It was the worst of times, it was the best of times….I so love this line! One customer gives me chocolates, another gives me a headache.
A woman came into the shop with a tale of woe. A rug, newly purchased lasted less than five minutes in the jaws of her dog. He’d pulled out a section of approximately three inches by five, oh what great fun he must have had! Luckily the backing was still intact and the yarn hadn’t been eaten so it was only a matter of rehooking it back in.
I gave her a demonstration on the basics of pulling a loop and she watched with interest. I told her the rug would have to be stretched on some sort of frame and she would need a hook. I looked at her and felt bad, I couldn’t condone selling a hook for such a little job that would only take me minutes to fix and I couldn’t be absolutely sure that there would be enough yarn to cover the bare patch, maybe bowser ate a few bits, so I figured I could find a few scraps around the shop to fill in if needed. Having never hooked before, the woman might be lost and in over her head if the wool came up short. I offered to work on it at the hook-in that evening and she said, she couldn’t let me do that, but I insisted that it was really no trouble at all. She offered to pay me but I told her to do something nice for someone, pay it forward.
The next day, I was out for an errand when her husband dropped by to pick up the repaired rug. Apparently he is a tall and handsome RCMP officer. Sorry I missed him! Before I returned the woman came in with a box of chocolates to say thank-you. A lovely surprise and Belgian! I opened and shared them around, the fewer I ate the better but I did souse out the caramel ones and scoffed those down. I would crawl naked over glass for the taste of caramel, a flaw I can’t seem to correct. The gift was unexpected. I was happy to do it for her; both she and the rug were nice. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture to show and tell.
I haven’t complained about a customer for a long time, mostly because there is usually nothing to say. 99.99999% of the people though my door are lovely and kind. Sometimes a few are slightly irritated about something that might have happened in their day and be a bit on the crisp side, but that doesn’t warrant a rant, we all have rough times, I certainly have my share.
I do find this last year fewer folks have been off the wall, maybe they’re afraid I’ll write them up in a blog. Someone emailed once with a minor complaint and then asked that I not put the story in one of my blogs. I chuckled. I wonder if maybe now that I’ve been baring my soul in these blogs, I’m not just a face behind the counter but a friend, and in this case familiarity does not breed contempt. But, every now and then someone comes in like a shit storm, flinging it about so that it sticks to everything and everyone. I’d written about this woman before, she was in before Christmas and very rude, and this time was even worse.
It was last Saturday afternoon and the shop was crazy busy, there were six or more shoppers, most were browsing and two I was helping, one with a design question and the other needed browns to finish her work in progress. I was running like cheap pantyhose to make sure everyone’s needs were met. When that busy usually everyone is happy go lucky and waits their turn, they can always fill time by running their hand over the wool in the shop, a treat in itself. Before I continue I’d like to apologize to the nice folks in the shop that had to listen to all this go down.
The gal working with me asked a woman that came in if she could help her and I heard the customer say rather loudly, “I need to talk to the boss!” She was told that I was currently helping others and would get to her shortly and it was mentioned that the woman could check out the store while waiting. A rude retort followed, “I’ve been in here before so I don’t need to look around.” The comment was once again, said loud enough to drift into the back room where I was helping a customer. My spider senses began to tingle.
I breezed by her to go upstairs to get a paper pattern of a poppy design that the client I was helping wanted to see and as I passed the waiting woman stomped her cane and placed a well-timed exhalation. It was loud and long and caked with annoyance. I found the design and came back downstairs and as I passed her she said very curtly, “What do you have to do to get waited on around here, take a number?”
The words dripped like blood at the end of a knife. I paused long enough to say that I would be with her momentarily, that folks are dealt with on a first come first served basis, and continued to the back room with the poppy pattern. She had been waiting less than 5 minutes, not an eternity. She’d come in with a bad attitude because there wasn’t enough time lapse to foster that kind of discourtesy.
