Good Customer Service

I was hungry as I had only lunch during the day. It was 8 pm and I decided to have an apple before going to bed. So I left to a local bakery to get the apples since the bakeries around always had a mini market.

When I go to the counter for the apples, the woman serving there was focused and talking to man for about 5 minutes. I wasn’t really bothered for reasons I can’t even explain but after a while I told her I wanted two apples. Maybe she heard, maybe she pretended not to. I repeated a bit more firmly and loudly that I wanted two apples. She asked me whether I had packaging paper. And I said no.

Now, earlier during the year, the Cameroonian Government had passed a law forbidden the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags which had previously been used to package groceries. However, within this law, the government had also stated that non-biodegradable plastic bags of a certain weight were allowed. What an irony but that’s not my focus here.

The sales woman said I’d have to take the apples which were on her counter in that case. Now lemme tell you about the apples. There are three fridges behind her all containing a variety of things that need to be stored cold including the apples so that they are kept fresh. And there are some items on her counter still including apples. The apples on the counter are kept bare which means there’s dust falling on it not to talk of countless saliva droplets from people who have walked to her counter throughout that day. That said there’s no way any sane and reasonable person will want to buy the latter.

So I told her I wanted the ones from the fridge behind her and she told me that the packaging costs 100FCFA. I told her I don’t want any packaging, I’d hold them with my hands. She said if I didn’t want to buy packaging my only option will be to buy the ones on her counter. And she said that in such an arrogant manner like I was begging her for peanuts.

I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say at all. I just stood there looking her then left. I just couldn’t believe it. My God! I have my hands to hold the apples that I want to eat and she insist that I buy packaging! Out of the bakery, I wondered whether she didn’t want to touch it with her hands before handing them to me. Maybe that was her reason for refusing to sell without packaging but on the other hand, they should normally have something to use in picking items to serve customers. No one should be touching anyone’s food anyway.

I made a mental note that the next time I go there, I should only be on the bridge of passing out due to hunger because as far as I am concerned, they have seen the last of me.

As I walked back to the hotel I was reminded of a similar situation just a week ago concerning apples still. I like eating apples because they are one fruit that really fill me up and enable me watch my weight. In this store, I picked up the apples myself and when I came to the counter I placed them on a paper bag. After I had paid for the apples, the store attendant asks if I wanted packaging – at 100FCFA. I ask her what was wrong with using the paper. She then proceeded to tie up the apples which she touched. I asked her if she was obliged to touch the apples. I told her she could have packaged them without touching them. She said she always touches them for other customers and they do not complain. I then asked her whether or not the apples were washed before they were placed in the fridge and she said yes. I left with the apples and without any more word.

What’s wrong with our sales persons these days? If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. No one’s forcing you to do that job. If you hate it then quit. Why are you taking out your job frustration on customers?

What about the structures that employ these sales people? Can they at least train their employees to serve customers in a more agreeable manner? Customer satisfaction seems to not be a priority for them but without those customers, the entity will not exist. And some customers, like me are ready to leave and not return again, ever. Sometimes, I’d rather go a farther distance to get something where I know I’ll be treated well rather than dash to the nearest store where the sales person will be behaving like a d**k. The time, energy and fuel is always worth it.