While owning a business you take the good with the bad. Today I dealt with a customer that really tried to tear me down. She is an artist that paints beautiful vases, plates,etc all with a western theme. She does a fabulous job. She has displayed pieces at our store for years. Recently, she took all of her items out of the glass case where we kept them and took them to a show. No problem. Today she came back with two items that she painted to sell for Father's Day. Here is the problem from our standpoint. Although they are beautiful works of art they simply do not sell. We want to use our space for items that we can move. In this economic craziness going on we are going to be lucky to make it through. We have already seen the drop, but we are blessed that people are still keeping us afloat. So, we have made the decision to not carry her items and use the space for other items that we can move faster. I hated telling her because she is a good woman and been through trial after trial lately. I could see she was heartbroken by the news.
In the end she called to yell at me for being heartless and unchristian. I took a great offense to that and my heart aches for her, but at the same time...this business has my family's name on it and not hers. She has truly hurt me that she could be so negative. She said that Don has been rude to her more than once and that she was done with us and our store. I tried to explain to her that our decision was not one trying to be hurtful, but she refused to hear it. I feel angry right now that it seems to me that she is being selfish in her attitude towards us. I will take a deep look at myself tonight and decide if my attitude is one of selfishness. I hate to be that way. Unfortunately, when you own a business calls need to be made that aren't the easiest to make and sometimes people get their feelings hurt. I hate this day!!!! I wish I could hide under the covers!!!
4 comments:
Those are the days you want to crawl under the covers and hide.
Not a bad idea Tammy...
She was probably having a really bad day and decided to take it out on you. Or, maybe she is just that way and who needs her coming in anyways. Unless she is spending alot of money and then sorry.
Take Care.
I am sorry that she took it out on you. Unfortunately some people can not handle rejection. She choose to lash out you and Don. Maybe later she may see it form your point (but not likely). When doing things like you had to do today becomes easy, than you can say that you have no heart. Sometimes doing the right things are not the easiest ones. You have to remember that you and Don make the decisions in the store. If she wants to call the shots she needs to open up her own store.
Hang in there it will get better.
luv ya,
Chris
Don, rude? No way!
You, unchristian? Absolutely not!
Please...TRY not to take it personally. You had to make the decision based on your business, that is your job! Your job is not to walk on egg shells. Hang in there, tomorrow is another day!
Probably not rude. And probably not unchristian. But realistic. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do, and unfortunately you are going to step on a few toes along the way.
Yes, you did the right thing. Your business has to survive. Don't agonize over what you did. or even her reaction.
She just got her feelings hurt and wanted to lash out at you and hurt you back. But in saying this, she's an adult and she has to be aware of the ups and downs of the marketplace. The way that she handled it sounds extremely professional and immature to me.
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