Customer Reviews

The Mom Factor: What Really Drives Where We Shop, Eat, and Play

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When I first looked at the cover of this book, my first reaction was to think, "I bet restrooms are a central theme in this one." While that certainly turned out to be true, there is much more in the book. When considering restrooms, it is much more than a simple count of stalls. Cleanliness is of course important, but there are other considerations. For example, being able to negotiate a stroller inside the restroom is critical. As someone who took my daughter on many stroller rides, this struck a chord with me. There were a few times when I simply had to hold it because I could not negotiate the stroller inside the room. Since I refused to leave her outside, there was little choice.
There are two major lessons in the book. The first is that service sells and resells. The author describes how she was assisted by body-pierced, heavily tattooed people who were very helpful and solved her problems in a fast, efficient manner. Conversely, some immaculate, snappily dressed people ignored her presence and when she was finally able to gain their attention, they resented the interruption. Of course she ignored her admitted personal biases against the tattoos and piercing and returned to the place where her problems were solved. In most cases, mothers also work, so their primary interest is in getting things done while spending a minimum amount of time. Therefore, on a daily basis, you appeal to a mom by giving good value in the shortest possible time.
However, people in general and mothers in particular are willing to pay a premium for memories. This is the second major lesson in the book. Family outings, such as a trip to a sporting event, can and does involve children of all ages. I was surprised to read that one stadium was asinine enough to require an extra ticket be purchased for a hand held infant. Lee argues that all arenas should provide some form of entertainment suitable for children and adults of all ages.
There is a great deal of wisdom contained in these pages. As people become more time challenged, fast efficient service is becoming more and more critical to attract and retain customers. This is especially true when dealing with mothers and the examples cited in this book will show you how to do it right and how to avoid doing it wrong. However, I also must add that the points Lee makes also apply to fathers as well. Other than the few cases where gender differences were significant, all of the points made by Lee were situations that I also have faced in my role as a father.