Sometimes It Comes Down to This...
Hi Everyone: Today, my missionary friend Ellen helped move most of my things from my temporary home into my new flat/apartment. I have a great shopping story to share. When I moved here I was only able to bring a few pieces of luggage and my laptop. One thing that didn't make it was my printer. I knew that I would either need to buy one here or somehow try to ship the one in Tampa to here. Shipping is very expensive and so with Ellen's help (she has a car to take me places) I decided to price printers here in Brno. She saw some the other day in a store where she was doing some shopping so we started there first. We went down one aisle and saw a couple but nothing that really jumped out at me. We wandered to another spot and we found one that was HP brand that had a sign which showed it was marked down. This was a 3 in one model--copier, scanner, printer---I said that appears to be a good price and it is compatible with my Mac laptop so I decided to get it. We found a few other items that I could use so we slowly made our way to the check out lane.
When the cashier scanned the printer it came up 600 Czech crowns (or close to $30 US) more than what Ellen and I had seen on the sign. Ellen asked me that wasn't the right price was it and I said no. So she quickly told the cashier in Czech that wasn't the right price. The cashier called back to the correct dept and they told him to wait while they verified the price. You need to understand something for the most part "the customer is always right mentality" is done in America society better than anywhere else. Here it is rare that you have a cashier take the time to smile or be patient with the customer who is trying to put the correct amount of money on the counter or in the small dish where you are to place the money. (I still at times try to hand it to them.) So I was very surprised at how patient this cashier was. He waited and waited and then waited some more. I kept thinking what is taking so long-- can't they find the display. Ellen even mentioned maybe she should go back there and show them. Finally, the dept said the price that rang up was correct and the sign was put there by customer or something. Ellen told the cashier she was going back there to talk with them about it because there was at least 3 of them back there with the sign with a lower price. Their answer didn't seem right to us.
When Ellen walked up to the display there were several clerks surrounding the display and our proof "the price sign" had disappeared. One clerk in particular tried to say it was put their by mistake by someone like a customer. Ellen found the sign as they tried to hide it under some advertisement. When confronted one young clerk said there was a mistake that the 3 boxes we had seen was on sale last week not this week and they were not moved like they should of been. Sometimes more than anything else an issue comes down to the principle of the matter. Ellen speaking in Czech explained that wasn't her problem that we saw the item marked at a certain price and that is what we should pay for it. The young clerk didn't agree so Ellen asked for the manager who happened to be nearby. When he heard the situation he agreed with Ellen and told the young clerk that we were entitled to the sale price. I appreciated Ellen going to bat for me and somehow God giving us favor with the manager. Because in this society we could of easily been told to either pay the higher price or go elsewhere. But this time principle won out and Ellen saved me a little bit of money. But more importantly this time no clerk was able to pull the wool over our eyes. We knew what we saw! Hope you enjoyed my shopping story. Take Care until next time.
Blessings,
Colleen
PS-- Heads Up--It might take me a week or so before I have internet access in my new flat. So don't be surprised if no new posts are published for a while. I won't have much time to post anyway--Please Pray for me because on Monday I start my two week intensive Czech language course. I will be getting at least 5 hours of Czech per day. Pray my mind can absorb all that will be thrown at me and that I learn all that I can. Thanks!! I appreciate your interest in what God is having me do here in the Czech Republic.
When the cashier scanned the printer it came up 600 Czech crowns (or close to $30 US) more than what Ellen and I had seen on the sign. Ellen asked me that wasn't the right price was it and I said no. So she quickly told the cashier in Czech that wasn't the right price. The cashier called back to the correct dept and they told him to wait while they verified the price. You need to understand something for the most part "the customer is always right mentality" is done in America society better than anywhere else. Here it is rare that you have a cashier take the time to smile or be patient with the customer who is trying to put the correct amount of money on the counter or in the small dish where you are to place the money. (I still at times try to hand it to them.) So I was very surprised at how patient this cashier was. He waited and waited and then waited some more. I kept thinking what is taking so long-- can't they find the display. Ellen even mentioned maybe she should go back there and show them. Finally, the dept said the price that rang up was correct and the sign was put there by customer or something. Ellen told the cashier she was going back there to talk with them about it because there was at least 3 of them back there with the sign with a lower price. Their answer didn't seem right to us.
When Ellen walked up to the display there were several clerks surrounding the display and our proof "the price sign" had disappeared. One clerk in particular tried to say it was put their by mistake by someone like a customer. Ellen found the sign as they tried to hide it under some advertisement. When confronted one young clerk said there was a mistake that the 3 boxes we had seen was on sale last week not this week and they were not moved like they should of been. Sometimes more than anything else an issue comes down to the principle of the matter. Ellen speaking in Czech explained that wasn't her problem that we saw the item marked at a certain price and that is what we should pay for it. The young clerk didn't agree so Ellen asked for the manager who happened to be nearby. When he heard the situation he agreed with Ellen and told the young clerk that we were entitled to the sale price. I appreciated Ellen going to bat for me and somehow God giving us favor with the manager. Because in this society we could of easily been told to either pay the higher price or go elsewhere. But this time principle won out and Ellen saved me a little bit of money. But more importantly this time no clerk was able to pull the wool over our eyes. We knew what we saw! Hope you enjoyed my shopping story. Take Care until next time.
Blessings,
Colleen
PS-- Heads Up--It might take me a week or so before I have internet access in my new flat. So don't be surprised if no new posts are published for a while. I won't have much time to post anyway--Please Pray for me because on Monday I start my two week intensive Czech language course. I will be getting at least 5 hours of Czech per day. Pray my mind can absorb all that will be thrown at me and that I learn all that I can. Thanks!! I appreciate your interest in what God is having me do here in the Czech Republic.
posted by Darlingc on a Czech Journey at
8:38 PM
1 Comments:
Good Job Shopping!!!!!!!!My kind of story.........When your right your right.....Love You,MOM
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2:53 PM
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