Customer Service

Customer service can make or break you. One of my favorite places in L.A is Little Tokyo. I've written about it in this blog, but I haven't been there in a longtime. I wanted to buy someone some candy, and the internet recommended a shop which I will not name here, because it's a mom-and-pop store, and I want to vent about the way I was treated without hurting their business. I put in their address in my phone, and followed the GPS to get there. I had no idea what was good, and I usually don't like to get sweets or food for someone without trying it first.

The customer waiting in line in front of me raved about one of their candies, and I thought I buy a sample before getting other things. The guy behind the register said that they don't accept anything in cards below $15. After I paid him in cash, I decided to try it. The guy said: Sorry, you can't eat in here. I said: I want to buy a bunch of other things, but first, I want to see how I like this. He said: This isn't a restaurant. The owner, an older lady, passed me a dirty look. So, I walked out, and tried the candy outside of the store. It was awful, I threw it out, and walked away. (Image by Wolf Art)

I have travelled to Japan. I know all about their strict rules, and their refusal to bend. But here's the thing. This business is not in Japan. It is in the U.S. There will be American customers going into that store, and getting treated rudely. I thought that the cashier's response was disrespectful, and the owner was rude as she stared at me with tight lips as though I had committed a crime by asking a question. (image by Satoshi Hirayama)

I get it. I once owned a high-end clothing store. Customers and their toddlers would come in with food, and touch the clothes with sticky fingers. One lady knocked over a large size soda all over my silk shirts and damaged them, forcing me to put up a sign, asking customers to please not eat in the store while shopping. But that was different. My business sold clothes. Here, I was in a candy store. Many places that sell sweets even go as far as allowing you to sample things. I wasn't even asking for that. I had already paid for my item. Anyway, I will never return to that store. (image by topntp26)

I ended up going to one of my favorite markets, Nijiya Market, and asked an employee if it was okay if I sampled stuff, and pay for them at the register. She had no problem with it, neither did the cashier. I got two boxes of chocolate, and cookies, one to try to see if it was good, and one to give away, and a bunch of other things. I should have come to this store in the first place. It's just that I wanted to get the sweets from a candy artisan. A mistake. Poor customer service is a pet peeve of mine. I simply walk out, and never return.