Dumb Things Businesses Owners Do

For  a long time now, I have been noticing things about certain businesses – the way run these businesses and the way they go about everything when it comes to their operations. I could only come to a conclusion that most businesses are run pathetically, slowly, unresponsively and uninterestingly. On top of all of this, most small businesses today are lead by dumb entrepreneurs who run their business as if it was an accounting job. Here are some really stupid things some small businesses do:

• Make it difficult for your customers to reach them: One of the dumbest things you could be doing would be to  make it incredibly difficult for  your customers to reach you. Your website has out-dated contact information, you make your customers go through an ever-lasting round of number punching through your automated call routing system, have your customers’ calls transferred through multiple people, etc. Think about the last time you tried to reach the customer service department of any company you had patronized. Are there any lessons for you?
• Make it difficult for your customers to buy: You don’t have an e-commerce site, your customers have no idea how to make that purchase, you have limited payment options or restricted payment options, you can accept payments that only belong to certain currency, you accept only cash or only cards — can you see how difficult and almost impossible it is to do business with you?
• Hide behind corporate curtains: Where is the voice I want to hear? Is there anyone within the company who has the guts to stand up and face the customers? If I need to talk to someone, is there any one available? Most small business owners  — the staff obviously takes off behind these entrepreneurs — hide behind the thick corporate veil. By not showing up or being accessible to your customers, you bring about an air of suspicion and darkness. A sort of gloom which forbids any customer to do business with you.

Do you, as a business owner, do any of these dumb mistakes? Have you been a customer for any small business that apparently did one or all of these mistakes? Please do share your experiences.