I remembered her. Shortly before Christmas she came in and bullied me for information about a frame that I sell, demanding to know who made it and where he lived. I knew what she was after. In the past this has happened when one of my carpenters got several calls to build them a frame trying to cut me out of the process. She got pretty angry with me when I wouldn’t divulge my source and I had to walk away. When she realized she’d gone too far she told me she would go home and save her pennies and then come back in the New Year to buy the frame. She asked how many I had in stock and at that time there were three. She asked if she could take it home to try it out before purchasing it and I told her that was not an option. I told her she was welcome to come into the shop and try it here for as long as she liked but she said no, it had to be at home with her chair. That wasn't good enough. She said I let her take out a frame years ago and the memory of that experience flooded in. So that was the woman! She was impossible to deal with ten years ago and pushed me until I gave in. I was a bit of a pussy in those days and I felt really upset for letting her bully me into doing something I didn’t want too. I can’t remember how long it took to get the frame back or even if she bought it, all I can remember was that it was a bad experience that made me cry after she’d gone.
I’m not about the money or the sale. If I was, I would have sold a hook to the lady whose dog chewed her rug and never gave her another thought. I take great pride in my shop and the items I sell; I want them matched with people who appreciate them for their workmanship and function. I want transactions to be pleasant so we can both feel good about it. I want my quality products to go to people who appreciate my wares and enjoy my shop. Remember I’m the person that is attached to inanimate objects and my wool and frames and all other beautiful things that I sell are like my babies. I don’t want bad vibes and rudeness near or using them. Go somewhere else and peddle your misery. (My apologies to all the other shop keeps.)
So she was back and grumpy. Up to this point I’d had a wonderful day so I was in a good mood when I asked how I could help her. I bit my tongue and made a pact to remain cheery no matter what. She started by saying I probably don’t remember her but I said I did, that she had been in last year and was interested in one of my frames.
She said she wanted to buy an Octi-Spinner but wanted to take it to Dartmouth or Halifax, can’t remember which city, to try it out first. I told her we don't do that. She asked why not? I said it wasn’t my policy to allow product to go out without being purchased first. She said what does that matter? I told her something could happen to it offsite and she said it would be 'all on me' while it was out of the store. I’m not 100% positive but I think she figured I could just claim it on insurance but that wouldn’t happen, I would be out of pocket, either for the repairs or the loss depending on what the damage was. She told me that lots of people must come down from the city all the time so I could arrange for it to be picked up and brought back to me if she didn’t like it. I felt like saying, name one, I never know who is coming to visit from the city and even if I did, why would it be my responsibility? Why would I burden another customer with it?
Where was the deal for me? The sale? I’m not motivated by money so what’s in it for me except potential trouble. If this was the way she was treating me when she wanted something from me, what would she do when pissed off, if the frame got broken or didn’t work to her satisfaction? I kept thinking the entire time, lady, you get more flies with honey, if you want something from me butter me up with a knife, don’t stab me with it!
She was gradually getting louder and louder. I hate to use the word bully, a popular vernacular of the time, but really, there is no other better word for her attitude. All of this of course in front of other people in the shop. She said, “You mean you wouldn’t do that for a $400.00 sale? That’s a lot of money for that frame!” She droned on about the money and I said, “Well, maybe if you think it’s too expensive it isn’t the frame for you”. She angrily shot back “I didn’t say it was expensive!”
She kept pushing me to let her have it….the frame that is. So I said, “No store would do that, you can’t take things out without paying for them first”. She said people do that all the time. What people, where? Canadian Tire? Maybe I’ll go there and be really rude and demand, “I’d like to take out a snow blower and try it out, I’m not paying for it and if I don’t like it, then I’ll return it used. If anything happens to it while I’m using it you’re responsible.”
Then she said, You have more than one so what does it matter? I told her “Actually that one is all there is at the moment”. She belts out, “You told me there were 3 in stock!” I told her “That was in December, they sell.” Someone could walk in the door any minute and want to purchase this last one.”
For some reason I keep standing there explaining myself and I wanted to rip the tongue out of my mouth so I'd stop. Now I’m saying things like the frame has moving parts and is heavy to manage. It could get dropped and break. Again, she said it was “on me”. I said, if it gets damaged I lose because you won’t buy a broken frame. She said something like how do I know, and I looked her right in the eye, and said, “You would not pay me for a broken frame.” She kept pummeling me with why not? She wanted her way and was going to bully me until I said yes, once again throwing up that I did it for her before.
