Once a year or so for the past 30 years, I've stopped by this shop. In all that time, the owners have never greeted me with any sort of warmth or welcome. I always feel rebuffed, and this day tops it all. A bell goes off in the outer vestibule when a customer comes in, but as usual the owner ignored me, and kept talking to her husband in the office. She finally
came out from the office and just looked at me, but still didn't greet me.
O...kay, so I said a friendly hello, and actually didn't even receive a reply. I was three steps away!
I am sixty-plus years old and consider myself a quiet, nice person. I had just come from the office, so I was wearing a conservative dress. I cannot in anyway understand why there's anything about me that would justify being so offensive, and I also can't figure out why the owners of a gift store would make a consistent habit of always being so unfriendly. I've worked in gift stores, and in other retail stores, and anyone who works in retail knows that you should greet a customer and bid him or her goodbye on leaving. It's good manners and it's good business.
Yes, I said I've been going to this store for many years. Stupid me. In the past, I'd put the memory behind me because they used to carry lovely items. Today, I wasn't in the least bit tempted by any of the goods, and I am vowing herein not to subject myself to this merchant's ill tempers any more.
And by the way, my visit ended with me walking quietly out the door. This time I didn't venture a goodbye, and the owner/clerk, standing at the counter as I left, uttered not a word. read more
