Valentine's day downer
Today I was in a part of town I don't go to much, meeting a friend after a doctor's appointment. There happens to be a really unusual booze-store there that sells this amazing rose-petal vodka that is wonderful with both soda and/or sparkling wine.
Me: (picking up my bottle in a store that has one window done up for Valentine's) You should totally market this on Valentine's coz it tastes wonderful as a dash in sparkling wine (that they have in Valentine's window), and it has a rose theme.
Assistant (man in 40s but quite trendy): That is if you don't think that valentines is a cynical ploy to get money out of the gullible public and a capitalist...(sorry I don't remember the rest, but was said seriously)
Me: Um, OK, but this is a business and I think you could probably sell this rose vodka on Valentine's, and I suppose anything that draws people in....
Him: (TBH a lot sneery) You have better things to do than try to market rose vodka when you are running a business, believe me. (yup, fur real, his emphasis)
Me: Well, you are cheerful today.
Him: Yes. Give me your money. (yup, no exaggeration)
I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation, but turned out it was his last day. Well, I feel sad for him, he kinda looked like the (me with judgemental hat on) guy who was doing a temp job and thought it was beneath him, but seriously? I am polite and used to working with difficult customers, not difficult shop-assistants so I rolled with it, but geeze, would it have killed him to be nice? Someone who was just passing and didn't know that the store sells unusual stuff may have been scared off forever. And that would have been a shame for the owners.
Me: (picking up my bottle in a store that has one window done up for Valentine's) You should totally market this on Valentine's coz it tastes wonderful as a dash in sparkling wine (that they have in Valentine's window), and it has a rose theme.
Assistant (man in 40s but quite trendy): That is if you don't think that valentines is a cynical ploy to get money out of the gullible public and a capitalist...(sorry I don't remember the rest, but was said seriously)
Me: Um, OK, but this is a business and I think you could probably sell this rose vodka on Valentine's, and I suppose anything that draws people in....
Him: (TBH a lot sneery) You have better things to do than try to market rose vodka when you are running a business, believe me. (yup, fur real, his emphasis)
Me: Well, you are cheerful today.
Him: Yes. Give me your money. (yup, no exaggeration)
I won't bore you with the rest of the conversation, but turned out it was his last day. Well, I feel sad for him, he kinda looked like the (me with judgemental hat on) guy who was doing a temp job and thought it was beneath him, but seriously? I am polite and used to working with difficult customers, not difficult shop-assistants so I rolled with it, but geeze, would it have killed him to be nice? Someone who was just passing and didn't know that the store sells unusual stuff may have been scared off forever. And that would have been a shame for the owners.