Love Your Customers

I’ve never visited the Abracadabra Superstore in New York. And, based on the establishment’s name alone, I normally wouldn’t hazard to. But now I’m tempted to check it out. Why? It lets its customers keep the change.

Having instituted a new “rounding down” policy, this specialty store, which sells costumes, masks and props, allows customers to skip out on paying the extra change when making a purchase. So, for instance, a shopper would only pay $10 if their total bill is $10.15.

Sounds crazy, eh? Maybe not. Even though the shop owner, Paul Blum, is paying more to cover the gap, he says the tactic has increased business -- not to mention free press, which will probably further promote the store.

But isn’t this policy as good as any other so-called “customer-appreciation” policy? The idea of giving your customers something for free so they come back is not new. But what’s fresh about this idea is that it essentially expresses the owner’s care for his customers. These customers aren’t getting some cereal-box, multiproduced and impersonal gift; they get to keep some of their money. And they don’t have to dig deep into their pockets to find some change or fork up a crisp dollar if they don’t haveit.

Perhaps not all businesses can be as kind, but maybe they can take a tip and care about the customer experience. Especially for small businesses, a little chunk of change can go a long way. So if you’re thinking of starting a new business, you may want to follow suit. And if you’re looking for a Halloween costume, live in New York and want to keep your change, you may want to check out Abracadabra.

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