I can’t get over the fact that Southwest Airlines continues, year after year, to take advantage of its creativity, innovation and customer loyalty to create ways to remain profitable as its competitors drop like flies.

I wonder if it ever dawned on the other airlines to take a look at how Southwest conducts business, treats employees, and values customers. It’s so simple … observe, duplicate, prosper.

For example, Southwest has increased its share of the domestic market this past year by about 1%, which equated to about $100 MILLION dollars. Every other airline in the U.S. lost money during that same period of time.

Here’s the obvious truth that the other airlines can’t seem to see:

Southwest is the only airline in the nation that allows passengers to fly with two bags at no charge!

All other airlines are charging $20 to $25 for the first bag and $35 for the second. That means that recession-weary fliers are paying an additional $100 for a round trip flight!

In addition, all fliers know they’re not paying extra for the bags. Airlines are simply increasing their prices under the guise of luggage fees. So in addition to the $100+ ticket increase, you also receive an insult to your intelligence.

The Southwest “bags fly free” campaign has driven traffic growth for the Texas-based airline at a time when it is actually reducing its capacity and the domestic market is actually shrinking.

The other airlines increased their prices via the “bag scam” in order to make more money off each of their customers. In reality, they’ve lost customer headcount and, as a result, a sufficient amount of money.

Last year, checked bag fees added up to close to $2.5 BILLION for airlines. And yet Southwest, with no bag fees gained $100 million while all other airlines lost money.

You certainly don’t need a calculator to figure that one out … unless you work for one of the other airlines.

Customer Service = Customer Loyalty = Profitability

Customer Abuse = Loss of Customers = Disaster

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Back in May, I wrote a blog article about an unbelievable situation which took place in the sky above New York City. If this incident had occurred in another country half way around the world, we’d have a tendency to call it a practical joke, a television episode of “Punk’d” or a typical example of what may happen in the immature culture of a third world country. However, it happened in New York City … the fifth largest populated city in the world. I still have a problem trying to comprehend what happened that fateful day. The entire world should have learned a valuable lesson on leadership and basic communication as a result. Not everyone did!

Here we are four months later and something equally absurd has happened. It’s bad enough that it once again happened right here in the greatest country on Earth … it happened in the nation’s capital on the eighth anniversary of what many consider to be our greatest tragedy!

Keep in mind that this incident, much like the Air Force One escapade in NYC, is a leadership issue rather than a political issue. Here’s what transpired on September 11 in the nation’s capital.

On the morning of 9-11, President Obama crossed one of the major bridges over the Potomac River to speak in remembrance of the attack that killed 184 people when hijacked American Flight 77 plowed into the building eight years ago. The memorial was one of many taking place on this fateful day all over the country.

Fifteen minutes after the President’s motorcade crossed the bridge, CNN and several other cable channels reported, via live coverage, that four 25-foot Coast Guard gunboats could be seen in the Potomac between the 14th Street and Memorial bridges chasing a boat which had “breached a security zone” on the river near the President’s event at the Pentagon. A Coast Guard helicopter circled above. Warning gunshots were reported to have been fired. Departures from nearby Reagan National Airport were halted, delaying 17 flights until the confusion cleared.

Homeland Security, the FBI, Secret Service, and U.S. Park Police soon arrived on the scene to investigate. They quickly discovered that the entire situation was nothing more than a “low-profile training exercise that goes on every day.”

A morning of remembrance turned into one of flashbacks, fear and media missteps. A chain of errors on television and online raised fears the capital might be under assault eight years to the day—almost the moment—after the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.

My question is who, at what leadership level, decided …

1. it would be a good idea to simulate a confrontation on the Potomac River on a day of raw emotions and high security?
2. to conduct this exercise so close to the Pentagon knowing of the President’s presence and the scheduled ceremony.
3. not to inform Reagan National Airport, other military services, local police, the FBI, Homeland Security, the Secret Service, U.S. Park Police, or the media.

I wonder what this “low-profile training exercise” ended up costing taxpayers when you consider the number of agencies which responded and the grounding of so many flights at Reagan?

