B135 - Dollarama… “Interac” and “the Customer is always right”

’06 Dec 18 Sunday 6:30 p.m.

I opened doors to the store at noon and dozens of people came streaming in, I’d say there were a good 50 – 60 in the first couple of minutes. I was on cash but I had forgotten my water bottle so I went back to the lunchroom to get it. On my way to the back, a man stopped me and asked, “You don’t have Interac here yet do you? (I picked up on the key word yet as that implied that he knew we didn’t have it)

I replied, “No, but they’re thinking about it and we’ll probably be getting it soon.”

He said, “You know you’re losing a lot of business because you don’t have it.”

I replied, “We may lose a couple of sales a day, but a lot of people simply go the variety store in the plaza and get cash.”

He was momentarily silent so I started to turn and walk toward the back to get my water. As I turned, he replied in a sarcastic tone, “well you got to get with the times or you’ll be out of business.”

I had just did a lot of internet research on Dollarama and so I turned and replied, “I doubt that. Dollarama has 40% of the market share and is growing every year doing what they are doing without interact. Besides, I have nothing personally to do with whether they get Interac or not.”

He came back with, “people are used to shopping with Interac and so you should have it.”

I said, “Yes, they may be used to Interac, but like I said, most of the people that come to Dollarama know it’s a “cash only” store… like you.” You’re not here because there’s Interac, you’re here for the products and you’ve come with cash in your pocket knowing that there is no Interac.”

Well that set him off and he hissed, “Is that the way you talk to and treat your customers, The manager will hear about this?”

I asked, “What did I say that wasn’t the truth and offended you?”

He snarled, “You have an attitude, and the manager should know about you and how you treat the customers.”

I felt his anger and his intimidating and threatening presence as I calmly asked him, “Would you like to speak to the manager, I can get her for you.”

He turned as if to leave, but then turned again and hissed.” Yes, I’m sure she would like to hear how you treat the customers.”

I had seen the manager a few moments earlier in her office so I went back and knocked on the office door. There was no answer and no one else around so I figured that she was either counting money, on the phone, somewhere in the store, or as I later found out, she had left already the store.

I went back out and told the customer what I just wrote and he immediately began arguing and trying to intimidate and belittle me by stating that I had no right to talk to him like that and that’s no way to talk to a customer and…. that the customer is always right.”

I nodded my head in the affirmative and replied, “OK… you’re right.”

He kept on talking, going in circles and finally I said, almost shouting, “you’re right” six times in a row before he finally heard me, blinked his eyes a few times and shut up.

I stated,”if that’s all that you want to hear, is me saying that you’re right, then so be it…. you’re right. You can see and talk to the manager whenever you want about my attitude but I have a job to do and I’m going to do it, so excuse me.

I left him near the back warehouse door speechless, as I turned and walked up the Xmas isle and to the cash registers. A Key holder, supervisor, was in the cashier area and I briefly told her about the incident but we were getting busy and I left it at that. I never did see him again, or hear that he called the office.

That was the last issue or problem that I had with customers for the rest of the day… Except when I was asked to tell a couple that dogs weren’t allowed in the store, but that wasn’t an issue or a problem. I spoke to them and the man that was holding the puppy in his arms; shook his head in agreement when I mentioned the food and he quietly left the store and sat in the lobby with the pup in his arms while the woman finished shopping…

Things just seem to keep happening to me and it's good...

JR