Ka ching! Old time cashier machines would make a bell "ka ching" sound when they registered a sale.
I take this opportunity to remember a personal fond memory of a sales person.
I was in Mumbai and a near dear close loved one was making a purchase for me at a far away location = LONDON!
It was night 2 am and i received a call on my mobile. Tring! tring! ( i had the old fashioned ringer tune on my latest mobile thus tring tring).I picked up the call anxiously wondering who/what/why happened. The caller screen showed some strange number which i couldnt not decipher.
It was my dear near loved one, using a mobile from a duty free store at London Airport, United Kingdom.
She was in a fix, whether to buy item number 1, number 2 from store A or number 3 from other store B.
The sales girl started helping her make an informed decision , and enquired with her as to what was the hesitation to purchase item 1 or 2.
So, the near dear loved one replied to explain that she had only this much money amount and one strange recipient ( ME) to satisfy, thus the confusion.
The sales girl whipped out her mobile and offered her to make the call, speak to the recipient overseas (me) and find out whether to make any of purchases.
My near dear loved one, replied back "what if i dont buy any of your items", The sales girl replied, it was not a problem at all. She understood the confusion my near dear loved one was going through and wanted to help her make an informed buying decision so that one strange recipient overseas would get happy.
While talking the mobile got disconnected. By the time i tried figuring out how to make an international call on that same number i got a 2nd call and a 3rd call too from the same number. Line disconnected so what call again. speak.
I was amazed, a stranger helping my near dear loved one. Was something different flowing in the waters of london that such level of comfort was being offered to customer, who might not have bought even a single product ?Or was it their training to give the best possible customer service? ( retailers wake up )
The sales girl kept assuring my near dear loved one, it was ok, its cool to make tat call, because it was her personal mobile and not official number that she would get into trouble for misuse.
More strange, i was overwhelmed that night, first to have received a call, second to have been introduced to such a sales girl.
Althought this incident is years ago, i remember asking my near dear loved one to say "thank you" and ensure to buy something from that store".
Ka Ching!!! They bonded and was guided to make a perfect shopping decision.
As i remember a nice amount was spent. Moresoever a happy customer, moresoever a happier strange recipient, more better, i was that strange recipient mentioned above and i am writing this incident years later.
Once I did hear Robert Stevenson mention 8/16 rule,something that goes like this, if your customer service is good they will tell 8 people, but if you goof up , they will tell 16.
So, trying to change that rule and becoming an exception, i reverse that rule, if someone does something bad, i dont scream my lungs out to the world, no no no. The meek shall inherit the world - i was taught such.
But if someone does something good, ( like great customer service) i shall surely tell more than 8 or 16 people.
By the way i was touched by that polite customer service gesture of the sales lady at london airport.
Whoever you are, Thank You. Its too late for me to even recall her name.
But you as a reader can go ahead, do something good for a stranger, may be someday, someone, somewhere will write about your kind gesture.
Thank you near dear loved one, thank you sales person at london airport duty free store.
Retailers are you listening ? if not,, no wonder you cannot hear the sound of "Ka Ching" in your sales register.
