Sunday, January 08, 2006

Soapbox: How Many Hongbao is a Customer Worth?

Three? One? None? Well I know for sure that I am worth at least one, possibly up to two, but definitely not three.

(Warning: whinge ahead...)

Yesterday, I visited one of my favourite bead shops in Orchard Road. I visit this place very often, like what they have and generally have a good time there.

Anyway, after 30 minutes of migrating from a small shopping basket to a medium and then to an overflowing large one, I paid. The bill, as usual, was longer than I am tall (but I'm pretty short anyway, so that isn't saying very much ...hahahhah).

The cashier then whipped out three stacks of hongbao packages (empty ones -- you know, the ones which banks and companies give their customers and employees to use during the Lunar New Year) and said: "Here, for you."

They were cute -- one package was the traditional red, one was purple and the third was pink. So I stood there, about to decide which one I'd take and use and spread their brand name.

But quicker than you could warble "Gong Xi, Gong Xi, Gong Xi Ni .... ah!" SuperBossLady streaked over to the cashier counter and proceeded to ask the cashier why she gave me so many hongbao packages ... all this IN FRONT OF ME. Yeah, so she was speaking Mandarin and my knowledge of the language is pathetic, but what she was saying was pretty obvious. And pretty rude, if you ask me.

AND THEN, SuperBossLady so very graciously said to me: "You can have two".

Oh whooppeeeee. Bring out the pineapple tarts and fire crackers!

Guess where I'm NOT going to be spending so much BlingMoney from now on?

Images from www.bigfoto.com

4 comments:

3A Gurl said...

Yet another outlet that CASE should work on. So rude...

Simone said...

Yes, the BossLady was quite rude. Truly a case of penny wise, pound foolish. She may have saved herself a package or two of hongbao (not that i wanted any to begin with), but she has already lost some business from me.

I wouldn't have cared if the discussion was held after I had left or out of my earshot, but i was standing right there.

Oh well :)

Anonymous said...

WOW that is one rude lady boss. But guess what? There are many more out there. :( I've met a couple myself & hear about lots of others.

Simone said...

Yeah, Farah. Unfortunately, there are many others out there.