We have a toilet in the back of the garage that is supposed to be for staff only. Head Office don’t believe we should let customers use it as they (Head Office)are worried that they (the customers) might fall over something and hurt themselves or wander around helping themselves to our stock. They also think we should direct customers into the store itself to use the toilets there as they think the customers might spend a few quid while they’re over there. You can clearly see it happening - “Ooh, I’m busting for a piss, and once I’ve finished I think I’ll buy that half a cucumber I spotted in the veg section.”
Anyway, I let the customers use it. Not all the time, and not in any advertised way, but if someone asks I’ll do the gentlemanly thing and let them go ahead. I don’t see the point in annoying them by following company protocol when I could offer good customer service and possibly persuade them to come back again.
Today I foolishly let one of our regulars - a delivery van driver of many tattoos and not many brain cells - ‘borrow the loo for a quick one’ (his words, not mine.)
I should have spotted my error when he grabbed a copy of The Sun from our newspaper rack and took it with him round the back without paying for it. Ten minutes later he emerged, placed The Sun (still unpaid for) back where he got it from and, as he walked past me on the way to the door, loudly proclaimed “Man I forgot that I hadn’t cut my nails this week. My index finger looks like an owls talon. Went right through the paper while wiping. Now I have a bleeding scrape up my arse and a lump of shit under my fingernail.”
I wanted to tell him that kind of comment was more suited to a building site than a filling station but I was too distracted by the fact that he was resting his hands on my counter.
RC 6-9-16
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