Businesses need to show care
In the past few years, a rash of local businesses have closed and we are all the worse for it. For those of us who have lived here a long time, the infiltration of chain stores and boutique shops with $400 T-shirts is sad reminder that Malibu has changed.
An experience my wife had the other day illustrates how local business can destroy themselves by showing disdain and disrespect for those they need most-customers. My wife called a local business looking for a local place to have our dog groomed.
We were quoted a price much higher than what grooming places in town charge. My wife mentioned this to the man on the phone, that the price was higher than in town. But she said we wanted to keep our business local. The man’s response, in a rude tone, was “Listen, Sweetie, this Malibu, what do you expect?”
And he hung up. Not much more really needs to be said. We won’t be dropping our dollars on that gentleman, to be sure.
There are many local businesses that do care about Malibu residents-businesses that know Malibu is more than just people living on Billionaire’s Beach. But in a time when everyone is watching every dollar, if local businesses take the attitude that “it’s Malibu, Sweetie, what do you expect,” Malibu businesses will continue to drop like flies and our local dollars will sadly find a home where business owners give a damn.
Tom Jennings