talkmagic.co.uk

Part-Timer wrote:

danata wrote:No I knew he would probably spend, that was not the issue as far I was concerned. If a tramp came in to spend £1.00 & arrived BEFORE someone else who (even if I knew) was going to spend £100, I would still not put the priority to the other customer.

I didn't actually say that you should have given him priority, Mike, just that the only other thing I could think you could possibly have done was perhaps have given him an idea of how much longer he'd have to wait. You asked him to come back in a bit, he did and you still weren't free. However, as he came in wanting a detailed talk about different options then really he should have waited.

When I asked him if he knew what he wanted, so I could perhaps serve him quickly in front of the other customers, he actually said "No I've only really come for advice" that was what he SAID & NOT what I assumed!

In that case maybe his parting shot wasn't actually true.

I didn't actually ask him to come back, he left & returned on his own accord. I also had no idea how long I would be with my other "New & Excited" customers, so how could I possibly give him an estimate as to how long I would be?

danata wrote:I didn't actually ask him to come back, he left & returned on his own accord. I also had no idea how long I would be with my other "New & Excited" customers, so how could I possibly give him an estimate as to how long I would be?

Sorry, he told you he'd come back later, didn't he? You asked how else it could have been handled I was trying to actually answer that question. I appreciate that you don't have a crystal ball (actually, maybe you do in your shop!), so all you could have said to him was "OK, but I might be with these guys for a while," or something like that.

Realistically, though, I don't think you could have done anything else. As has come out in your later posts, he really was quite an awkward customer (literally and figuratively). I think you did your best.

This thread has reminded me of a couple of incidents where I have been waiting to get served and the staff have decided to start dealing with people who had been waiting less time than me. On both occasions I immediately walked out (neither were magic shops, incidentally). On another occasion, a restaurant, I was waiting with my girlfriend for a table and another couple (more accurately, the woman of the couple) who had arrived after us tried to get in first. I remonstrated with her and she got annoyed (I sensed this was a normal reaction from her as hubbie/partner quickly steered her away). The woman running the restaurant told me off for losing her a customer. I think maybe I should have lost her our custom too, looking back.

These are very different from what you did, Mike. You served the first people first and someone coming later really should accept that. You did try to offer alternatives.

Bottom line, you can't win 'em all!

I notice that a poster on this thread (danata - who owns a magic shop) has a "Make Us An Offer" on all of his stock (as of mid-Sep 2015). Are real shops still continuing to go out of business, or is this just a seasonal sale?