There is a great thing about owning a small business between a bustling corner store (4U Stores) and a bakery (Rabia). If someone needs something they sell, they will put up with a lot due to the convenience of the location and easy parking. Principle overrode convenience for me recently.
I loved that store as it carried everything I needed for kids’ school needs, cute gift ideas, and all the magazines I like to read. I went there once a week, I was a regular customer.
But I don’t love their customer service, and for this reason, I will now go WAY out of my way not to purchase from them anymore.
The guy running the store treats customers as if they are interrupting something very important when they make a purchase. No greeting upon entering the store, not a word other than the answer to your inquiry, not a ‘mah-salamah’.
Lest one think it is a bit of anti-foreigner sentiment, I observed his conduct with others and saw the same response. If the business is possessed, it is with a spirit of contempt for customers.
The icing on the cake came when my young son spent his whole savings (15JD) on a pseudo-BB gun. We got it home, opened the box, and discovered that the trigger mechanism was broken off, the piece was in box still. He was SO disappointed.
Optimistic me, we went right back to exchange it. The man said: “We don’t exchange for any reason”
I blinked: “But you sold a defective product.”
He said, essentially “Tough”.
I said: “But my young son just spent money he saved for months for”
“That is our policy”
“You have to stand by the reputation of your store”
“No refund, no exchange”
“You have disappointed my son, showed extremely bad judgement in a business decision, and have now lost a customer”
Makes a ‘who cares?’ face.
I was fuming.
I go back now to browse his magazines, wave, and leave without purchasing.
But will I really should do, is go back and try to redeem the situation for good. Explain that the situation with the gun was not pleasant, and that due to his attitude I don’t shop there anymore. Explain that his business would triple if he would greet, smile, and exchange pleasantries with his customers. And that I would have a happy ending to this chapter of Possessed Business.
This will be a monthly series: http://jadmadi.net/blog/2009/06/23/reminder-possessed-business-in-jordan/
June 24, 2009 at 7:16 pm |
Kinzi,I am very interested in reading about Possessed Businesses,would you be so good as to fix the broken link,please,so that I will be able to see it.I would be ever so grateful,thanks.