I have been stewing over whether to write this blog post since yesterday afternoon. I take my business very seriously and take pride in the service that I offer to visitors and customers, and while I do admit that I sometimes fail in some areas it is not intentional.
Yesterday I had a lovely group of local women in the classroom for lunch and a crafting day. They were that eager that they arrived early and caught me still in my work clothes and unshowered.....eeek! But they were very understanding and while I popped off for my shower they browsed and had a cuppa. Everything was going great, extra customers calling in, and assisting the ladies with a few pre-lunch purchases. Lunch was served and while I was waiting for the second the chocolate pudding to bake (mistakingly used plain flour instead of self raising flour in the first one......dooh!), some of the ladies decided to do some retail therapy. There was a knock at the door.....not unusual as the shop does look like a house.......well it is I suppose! Margaret kindly opened the door and a lady and her husband entered, I smiled and continued to serve Margaret and Pauline. It was busy and the lady browsed around the shop and after a few minutes her husband retreated to the car.....as the men often do.....lol! She asked about the Tearooms and I apologised and said that I no longer have them. I went on to try to explain where she could go locally to get a cuppa and she brushed me off.......yes I know we should really change the sign out the front (it's on Russell's list of things to do.....along with a proper mailbox!). The lady then asked to use the toilet.....yes no problems there it is......me pointing. The toilet has a trick to it and sometimes the water continues to run. She pointed it out and I said there's a knack to it....I flicked the button and it stopped.......I went on the say how we are on tank water and I have to keep an eye on it, and she again just walked off. No problems I thought. I went on serving Pat who had been waiting and then the woman arrived back with some bolts of fabric. She poked her head in the kitchen.........omg please don't look in there........there were dishes everywhere! I finished serving Pat and asked if I could take the bolts for her. I asked politely how much she would like and after I finished serving her, she produced the Quilters Companion magazine and said that she was following the shop tour in it. I was excited as when you advertise you never know if anyone reads it or actually uses it. I said how great it was. She then gathered up her things and then it happened. It's the first time I have had someone tell me off in my shop. She said how disappointed she was that I did not greet her when she arrived......Yes I should've done that.....I'm very sorry.....I was serving Margaret and Pauline at the time. Also that I did not offer or ask her if she needed help.........I'm sorry about that too but I was busy serving other customers, I did answer your questions, and I always try and serve customers in the order that they are waiting. She also said that she had driven 24 km to visit me and spend her money in my shop and that she needn't have bothered! I apologised and tried to explain why this had happened and that it isn't always the case. She opened the door and left. I went week at the knees, my heart was pounding and I could feel my face and neck go red. I could not believe what had happened. I had no idea what I could do to make it better, so I opened the door and apologised again and mentioned that I did let her use my toilet (what was I thinking!....I couldn't think of anything else and at this stage shock had turned into anger). She gave me another blast about how that was just common courtesy and she shrugged her shoulders and headed for her husband waiting in the car. I know that if she had been the only customer in the shop at the time, I would have deserved every bit of her criticism plus more......I accept that.......but she wasn't.
I haven't written this post so that everyone can tell me how great I am......because I'm not always that great and I do make mistakes. But please when you are in a shop think about everyone around you.......because there might be a good reason why things happen. And if this lady is reading this post.....I would like to apologise again to you, but respect is a 2 way street and we all share the road.
At least the ladies enjoyed their day with me........the card is gorgeous Marion!.....signed by the 7 ladies :) ......very special!
Linda :)
Hope you're feeling better now, Linda. I'm thinking this rude, ignorant self-important person would be a problem customer wherever she was. No wonder the husband slunk off to the car.
Posted by: Jan | October 17, 2015 at 12:16 PM
you simply can not please everyone...I would not have been any different than you....I am thinking the husband stayed out of it because he knows how she is....and no-I am sorry---I do not believe the customer is always right----did she think she was the queen of England and everyone there should let her be first????? when I worked in a quilt shop--I did my best---I apologized many times if I was busy and someone needed help...but after a time they realized I wasnt going to get to them any faster if they butted in....I say kudos to you...nothing you could have done would have made her happy..she got up on the wrong side of the bed and was simply spreading her miserable day with others...*!*CAROLE*!~*
Posted by: Carole Sullivan | October 17, 2015 at 01:47 PM
I agree with both of the above comments and pleased you did decide to print the story
Posted by: Isabella | October 17, 2015 at 01:53 PM
I was one of the sewing group and Linda was serving me at the time. I believe this lady was full of her own importance and expected everyone to jump when she spoke. Lady you really showed your ignorance, so what she travelled 24ks. We ladies trAvelled over 50 I for one do not expect to be served before anyone else, I expect to take my turn at the counter. She was a rude ignorant person. Linda you really had nothing to apologise for
Posted by: Margaret hewitt | October 17, 2015 at 02:10 PM
Ohhh, maybe it was her bad side of the bed day.
I would love to visit you & see your messy kitchen, crazy toilet & lovely fabric.
You did what you could. Tomorrow is another day.
Posted by: Debra - Outback Crafter | October 17, 2015 at 04:42 PM
I dont work in a shop, I work in a public hospital and I am front line in the ward, I cop it all the time from people who think that they are the sickest and have been there all night and havent slept and had no lunch and no one has seen them since they walked in the door... blah blah blah.
they arent the only ones needing attention, they are the ones that have no patience and are the rudest.
you cant be there for everyone, you did what you could do. sounds like this lady is one of those people I deal with. its frustrating and no matter what you do you wouldnt have made her happy. Ive travelled all the way from Melbourne to your shop.... 24km pffft
Posted by: libby | October 17, 2015 at 05:55 PM
I think no matter what you had done this woman would not have been happy. sounds like she would have found something to complain about even if she was the only customer.
Sounds like all of the other ladies were very happy with the way they were treated by you.
Posted by: Dee | October 20, 2015 at 10:52 AM
I have just read your post and the comments and I agree with everyone. I totally agree you had nothing to apologise for. What, you are supposed to stop serving your other customers to serve her. Some people are so full of their own self importance!! If she just opened her eyes she could see that you were having a busy day and most of us would be understanding of that, but there is always one! She sounds like the type of person you don't really want as a regular customer anyway.
Posted by: Lee | October 22, 2015 at 06:35 AM