Should Indian Harvest Trading Post charge a fee? December 3, 2007
Posted by Ron in Art, Businesses.trackback
In the last few days, there’s been much discussion in the Route 66 yahoogroup about Indian Harvest Trading Post, located along Route 66 near Union, Mo.
Indian Harvest is an arts-and-crafts business inside a tepee-shaped building near Exit 242 of Interstate 44. It’s been there for 11 years, and is a member of the Route 66 Association of Missouri.
The discussion has centered on Indian Harvest’s $2 admission charge and some treatment by the owners that several visitors regarded as rude or unwelcoming.
I called Bob Atkinson, who co-owns Indian Harvest with his wife. They only two employees at the business, which is open six days a week, with many 12-hour days.
He confirmed the $2 charge is waived with a purchase. They started charging the fee four years ago because of theft and other problems.
“We had vanloads of people coming through the store and not buying. It was interrupting the people who were interested in buying, or we had outright theft,” he said. “As long as there’s a purchase, there’s no charge. In fact, depending on how you’re buying, you sometimes get a gift.
“Nothing against anybody, but we had to eliminate some bad experiences we were having. Some would come in to look around while someone else outside would leave a (soiled) diaper behind or let their dog run loose. We were being used too much as a rest area. “
Atkinson said that a few years ago, a band of locals was coming twice a week and shoplifting merchandise while Bob and his wife were busy with those posing as customers. They were eventually caught, he said.
He also encourages potential customers to surf to Indian Harvest’s Web site so they can narrow down what they’re looking for and expedite the purchase.
I’ve been to Indian Harvest five or six times, and I’ve always been treated well there. We usually buy the buffalo sausage, and other products it sells range from good to excellent. It’s the only Indian store on Route 66 I’m aware of for hundreds of miles. The next-closest is in Oklahoma. The only other one that’s comparable to the east is in St. Elmo, Ill.
That said, I’ve always had the impression that Bob and his wife are somewhat reticent people. He mentioned during my conversation that he was “overwhelmed” for the first few years before they started the admission fee, which is telling. They simply are not natural businesspeople, like Bill Kinder of the Blue Swallow Motel is.
This sort of situation is not unique. Country Classic Cars near Staunton, Ill., once had a $1 admission fee because it wanted keep the “just looking” crowd to a controllable level. And Lucille Hamons, the famed “Mother of the Mother Road” and owner of Lucille’s near Hydro, Okla., was known in the last few years of her life to be coarse and grouchy — anything but mother-like.
I admit I’m torn. I’m not sure whether the admission fee is the best way to handle their problem, and brusque hospitality certainly isn’t.
But Indian Harvest is one of the few honest mom-and-pop businesses on the road. They’ve managed to keep it operating longer than many others. And Route 66 wouldn’t be as fascinating without a few shades of gray to deal with.
Until Indian Harvest’s business practices become intolerable, I’m inclined to not judge them until I’ve walked a mile in their moccasins (pun intended).
One of my more memorable experiences at Indian Harvest (which, incidentally, has AWESOME bison summer sausage) involved sitting on the floor, trying to make friends with the dog curled up behind the counter. Bob’s wife told me not to bother, because the dog wouldn’t come to me. At first, I thought she meant it was shy, but when I said something to that effect, she said, “No, she won’t come to you because she knows she’ll get in trouble if she does.” She explained that she’d had to train the dog to be aloof with strangers because someone had actually stolen her last dog, who was apparently a little too trusting, and she didn’t want to take a chance on that happening again.
Knowing that about her, I’ve been inclined to cut her a lot of slack. If someone stole one of my dogs, I’d probably put up a razor-wire fence and hire a shotgun-toting bouncer to screen all my visitors. It just ain’t right to mess with a girl’s dog, y’know?
I’ve no problem paying a fee to such places; I’ve done so a number of times. I do have a problem with someone (the woman in this case) running out to the car and yelling and waving her arms at me before I even have the car door open. I couldn’t even understand her, but it was obvious she was very angry about something. The first thing I heard was that this was not a public parking area and I was to leave immediately unless I intended to go into the business. (Wasn’t thy why I had parked next to the building in the first place?) Then I was told there was a $2 “parking fee” (her words). Then she said that if I bought anything I’d get the $2 refunded. Something like “I’m not running this place because I like it, you know!” By that time I was back in the car. I don’t need attacks by irrational people on a vacation. Now, everyone has a bad day now and then, but within four days I heard three other couples complain of the same experience from the same person. I’ll shop someplace that welcomes me… or at least tolerates my presence.
I concur with Ron. I haven’t been out there for awhile and have not experienced the problems others have voiced; I will say that when I was out there both of them were nice, “reserved” but nice, happy to show you their wares and meats…and they were one of the few outlets for Buffalo meat around, which we always enjoyed…I have read a lot of posts about the bad experiences, but all I can say is give these folks a chance…most 66 travelers I know have a knack of bringing out the best in people, and I know we can here.
I will not stop there!
I just e-mailed them the other night to inquire about hours and buffalo sausage prices. I explained that I would be passing through there sometime on Monday afternoon or evening and would probably stop to buy a couple of sticks of summer sausage. They e-mailed me back and offered to stay open late if necessary so I could stop in and get my sausage on the way through.
We went there on our way back from Meramec. There are no signs indicating the $2 fee, and when we found out about it, we decided to leave. The insane woman started screaming at my wife, and yelling at my kids that she was angry because we were “wasting her time” and called my wife a rude name. This is no way to run a business, and frankly, we will not ever stop there again
Almost identical experience as Bob 2008! My wife and I stopped in with our three kids (4, 6, & 7). My wife fully complied with the woman’s request not to photograph before patronizing their business. As we awaited a 6′4ish man to open the padlocked door, the woman told us there was a $2 fee (no signs) which meant $10 just to look to a family of 5. My wife simply said to me in a normal tone, “let’s just go then”. The couple became hostile and threatening as they screamed for us to leave and not waste their time. She yelled that I was an a__hole three times as my kids were still climbing into the van. My four year old daughter was terrified for the rest of our trip. Mean spirited people that should not be allowed to hang a shingle.
[...] did a story about this. Theft had been a problem, so it was understandable why the owners felt the need to vigilant. [...]
Unfortunately, it get’s worse. No, I don’t think a retail business should be charging a fee unless they feature displays that are “museum like,” which this place does not. Unfortunately, we have heard several terrible complaints about the business, including the last one that said the business owners stated they didn’t want to deal with “Route 66 Trash.” To see more, check here:
http://www.websitetoolbox.com/tool/post/legends/vpost?id=2777241
We just left this place. Same experience as others. We have a five year old boy and he was so excited about seeing it. She came out to first say no photos and then was so rude about having to pay the $2 each. My husband asked a few questions about the history and her tribe. She again got really rude and asked “are you all going to pay?” we decided to leave after her shocking behavior but my husband had to go back and talk with her on her rudeness. She went off on him. When my husband said he wanted to teach our son some history, she said “we are not here to give a history lesson. If you want to learn about us, give us your money!” she also said “if you want to learn about indians, go to the library and get a book!” This couple is a prime example of how to NOT run a business…buffalo sausage or not! We used it as a teaching point to our son and then we prayed for her.