I’m not sure why she is mean, but there isn’t any kindness there. Her eyes were disturbingly cold, full of contempt. Her nostrils flared. I wanted to look away but she was right there in my face. I don’t understand how people can be so mean, go out of their way to spread unhappiness. I can only hope that when she bad mouths me all over the city those forced to listen will know her character and take what she says with a grain of salt.
I kept my cool but there was nothing I could do to appease her. All my suggestions of trying different chairs in the shop were shot down. How the frame would adjust to any chair height. She kept reiterating how expensive it was, couldn’t believe I would turn down this fantastic offer of a potential sale for four hundred dollars, implying my stupidity with every breath. The woman with her, stood off to the right, not saying a word. Why couldn’t she just purchase it, take it home and then brought it back if she didn’t like it. Anyway, she was so angry with me she spit venom all the way to the door. I doubt if she will ever come back and ask me if I care.
Quite frankly I think this boils down to that some people don’t view craft shops as real stores. Well, I’m as real as it gets. Registered, pay HST, employees, overhead and a store full of priced and ready inventory. Just because I’m not a big franchise doesn’t make me any less bonafide. Why would I give a frame to a customer that I don’t know from a hole in the ground. If my life depended on it, I couldn’t even tell you her name, unless Grumpy works. What business does this? Tell me, because everyone will want to shop there, take stuff home and use it and then take it back if it doesn’t suit. I also don’t understand when people don’t listen to reason or treat you unkindly just because they don’t get their way. Whatever happened to please and thank-you? When does ‘no’ mean ‘maybe’ or ‘I think I might be able to wear them down if I’m hateful enough.”
Yesterday I was in the local hardware store buying staples. I overhead a chap talking on the phone to a difficult customer. I lingered in front of the display keeping an ear on the conversation. It went on and on as he tried to explain his point but was getting cut off mid-sentence. He never lost his cool, his voice was low and quiet and he finally said, “I tried to help you but you refuse to listen. Sir, this conversation is over.” Good line I thought, maybe I’ll use it sometime. I said to the guy when he hung up the phone. I see you have difficult customers as well. He said, you wouldn’t believe the stories I could tell you and shook his head. I think I would.
A woman came into the shop with a tale of woe. A rug, newly purchased lasted less than five minutes in the jaws of her dog. He’d pulled out a section of approximately three inches by five, oh what great fun he must have had! Luckily the backing was still intact and the yarn hadn’t been eaten so it was only a matter of rehooking it back in.
I gave her a demonstration on the basics of pulling a loop and she watched with interest. I told her the rug would have to be stretched on some sort of frame and she would need a hook. I looked at her and felt bad, I couldn’t condone selling a hook for such a little job that would only take me minutes to fix and I couldn’t be absolutely sure that there would be enough yarn to cover the bare patch, maybe bowser ate a few bits, so I figured I could find a few scraps around the shop to fill in if needed. Having never hooked before, the woman might be lost and in over her head if the wool came up short. I offered to work on it at the hook-in that evening and she said, she couldn’t let me do that, but I insisted that it was really no trouble at all. She offered to pay me but I told her to do something nice for someone, pay it forward.
The next day, I was out for an errand when her husband dropped by to pick up the repaired rug. Apparently he is a tall and handsome RCMP officer. Sorry I missed him! Before I returned the woman came in with a box of chocolates to say thank-you. A lovely surprise and Belgian! I opened and shared them around, the fewer I ate the better but I did souse out the caramel ones and scoffed those down. I would crawl naked over glass for the taste of caramel, a flaw I can’t seem to correct. The gift was unexpected. I was happy to do it for her; both she and the rug were nice. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture to show and tell.
I haven’t complained about a customer for a long time, mostly because there is usually nothing to say. 99.99999% of the people though my door are lovely and kind. Sometimes a few are slightly irritated about something that might have happened in their day and be a bit on the crisp side, but that doesn’t warrant a rant, we all have rough times, I certainly have my share.
I do find this last year fewer folks have been off the wall, maybe they’re afraid I’ll write them up in a blog. Someone emailed once with a minor complaint and then asked that I not put the story in one of my blogs. I chuckled. I wonder if maybe now that I’ve been baring my soul in these blogs, I’m not just a face behind the counter but a friend, and in this case familiarity does not breed contempt. But, every now and then someone comes in like a shit storm, flinging it about so that it sticks to everything and everyone. I’d written about this woman before, she was in before Christmas and very rude, and this time was even worse.
