I FOUND MY NITCH

[palovita]

  I been down and out last few days since I lost my job and started worrying about the store
I went to a town council meeting that the town has once a month
   
  I introduced my self to them told them I lived in this town most of my life and so one
and that I just bought the york video store here in town about 4 months ago

to no suprise a good amount didn't even know that the last owners sold it or that I moved it to a new part of town

I seen that this town is mostly older people and younger kids in there teens with nothing to do

I told them about my $2.00 per day rentals on NR (new release) and $1.00 on OR (old Release)
and that I sell 20oz soda bottles for 1.20 +TX+crv totals 1.35 and some candy at 10 cents up to 75 cents nothing over a dollar pretty much

People told me they loved the idea one older man told me that my store would remind the older customers of the good old days when things were cheap in this world
but the old name will still carry the last owners bad service and all from the past exp. customers had there
I told them I was thinking of changing the name to little rock video rentals and have a fresh start since I moved the store  2months ago they agreed a fresh start would be better since I want to be known for being a family store that treats you like family and if your short a buck no problem pay later

I do that now for my regular customers  pay later when they return the movies so far they do pay and more happy to rent  at my prices
what do you guys think???

[mcmarc]

I do that now for my regular customers  pay later when they return the movies so far they do pay and more happy to rent  at my prices
what do you guys think???

We will OCCASIONALLY do this for an excellent customer, but this might happen once or twice a week.

This is a slippery slope that could come back and bite you on the ass.  Be careful.

[palovita]

yea at first I let pple pay later but seen some would drop the movie in the return slot and never come in again even for $3bucks

now the only ones I let pay later are the ones I get to know and see they come in a lot

although I got one customer that that he gets movies every time he comes in and gets upset for paying late charges along with what he owes already
I just tell him OK this one time I clear it but next time I cant so far I cleared about 15bucks but shit he already spend over 167 bucks since I opened so clearing a few late charges is no biggie

[moviesgamesetc]

Not to sound jaded or anything but just remember:
People WILL take advantage of your good will gestures and still not give a d*mn about about you, your store or your will. There really isn't anything such thing as customer loyalty any more. Customers will be loyal to your store for only as long as it services them to do so.
If you let people pay later, what incentive do they have for doing so? They've already seen the movie. They'll get mad the next time they come in because the cost is now more (even though it's their fault, they look at you like it's yours!) same thing as overdues.
You have to be VERY careful doing this because it's fine for a while and the customer is grateful and happy but when your revenue suffers from lack of timely payment and you have to stop the practice then you'll suddenly become the bad guy to that customer and you will have lost any good will you've built up.
Bottom line: They'll take as the norm what you've intended as a RARE occurrence.
Just my opinion.

[palovita]

yea I seen that I ran the report to see who owes money and start charging on pple that's been a month late or more charging there Credit cards paying late, accounts, and movies they never brought back
it was a lot

but I found out most customers we first signed up didn't have no cc on file so lost some cash to them then had a few that there cards were declined all in all I got 5 that went thru and a shit load that didn't

now we looking at a way to not be so stupid
went talking to local indie video store owners seen there was only 2 other stores in the whole aletope valley 3 counting me found out that popcorn video in Lancaster closed down was #4 to bad it was a nice place
also theres 2 big stores 1 BB and 1 hollywood video both are losing money too

[moviecritic202]

Your gonna find that if a new customer plans on stealing your movies having a cc on file means quite little.  As for letting people pay later, there will be a few that will make good but most people will take advantage of your genorosity.  Remember we are in a recession, people are more desperate than normal.  If they can manipulate you to get free movies they will.

[PappyDan]

please excuse me, i have not been on in a very long time, please forgive if i read as a little harsh.

with net flex, the red box, and the cost of a DVD being cheap, it is hard trying to stay in business and compeating with the current prices.
the only one standing it's ground is pay per view with a firm price of 4.99 and now a same day release on certin studios.

some times i feel like i have fallen in a trap, the old days of VHS is gone and as cost contune to rise as our bills, rent and help we try to keep, multi days, lowest price, home delivery, it is like people have no time for us any more, even mc donalds has to give away movies to sell a big mac.
i have wasted a friday sitting at mc donalds watching the now coin star red box.
1 out of every 38 came in to use the restroom or get a cup of coffee.
also noticed that corprate mc donalds in my area had the red box removed after it was sold to coin star but the franchises kept it in place.
i have tried many things to keep foot trafic coming in the door, lower prices, free rentals, reduced late fees, special deals on multi movies.
my business did more while the kids were in school then after school ended for the summer, it is almost laughable that i can pin it down to the day my business droped 65%.
my avarage monday during school was 185.00, now during summer if i see 50 it was a good day, my weekends were around 600+ on a friday or saturday now im lucky to make 125 a day.
so you know how you get use to seing people in your store and you kind of wonder if any thing happened to them because they have not been in for a while.
i have not seen allot of my prime customers, not in the store, at the post office, at the gas pump, at church, or even in the line at the grocery store.
the town i live in and the surrounding area took a very hard hit from hurricane Ike.
alot of people lost their homes, one small community south of us was wiped off the face of the earth.
i have told people that have come in to my store looking for a donation to support their cause to hit up the red box, because if you get a check from them i will sign one for you too, i have also told people to get support from net flex, when their name is on the back of your sons jersey, my stores name will be on the back of the other team.
would you like to know to this day no one has walked in to my store with a check from the red box, or net flex on their kids jersey.
i wish i could tell you how to make your business better, the right price to charge, or the kind of special that keeps them coming through the door.
i wish i could give you the key to collecting what you are owed, but right now i have my own problems, right now im fighting to stay alive in a town that is dieing, because right now i have to find a job to keep my home.