I wasn't born in Hattiesburg, and I never really expected to grow to love this town as I have. There is a lot to be proud of and I am sure it is going to continue to grow to a size that will surprise us all. But with any growth comes growing pains.
The worst problem in Hattiesburg is not necessarily the traffic or the smell (though both of these are definitely worth commenting on). It is the inability for people here to recognize that this is no longer a small town — we are becoming a city, a city where we are inundated with options and we aren't stuck with one place to make purchases.
Hattiesburg is full of options of where to eat out and of where to shop, yet frequently, locally owned businesses operate as if it is the customer who is there to serve them and not the other way around. Let me be clear, I have no complaints about the service from the wait staff. At least in the restaurant business, Southern hospitality is alive and well.
However, the business itself could be a little more customer-friendly. After all, why would a restaurant have multiple bottles of wine on its wine list that are actually unavailable? Or when the customer has a legitimate complaint, why are we treated as if our concerns are no concern of the business? I have been out to eat in Hattiesburg when the manager basically refused to hear our complaint and did absolutely nothing to compensate us. Rest assured, I haven't been back.
Don't get me wrong, not all restaurants in town react to mistakes in this way, but I don't think there is a restaurant — or any business for that matter — in town that can afford to sabotage their company in this way.
And it's not just restaurants. Looking for a place to have your car worked on can be quite a challenge. Or to have someone work on your house. And this shouldn't be the case. Hattiesburg is a great town and the fact that anyone would try to rip you off by suggesting you need unnecessary work done to your car for hundreds of dollars is completely disheartening.
For many reasons, Hattiesburg has tons of potential to thrive. And it will. Every time I drive around town I marvel at how much the city has grown and changed. I just hope that as we prepare for the next phase in the Hub City's growth, the businesses we know and love don't let us down.
Robin Ebert lives in Hattiesburg.
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Record Number: hat19465564
