Buying Power: Use It Wisely But Not At Silver Star Grille

It hurts my heart to write about things like this because we would think as a people we have come so far but indeed we haven't. 
I sat in a class two weeks ago and listened to a white FireFighter say, "And they say black lives matter."
Number one, they do...even if the spirit of murder causes them to murder themselves.
As a matter of face, all lives matter. God would not have created humans if we all didn't matter to him. So, I sit thinking, "You are taking the Black Lives Matter" content to another scale from which it was created. 
We as blacks just don't want to be the only ones in the news for being killed by cops, or those paid to serve and protect us.
But that's another subject in itself.
Today, I want to discuss black buying power.
As a black woman, I am very cautious about how I spend my coins, who I spend them with, and what the benefit of spending gives me.
Such as in the case of today...the pleasure of taking my 32 year old daughter and 57 year old husband to a place that has become traditional for celebrating birthdays. So, as in anything I do, I had my middle daughter to call a week in advance. And she was told that someone would get back with us. Never did. We called her back and she told my daughter the room was booked.
I called to figure out where was the breakdown and to detour me from the room, the first thing she said was that room was $2500.00. Never once told me it was booked. Then went on to say, "My daughter probably called the other store. I explained no this is the one we call and she got louder and louder and more defensive. I said, "I will just write you under the moon."
She then says she will call the cops on me for threatening her.  
To me, I felt like now, there's an underlined reason for her to be this aggressive. So whether it's because she lied, or dropped the ball by not calling back, or even if it's because we are black...we still as your customer have just as much right for you to explain the situation, see if you can accommodate us, or apologize because you cannot and we can move on.
However, this is the only Silver Star Grille that we visit because we live on the outskirts of Shreveport, and would be bypassing the Ellerbe Road location to get to Bossier location.
I realized at this point that not only was the events manager rude, arrogant, and confrontational, but that she was making up details as she went to keep us from getting the room, and told my daughter that it was booked but not me. 
So, the conversation to me should have been (especially if they cared anything about customer service), "Miss, I understand that your daughter called in advance but unfortunately, we were not able to call her back or accommodate her without a $2500 dollar minimum. We apologize for not getting back to you as promised, however, the room is presently booked. Again, we apologize for this and pray that you would consider using us again."
At that point, we would have been disappointed, but what could we do? Find another place just like we had to do.
But instead, I was so left to feel like this was a racist situation. She was so confrontational because I was black and because she lied. And the wrong location theory was to then try to make the mix-up our fault. The next fault was to use money as the deterrent to keep us from using the establishment.
However, she had the wrong group of black people.
I would have paid the $2500, just so my family could have enjoyed their birthdays, but now I realize if my money is not good enough because of my skin, then my skin is not good enough for your food.
I realize as African Americans, there are those strategically planted to keep a reminder in place that the world was not meant to be fair for black people. However, my ancestors paid the cost for me to be wise. Not just with my finances but also in my choice of where I chose to spend these finances.
To use my buying power as a privilege.
So, today I've made the choice to never ever use it here again. One bad decision on the behalf of a horrible events manager has cost them not just my $2500, but all the other lunch tickets here as well.
Even now I'm saying to myself...have you ever felt mistreated at this establishment? Then I thought of the last time my husband and I did lunch here. A man from the back came out front and never smiled or even spoke. Passed right by our table but never created the customer (us) as if he were glad we were there. See, it's small things like this that often come back in the heat of large disappointments.
Nevertheless, I'm starting a new trend today. I'm going to search for the reviews left on different sites to make sure that the restaurant I'm about to sow into, is sowing good food, vibes, and joy into the people patronizing it.
Customer service is everything.
It's the fabric of our business.
It's the reasoning for our customers, and the way they decide to become repeat customers.
It's the way we show we care. Also how we show God that we are determined to be good stewards over what He loans us.
So although I am saddened, I am even more aware that every company was not made for me.
Also, everyone on the management teams might not have your heart and integrity...(again another write or another day).
And for those companies, once I know them, I make a conscience decision to never spend my coins with them again. I have to determined that it's far better for me to use my buying power wisely, than to cast my pearls to the swine.
I learn but as I learn...
I pray.
Danyelle Scroggins