Nov 18th, 2008 · As Americans trim their budgets, some businesses are ready for thrifty activity. In St. Louis, a shoe repair shop has seen business skyrocket as the economy prompts more customers to have shoes fixed instead of buying new ones. Jeff Lipson of Cobblestone Shoe Repair is a third generation cobbler, and he's seeing a new type of customer. Adam Allington of member station KWMU reports.
Nov 13th, 2008 · New figures from the United Kingdom show that call center workers are twice as likely to call in sick, compared to other sectors of British workers. The British government survey shows that nearly five percent of customer service workers had taken at least one day off in the previous week. The average is two and a half percent. The high rate of sick days could explain long waits listening to repetitive hold music.
Nov 12th, 2008 · Gas prices are the lowest they've been since February 2007. According to the Department of Energy, prices have fallen more than $1.50 since the middle of September. Many fuel surcharges are now gone — but that doesn't always mean lower prices for airline customers.
Nov 11th, 2008 · The "real culprit" behind Circuit City's collapse is bad management, says Time magazine staff writer Anita Hamilton. She says Circuit City's failure to secure better locations for its stores, develop a stronger Web presence and provide good customer service all contributed to lost sales and revenue.
Nov 6th, 2008 · The North Carolina power company wants to pay customers for the ability to install solar panels on their roofs and vacant lots. Duke would own and operate the solar panels, and the electricity they generate would go straight onto the grid.
Nov 4th, 2008 · If Barack Obama wins the White House, he already has an invitation for a foreign tour. Residents of a town in Japan have been wearing "I Love Obama" T-shirts. It's not known if the Democrat would actually visit the town of Obama, Japan. As far is a we know, there's no McCain, Japan. But it's a fair guess that the Republican is getting votes from customers of the McCain Mall. It's in North Little Rock, Arkansas, a state that McCain is favored to win.
Oct 26th, 2008 · Credit card companies are watching the economy and making pre-emptive moves to reduce the amount of credit they offer to many customers. And they are looking well beyond payment history when reconsidering credit lines. Some companies are looking at who the customers' mortgage lender is, where they shop and whether they live in a region that's been hard hit by foreclosures. Customers are outraged, but card issuers say they are simply managing risk in tough economic times.
Oct 25th, 2008 · Lack of credit, high fuel costs, slumping demand aren't problems for a new business in Maryland. Six-year-old Enzo Fiore and his brother Otto, 4, are seeing their fortune in the worm business. Supplies are strong, it is all cash-and-carry, and when customers don't come there are always the worms to play with.