When I joined the street I am presently living in, there were just two shops, right now there are 23 shops in the small street I reside in. All of them are selling the same items, maggi, rice, pepper, cowbell, peak milk, sweets, soap etc. There is intense competition and the sellers keep putting pressure on buyers to buy from their shops.
One of the new shops opened around late October last year. It’s a residential apartment for a couple and their kids. The couple is using the front end of their home to sell sundry items and recharge cards.
I have been patronizing them for a while now since the shop is very close to my house. Yesterday afternoon I went to purchase some items.
The lady told me she had something to give to me.
I wondered what it was.
She went inside the house and came out with one bag of sachet water.
I asked her what’s it was for.
She said she is rewarding customers who patronized the shop during the festive season.
I was surprised and thanked her for the gesture. I collected the bag and left.
Right there and then, I made up my mind that from now henceforth I will be buying everything I need only from that shop. It’s only when they don’t have the item that I would check elsewhere.
In all the years of patronizing the shops on this street, no seller or shop owner has one day given me anything for free, not even a piece of chewing gum or a packet of biscuit.
A bag of sachet water is N120 but you can’t compare that with the amount of money that I would be spending in this shop.
These small things do matter. Customers like it when businesses show appreciation for patronage.
Yes, the lady is Igbo.