Very interesting concept, and I’ll have to admit that I’ve gone to black businesses and received awful service, particularly in restaurants and other service industry establishments.

But there’s one consistent thing I notice about all the people giving me poor service: they are normally younger than 25, African American or Hispanic (but whites and Asians don’t get a pass, either), they do not have at least a high school diploma, and are paid a very low wage.

This is not necessarily the fault of the employee as much as it is the employer. The company, be it a restaurant, a grocery store or even a clothing store fails to take the time to properly train these young people.

These are all sales and marketing jobs and they are at the front end of any business. These people are who the public encounter when they walk in the door and it only takes a few minutes to turn what could have been a loyal customer into a permanent detractor who will never have anything kind to say about your company ever again.

You might go into your favorite soul food restaurant and expect the best catfish and grits in town, but a snotty attitude from a waitress or a cashier will make the experience awful and the food quality won’t matter because the cook is not the front end worker.

Black businesses would do well to invest in training for their employees the same way other businesses do, because there is already a negative stereotype about poor service. By proving the stereotype right, no business can survive for long.

West Indian restaurants need to read this article, because either they act like they’re doing you a favor, or don’t have menu items. I have no problem supporting your business, but make me want to come back, don’t force me to spend my money elsewhere and then say we don’t support!