World Is A Customer (Blaq Steel)

Dealing with walk-in customers take up much of my time at work. From the genuine ones, browsers and at times the eccentrics. First and foremost, I’m a designer by profession and being a salesperson was something that I had to grasp with when I changed line from working in an architecture firm to designing kitchens 8 years ago. I can design well but a perfect salesperson I’m not. There have been times that my actions warranted immediate termination by any other employers but I’m still here in this company. So I must be doing something well to override those behaviours.

I will attend to any walk-in customers irregardless whether they dress immaculately or shabbily. I have had wealthy people who live the high life come in garbs looking like they’ve just finished selling vegetables at the wet market. So appearances do take a back seat. Somehow, conversations with them are good tell-tale signs of their interest in the product. Even in the way they respond to your greetings. The lack of conversation is a definite sign that they’re only interested in getting ideas to bring back to their contractors or merely browsing to pass time. The bold ones would even bring their designers or contractors in and engage in whispers among themselves; the owners asking them to copy our designs and so forth. I call them the ghost-whisperers.

The real ghosts are those that come into the showroom, fleet through all the displays and leave without a single sound.

Occasionally, so-called ‘local celebrities’ would pop by and dealing with them can be real eye-openers to their true characters behind the camera. A well-known local comedian actually thought he was unrecognisable by wearing a cap and avoiding eye contact with enquiries handled by his wife. Pleaselah … I’m not one to ask for your autograph or have a picture taken with you unless you’re famous in Hollywood.

A famous local songwriter and a female comedian stayed true to their on-screen personas and I would single out an ex-sportscaster as being the friendliest of the lot.

Newscasters I attended to seemed mean though. One young lady came in with a don’t-mess-with-me attitude before properly being put in her place by yours truly. An older one was critical of our competitors, complaining here and there, but was friendly to me and even sent a gracious reply after she  wasn’t able to confirm her order with our company.

One incident I will never forget was of a well-known Mediacorp director, who came by our showroom a few times, and at one time asked if I wanted to join their acting circle. Nothing wrong with that EXCEPT he flicked my left nipple while asking me.

Nabeyyyyyy!!!!!

I was too shocked to even kick his balls. Ever since then, I avoided coming out everytime I hear his voice while chatting with my boss. I have nothing against gays and have had gay friends before. But there is a clear line between being friends with gays who respect your heterosexuality and those that think every guy is fair game.

~ by blackcadillac73 on May 20, 2007.