No April Fool Service

In service business the customer is always right. So I always make it a point that if there is any complain, we give a smile and apologize. At times even without having the product to show proof, I give a refund without questions.

So like any given days when I help out at my son’s shop I am ready to assist any customer that comes in.

Today is April Fool’s Day I understand but this particular woman that walked in was way too much to handle with a smile and understanding even though she had been my customer for almost three years now. Not a regular though.

When she came in asking for a 2kg cake board and box, I enquire what size her cake pan was and she gave me that look like I don’t know what a 2kg cake would look like. I explain to her using a 6 inch board or 10 inch board also can. Since she is the one making the cake with her own cake pan, only she can decide. She picked a 14 inch board and gave me a stern look and said this is a 2kg cake board. Then asked for unsalted anchor butter price and was not pleased. She insisted on a 40 sen discount which I refused. She then insulted me and told me off that Hiro in Ampang is way cheaper, blah, blah. Then she asked for orange colour because she is making an orange cake. When I handed the orange colour she ignored me and picked the orange oil and kept looking at the orange emulco. Asking why there are two different colours? I explained the different between oil and emulco. She wanted a stronger flavor so I suggested she take the emulco but she picked the oil and insisted that the latter is stronger. Then she asked for self-raising flour and I handed her our home brand. She enquired how much and told her it was RM4.50 per kg. Then she began talking about Hiro again, I explained to her we specialize in bakery ingredients and that our shop only sell premium flour but she went on and on and said all flour are the same only we were bullshitting her. She then picked the commercial flour and said this one is way better. Not knowing that commercial brand are known as old stock flour. Whereas ours are premium quality and freshly packed weekly.

After picking up other stock she paid the bill and said she wants the receipt in case we overcharge her. Then she started complaining about the honey she bought two years ago. People who don’t know me well do not know that I have a good memory bank that goes back to age 5. Back in 2008 when she complained I refunded the amount to her and apologized. Since then whenever she buys things above RM10 she would complain about the honey and each time we would apologize. My son had already got fed-up with her and would complain why she likes to complain the same old thing again and again even though we have given a refund. I would scold him saying this was not the way to do business and try to understand the customer is alway right.

Back to the woman, I showed her Amway’s pure honey and explained why all honey even those so-called pure honey sold everywhere have sugar content. Before I was allowed to explain further she told me to shut up and listen to her. She is complaining and I cannot talk. She then began to curse and threw insults at me. To get her out from the shop I took out RM10 and gave it to her as a refund again for that honey incident. Not satisfied she went next door to complain to everyone in sight that I cheated her and sold her sugar instead of honey and other spicy allegations.

It was way too much and I went next door to scold her and told her she already got another refund what more she wants and please not to come to my son’s shop again. Then I went back. Again she was rising her voice complaining. I went back again and took her picture. Then she threaten to go to the police saying I have no right to take her picture. I took back the goods she bought and give her back her money and again told her not to enter my son’s shop again.

Since my son started this business she is the first and hopefully the last customer I had to be harsh with.