Post #329285 by tikipedia on Fri, Aug 31, 2007 8:23 AM

This is a tough one. On one hand, I can see the 'Tiki Crowd' as being faithful and loyal regulars to Sam's. But on the other hand, it is a business, and they need to attract all sorts of customers in order to turn a profit.

It sounds like the Promotional Director that the good Doctor dealt with was ignorant, which is too bad. But it was difficult to tell from his post, if she was being rude about it. If she were rude, this would suggest Sam's (or at least Sam's Promotional Directory) had a low opinion of Tikiphiles. But if she were being matter-of-fact about it, then it would seem Sam's is trying to diversify its customer base.

Tiki is a loyal but relatively small segment of consumers. And while we like to think we own a place like Sam's, well, we really don't. If a place like Sam's is trying to stay in business by attracting a broader clientele, a motley crew (and I say this with the utmost affection... I'm one of them!) of people wearing aloha shirts and fezs may not jibe with their new vibe.