FIVE minutes. About five or six professionals worked at the pharmacy, who were personable and went out of their way to get to know me as a person and not as a dollar bill. The person who attended me also asked me if I would prefer to have my prescription delivered, which is not usually a service available in the large stores in my area.

The Best Reasons to Sponsor Small Business Owners

My experience with the pharmacy is just one example of why I prefer to sponsor and do business with small stores and you should too. One of the best reasons to go to family stores is because they provide jobs for people. As I mentioned earlier, the bigger chains don’t care if you wait in line for twenty minutes or more because their priority is not you, but your bottom line. However, because small stores understand that they need to differentiate themselves, they hire workers to provide excellent customer service. The Small Business Administration has reported that small businesses add more net jobs than large businesses.

There are other reasons for doing business with small shops and businesses.

• Small businesses are not bureaucratic. Generally, if you are doing business with an entrepreneur who owns a small store, you are dealing with the decision maker. The larger the company, the greater the chances that your expertise will benefit the corporation, and not you, including the bureaucracy. In other words, good luck finding a manager to talk to you if there is a problem. But with a small business, if you need special assistance or are not satisfied with a product or service, you can talk to the decision maker, who will quickly make sure you are satisfied.
• Keeping it in the community. When you do business with a small store, more of the money you pay for products or services stays in your community. For example, a study conducted for Chicago found that for every $ 100 spent on a small business in that city, $ 68 remained, while when customers frequented chain stores, only $ 43 stayed in the community. Larger companies have to pay huge amounts of overhead, which means that more of the income earned goes to the corporate office.
• Looking for broader and more unique products. If you want to buy more products than the usual ones, if you sponsor a small business, you are more likely to be able to see a wider range of product offerings. For example, before record players and records were back in fashion, small stores sold them. These businesses were even selling record players when everyone was predicting the death of the vinyl record. It was after a while that the big box stores got involved and realized that people wanted to listen to recordings.
• Personalized customer service. As mentioned above, when you do business with a small store, you are a person and not a number. That means that when you keep coming back to the store, the more you establish a relationship with the people who work in the store, the greater the chances that you will get personalized service for yourself. For example, let’s say you take the time to chat with the pharmacist who takes the time to get to know you. If he or she knows who you are and your medical needs, don’t be surprised when that pharmacist one day makes a recommendation for a better medicine that you should discuss with your doctor. In other words, you are doing business with real people who want to meet you and address your specific needs.

The next time you’re thinking of breaking into one of the national chains, take a few minutes to stop at one of the smaller stores in your neighborhood. I bet you will discover better service, more diverse products, and be making a positive contribution to a small business owner who is hiring more people than the big chain store.