So the other day I was heading home after a hard day’s work and thought it would be a good idea to get some fruits on my way. I stopped by a kiosk that’s on the way and had a craving for apple mangoes since their season was just about to end. I felt around searching for good ones and couldn’t seem to find any. The kiosk operator (if you’ll let me call him that) was eyeing me in a way that made me wonder if he was wishing me away; I seemed to have interrupted his meal. Being a believer in the adage “he who does not work should not eat”, I asked for his help in choosing ripe fruits. He begrudgingly came over and handed me quite a number of fruits which were, to me, unsatisfactory for one reason or the other. I told him as much and said resignedly that that was certainly not my lucky day, as I made to leave.
“Yaani hununui? (you mean to say that you’re not buying any?)” he asked with an incredulous look on his face.
“Lakini sijapata, (but I haven’t gotten any good ones)” I replied.
“Wewe fanya hivi, (you do this)” he said, obviously very put off. “Hii duka, usiwahi kurudi hapa kununua kitu tena. Umesikia? (don’t you ever come back to this shop. Do I make myself clear?) ”
My shock was palpable. It however very quickly gave way to amusement and quite in spite of myself and in spite of the fact that I didn’t want to make the poor guy feel any worse, I burst out laughing.
You need to understand that I’m the kind of person who keeps grudges against non-performing service providers. On some day a million years ago, a certain tout in a matatu refused to give me my change and I all but swore to myself that I would never get into that vehicle again. More than that I was determined to cause a scene when I’d be with a group of people who I would convince to take another vehicle because those were thieves (lame I know). I never went back to a certain chain of stores because their staff was rude to me. I never purchased anything from a particular outlet after the goods they sold me proved to be of inferior quality. That’s just me.
So for this trader to tell me what he did made me realize that it may at times seem silly to take such stands as though the world were just black and white. It may at times be useful to factor in the greys … and the reds, greens and violets. Take a step away from your usual way of viewing things today and give someone a chance.
(For the record, I haven’t been to that stall since. With the competition blossoming at every corner, his wish is my command! The customer is always right!) (Just like me to give with one hand and take with the other. Consider it broad mindedness?)
“Yaani hununui? (you mean to say that you’re not buying any?)” he asked with an incredulous look on his face.
“Lakini sijapata, (but I haven’t gotten any good ones)” I replied.
“Wewe fanya hivi, (you do this)” he said, obviously very put off. “Hii duka, usiwahi kurudi hapa kununua kitu tena. Umesikia? (don’t you ever come back to this shop. Do I make myself clear?) ”
My shock was palpable. It however very quickly gave way to amusement and quite in spite of myself and in spite of the fact that I didn’t want to make the poor guy feel any worse, I burst out laughing.
You need to understand that I’m the kind of person who keeps grudges against non-performing service providers. On some day a million years ago, a certain tout in a matatu refused to give me my change and I all but swore to myself that I would never get into that vehicle again. More than that I was determined to cause a scene when I’d be with a group of people who I would convince to take another vehicle because those were thieves (lame I know). I never went back to a certain chain of stores because their staff was rude to me. I never purchased anything from a particular outlet after the goods they sold me proved to be of inferior quality. That’s just me.
So for this trader to tell me what he did made me realize that it may at times seem silly to take such stands as though the world were just black and white. It may at times be useful to factor in the greys … and the reds, greens and violets. Take a step away from your usual way of viewing things today and give someone a chance.
(For the record, I haven’t been to that stall since. With the competition blossoming at every corner, his wish is my command! The customer is always right!) (Just like me to give with one hand and take with the other. Consider it broad mindedness?)
4 comments:
I have encountered that attitude before and rest assured they never saw my cash again!
;)i've laughed!funny story.Ive never been in that situation before, wonder what I'd do
LOL That Kiosk operator is smoking something ati go away and never come back??
@ all: Tell me about it! That's just Kenya for you or so it would seem!
Post a Comment