I remember when some car dealer repair facilities tried this practice which would have them repairing your car at night -- when you may be less likley to need it. I don't think the trend caught on though.

I would love it if my hairdresser kept earlier hours..I don't know that I would set an appt for 5am, but I surely would like to be there before the world does. There aren't enough hours in the day to get some of these things done, even on weekends. Even the kids are busy these days. My kid wants a palm pilot!

I tried the overnight repair at a local dealership. It was pretty convenient, but I worried that I would have an emergency and need my car. Better for 2-car households..At any rate only one repair shop that I know of has these hours..unfortunately, I don't have the car anymore.

I saw this morning that Best Buy realized that they were taking care of their customers too well and are now going to lay off a chunk of their workforce. I have seen this happen with many companies. The mindset that one can take care of a customer too well. This explains why fast food places can have a high profit margin but not seem to get the order right. Or you have to order everything online because there is never anyone in the shoe department to assist with finding your size.

As a consumer it's very frustrating to not get service when we are now primarily what is called a Service Economy. I can tell you this much. My loyalties are to the businesses that take care of the customer. Maybe that means I go to Ultimate Electronics or Borders instead of Best Buy.

I have been watching the results of PRWeb.com as they migrated from an "overnight" press release bureau to an All Night distributor of PR content.

The result? 200% increase in volume, and the immediacy factor for clients has been priceless. Of course, PR is often time-sensitive. But regardless, a key element of every business is serving the customer when it best works for both parties.

Time is money. But I think leaders in the new economy will also be quoted as saying "Timing is Money".

Mark Alan Effinger
RichContent

Almost all the major health clubs in South Africa are now open 24hrs a day for this very reason. While one is unlikely to be able to join an aerobics or spinning class at 01:00 am, there will often be safety people and instructors available to ensure that clients are catered for.

I always get a good chuckle out of people falling over themselves to show how servile they are. Personally, I work for money and I seek to maximize the amount I get for a given amount of my time. I then use the rest of my time to fulfill my other needs (you know, things like love, family, education, art, travel) If you’ve put yourself in a position where you actually have to be on call 24/7 in order to make a living then you are a fool. I don’t see many skinny Bankers.

Seems to me that accomodating the customer with slight deviations from typical business hours can have an impact to the bottom line with some benefits to your company.

My division recently started the "work day" earlier for some employees. The customer has been raving about the benefit to them to have what they need earlier in the day. The employee has a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoys leaving the office earlier in the day.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to remember two of my pet peeves ... banks and post offices. Both of which are stuck in a time warp ... and neither of them seem to understand that many of us work during the day. Businesses that fail to acknowledge the very obvious and common sense needs of their customers will eventually be displaced. Anyway, that's what I keep telling myself in consolation. It obviously hasn't happened yet!

It is annoying that banks and post offices close during the work hours. To be fair, some banks are beginning to offer Saturday hours. Credit Unions also do this.

The service center at my car dealer is open until 9pm or midnight depending on the day. It's great, and those hours are the only reason the ol' minivan goes there instead of the 8:30 - 5:30 mechanic down the street.

Does anyone know of such a salon in Northern Virginia? It would be great to find a place like this.

I don't know where all of you who are complaining about bank hours live, but here in New England, nearly every bank has Saturday morning hours, and we have loads of banks in supermarkets that are open 7 days a week. Even if your bank doesn't have Saturday or Sunday hours, join the 21st Century and get direct deposit, a debit card, and online banking. I couldn't tell you the last time I went into a bank!