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JULY 17 LETTER: A little 'hello' goes a long way

As I learned as a 16-year-old grocery clerk, the customers pay the wages not the boss.

Editor:

Re: Businesses need to be more welcoming (letter, June 19 issue)

In addition to E. Faminoff’s letter to the editor, here is a lesson well learned.

At the young age of 16, during the ‘40s, I felt proud to be chosen to work in a local grocery store. Not knowing my boss was watching my behaviour, I was talking to a friend while another customer walked in. I did not acknowledge the new customer by saying, “Hello,” “Hi” or even waving. Luckily for me, the customer shopped anyways.

When there was no one in the store, my boss called me into the office and this was the conversation. “When a customer walks in, acknowledge him or her by a smile, a ‘hello’ or a ‘hi.’ The customer is noticed and feels good and shops.”

He told me, “If you think I am the one that is paying your wages, you are wrong. I only write the cheque. It is the customer who pays your wages. If he or she does not come in, I will not need you. So the customer is very important.”

Our little city is beautiful and clean with lovely hanging baskets and beautiful containers full of flowers but if we don’t have the friendly personnel and good customer service in our shops, it won’t make people shop local. A smile and hello doesn’t cost anything – the result may surprise us.

Vivian Malove, Grand Forks