Why in the world would a business owner put up a 'right to refuse service' sign?? No diversity here!

Any retailer that posts a sign announcing they “reserve the right to do business with anyone for any reason," needs to at least recognize that's a pretty dumb way to attract new customers --

I really can't believe I still see these signs, but I do. What is going through the head of any business owner that appears to say, "hey, if I don’t like the color of your skin, or how you look or act, I can tell you to leave my store and I don’t have to even be rational or even follow the law.”

I moved to New Mexico in January and am really surprised that in a state with such a diversity of population, business ‘refusal’ signs are still common in many communities.

For many people – whether or not they fit into a ‘minority’ classification, such a statement harkens back to the days when non-white people were actively discriminated against by racist retailers. So, why would any business owner in their proper mind – someone who wants to make money by serving as many people as possible -- post a potentially offensive sign in their store in this day and age?

Well, here is a quick sociology lesson for anyone who would defend this practice: almost half, nearly 40 percent, of the U.S. population doesn’t fit the white family stereotype that made marketing in the 60s so easy – the image of June Cleaver and her popular family.

Guess what! Leave it to Beaver days are over! The changing cultural landscape of the country is exciting and offers so much opportunity. This requires all of us in business to think about the best way to start an engaging conversation.

An offensive sign that brings back memories of our country’s worst behaviors, the days of water hoses and black children being hosed down, simply is not a way to start a good conversation with any customer.

I DO still remembers those horrible images from the 1950s when watching television with my parents, and I often ask store owners to explain their signs when I see these discriminatory signs in their stores.
It can be an interesting encounter. Sometimes, the store owner is quite defensive, even when I quietly explain how I feel about their sign and why. But I do think they get the message, and I ask others to ‘run’ the same ‘social experiment’.

This type of bigotry, whether or not it is purposefully intended, really harms all of business and can be so hurtful.

One has to wonder. Who is the store owner targeting? Would they kick out a gay couple holding hands? Do they want poor people to stay away? Are they directly targeting Native Americans? Often, the store owner can’t even answer these questions, probably because they haven’t given their sign enough thought in the first place. Yet, I am sure they want to have a successful business and make money from lots of customers.

My new eBook, Cash In On Diversity,is  published by Smashwords (distributor of eBooks to the Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony Reader Store, Kobo and the Diesel eBook Store) and I've tried to blend practical experience with academic findings and provide do-able solutions for companies that are trying to grow their customer base, capturing a better representation of ethnicity and cultures.

The 12 chapter eBook features a diversity and psychology FAQ contributed by a social and clinical psychologist, a discussion of five common diversity mistakes companies make, specific tips for communicating with non-native speakers, an 11-point organizational diversity analysis, the script from Klopfer’s popular diversity webinar, followed by a complete glossary of critical diversity terms (from Abrahamic religions to xenophobia).

So take a look -- follow the link -- and you can download 20 percent for free!