Military Families United recently issued the following statement: “Absolutely inexcusable, September 11th is a day to remember the loss of 2,973 innocent victims in New York, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon; not a day to create an unnecessary panic near a terrorist’s target.”

Based on the fact that no one was hurt, I’m not as concerned about the lack of communication at high levels as I am that those in charge are responsible for some very high level decisions in defending our country. Remember, something very similar just recently occurred in the sky over New York City. Didn’t we learn anything after that event? What’s next?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Every day we see another example that causes us to wonder what people were thinking at the time they made certain decisions or choices. In fact, some of the things I read I honestly have trouble believing. Let me share a few examples:

• A Green Card (U.S. permanent resident I.D.) is yellow. What were they thinking?
• The infamous Blue Book, used to check car prices, is yellow. What were they thinking?
• Hawaii has 3 Interstate Highways. The term “interstate” means travel between states. Think about it.
• The Pledge of Allegiance has only 31 words. The U.S. Government regulation on the sale of cabbage contains 26,911 words. What were they thinking?
• In 1999, Coca-Cola introduced thermometer-loaded vending machines that charged more on hot days and less on cold days. It was trying to optimize demand. However, consumers were outraged, and major newspapers called the effort “cynical” and “evidence that the world going to h— in a handbasket.” Shortly thereafter, Coke pulled the machines!
• In 1994 Salton Inc. contacted professional wrestler Hulk Hogan to attach his name to an indoor grill. Hulk felt the offer beneath him, so Salton signed another athlete instead. Too bad for Hogan: George Foreman has earned $240 million from the George Foreman Grill!
• Speaking of George … the two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur and ordained minister has 10 children, and each of his five sons are named George.
• In 1983 Billboard magazine declared Madonna a “flash in the pan.”
• Colorado is the only state in history to have turned down hosting the Olympics, in 1976.
• The following examples don’t even deserve a description:
  • Flagpole Sitting
  • The Pet Rock
  • Swallowing Goldfish
  • Stuffing Phone Booths
  • Leisure Suits
  • Spray-On Hair
  • Psychic Hot Lines
  • Flowbee
  • Prohibition
  • Mood Rings
  • TV Shows:
    • The Bachelor/Bachelorette
    • Tool Academy
    • Brooke Knows Best
    • Flavor of Love
    • I Love New York
    • Rock of Love
    • The Cougar
    • Parental Control
    • Cheaters
    • Scare Tactics and
    • Fear Factor to name just a few.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I often wonder how many of us bring on a great deal of our own problems … at home and at work. Simply taking a moment to pause before we respond to today’s massive information overload may well save us some grief.

For instance, I was recently sitting at my gate at the airport awaiting another typically late flight. Between news stories on the monitor, I witnessed a commercial I honestly thought was a practical joke. The announcer was promoting a natural enzyme tablet that helps prevent gas before it starts! PAUSE. Reread!

The articulate voice-over explained the purpose of this extraordinary product. In a very convincing voice, he announced that this product was designed “for prevention of heartburn and acid indigestion. You simply swallow one tablet with water one hour BEFORE eating a meal you expect to cause symptoms!”

How would you ever know if the product worked or you simply weren’t destined to experience heartburn and acid indigestion today?

I immediately looked around at the 50 or 60 other passengers watching the monitors, and no one blinked an eye!

This is NOT a joke. This product is manufactured by one of the largest drug companies on Earth! It’s advertised in magazines, on TV and even billboards!

It’s sold in major grocery and drugs chains from coast to coast! It’s expensive! People actually pay money for this product!

Upon returning home, I did some quick web research and discovered that there are actually several other products that make this same claim, and they’re all readily available to consumers everywhere.

Therefore, I decided to create a product of my own. I’m going to call it “Outlaw In-Laws.” The following explanation will appear on the box: “For prevention of unexpected visits by annoying in-laws whose presence will definitely lead to the need for further medication, swallow two tablets with water approximately three hours prior to unexpected visit.” PAUSE! Re-read!