It was last Saturday afternoon and the shop was crazy busy, there were six or more shoppers, most were browsing and two I was helping, one with a design question and the other needed browns to finish her work in progress. I was running like cheap pantyhose to make sure everyone’s needs were met. When that busy usually everyone is happy go lucky and waits their turn, they can always fill time by running their hand over the wool in the shop, a treat in itself. Before I continue I’d like to apologize to the nice folks in the shop that had to listen to all this go down.
The gal working with me asked a woman that came in if she could help her and I heard the customer say rather loudly, “I need to talk to the boss!” She was told that I was currently helping others and would get to her shortly and it was mentioned that the woman could check out the store while waiting. A rude retort followed, “I’ve been in here before so I don’t need to look around.” The comment was once again, said loud enough to drift into the back room where I was helping a customer. My spider senses began to tingle.
I breezed by her to go upstairs to get a paper pattern of a poppy design that the client I was helping wanted to see and as I passed the waiting woman stomped her cane and placed a well-timed exhalation. It was loud and long and caked with annoyance. I found the design and came back downstairs and as I passed her she said very curtly, “What do you have to do to get waited on around here, take a number?”
The words dripped like blood at the end of a knife. I paused long enough to say that I would be with her momentarily, that folks are dealt with on a first come first served basis, and continued to the back room with the poppy pattern. She had been waiting less than 5 minutes, not an eternity. She’d come in with a bad attitude because there wasn’t enough time lapse to foster that kind of discourtesy.
I remembered her. Shortly before Christmas she came in and bullied me for information about a frame that I sell, demanding to know who made it and where he lived. I knew what she was after. In the past this has happened when one of my carpenters got several calls to build them a frame trying to cut me out of the process. She got pretty angry with me when I wouldn’t divulge my source and I had to walk away. When she realized she’d gone too far she told me she would go home and save her pennies and then come back in the New Year to buy the frame. She asked how many I had in stock and at that time there were three. She asked if she could take it home to try it out before purchasing it and I told her that was not an option. I told her she was welcome to come into the shop and try it here for as long as she liked but she said no, it had to be at home with her chair. That wasn't good enough. She said I let her take out a frame years ago and the memory of that experience flooded in. So that was the woman! She was impossible to deal with ten years ago and pushed me until I gave in. I was a bit of a pussy in those days and I felt really upset for letting her bully me into doing something I didn’t want too. I can’t remember how long it took to get the frame back or even if she bought it, all I can remember was that it was a bad experience that made me cry after she’d gone.
I’m not about the money or the sale. If I was, I would have sold a hook to the lady whose dog chewed her rug and never gave her another thought. I take great pride in my shop and the items I sell; I want them matched with people who appreciate them for their workmanship and function. I want transactions to be pleasant so we can both feel good about it. I want my quality products to go to people who appreciate my wares and enjoy my shop. Remember I’m the person that is attached to inanimate objects and my wool and frames and all other beautiful things that I sell are like my babies. I don’t want bad vibes and rudeness near or using them. Go somewhere else and peddle your misery. (My apologies to all the other shop keeps.)
So she was back and grumpy. Up to this point I’d had a wonderful day so I was in a good mood when I asked how I could help her. I bit my tongue and made a pact to remain cheery no matter what. She started by saying I probably don’t remember her but I said I did, that she had been in last year and was interested in one of my frames.
She said she wanted to buy an Octi-Spinner but wanted to take it to Dartmouth or Halifax, can’t remember which city, to try it out first. I told her we don't do that. She asked why not? I said it wasn’t my policy to allow product to go out without being purchased first. She said what does that matter? I told her something could happen to it offsite and she said it would be 'all on me' while it was out of the store. I’m not 100% positive but I think she figured I could just claim it on insurance but that wouldn’t happen, I would be out of pocket, either for the repairs or the loss depending on what the damage was. She told me that lots of people must come down from the city all the time so I could arrange for it to be picked up and brought back to me if she didn’t like it. I felt like saying, name one, I never know who is coming to visit from the city and even if I did, why would it be my responsibility? Why would I burden another customer with it?
