What do you guys think of businesses that do things the "old fashioned way?"

[timur]

The other thread got me thinking Text

I mean, there are still some out there, right? Businesses that do things like their grandfathers did them even though technology and stuff has progressed...

What's the deal with these guys?

 

[Sluggo]

Ever read "Who moved my cheese"? That book will answer your question.

 

[FoBoT]

i like being the cheese mover

where i work, they have to hold me back from moving the cheese too often/too far

 

[LuckyTaxi]

I work for a school as a network administrator. We still do a lot of things with paper and it bothers the hell out of me. Most of it can be done electronically, but nope, we still photocopy things that could've been sent via email or posted on a website. We spend many dollars sending out mailings that could be easily distributed through email.

 

[everman]

I like cheese.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: timur
The other thread got me thinking Text

I mean, there are still some out there, right? Businesses that do things like their grandfathers did them even though technology and stuff has progressed...

What's the deal with these guys?

One good example was the dot com boom. In 1999, if you were a brick and mortar type of business you were not with the times, you were a dinosaur who needed to hop on the dot com bandwagon or become extinct. It was common knowledge that this was the "new economy" and that if you didn't understand it you were just too old fashioned and outdated.

Fast forward a few years and most of those companies are gone. Time had once again shown that fundamentals were crucial, and if you didn't have a good grip of the fundamentals you were liable to unknowingly throw your money away. Brick and mortar is "in" again. Most dot-coms went extinct. It's 2005 and many of the most profitable companies are old fashioned big oil companies.

 

[TWills]

I know a guy who made wedding/graduation/invitation cards for a living. His profits have gone down ever since the advent of the internet. It was really a nifty place. They would take you back and show you how they did all their magic. Seems like the only place for mom and pop biz anymore lies in the restaurant venue.

 

[timur]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i like being the cheese mover

where i work, they have to hold me back from moving the cheese too often/too far

Huh?

What cheese?

 

[cKGunslinger]

Does "the old fashioned way" mean "we don't hire them coloreds and our wives know to only speak when spoken to?"

 

[timur]

Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Does "the old fashioned way" mean "we don't hire them coloreds and our wives know to only speak when spoken to?"

i hope not because then i wouldn't have a job lol

 

[her209]

Dildo manufacturers?

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: TWills
I know a guy who made wedding/graduation/invitation cards for a living. His profits have gone down ever since the advent of the internet. It was really a nifty place. They would take you back and show you how they did all their magic. Seems like the only place for mom and pop biz anymore lies in the restaurant venue.

Yeah...Making food (and other service stuff) seems to be the only thing the interweb/China can't duplicate

 

[tami]

Originally posted by: lilcam
I work for a school as a network administrator. We still do a lot of things with paper and it bothers the hell out of me. Most of it can be done electronically, but nope, we still photocopy things that could've been sent via email or posted on a website. We spend many dollars sending out mailings that could be easily distributed through email.

well, you need to be the instrument for change. show them how so-and-so is a productive move, and maybe they'll give you a raise with the money they've saved.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i like being the cheese mover

where i work, they have to hold me back from moving the cheese too often/too far

I just cut it a lot.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: tami

Originally posted by: lilcam
I work for a school as a network administrator. We still do a lot of things with paper and it bothers the hell out of me. Most of it can be done electronically, but nope, we still photocopy things that could've been sent via email or posted on a website. We spend many dollars sending out mailings that could be easily distributed through email.

well, you need to be the instrument for change. show them how so-and-so is a productive move, and maybe they'll give you a raise with the money they've saved.

Yeah seriously. What's wrong with them that makes them want to stay that old way?

 

[timur]

Originally posted by: Gurck

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i like being the cheese mover

where i work, they have to hold me back from moving the cheese too often/too far

I just cut it a lot.

LOL

 

[shilala]

We do things the old fashioned way. We don't even have a submission form or shopping cart at our website. People have to call or email.
I get to talk to them that way. Folks get exactly what they want, and I save them from buying a lot of stuff they don't need.
A strange thing happens...
They keep coming back.
In six years we've had two returns.
People pay for service. People pay for knowledge. People want to be appreciated for throwing their money at you.
I miss that kind of care you used to get all over.
After trying out two different Point of Sale systems, we currently use handwritten spreadsheets for our orders and the "bouncing finger" inventory system.

 

[feralkid]

Originally posted by: FoBoT


where i work, they have to hold me back from cutting the cheese too often/too loud

fixed

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: shilala
We do things the old fashioned way. We don't even have a submission form or shopping cart at our website. People have to call or email.
I get to talk to them that way. Folks get exactly what they want, and I save them from buying a lot of stuff they don't need.
A strange thing happens...
They keep coming back.
In six years we've had two returns.
People pay for service. People pay for knowledge. People want to be appreciated for throwing their money at you.
I miss that kind of care you used to get all over.
After trying out two different Point of Sale systems, we currently use handwritten spreadsheets for our orders and the "bouncing finger" inventory system.

Wow. That is impressive...what sort of store is it, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Slacker]

Ah, "The Old Fashioned Way" like, my dentist, no novocaine, no fancy "Electrical" equipment, just a bottle of whiskey and a foot powered drill that "I" power, you bet your ass I dont let that sucker slow down when he's drilling "If it aint smokin' the damn things broken"

 

[shilala]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: shilala
We do things the old fashioned way. We don't even have a submission form or shopping cart at our website. People have to call or email.
I get to talk to them that way. Folks get exactly what they want, and I save them from buying a lot of stuff they don't need.
A strange thing happens...
They keep coming back.
In six years we've had two returns.
People pay for service. People pay for knowledge. People want to be appreciated for throwing their money at you.
I miss that kind of care you used to get all over.
After trying out two different Point of Sale systems, we currently use handwritten spreadsheets for our orders and the "bouncing finger" inventory system.

Wow. That is impressive...what sort of store is it, if you don't mind me asking?

A hybrid shilala.com/eggbid.com thing.

 

[rudeguy]

the store I work for is like that. We really don't have any rules besides our two main ones: take every deal and take care of the customer.

I like it that way.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
the store I work for is like that. We really don't have any rules besides our two main ones: take every deal and take care of the customer.

I like it that way.

And what is your business?

 

[Lobstar]

I think they are inefficient.

 

[AntiEverything]

If you mean the old way of taking care of your employees and customers, I love businesses that do that. The new way is screw everyone, as long as the stockholders make money.

Using technology for technology's sake is not a good thing. Using it where it can improve productivity is. My barber has an electric razor, a telephone, and one of those hot lather machines. Other than, everything in his shop is 20 years old or more. Works just fine for me.

Restaurants are the same way. Maybe they have a recent register, other than everything can be done the same way it was 30 years ago and it's just fine.

I think a lot of people in this forum have a skewed perception of the world since they're very in tune with technology. Computers and related technology are useful tools, but they're not the be all end all of modern society.