Experiences like this cause one to think about the number of negative situations we could avoid everyday in the workplace if we would simply take a moment to pause and rethink the facts before we speak or act.

I’ve got to close now as I just received an important e-mail from a disease-ridden, dying widow in Nigeria who is requesting my assistance in transferring her billion-dollar fortune to my personal checking account!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I live in Michigan, and everyone in the country knows we’re struggling at the moment in a number of crucial areas.

• Michigan has a 12% unemployment rate.
• Michigan is second in the nation when it comes to job cuts (California is first.)
• According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Michigan is losing more residents than any state in the nation.
• If the master minds in Washington, D.C. get their way, our Big Three Automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler) will soon be replaced by Tonka, Matchbox, and Hot Wheels.

Enough of all that. I’m sure I could go on and on about our challenges in the Great Lakes State, but national media outlets are doing too much of that at the moment. You seldom hear anything about why so many Michiganians (Michiganders or Michiganites) are still here and will probably never leave. I’ll skip the travelogue and get right to the point.

Size Does Matter!

It’s getting to be that time of the year again when the call of cracking bats and peanut vendors once again fill the air. Michigan also boasts several minor league baseball teams who happen to play in beautiful, state-of-the-art, high-tech, baseball stadiums.

One of those stadiums is Fifth Third Ballpark located in Comstock Park, Michigan, just north of Grand Rapids. The stadium is home to the West Michigan Whitecaps, a professional minor league baseball team and class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. It currently has a seating capacity of 11,123. Don’t forget that number.

If they have their way, the West Michigan Whitecaps may soon replace the traditional hot dogs, peanuts and beer usually found in every stadium. They’ve added a menu item they have dubbed the Fifth Third Burger. Wait a minute—this isn’t your typical burger.

It starts with an 8-inch sesame seed bun that requires 1 pound of dough and is made specially for the Whitecaps by a local baking company. Then spoon on nearly a cup of chili and place five one-third pound hamburger patties on top of that. (Get it, 5/3 pounds of beef for the Fifth Third Burger?) Add five slices of American cheese and liberal doses of salsa, nacho cheese and Fritos. Top it off with lettuce, tomato and sour cream, and you have a burger that can be sliced with a pizza cutter and feed four people for $20. Jalapeños are optional. Now consider that price tag when you remember that the stadium seats 11,123. Great financial potential!

In addition to more than 4,800 calories—potentially the most caloric item ever offered at a ballpark—the Fifth Third Burger contains nearly 300 grams of fat, 744 milligrams of cholesterol and more than 10,000 milligrams of sodium. The smell alone might be 25 calories.

The Whitecaps might want to consider the potential of offering Pepto-Bismol, Rolaids, Tums, Pepcid and Maalox at their concession stands as well. This may be the real gold mine.

Here you see the giant burger compared to a McDonald’s Cheeseburger. If a single person can consume the entire 4-pound finished product in one sitting, the team plans to give him or her a special T-shirt.

The team’s Fifth Third Burger was recently featured on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and NBC’s “The Today Show.”

Maybe this article should have been filed in our “Out-of-the-Box Thinking” category as the creative minds in Grand Rapids seem to have a knack at producing mind-boggling and stomach churning specials such as:

• deep-fried Twinkies
• deep-fried Pepsi
• entire turkey drumsticks
• frozen bananas dipped in chocolate
• sandwiches utilizing such potential ingredients as cactus, sausage gravy, Spam, fried eggs and grape jelly. Fortunately, not all on one sandwich.

However, they’re going to have to go overboard to top the Fifth Third Burger.

What were they thinking?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I don’t want to waste your time re-telling a story you’ve been recently bombarded with in all aspects of the media. Therefore, I won’t. However, there’s a valuable lesson to be learned here so I’d like to challenge you to recognize it, share it, and learn from it to avoid future distress for you and your organization. By the way, this issue has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with leadership at a variety of different levels so let’s agree NOT to point fingers at either political party or any one political figure. You’ll soon see why.

