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A little background info: I work in a discount store, where we sell just about everything from rugs to rat poison. We specialise in ends of lines, discontinued stuff from high street stores and we're usually busy. Bank holidays are always mega busy and last Monday was running true to form.
A couple approach my till with a fairly well laden trolley of various bits and pieces. The last thing to land on the counter is a 16 piece dinner service. We sell quite a lot of these, they're a good basic everyday set and come in 4 different patterns - there are pictures on the side of the boxes with a tick against the pattern which that particular box contains.
This couple are buying the set as a gift, and ask if they can have the box opened to check that nothing is damaged. OK, understandable. I open the box and begin to carefully draw out each piece so they can see for themselves.
Four dinner plates - they look at each one. All fine.
Four mugs - they look at each one. All fine.
Four side plates - they look at each one (stay with me here). All fine.
Four dessert bowls - they look at two, then as I display the third one the woman suddenly says:
"Wait a minute! That's not the pattern that we wanted!"
Somehow I kept my expression neutral......even when the man said there was no way of telling which pattern was in the box, until I showed him the tick against 'grey daisies' rather than 'brown leaves' or whatever.
They decide to pay for the rest of their shopping and then go back for the set that they do want. Fine by me - I take their payment and off they go.
The next customer smiles sympathetically at me and murmurs, 'Deep breath....'.
And when they get the set they want, do they go to a different till and spread the love? Do they fairy cakes! They head straight back to me, as moths to a flame.
And we start the whole business again... only this time I get right to the end only to discover that one mug has a chip in it
"There's one other set left with that pattern. Can you just swap a mug over?"
Whether I can or not, my friend, that's what I'm going to do. Mug swapped, they leave happy and I take another deep breath and carry on.........
But how, someone please tell me, could they look directly at about a dozen pieces of crockery before noticing that the pattern was wrong?
A couple approach my till with a fairly well laden trolley of various bits and pieces. The last thing to land on the counter is a 16 piece dinner service. We sell quite a lot of these, they're a good basic everyday set and come in 4 different patterns - there are pictures on the side of the boxes with a tick against the pattern which that particular box contains.
This couple are buying the set as a gift, and ask if they can have the box opened to check that nothing is damaged. OK, understandable. I open the box and begin to carefully draw out each piece so they can see for themselves.
Four dinner plates - they look at each one. All fine.
Four mugs - they look at each one. All fine.
Four side plates - they look at each one (stay with me here). All fine.
Four dessert bowls - they look at two, then as I display the third one the woman suddenly says:
"Wait a minute! That's not the pattern that we wanted!"
Somehow I kept my expression neutral......even when the man said there was no way of telling which pattern was in the box, until I showed him the tick against 'grey daisies' rather than 'brown leaves' or whatever.
They decide to pay for the rest of their shopping and then go back for the set that they do want. Fine by me - I take their payment and off they go.
The next customer smiles sympathetically at me and murmurs, 'Deep breath....'.
And when they get the set they want, do they go to a different till and spread the love? Do they fairy cakes! They head straight back to me, as moths to a flame.
And we start the whole business again... only this time I get right to the end only to discover that one mug has a chip in it
"There's one other set left with that pattern. Can you just swap a mug over?"
Whether I can or not, my friend, that's what I'm going to do. Mug swapped, they leave happy and I take another deep breath and carry on.........
But how, someone please tell me, could they look directly at about a dozen pieces of crockery before noticing that the pattern was wrong?
He is my Black Dragon (and yes, a good one) strong, protective, the guardian. I am his Silver Dragon, always by his side, shining for him, cherishing him.
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