The Mom & Pop Store
Written by: Robert Spector
By: Morgan Eberhardy

The Mom & Pop Store focused on three main topics. The first part of the book focuses on how Robert’s family operated and how they took extremely well care of their customers. Next, it was about how he started to travel from city to city looking for stores just like his family stores, he would compare them to see if all mom and pop stores had the same expectations for their stores. In the last part Robert talked about how way back in the days how it used to be only mom and pop stores but these days it’s become a lot more than just mom and pop stores. I think the reason why Robert Spector wrote this book was because he wanted to talk about the differences in the quality and customer relationships with the businesses. In the book there were around five main topics that would make a Mom & Pop store successful. Also, these five reasons were common from one store to the next. The first one was the store would be uniquely their store. This means what can the mom & pop store offer that the big chain stores can’t offer. Like a real small grocer didn’t get rid of Coke or Pepsi but he brought in old fashion soda pop. Second, the store is personal; Robert’s family took the time to memorize what the customer favorites were and they would have it ready for them. Another example from the book was a jeweler who went to a hospital to cut a ring off for a lady and resized it so she could wear it for her last couple days of life. Third, being in the right community. It’s like buying a house I want to be in a nice part of the city that is attractive and brings nice friendly people together. Usually when you’re in a good community, little shops like Roberts would donate to schools to show how much they care for you and the community. Fourth, when you own a business you want to invent something so you can start off your business then you want to re-invent so there’s change in the business. For example at a meat shop, they would change the selection of meat because people’s needs and tastes change. Lastly, stores need to overcome adversity such as, overcoming recessions, fires, floods, death and destruction. These topics were discussed through the book; Robert tries to give good advice for people that might start a mom and pop store.
The most interesting part of the book is when Robert tells about how their family business got started and how their business works. He shows what good customer service is and what small business offer.
“Harvey Spector described our grandfather as always a hustler, always looking to sell more products to more customers. He could not stand a lazy person. He pushed people. He pushed himself to do more, to do better. There was nothing that he wouldn’t take a chance on. Nothing could stand in his way. He would find a way, whether it was money or favors. Zeyde had balls.”(Pg. 58)
People that start their own business know how much hard work it takes to keep their business going so they will do anything to show off there hard work. In the book there are so many examples of how there are different kinds of business, but also shows what make America good.

“ “Back when I was working in the butcher shop,” I would tell my corporate audiences, “the thought never crossed my mind that my father was an expert on customer service. He never read a book about customer service. He never heard an expert like me talk about customer service. How did this guy get to be so smart? The answer is that he knew instinctively what it took to take care of the customer. Customer service is the same thing, whether it’s Spector’s Meat Market or it’s Nordstorm”” (Pg. 29)
The quote talks about how there’s no book that you can learn true, real customer service. People can only learn good customer from trying it out in person, or learn from family. That’s what makes a good business, and I really believe in Robert’s quote. The familys butcher’s shop really toke care