I’m certain the recent Boeing 747 New York City flyover didn’t have the impact on the majority of this country as it did on the people of Manhattan and Jersey City. Can you imagine having survived the horrific attack on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on 9-11? Many New Yorkers have yet to recover from that nightmare. And yet, millions of New Yorkers (population: 9,428,000) were suddenly exposed to the vision of a giant Boeing 747 followed closely by two accompanying F-16 fighter jets, flying frighteningly close to the lower Manhattan skyline near the Statue of Liberty and the previous site of the World Trade Center. What would you think at that moment? An unbelievable number of workers and residents evacuated buildings in both New York and New Jersey fearing another attack. People were running, crying, and panicking as they shouted “Run, run,” “Oh, my God,” and some expletives.

All of this you’ve heard in great detail. Let’s consider some other factors.

Why Did this Occur?

These two planes were taking part in a classified, government-sanctioned photo shoot. The White House Military Office was trying to update its file photos of Air Force One and wanted shots of the plane over the New York skyline and especially the Statue of Liberty. What were they thinking? DreamWorks, Pixar Studios, Sony or a college student using software like Photoshop could have, in minutes, produced a convincing image, superimposing a shot of Air Force one over a picture of the Statue of Liberty without ever leaving the ground! By the way, this ill-fated flight cost taxpayers $328,835 … well over a quarter of a million dollars! What were they thinking?

Who Knew about It in Advance?

• White House Military Office
• The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• U.S. Air Force officials
• Department of Defense
• Senate’s Armed Services Committee
• Andrews Air Force Base
• Mayor Bloomberg’s office
• New York Police Department
• New York City Hall
• The United States Park Police
• New York state and local authorities
• New Jersey state and local authorities

Who Had Absolutely No Advance Warning?

Nine million, four hundred twenty-eight thousand, six hundred and forty-two traumatized citizens (9,428,000)!

Consider this:

• Browse the list of responsible organizations listed above which were aware of this scheduled flight.
• How many positions of leadership do you think might exist within those official organizations?
• Of that very large number of leaders, do you think someone might have thought and/or said something along the lines of: “Gee, I wonder if this is a good idea, under the circumstances?” or “Has anyone alerted the good citizens of Manhattan or Jersey City of this flight?” I’m sure you get the drift here.
• A quick glance at that list of very professional organizations above causes one to realize how critical each is to the protection of this country. To think that not one single person considered the ramifications of such a project makes one question what other areas of leadership should we be concerned about. Again, this is far from a political situation. This is, without a doubt, a leadership and common-sense consideration. Could this type of tragic circumstance occur within your organization? Think before you speak. Shudder if you must.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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On tonight’s national news, two emerging stories struck me as being unbelievably ironic. They obviously reflect the chaotic nature of our current environment across this country. I’ll avoid sharing my opinion and allow you to draw your own conclusions. However, I would ask you to do one thing … look and listen through naive eyes and ears as though you just arrived on our shores and knew nothing of our culture or current challenges. What conclusions would you come to?

Summary of Story #1

Sacramento, California, the state capital of the seventh-largest economy in the world, with a movie-star governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and an NBA pro athlete for a new mayor, Kevin Johnson, is also the home of a tent city housing more than 400 homeless men, women, and children.

The capital’s tent city sprawls messily on a grassed-over landfill beneath power lines, home to countless citizens with nowhere else to go. It has been here for more than a year, existing without running water or sanitation. It’s one of many tent cities located in this community alone.

Sacramento city officials announced yesterday that the famous tent city would be cleared out by the end of April. The evacuation is necessary, an official reports, because the tents are pitched on land owned by a utility company that plans to develop the site. Can you imagine being evicted from a tent city? What’s next? By the way, tent cities are springing up all over the U.S., and they won’t be hard to fill. More than 651,000 people lost their jobs LAST MONTH, and experts are predicting as many as 1.5 million MORE Americans will lose their homes to foreclosures this year.

