Monday, January 3, 2011

The Shopkeeper's Savvy...

I have had a LOT of difficulty with customer service lately.  Is it just me, or is it getting worse?  First, a bookstore I visited last week ticked me off enough to write a letter to the owner (and my complaint letter was a masterpiece, I tell you!), and then my husband's favorite pizza place lost some business when their staff was rude to him.  Fortunately for us, the little hole in the wall pizza parlor we visited after the fiasco was a perfect jewel, and I forsee a few more trips there in our future.  And don't even get me STARTED with the story of the pie... Anyway, it seems like customer service is going downhill.  But on a pretty day like this, I think I'd rather relate the tale of some GOOD customer service. 

Juli and I went into a little store to browse while Neil and Alex were at the car.  Right away, Juli found a little stuffed dog that tickled her fancy.  The man behind the counter smiled as Juli showed me the dog, dancing around with it. 

"Look, Mama, isn't she pretty?  I think she's a girl!  And I think I would name her Lucy.  Can we buy her, Mama, can we get her?" 

"Well, we'll see, Juli," I said, "Wait until Daddy comes, and then we'll see what he says."  Juli continued to cuddle the little dog until she reluctantly put her back to go outside with me to flag Neil down.  Juli was excited as we neared the store again.  Once inside, she headed straight for the dog. 

"See, Daddy?  Look..."  The shopkeeper, an older man, approached, and she asked him, "Excuse me, is this little doggy a boy or a girl?" 

He smiled down at her and said, "Oh, that one is DEFINITELY a girl doggy." 

"Ohh!!" squealed Juli, "I was RIGHT, Daddy, I was right!  I KNEW it was a girl doggy, I did!  I think her name is Lucy!  Can we get her, Daddy, can we take her home??" 

The store owner walked back toward the counter, and I just said, "Face it, Neil, I think you're doomed on this one."  As we walked toward the counter, the man had already rung up the dog... and asked if Juli wouldn't like to carry her new doggy out.  Then he picked up HIS doggy from behind the counter and showed it to her -- thereby making her day. 

"Good answer," Neil said to the man.  He just smiled.  I think he knew he had the sale as soon as he waded into the world of gender determination of stuffed animals. 

2 comments:

  1. Nice...I guess he determined that Juli was the customer and not the parents.

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  2. I know, I avoid shopping in the shop across the street because the owner told Natalie off for touching the glass as she was looking at toys in the window (she was two at the time and I hadn't had a chance to get her away,) I hope his clean window is worth losing my business!!

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