About a year and a half ago, I walked past a bakery store at
Cairo Mall and my oh my all the confectionery looked so divinely tempting and
inviting, I couldn't help myself, I decided to walk in and get myself some
scones.
I bought four of them
to share with my colleagues in the office, feeling happy and having done
justice to the temptation but that feeling would be short lived as the first
bite into that beautiful looking scone turned into misery.
Turns out the scones as beautiful as they looked in the
display, were old and stale, my friends testified to this in the office and so
the decision was made. I was not gonna take this lying down. I gathered all the
scones through them in a plastic bag and marched down to the bakery store and
demanded to see the manager. I informed her that she sold me hard, old and
stale scones. I asked her to get one
scone from the display and taste it, she tried to refuse but I insisted so that
we “speak the same language”. She did, I asked her how it tasted although her
face had already given me the answer I was looking for.
To add salt to the injury the lady Manager tries to apologize
and offer me free doughnuts instead …Really!!! I asked her “Ma’am are you
serious”? She obviously didn't get it so I made very clear to her that, I did
not come to claim free doughnuts or anything free for that matter!!
So in my polite but firm voice, I asked her to remove all the
scones from the display. She looked at me like I was a mad person and thought I
was joking. So I told her “Ma’am am ordering you to remove all those scones on
display before I report you”. She obliged and funny as it may sound the workers
in the shop looked at me with smiles on their faces.
I learnt later that, they had advised her (the manager) to
remove the old stock and she didn't listen.
ROTTEN CHIPS (FRENCH FRIES)
Just about the same period, I was going down to me some lunch
and a a friend of mine asked me to get her a packet of chips while I was at it.
So I bought my lunch and the chips and went back up to the Zamwa office.
As we were about to start munching on our lunch, my friend
opens her packet of chips only to find rotten chips, I really couldn't believe
it. My friend said to me that it was alright, she would go down and get another
packet later. Armed with my receipt, I stopped eating and went back down to see
whoever was in charge and why they sold me rotten chips. I was pointed in the
direction of the gentleman in charge. I went over to him, showed him the chips
and my receipt. Guess what!! The dude admitted that “they were the last
potatoes in the bag and there was nothing they could do”….Oh and the name of
this famous eatery was “Fudfe”, so now the gentleman is signaling to me not to
speak loud fearing that other customers might hear. Well, I didn't back down,
nor did I lower my voice. I spoke even louder for all customers to hear that
they sold me rotten chips.
I was glad to see everyone checking their packets….I made my
point!
Fast forward to mid January 2014, my friend and I walk into
“Sper” we get various foods for lunch and a couple of samoosas, one bit into
the samoosa and guess what? It’s off…again I go back, ask to see the Manager
and demand she removes all the samoosas on display.
My dearest readers, please understand, am not a big shot or
anything, and just a concerned well meaning citizen of my beautiful country
Zambia, do not let anyone take you for granted. Demand what is rightfully yours
especially if you have paid for it.
And to business houses, traders etc….customer relations are
very important. Teach your staff to smile…you gain more than you will lose!!
Till next time!!
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