More hard times and good manners

Since my last post I have had various conversations with friends and colleagues about our other side of the counter experiences. Tourist customers can be particularly interesting in their approach. A colleague reminded me of the day a customer asked us to look after her dog whilst she visited the historic house where we worked. I had tried to find a way of looking after visitors' dogs in an attempt to be welcoming and helpful - it's called customer service and it is taken very seriously in visitor attractions. There was a small back yard where we sold plants and garden items, and a very well behaved dog was tied up by its lead to one of the tables. It was a delightful and friendly dog, as well behaved as they come, except for the fact that it howled its heart out until the owners returned, inconsolable at being abandoned. I didn't offer again. On this particular occasion a lady dog owner tried to persuade us to let her dog sleep in one of the shop stock cupboards! "It'll be no trouble, he's used to it." We didn't go that extra mile for the customer service charter that day!
One of the most memorable encounters - just for sheer cheek - was the couple who visited in the summer , having bought a book in the shop the previous year. The book was cut price, a rather nice guide to historic houses based on a BBC series. She wanted to return it as someone had bought her one for Christmas and she didn't need two. It was in a worn printed bag from the shop. She brought a bank statement, showing the credit card transaction, in the absence of a receipt. This was a middle aged, middle class otherwise well brought up kind of visitor. Now call me old fashioned, but if I have two copies of a book, I pass one on to a friend who might be interested or to a charity shop, especially if it's only £5.99.
I was intrigued by how far she would take this. The book was no longer available, had sold very well and was in pristine condition, so I took it back and gave her a credit note.She and her husband spent at least half an hour looking, and decided on bits and bobs to the value of the book - a pen, chocolate etc. I still can't fathom it!
And this is in a week when two of the good independent shops in my small tourist town are calling it a day. No doubt another charity shop, outdoor shop or even a fish and chip shop will move in - or perhaps they will stay empty for a few years, gathering cobwebs and dead flies in the windows that up until now have been part of the visual appeal of the town.Hey ho.

Strange requests

Living in a tourist town, there are shops that sell strange combinations of items. It's a feature of any seaside town but you also see it in the Lake District and I am increasingly aware of it in the Peak District. It is partly through economic necessity I'm sure, but it can result in some bizarre requests.
I used to manage a gift shop at a historic house, and today one of my colleagues reminded me of the time a visitor came in to the shop, full of historic house related gifts,books,souvenirs and toys, and asked us if we had 52'' drop net curtains, as she couldn't find any anywhere. Our jaws dropped almost the 52" required of the nets. What can you say, except embrace the madness, and apologise for not stocking them!

Hard times, good manners

This new blog is inspired by observations on how the general public behave in shops.
I have done my fair share of shopping, and have worked on the other side of the counter in many different settings in my working life - from bread to fashion and beyond.
I like to call in to my friends' wonderful independent bookshop in Bakewell to say hello, buy a card, order the odd book.
The inspiration for starting this blog today was the woman in the travel section using her phone to record page after page of a travel guide she had picked up off the shelf, and had no intention of buying.
She was oblivious to us watching and commenting on her behaviour.She wasn't even taking details to go home and order it off Amazon, as often happens!
This led to some thought and discussion over acceptable behaviour in a retail environment - it would be perfectly acceptable in Smiths or Waterstones - mainly because members of staff wouldn't care - it's not their shop, or their livelihood in the same way, and it's probably factored in to the profits if someone breaks the spine of a book or dog ears pages whilst copying it!
I think people have forgotten how to behave in shops, especially independent ones. Maybe they never knew.
This will be a guide.
I will draw on a lifetime's experience of shopping!