Every time I start a business, a customer always complains about it. I want to start off right, and I don't know how.

Could someone help?

Is this a home or community lot business? The game is too strongly coded with home businesses as sims will complain 2 seconds after a plate is left out. There is a mod to stop that. Also customers won't like your business if it is new and also expensive. Sims expect things to be cheap if the business is new.

It's a community lot btw.

I very seldom get complaints, though I don't advance in ranks very fast, either. For what it's worth, my basic advice is:

Start small and focus. You can always expand the business later.
Use other members of the household as free labor. Rotate work so everyone gets a little break and some training.
Bring your pet and provide for its needs. Customers love pets!
Once someone heads to the register in a retail business, prioritize that over sales and restocking.
Keep an eye on energy levels and close the business before anybody hits orange..
If you have food on the lot, clear it away promptly.
A clean, well-lit space is better than all the fancy wallpaper in the world.
Stick the grouch on the register, not the sales floor!

So they are not complaining about plates or trash? You should see a bubble above their head with what they are complaining about. My advice is to mod it out because the game has it set up to be very excessive. Bit different if there are plates with flies or actual trash, but sim A can toss down a chip bag and sim B will complain about it before your sim can even walk over and put it in the bin. Also you didn't say if you had things set at expensive. Those are the two reasons for complaining.

Try Cyjon's Less Complaining mod, maybe? The game apparently thinks unmade beds are filthier than a clogged toilet.

I have this mod, it does make business lots more playable, and fun. Prior to installing it I didn't use them much because the constant complaints about trivial things sucked all the joy out of playing.

Don't start with a restaurant. I've never been able to run one of those.

A bar is pretty easy - I've run profitable ones that were just a bar (with bartender) and a card table. (And a bathroom!)

I agree - keep prices low when you're just starting out; you can raise them after you get more established, if you feel it's necessary.

Also, selling high priced items like a flat screen tv on average or cheap will sell faster than a small teddy bear set on expensive.

Idk why, but Sims are weird like that lol

That's one of top 10 peeves with Sims. Running shops would be so much more fun if there was some actual logic to it. As it is, selling a shop with cheap items is kind of undoable if you care to make profit, since there's so little room for profit margin. Buying something should not only be based on the % added, but the cost of the object itself. And items of low price should sell faster, and Sims should buy more objects if they are low in price. It's the rule of IKEA, selling things cheap means you sell more of them and end up earning as much as selling few objects for more money.

I wish I could mod it, but I'm pretty sure that behavior is too hard-coded to do anything about. I imagine one of the great modders would have by now, it it were possible.

Sims have a very set mind.
Low business rank- cheap prices -happy customers.
High bushiness rank- charge whatever you like- happy customers.

A new business owner has a lot to learn and customers complain a lot. As the business improve, with the owner picking up some badges and appointing staff (with badges), the complaining customers drop gradually in a non-modded game.

Think I've only had a maybe 2 failing business (in all these Sim 2 years) I - I usually start small, because owner usually is poor, and build it from there. I don't do restaurants much, too hard to get customers and money, but for all the others, just make the environment is good, (no dirty dishes), price most things at average. I use the "sell option" a lot, but never do hard sales. I "show to" customers who look like they are finished and leaving. Some sims will complain about anything, and them I leave alone, or if they just play about and complain a lot, I quickly show them the door. Them sims are troublemakers, they won't buy and just bring down your sales and your stars.

I always use "fairly paid regulator" mod, because it reassigns workers very quickly. Also be careful about changing what your selling in store, because customers remember what bought there and will complain if it is no longer on sale.

I will confess now: I cheat like hell when I'm running a business.

First: I always use an automatic payment cash register on the lot. Customers don't like to wait to be rung up.
Second: I always use a 'mood flamingo' ('ecstasy') for the lot. Everyone's motives stay high, including the owner.
Third: I always use Inge's auto teleporter for instant customers. Why wait around for people to show up?
Fourth: The 'no-complaining' mod is on duty. Never have a complaint from anyone.
Fifth: Inge's 'auto restock' mod is always on the lot, with the setting to 'restock at no cost.' (helps to keep the cost down.)
Sixth: I set the prices at rock bottom, never raise them. Customers appreciate that..lots of customer loyalty.
Of course the owner is always pleasant and present to help the customers-and still gets his gold sales badge.

And of course, the business grows by leaps and bounds in the course of a few days (usually 3) to level 10.

So that's how I get a lot of great business reviews and happy customers.
I tried it the other way a long time ago-found it extremely frustrating and irritating, so I do it my way. My pixels don't care, they just want the money.

I have considered the automatic cash register. But I quite enjoy the drama when the cashier/sales person/ restock clerk/ cleaner throws a tantrum and quit. And find it more of a challenge.

What does help a lot is if the owner has some entertainment area on the lot - a bar, a hot tub, whatever - and invites his friends over after work. A party (or shall we call it networking?) is certainly good for any business

Same except on restaurants. I use the "Keep Halfway filled" flamingo on those then refresh my employees and playables with a SimBlender or InSIMinator. Also use the platinum mood flamingo.



I use the restocker as well. Simlogical, right? And I didn't read it. I saw how craftables appear out of thin air at no cost. AWESOME! I'm gonna use the cash register too.

But yeah so much cheating for me too

I have let my Sims take a "siesta" and go do whatever they want for a few hours (nap, fill fun bar, skilling) and open the shop again for a short time.