My coach from little league always use to remind us to practice the fundamentals. He told us that the game was actually simple and that these principles are the same regardless of the level you achieve. Master the basics, master the game.

The economy has been brutal in all areas. It really goes without saying. However, it’s during these times that the business basics of customer service, consistency, quality, and a strict adherence to vision or mission are routinely polished. Complacency, bad habits and slippery ethics are now more visible than ever. Again, you would think this goes without saying.

Too often in my travels, holes in business practice are revealed to me. I try not to be critical and always look to find the positive first. Some businesses are under the guise that everything, economically speaking, is all right. For instance, take the local bakery by my house. They have an outstanding product—when it’s available. We had breakfast there this morning and I noticed all of the bread racks were empty. At first thought, this bread must be incredible to have sold out by 10AM. So I asked. The server noted that the bread isn’t ready and that we would have to make a return trip around noon if we wanted some. It’s really just bread and this isn’t the first time I’ve noticed the late-morning empty racks. I did not return and my purchase was abbreviated. So I go to the grocery store with my list. This is a major Michigan-based food retailer. I inquired about a Michigan made product that the store has always carried but they have moved a few things around since my last visit and the “Made in Michigan” product tags are out of place. The aisle clerk’s response was alarming in its honesty. She said the manager doesn’t care if the product tags match the shelf items and that they were only put there for the marketing campaign which ended in September. Further, she told me that she knew for a fact that their Arkansas-based competitor down the street carried it for sure. I found the item on the end cap of aisle. Finally, my wife and I are starting to look at real estate again. We’re looking in areas that are affordable yet value laced. I called the listing agent on a house we both thought had character. He said the house is vacant and that if we wanted to see it, we could let ourselves in and get back to him otherwise he wasn’t coming over to show it. When I asked him why, he simply said the commission on the sale of the home isn’t significant enough for him to drive over from his nearby office and spend the time. Ok. We never toured the home and it is still for sale.

The fundamentals are being loosely practiced and when times were a boom; blown sales could easily be hidden. Not so any more. Now understand, I’m not a “mystery shopper” so I don’t submit a report to the manager when I’m done. I don’t want to embarrass employees or over step my boundaries so I smile and go about my business; I blog about it here and vote with my feet. It is experiences like these that I wish store owners and would invest more time in seeing that the mission of their business is carried out from start to finish. I wish all of their employees could receive Tony Robbins or Ritz-Carleton style training and always find the value in the little things or recognize the importance of their part on the team and to the business.

I don’t expect perfection or even consider myself a difficult customer but like my coach said, it’s all about the fundamentals. Thanks Dad. I mean, Coach.