One basic activity we can't do without as humans is making transactions daily, and it's either we are at the giving or receiving end, gone are the days when trade by barter was the mode of getting what you don't have and need, these days you can buy anything you desire as long as you have the money through cash or cashless means, though the invent of online shopping has made shopping much easier, still, a lot of us can't do without physical shopping which has made us had positive physical shopping experience and the not so good side due to the characters exhibited by the traders or sales personnel.
Though I'm not more of the buy and sell kind of business person, rather, I render service that people pay for, so I know how important showing the right attitude helps keep and even invite more customers to your business through referrals, but sadly, not all business people are intentional about this part of business, they believe as long as they have the capital to invest in the business that is all they need to thrive, but that's a totally wrong mindset. I've had terrible experiences with traders with this ignorant mindset, I've also had good customer service that has made me an ardent customer.
Merging a negative and positive experience I had same day with different traders, there was a time I went fabric shopping for a kind of fabric I had never worked with before, though I made some research about it online, and even had an opportunity of placing an order, but my African woman instinct wouldn't let me make that decision of shopping online, I wanted to be sure of what I was getting so I set out to get it myself believing since it was a store I frequented, she would deliver what the quality I wanted, my mistake was letting her know I wasn't familiar with the fabric, dhe used my lack of knowledge in that aspect at that time to play a fast one on me, because she was more focused on making fast money, she sold the inferior type as
for me, not caring that I was an old tome customer and had even told her I was going to use the fabric to design a client's dress, not mine, I paid her and continued my shopping, maybe God saw my clear conscience and saved me through the last fabric store I had entered to buy something I forgot to buy in the first store.
6️
I innocently tried to match the colour of the fabric I had gotten with an applique I wanted to buy in the store, she then questioned why I bought the inferior type knowing it wouldn't make my f inished dress look good, my heart fell at that point because I hate it when people are dubiousqualityityty uite in the name of being smart, I thanked her and instantly went back to the previous store, demanding she returned my money or get me what I had requested in the first place, she tried to act like she made a mistake in the first place, I was just too angry to even banter with her, she changed the fabric and that was my last day In that store.
As for the honest store owner, we became good friends after that day, it's been two years now, and I still frequent her shop and also go to her when I'm in doubt about the authenticity of a kind of fabric she doesn't have.
Honestly is a vital character a trader must have, sadly, the otherwise is the case for most traders, especially a certain ethnicity in Nigeria, I would not want to mention, honesty keeps your customers but when you feel you are too smart and always dwindle people, you will eventually lost them all.
The image used in this post is mine
