Store refused to exchange Microwave
Mel, my gorgeous wife, bought a new oven the other week. New super-duper stainless steel thing.
Here in the office yesterday the Microwave oven died. And the kettle started leaking. Must have been bad karma??
So Mel had the bright idea of bringing in the kettle and Microwave from home for the office. Which meant she could buy a new kettle (stainless steel) and microwave (stainless steel) to match the new oven.
So off she trotted to the local store tonight and purchased them.
The kettle was fine. He was plugged in and worked well.
Not so with the Microwave oven.
But not so with the Microwave oven. The one Mel was looking at in the store was stainless steel. But when she opened the box, the one she had been given was a metallic blue.
And that wasn’t going to match the oven.
Mel wasn’t happy!
Back in box. Back in the car. Back into the store. And in she marched.
But the guy at the store refused to swap the Microwave!
Mel was furious until he said this next bit:
“Ummmmm……just take the blue plastic protective cover off and you’ll find it is indeed stainless steel underneath.”
Mel snuck out of the store as sheepishly as possible, her face a crimson red!
When she returned home and told the boys and I what happened I think we gave a small smile (actually we all roared with laughter for about 5 minutes).
She unpacked the Microwave (again), peeled the blue plastic sheet off and was most delighted with her purchase.
God bless her – she gives me so much material!
Cheers
great, I guess I read that for nothing…
Howdy Aaron
Hope all is well with you and yours.
I take it you weren’t too keen on that post because it just relayed a funny story and had no business application or information.
But I think there was. You see, part of the reason I write about my wife and kids (or include them in my stories) is to a do a few things:
1. Identify with the audience – many readers have children and relate to me because they do the sasme things I do: run a business whilst juggling that rather important role of parent. They see a bit of themselves and u8dnerstand where I’m coming from a bit more. And thus, much of what I write has more impact.
2. Personalise the blog – so I’m not just churning out marketing and business stuff and seen as one dimensional.
3. Build a rapport – lots of people email me and the wife and kids blogs seem to have a good impact.
So although there wasn’t any business info in the blog, I wrote the story for a reason.
In any business we all need to build a rapport with our market, socialise a bit and give a bit of ourselves.
If as a web developer I do those things with my market, I’ll make more sales, get more add-on sales and generate more referrals.
That’s what that story was about.
Cheers and have a good weekend.
Brendon
Hey Brendon,
Actually I was being sarcastic. Even though there was a story being it, and I had a good time reading the post, as I do with every post of yours, I just had to say SOMETHING haha. Sorry if you took that the wrong way.
Gee, not very good customer relations!
They made Mel feel foolish. Think she’ll shop there next time, or try the store down the road?
Rule 7 of customer relations – dont make the customer feel bad. Joke with them, but dont put them down.
Lea