Summary of Story #2

I’ll avoid naming names here as it’s the story which is most relevant. A bitter, high-stakes divorce battle is currently taking place in Connecticut between a Swedish countess (36) and a current company chairman (67) with an estimated net worth of $329 million.

The countess is demanding $100 million from her husband as she needs more than $50,000 A WEEK to maintain her lavish lifestyle. She filed court papers showing she has more than $53,800 in weekly expenses—more than most American families make in a year—including maintaining a Park Avenue apartment and three residences in Sweden. Her weekly expenses also include $700 for limousine service, $4,500 for clothes, $1,000 for hair and skin treatments, $1,500 for restaurants and entertainment, and $8,000 for travel.

Sharing this particular news story isn’t meant to place blame on either the company chairmen nor the countess. I’m sure they’ve both worked hard for what they’ve earned. It just makes one wonder if a small portion of that $53,800 PER WEEK might buy a better grade of canvas for some of those homes in tent city … not that these two particular people are obligated to do so.

What were they thinking when they decided to go to court?

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I’ve heard of Pay-Per-View.
I’ve heard of Pay-to-Play.
I’ve heard of Pay-to-Click.
I’ve heard of Pay-to-Post.

However, it appears as though we’re about to open up a whole new category. Prepare to add any or all of the following to your vocabulary:

Pay-to-Pee
Wee Fee
Flush Fee

And there could be even more. This is not a joke. In fact, there’s nothing funny about it at all.

RyanAir is an Irish low-cost airline headquartered in Dublin, and it constantly strives to bring new meaning to the term “cost saving.” This Irish airline is renowned for its cheap flights and has made no secret of its quest to boost revenue by any means possible. It has almost become an industry joke.

RyanAir operates 181 aircraft and has orders placed for an additional 141 planes. It is the third largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers and the world’s largest airliner in terms of international passengers. Some say it has copied its low-cost model after Southwest Airlines while others claim it has far surpassed that particular model.

RyanAir’s “no frills” approach includes:

• no business class.
• operating a single model of aircraft.
• charges for food, soft drinks and even water.
• charges for each bag checked into the hold.
• plans to remove all its check-in counters to encourage travelers to take just one piece of hand luggage.
• flying into only regional airports where they charge lower fees.
• charging a fee for bringing aboard any airport purchases.
• hawking bingo cards and duty-free goods during its flights.
• seats that do not recline, seats without back pockets and no window shades.

One might be tempted to think that RyanAir is prepared to plumb any depth to make a fast buck and is constantly putting profit before the comfort of its  customers. Just when you think they’ve reached rock bottom, they come up with another idea which leaves you asking yourself: “What Were They Thinking?”

Now RyanAir has decided to start charging passengers to go to the bathroom. Again, this is no joke. It originally requested the engineers at Boeing to design a mechanism for the toilet door to accept coins. That was quickly dismissed as the airline operates heavily in areas which use both the euro and British pound. Now RyanAir has designed a door which will open only if you swipe a credit card through the locking mechanism. To add insult to injury, you not only have to “pay-to-pee,” but you’ll have to do it on credit.

Don’t think for a moment that U.S. airlines aren’t watching this newest revelation to note passenger responses. If it works at RyanAir, we’ll soon be seeing it in the states.

The airline estimates if 20% of passengers pay £1 to use the restroom, this would generate £15 million annually (21 million American dollars)! It might want to consider the fact that charging to use the restrooms might impact the income it has been enjoying by charging passengers for over-priced drinks on board.

Of course, I guess RyanAir could make up for that loss by selling corks and pooper-scoopers!

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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Just about the time I think I’ve seen it all … I quickly learn how wrong I am! I was recently shocked by a headline in our local newspaper serving a community of 150,000. It read: “Going out of Business? That’ll be $50.”

Yes, it’s pretty much what you guessed it to be. It was the story of two local businesses located in a dying downtown area which simply couldn’t keep their doors open any longer. Both stores are well-known national franchises operated by hard-working local residents. They did everything they could to succeed and finally had to throw in the towel. Both were in the middle of a going-out-of-business liquidation sale when they received a letter from the City Clerk informing them they needed to pay a fee of $50 for a license to go out of business … the final nail in the coffin of their businesses. As one owner put it: “$50 to close—can you believe it!”