Where was the deal for me? The sale? I’m not motivated by money so what’s in it for me except potential trouble. If this was the way she was treating me when she wanted something from me, what would she do when pissed off, if the frame got broken or didn’t work to her satisfaction? I kept thinking the entire time, lady, you get more flies with honey, if you want something from me butter me up with a knife, don’t stab me with it!
She was gradually getting louder and louder. I hate to use the word bully, a popular vernacular of the time, but really, there is no other better word for her attitude. All of this of course in front of other people in the shop. She said, “You mean you wouldn’t do that for a $400.00 sale? That’s a lot of money for that frame!” She droned on about the money and I said, “Well, maybe if you think it’s too expensive it isn’t the frame for you”. She angrily shot back “I didn’t say it was expensive!”
She kept pushing me to let her have it….the frame that is. So I said, “No store would do that, you can’t take things out without paying for them first”. She said people do that all the time. What people, where? Canadian Tire? Maybe I’ll go there and be really rude and demand, “I’d like to take out a snow blower and try it out, I’m not paying for it and if I don’t like it, then I’ll return it used. If anything happens to it while I’m using it you’re responsible.”
Then she said, You have more than one so what does it matter? I told her “Actually that one is all there is at the moment”. She belts out, “You told me there were 3 in stock!” I told her “That was in December, they sell.” Someone could walk in the door any minute and want to purchase this last one.”
For some reason I keep standing there explaining myself and I wanted to rip the tongue out of my mouth so I'd stop. Now I’m saying things like the frame has moving parts and is heavy to manage. It could get dropped and break. Again, she said it was “on me”. I said, if it gets damaged I lose because you won’t buy a broken frame. She said something like how do I know, and I looked her right in the eye, and said, “You would not pay me for a broken frame.” She kept pummeling me with why not? She wanted her way and was going to bully me until I said yes, once again throwing up that I did it for her before.
I’m not sure why she is mean, but there isn’t any kindness there. Her eyes were disturbingly cold, full of contempt. Her nostrils flared. I wanted to look away but she was right there in my face. I don’t understand how people can be so mean, go out of their way to spread unhappiness. I can only hope that when she bad mouths me all over the city those forced to listen will know her character and take what she says with a grain of salt.
I kept my cool but there was nothing I could do to appease her. All my suggestions of trying different chairs in the shop were shot down. How the frame would adjust to any chair height. She kept reiterating how expensive it was, couldn’t believe I would turn down this fantastic offer of a potential sale for four hundred dollars, implying my stupidity with every breath. The woman with her, stood off to the right, not saying a word. Why couldn’t she just purchase it, take it home and then brought it back if she didn’t like it. Anyway, she was so angry with me she spit venom all the way to the door. I doubt if she will ever come back and ask me if I care.
Quite frankly I think this boils down to that some people don’t view craft shops as real stores. Well, I’m as real as it gets. Registered, pay HST, employees, overhead and a store full of priced and ready inventory. Just because I’m not a big franchise doesn’t make me any less bonafide. Why would I give a frame to a customer that I don’t know from a hole in the ground. If my life depended on it, I couldn’t even tell you her name, unless Grumpy works. What business does this? Tell me, because everyone will want to shop there, take stuff home and use it and then take it back if it doesn’t suit. I also don’t understand when people don’t listen to reason or treat you unkindly just because they don’t get their way. Whatever happened to please and thank-you? When does ‘no’ mean ‘maybe’ or ‘I think I might be able to wear them down if I’m hateful enough.”
Yesterday I was in the local hardware store buying staples. I overhead a chap talking on the phone to a difficult customer. I lingered in front of the display keeping an ear on the conversation. It went on and on as he tried to explain his point but was getting cut off mid-sentence. He never lost his cool, his voice was low and quiet and he finally said, “I tried to help you but you refuse to listen. Sir, this conversation is over.” Good line I thought, maybe I’ll use it sometime. I said to the guy when he hung up the phone. I see you have difficult customers as well. He said, you wouldn’t believe the stories I could tell you and shook his head. I think I would.
RSS Feed
