Don't mock us! We are cleverer than you think.
Whatever happened to customer service? What about simple respect for the buyer?
October 1972. I am accompanying an elderly Sikh lady on a 'shopping trip' during our last few days in Uganda. She wants to buy a suitcase to carry her belongings on her last journey out of the country in a few days' time.
We arrive at a shop run by Asian traders and the lady asks for a medium sized suitcase. She is shown a suitcase but from this point onwards the buyer's and sellers minds start to show a huge gap. The shopkeeper wants to charge Shs 2000/- and buyer is ready to pay only Shs 200/- " Why are you charging so much for such a poor quality suitcase?" she asks the trader. Then she goes,
" Remember that the Asians have been expelled and they are all going to need suitcases. What will you do with so much profit? How will get the money out of the country?" she asks while at the same time she wants the trader to be reasonable with the price. Attack and advice dont mix too well.
"Dont worry about the idea of getting money out, Auntie Ji! We have our arrangements in place.... We are not like you Sikhs! We are Gujarati traders and we have our connections...." He made it clear to the elderly Sikh woman that she was in the way and that her comments were not welcome. During the last days of our stay in Uganda, we suffered consequences of escalating demand and fixed supply in this isolated market but never had we seen inflation reaching a factor of 20 plus!
The Asian exodus has created very heavy demand for every single consumer item on display in the shops. Some of the items being purchased are critically essential for the prospective emigrants. Every single piece of "rubbish" that you would have never bought before is now on sale for a markup of 2000% if not more. You are advised to buy quickly, with no comments, and to be grateful for getting the goods. There are hundreds of Asians with fat wallets looking to buy anything worthwhile in order to get their money out of Uganda.
October 1972. I am accompanying an elderly Sikh lady on a 'shopping trip' during our last few days in Uganda. She wants to buy a suitcase to carry her belongings on her last journey out of the country in a few days' time.
We arrive at a shop run by Asian traders and the lady asks for a medium sized suitcase. She is shown a suitcase but from this point onwards the buyer's and sellers minds start to show a huge gap. The shopkeeper wants to charge Shs 2000/- and buyer is ready to pay only Shs 200/- " Why are you charging so much for such a poor quality suitcase?" she asks the trader. Then she goes,
" Remember that the Asians have been expelled and they are all going to need suitcases. What will you do with so much profit? How will get the money out of the country?" she asks while at the same time she wants the trader to be reasonable with the price. Attack and advice dont mix too well.
"Dont worry about the idea of getting money out, Auntie Ji! We have our arrangements in place.... We are not like you Sikhs! We are Gujarati traders and we have our connections...." He made it clear to the elderly Sikh woman that she was in the way and that her comments were not welcome. During the last days of our stay in Uganda, we suffered consequences of escalating demand and fixed supply in this isolated market but never had we seen inflation reaching a factor of 20 plus!
The Asian exodus has created very heavy demand for every single consumer item on display in the shops. Some of the items being purchased are critically essential for the prospective emigrants. Every single piece of "rubbish" that you would have never bought before is now on sale for a markup of 2000% if not more. You are advised to buy quickly, with no comments, and to be grateful for getting the goods. There are hundreds of Asians with fat wallets looking to buy anything worthwhile in order to get their money out of Uganda.
posted by K Singh Ajimal at
1:18 am
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