When Attitudes Destroy Businesses

When Attitudes Destroy Businesses

Last Saturday, I was on my way home. I needed to make a purchase, a tin of drinking chocolate, for my grandson, Ethan. Mohan, our PRO was taking me home on his scooter. Midway was ‘Spring’, the super market. As we had just a quick purchase to make, I asked Mohan to wait while I stepped into the shop. Just as I was about to enter the shop the person who was the security officer came up and very rudely asked to move the vehicle from the front of the shop? The fact that the scooter stood on public roads which is owned by all maybe ignored momentarily, but the attitudes of the security man to a prospective customer was shocking. I replied with equal rudeness that the vehicle will remain right where it stood now until I exit. As I went inside, I saw this man walk up to Mohan, I believe, with the same diktat. Mohan obviously gave him a fitting reply. The matter that is being discussed though is the attitude of people like this to different layers of customers.
While we all pay the same amount for the various products, how is it that a customer arriving in a car is more important that someone on a scooter? And who is he to decide, what a customer’s caliber is or for that matter his status. Well dressed and chauffeur driven customers are escorted, their parking space offered, whereas a customer who come by scooter on foot and does not appear to be wealthy is ignore, asked to find parking elsewhere. What such overzealous employees do is not improve the customer base of the shop, instead they drive the customers away. They create a negative impact in the minds of middle and lower class customers, who incidentally make up the bulk of the population. I ought to be remembered that no business can survive with just the business of the rich and well to do.
There is one instance that should have shaken the conscience of society long ago. The dress code, that is implemented in one of the social clubs in the city. In the land where the dress of origin is the normal mundu or dhoti, where until a century ago, men did not even wear shirts, even for formal gatherings, we have clubs where the dress code is a very European suit. No one is allowed in this club without being fully suited. Leaves your mind with a question -if someone were to have a heart attack, while in the club, and calls for an ambulance, will you insist that the ambulance driver and nurse attendant wear a suit? So much for the pseudo pretenses.
Another aspect that these people do not recognize is the fact that the man coming on a scooter may have chosen to come by scooter to avoid the hectic traffic, and chosen not to come in his car. Who knows what caliber of car he has at home? Or maybe it was just circumstantial that he came by scooter. Anyway, regardless of all these it is not for the security or any other employee to judge the value of the organization’s customers or potential customer.
Just a word to them – if you were to be the cause for your shop or establishment losing valuable customer, then be assured that the organization is never going to be happy with keeping you in employment. Your employer will kick you out at the firs instance this is brought to his notice. That’s for sure.