Meaning business

In 2008, A&E aired a short-lived TV show, "We Mean Business."  In each episode, the team of Bill, Katie, and Peter would take over a struggling business temporarily while improving the company's business plan, technological capabilities, and layout and design.  After watching a few episodes of the series, I started thinking in those terms silently whenever I walked into any small business.

One restaurant I frequented then specialized in Chicago-style foods.  Using the "We Mean Business" criteria, several potential improvements came to my mind as I waited in line:

• Even though there usually weren't many customers waiting when I went there, ordering seemed to take longer than necessary.  Kiosks would have sped up the process.
• The most frequent question I heard customers ask was, "What's in a combo?"  The menu board needed to spell that out more conspicuously.
• During a longer-than-usual wait, my eyes started to throb.  I don't know if electric mustard relish is a paint color, but that's how I described the off-putting color of the walls.  An easier-on-the-eyes color would have made the decor more soothing.
• Perhaps most importantly, the leaky soda nozzle needed to be fixed.  In two visits, about two weeks apart, I saw that customers could end up spraying soda onto their arms inadvertently.  That's a turn-off at any business.

It's fun, when you're a customer who has no stake a business, to think in these terms.  You might even find that if you ask politely, the business will implement your suggestions.