Adding insult to injury, the application for the going out of business license also required an itemized list of goods to be sold, described with make and brand name … plus a separate list of goods purchased 60 days or less immediately prior to the date of application including the cost of each item, name and address of the source, date of purchase and delivery date, and the total value of the inventory. Apparently, this fee is standard all over the country. What were they thinking?

The City Clerk claims the $50 license fee is a consumer-protection measure to prevent businesses from duping the public with false “going-out-of-business” sales. Here’s a much cheaper way of doing the same thing: When a business advertises “going-out-of-business” and then doesn’t do so—fine them $50!

The way the license fee is set up at the moment, it’s nothing less than the city kicking the merchants while they’re down. May as well rub their nose in it one last time to remind them of their failure.

Here’s another thought: Just don’t pay the fee—you’re going out of business anyway. Well, the geniuses running the city have considered that course of action as well. They have another law that says if you don’t purchase the “going-out-of-business” license and adhere to all of the requirements, you will be charged with a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $500 in fines and six months in jail.

Remember when those in government were elected or hired to serve the taxpayers? Apparently, those days are long gone. I wonder if any of these civil servants are aware of why we left England to come to these shores.

I wonder if they’re aware that April 15, there will be well over 300 well-organized Tax Day Tea Party Protests taking place from coast to coast—each predicting a minimum of 5,000 people attending each. That number is expected to grow between now and the 15th.

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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I recently heard a political genius on one of the news shows discussing the new $3 Trillion Stimulus Plan. In his wise rhetoric he actually pointed out that we’re no longer in the “five-and-dime” era. What an observation!

I couldn’t help but wonder if this well-known politician had any clue of the make up of his current constituency. I would have to guess that at least 80% of those he represents have no idea what “five-and-dime” refers to. It’s frightening to consider that our future lies in the hands of people who think like this. What was he thinking?

For those who have read this far and may fall into that large group who are not familiar with the term “five-and-dime,” allow me to enlighten you. The term “five-and-dime” refers to a variety store where everything costs either five cents (a nickel) or ten cents (a dime). Kind of hard to believe, isn’t it?

The originator of the concept may be F.W. Woolworths (later Woolco), which began in 1878 in Utica, New York. Other well-known “five-and-dimes” that existed across the country included S.S. Kresge (later K-Mart), W.T. Grant, McCrory’s, and Ben Franklin Stores.

Chat with your grandparents, and they’ll explain the joy of a pilgrimage to their favorite “five-and-dime.” You’ll hear detailed explanations of uneven, squeaking wooden floors, background music, the smell of fresh popcorn and peanuts, candy counters that stretched on for what seemed forever and lunch counters where you could choose a booth or bright-red revolving stool to enjoy a hamburg, fries and a large Coke for 85 cents! In fact, the popular lunch counter made Woolworth’s the largest seller of restaurant food in the world! There’s much more to this fantasy world, but I’ll let you learn that from your grandparents.

The early 1970s saw the demise of the “five-and-dime” … a victim of cultural changes. The growth of malls and discount stores and the demise of downtown shopping centers took away the foot traffic that dime stores needed to survive. Inflation took away the five-and-ten-cent prices. Today, we’ve grown accustomed to the many variations of the Dollar Store concept, but the atmosphere and joy of the “five-and-dime” can never be replaced.

Apparently we’ll always have a friendly politician to remind us that the “five-and-dime” era has passed … even though his audience has no idea what he’s talking about. What was he thinking?

Other well-know “five-and-dimes” included:

• Butler Brothers
• Kress Stores
• J.J. Newberry
• TG&Y
• McLellan’s
• G.C. Murphy
• Neisner Brothers (later Big N)
• H.L. Green
• Walton’s Five-and-Dime

About Harry K. Jones

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.

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