Experience with an upset ulm grad.

[rascal34]

Would like to see what others opinion are on this. We have a family owned business here in West Monroe. In the waiting area and also in our office I have a full size Tech replica helmet and a couple of wall hangings. We had a customer come in who was a ulm grad and became angry that we didn't have any other stuff around to support other schools in the area. After a few days, he also wrote us a letter again saying he was angry and upset that we also didn't have other schools hanging around and said he would not be back as a result.

Would like to know what others would do. Ignore it, just take it all down, or also put up a few other schools in case others are insulted. I have had it up about a year, and have never really thought about it because it's never come up until now. I have nothing against ulm, but just chose to show off who I support. But since it is a public business, wanted some feedback.

[Blue Dawg]

Would like to see what others opinion are on this. We have a family owned business here in West Monroe. In the waiting area and also in our office I have a full size Tech replica helmet and a couple of wall hangings. We had a customer come in who was a ulm grad and became angry that we didn't have any other stuff around to support other schools in the area. After a few days, he also wrote us a letter again saying he was angry and upset that we also didn't have other schools hanging around and said he would not be back as a result.

Would like to know what others would do. Ignore it, just take it all down, or also put up a few other schools in case others are insulted. I have had it up about a year, and have never really thought about it because it's never come up until now. I have nothing against ulm, but just chose to show off who I support. But since it is a public business, wanted some feedback.

Did he say ulm fan or ulm grad? big diff

I don't like when I walk into a place with lsu crap everywhere. But I probably wouldn't boycott that place just because of that. If I knew the owner was not an lsu grad and chose to do it anyway, maybe.

It's your business, and you're not selling team merch (are you?). He's really got no right to complain about the decor.

[Guisslapp]

Sounds like you ran across 1 of the only 2 existing LAMO fans. Wouldn't sweat it.

[Dwayne From Minden]

Calmly explain you are a proud Tech graduate and that is why you display your memoriblia and you hope that the value of the service/product you provide is the reason that you frequent our business...

[WWDog]

It is your business and you can do what you want. I applaud you for supporting TECH. My only hope is that you are in a business where you are his only choice other than doing without. TECH fans within driving distance MUST make it a point to support each other!

[dawgs1]

If your customers are so bothered by it...kindly explain to them who you support & that's why you buy & display that particular teams merchandise. Since you are a "public business," if those "upset customers" would like to purchase or donate an item from "their local area team" to you, you would gladly display some of it. The obvious choice of color preference for any business should of course be green & white & have numbers written on it.

[rascal34]

In his letter, he said grad. And it's just decor, we don't sell any of it. I personally thought he was overreacting, but didn't want to offend anyone else in the future. Probably if it was all ulm stuff, he wouldn't have a problem. Appreciate the feedback.

[DONW]

I'd put up more Tech stuff.

[RhinoDawg]

I'd put up more Tech stuff.

[RunwayDawg55]

I wonder if he reacts the same way to a place that is displaying only LSU stuff and not ULM...

If it is your personal workspace that is visible to customers, I wouldn't worry about it. Thats a reflection of you, not the business.

[StrayDawg]

I agree with Dwayne. You mentioned that this is a waiting area, which implies that this is not a restaurant or other type of public gathering place, so having a few items from your alma mater seems perfectly normal. I would explain that I went to Tech and that is why I have Tech stuff in the waiting room. Since I am not in the business of catering to the whims of every person who walks into the waiting room, I am not obliged to waste money buying gear from every "area" school, since that gear has nothing to do with my business in the first place.

I had a dentist appointment this week and he was telling me about a similar experience that he had with a customer recently. He has TVs above each of his chairs and they always ask which channel you want to watch as soon as you sit down. He said that a customer recently came in, then wrote a letter the following week saying that she would never be back because she felt that his staff had forced her to watch Fox News. He (the dentist) actually called her (the patient) to tell her how offended he was by her attitude, because he couldn't care less what channel is on the TV. Not sure if you want to go that far, but I think he is the one out of line by demanding that you change your place of business to suit him.

If you really wanted to be a wise guy, you could write him a letter to explain all of this to him and enclose a LTAC membership form.

[HogDawg]

You attended LA Tech, not ULM. So it would be silly to display ULM stuff.

Lighten up the conversation and tell him he doesn't know what he's missing. Then offer him a free ticket to a LA Tech home game. And then bring him over to Rhinodawg's pregame tailgate party. I promise you he has never had that much fun at a ULM game.

[70TECHGRAD]

You attended LA Tech, not ULM. So it would be silly to display ULM stuff.

Lighten up the conversation and tell him he doesn't know what he's missing. Then offer him a free ticket to a LA Tech home game. And then bring him over to Rhinodawg's pregame tailgate party. I promise you he has never had that much fun at a ULM game.

THIS!!! Rhino's brisket will win him over.

[B.Y.O.C.B.]

I would seriously consider putting a sign on the door that says, "No ULM Grads". I joke, I joke.

[rebelboi]

In his letter, he said grad. And it's just decor, we don't sell any of it. I personally thought he was overreacting, but didn't want to offend anyone else in the future. Probably if it was all ulm stuff, he wouldn't have a problem. Appreciate the feedback.

if they get that offended by a few Tech stuff on the wall then you probably don't want their business to begin with