Do you ever wonder what people say about you after you leave the room? I don’t mean as an insecure person might wonder if others are talking about her – but when you just know that your absence from the room is going to start a conversation. If you believe what the old people say, your skin might start itching you too. I’m almost sure that’s what happened recently when I visited a store to inquire about one of its services.
I had last darkened its door a few months prior so I wasn’t exactly new to the place. I was buzzed in and my first greeting came from a customer who called me by (sur)name. I responded with a hearty hello, recognizing his face but not able to call his name. He soon exited the store and I noticed a lady occupying the only chair in the room. It was a fairly small space. The attendant turned his attention to me so it became clear that the lady was someone who had come to shoot the breeze. I proceeded to make my specific query, was told that it could be done and then was asked a bunch of questions that made me happy that I’d chosen to make this stop after I had done everything else on my list.
It was clear that the young man knew his business, but some of the information he was giving me, while not irrelevant, was more than I really needed to know. Sure, the procedure was a bit technical, but I was providing information that would eliminate one of the steps he was insisting on. Finally, with the detail-haggling over, I asked for the price of the service. Unfortunately, the decimal point was too far over to the right to be within my budget. With this service request I was attempting to work with something I already had. With this price it was going to be worth it to buy a new one. And so instead of telling the attendant that I would think about it (and never pass back), I just thought I’d come right out and say that there was no way I was going to pay what he was asking – all the while packing up my item to leave.
Years ago, when I was on the other side of the counter, I remember providing a quotation for a customer. After doing so, the customer waited a beat and then asked “What did you say?” Now I don’t know if his question was designed to express his incredulity at the figure, because since he was standing right in front of me I know that he’d heard me clear as day. And I said so, without repeating myself. Just as I was thinking that my response might have been a little inappropriate, he responded with a laugh and said, “Yes. Yes, I did”. It is the customer’s perogative to take the price or leave it, which back then, I believe the gentleman did. As you know I left the one given to me as well, although I might have been a tad too vocal about it. But at least it gave them something else to talk about.
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