I recently had a few items that I needed to pick up at a globablly well known retail store. I'd waited to purchase those few items in particular at this store because their selection had always been so wonderful.
The first couple of items on the list were easily found and then we began in earnest to search for photo albums. This store had always had a good selection of not only photo albums, but also scrapbooking supplies. We couldn't find either section.
We then began looking for the photo section where I'd gotten pictures made many many times. But we couldn't find that section any longer either.
When I saw an employee, I asked about the photo albums. His reply was, "I have no idea. Probably you should check around the electronics section. They will probably know."
At that time, we were very close to the electronics section, so I walked over to the counter and asked the person who wasn't doing anything about the photo albums and he said, "We no longer carry photo albums." I was stunned! Before I could say anything, another employee in the electronics section who was waiting on someone else said in a rather gruff voice, "Not in this store! If you want photo albums, Lady, then you need to go to either Michaels or Hobby Lobby."
I was a bit taken aback by the tone of the second electronics guy's tone and both of their attitudes.
Our thermometer's battery recently died and after realizing that the photo section had been removed from the store completely, we began our search for the batteries. We were closer to the area where the jewelry department was located than we were at the front of the store where the regular display of batteries were, so we decided to just check out the jewelry department first. Only problem was, we couldn't find the jewelry department either...not the jewelry counter with actual people behind it. Now in it's place was a few displays of cheaper quality necklaces, earrings and watches.
About that time, a middle-aged lady employee came walking by and I asked her about the jewelry department and she told me that it had been removed from the store because it wasn't making them enough money, and it was the same reason that the photo section with the cameras, etc. no longer exists in that store.
She asked if there was something we were needing and I told her we were just looking for batteries for our thermometer and had been able to find them in the jewelry section before but we would just wait until we got to the front of the store and see if they had them there.
In her kindness she said, "Well, let's look over here, because they did have some of those types of batteries here on this one end display." She walked over with us and looked for them to no avail. She said, "Well, I guess they have moved them again. That happens everytime they reset the store." She also told us that they were preparing to "reset" that particular store again shortly.
I realize that people are in business to make money, but I also realize that this particular company is not hurting for money. What this experience has done for me is that it will cause me to now shop at a smaller store that really cares that the people in their area have the items they need.
The lesson in kindness? Our attitudes come through in our words...and in the tone of voice we use those words in. The first three employees, although they gave me correct information...the store no longer carried the item I was looking for...it came across as my being a bother to their day. The fourth employee, in her kind and gentle way in how she handled my questions, made me feel as though that just maybe the customer did have some worth.
May it be a lesson that I keep close to my heart so that I come across as caring and kind when someone needs help with something.
