SHOPPING
Usually you can only go into a shop once or twice in a short space of time because familiarity breeds contempt… Robert Dangoor.
A shop is a business environment, a place where deals are undertaken. So, the differences that we all have are accentuated by repetition. One usually gets the best out of something the first time and the shopkeeper makes more profit the first time. In some cases, the more the shopkeeper knows about the customers who enter his shop, the better, but there is usually a cut-off point when jealousy of wealth, differences in religion and family circumstances can cause friction and bad feelings. The shopkeeper wants to encourage the cream of his customers, to keep them rolling in on his metaphorical conveyor belt. In business, people only give out that which will benefit them.
If there are too many people in the shop, they might talk to each other and compare notes. Some customers are hard to please and some never buy anything… they just want to see what’s on offer. The shopkeeper becomes wary of these people and usually, it is the local residents who keep coming into the shop. Certain customers tend to return the goods that they buy. The shopkeeper might claim there is nothing wrong with the item – that he is not using it properly, but if the customer says it is faulty, he should be given a replacement.
Some shopkeepers are reluctant to order special items for their customers. The wholesalers are difficult; he has no account with them and has to pay in advance.
After you have been into a shop a couple of times, the shopkeeper wants to see how dependent you are on him. He gets tired of you. Even if it means losing business, he prefers fresh faces. If a customer comes in for the third time, the shopkeeper might catch him because of the behaviour of the other customers. He will start making fun of him, carrying on the same joke, ridiculing him. He tries to satisfy as many customers as he can, but he also lays down limits.
Perhaps you don’t visit a certain pub or restaurant again straight away, because you have had to wait a long time to be served with your order. Or, if you have been visiting a certain restaurant for many years, you may stop going because the staff, knowing you very well by now, make fun of you or treat you disrespectfully.
There are times when you have to queue before you can be served. You may decide you don’t want to queue again… as soon as you entered and saw the line of people waiting, you would find an excuse to leave. Some shops, such as West End sports retailers, are very busy and you would take care to avoid them when they were at their busiest if you were susceptible to anxiety attacks.
Sometimes, shopkeepers will try to sell you something that you don’t really want to buy, either because it is more expensive than anywhere else, or because it is not suitable. And then there are the shops where you always have to check that the ‘sell by’ dates have not expired.
You may also find the shopkeeper who repeatedly gives you a big discount, perhaps embarrassing you. But you have to pay for it… it’s an excuse to insult you. On the other hand, if you give the shop assistant a gift you might expect a discount, but too often you will be charged extra.
There are tricks of the trade in every business, but new customers are less likely to know this. If you stay in the shop too long, you’re holding up the queue. The shopkeeper just wants to deal with the next customer…
© Robert D Dangoor 2009
