The anniversary is almost here. If you are on the west coast you tend to refer to it as September 11th. If you are from New York, you tend to refer to it as 9/11.
It was late afternoon that Tuesday in 2001 and America was still asking, “What happened?”
I was in the backyard fixing something –unable to contemplate what the next day would bring. A neighbor who I had seen in the past four years but never talked to called over the fence, “Hi, mind if we talk?” There was to be a candlelight vigil in Long Beach at sundown – none of us knew what we could do but there was a big effort by churches and everyone it seemed to come together. I figured she was going to give me the details.
“Sure, I’m Bob.”
“I’m Sue,” she put down her groceries on the damp lawn. “I have to tell you about my day. I work at CSULB as a counselor. I’ve been there twenty years. Anyways, I was in my office today at about 11, the Twin Towers had just gone down, my eyes were red from the tears. A young woman showed up and put her backpack on my desk. ‘Can I help you?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ she said, ‘I have an appointment.’
‘You must forgive me,’ I said. ‘With the World Trade Center going down in New York City, I am a mess, I’m sure you are too. Why don’t we reschedule?’
‘I wish I could care. I need to get out of this class today.’
“I couldn’t speak. Her indifference was choking me. When I finally could speak I just said, ‘Get out of here now.’”
Sue continued. “I was more stunned by her selfishness than anything I saw on TV that morning. How could anyone be that unfeeling?”
We talked a bit more before she decided she had to go inside and call her husband. Visibly shaken from just retelling the story, I shared her disbelief. I still do.
When 9/11 happened, I believe we as a country suffered an enormous emotional loss that we still haven’t fully dealt with. Our invincibility was gone. It felt like someone had tried to take our pride and our economy away.
I was speaking at the National Retail Federation Convention in Manhattan the following January and the taxi driver said, “I think all of New York should have a license to go mad from what we’ve seen.”
It was no wonder that Mayor Rudy Giuliani implored people to go out and shop. The same from President Bush. “If you don’t, the terrorists win,” became the motto.
Is it a wonder we went and took out home equity loans, bought everything from cars to new landscaping, took trips and tried to buy our way back to normalcy?
No, people shop to feel better about themselves.
This isn’t some new revelation from Paco Underhill, it is what fuels retail. The retailers who understand this are hiring better and creating exceptional experiences for their customers. Those who don’t are asking, “What happened?”
If we as business owners can understand and accept that is why people shop, we can train employees that selling isn’t something to make a buck, but in fact may be what keeps us able to cope in a world of escalating challenges.
