So I know I haven't posted anything in quite some time.... SORRY. As a homeschooler I am a very busy kid/teen/sort-of-adult. You probably read that last line and thought it was a joke but guess what?? It was not! My mom owns a boutique called Paisley Polkadot. We are a small business and we sell women's clothing (obviously). It is one of the cutest shops ever-and I am not just saying that because my mom owns it- and me being her child, helps run the shop. It is pretty awesome most days because people will come in and say "What an awesome store you have here!" That makes me feel pretty amazing! My parents work hard to please the locals so we can sell our product and help make people happy and give them a pleasant shopping experience. I try to as well by being extremely kind and considerate to customers when I work. All in all it should be a pretty awesome time because, as I have previously stated, it is a COOL store.
That being said it really bothers me when people come in and scrunch up their face and give me and my mom and the other employees weird looks, like our store just isn't cool enough for them. I'm sorry, we aren't Walmart! We can't sell a pair of pants for $5 because 1) We wouldn't make money off of them and 2) They are not the same slacks you would find at a supermarket. It is sad to see people who bully small businesses. It is a tough world out there and I am proud to say that my parents own 3 small businesses that they run by themselves. It is an awesome achievement, especially in this economy.
Recently a new customer... Sally came into the store on the same day as our Grand Opening/Open house. For this event we were offering a discount to our returning customers who had been customers at our old location. Well apparently "Sally" heard about this event from one of her friends and got upset about it because she had purchased something early in the day. When she called the store (at the beginning of our very busy event) I answered the phone. She harshly asked for my name and then explained why she was "disappointing" in our store. Quietly I explained that our Open House was an invitation-only event for returning customers only and we had not given the discount to any person who did not have an invitation in hand at check out. She rudely dismissed herself and basically left me furious. Yet another case of small business bullying. If "Sally" walked into Old Navy the day before a sale I am almost positive she would not have called after purchasing items and said "I just found out about your sale, refund my money." They would not care at all. But my mother is the sweetest person alive and does not want anyone to be disappointed in our business so she called "sally" to apologize (who did not bother to pick up the phone OR call back) and sent her a gift certificate in the mail.
I guess my point is, PLEASE be kind to small businesses because I know how it feels when people are nice. Especially in a small town like I live in, small businesses and their owners need to be supported as much as possible. I know what it is like trying to run a business and let me tell you, it is NO walk in the park on a sunny day. Every once in a while just take a walk or a drive to a small business near you, even if it is just to say hello! Owners like to make friends more than big box store employees do! And I am not saying stop shopping at malls and Walmart, just try to support your local business too!
Stay happy :)
Hannah <3 p="p">
