Dear LPG,

There is no doubt that covid19, and the national lock-down situation that we find ourselves in, is responsible for bringing hard facts to the fore.  I read the webpage that I have asked LPG to leave at the bottom of this post recently, and felt the need to highlight a, not altogether, unrelated message today.

We pensioners, who have given up working, don’t have this problem but the younger members of our society are all being reminded the hard way, of how much not being able to leave their homes means. The cruel fact is that businesses need customers and people need to work and earn in order to pay their bills. 

For far too long we, the customers have forgotten that while we are dependent on the services that businesses provide, they are also dependent on us.   When I have had to leave my house for those age-old essentials, milk and bread etc. I have seen and become part of a queue of people, waiting for over an hour, for the privilege of spending some of my money with them. 

In contrast there are the businesses which provide services along with their products, most of which are deemed non-essential at the moment, the hairdressers and barbers, pubs, clubs and restaurants which provide services are much more, ready to respect that old saying ‘the customer is always right’, and even internet based retail is forced to respect the people that patronise them (the online review, is everything), do have respect the strength of the customer’s money.  Although the rule of thumb for all corporate enterprise, has to be ‘No customers, no money’ no matter the size of the business. 

We know, that coronavirus will be responsible for even more than the usual number of business ventures, new and established, which fold, never to reopen again.  It leaves me feeling very sad for those who have saved, planned and waited for what they thought to be the right moment to branch out and become their own bosses, and I cannot imagine the headaches that many bosses are experiencing as they sit around, unable to do anything about the situation. But I have to ask all bosses, new or to-date long-standing, to take stock while they are waiting to see what happens next and ask themselves, ‘Did you take liberties with your customers?’, because if you have and you are going under, no one will miss you!

And customers, perhaps this is a time to remember that, you have the strength to influence these businesses; your money talks and who you choose to take your custom to can make or break a commercial enterprise.

Rudy Morgan,

Rudy shares the internet post that inspired his thoughts today…

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