Do The Right Thing, Arab American News Tells Detroit Store Owners

posted on: Mar 14, 2014

The Arab American News grabs a live wire of community relations: merchant-customer interaction in Detroit.

“The relationship between Arab American store owners and their African American customers has been defined by tension, mistrust and suspicion,” says an editorial in the paper owned by publisher-founder Osama Siblani.

In this relationship, of course, no party is innocent. While customers should be expected to exhibit respect when entering any establishment, store owners frequently have a greater responsibility to create an environment that engenders trust, pride and mutual respect.

Grocers, gas station owners and convenience store proprietors should be better neighbors “not only because it is good business, but also because it is the right thing to do,” says the bilingual weekly newspaper.

Its nine-paragraph editorial, headlined “Arab business owners in Detroit bear responsibilities,” has best-practice suggestions:

Arab American entrepreneurs should do more to train prospective employees about the communities and clientele they will be servicing. This means requiring employees to treat all customers with respect. Many times, although it might sound cliché, a smile and courteous treatment can diffuse a situation before it ever reaches a level of discomfort. . . .

Arab American store owners should get deeply involved in the neighborhoods they conduct business in. This could be achieved by getting involved in neighborhood watch organizations, local churches, athletic leagues and local school groups.

Hiring local residents isn’t among the tips, though community leaders have suggested that as a way to demonstrate good will.

Hiring local residents isn’t among the tips, though community leaders have suggested that as a way to demonstrate good will.

Self-interest is among the reasons for contributions and courtesy, Siblani’s paper notes:

Arab American businesspeople remained in Detroit during the harshest times, but they should not take their presence in the changing city for granted. . . .

Detroit is transforming quickly. More larger grocery chains may follow Whole Foods’ lead and open in the city. This will mean stringent competition. . . . Creating customer loyalty would be in everyone’s interests in the face of this inevitable change.

The weekly, which says its circulation is 35,000, has been based in Dearborn since September 1984 and calls itself “the largest, oldest and most respected Arab American newspaper in the United States.” Siblani was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame last spring.

Alan Stamm
Deadline Detroit