| I didn't intend to change to another supermarket. | | | | changed," she said. "We've never had any |
| For the last 18 years my family has used the | | | | robberies." |
| same supermarket. | | | | And so I tried phoning the store manager to ask |
| It's less than half a mile from our home. It sells | | | | for his help. I even explained that both my |
| almost every food item that we need. We buy | | | | brother and my mother work at another branch |
| our petrol there, our newspapers, postage | | | | of this company. And I really don't want to buy |
| stamps, stationery, wine, CDs. We even buy our | | | | my petrol anywhere else. I explained the idea of |
| domestic gas and electricity from this store. | | | | using the external hatch so that motorcyclists |
| But one little thing has really been bothering me | | | | don't even have to enter the shop. But, despite |
| recently. | | | | his assurance that he doesn't want me to shop |
| When I go to fill up my motorcycle with petrol, | | | | elsewhere, nothing has changed. |
| there is a sign that says I must remove my | | | | Now maybe I'm getting a bit old and grumpy. But |
| crash helmet before entering the shop to pay for | | | | this situation irritated me. And I wondered about |
| my fuel. And I can understand that this is to | | | | how other customers might cope. What would a |
| deter any potential robbers who might use a | | | | nun have to do? Or a lady wearing a hijab? Or |
| crash helmet to conceal their identity. | | | | maybe even a man wearing a turban? Are we all |
| This wasn't too bad in the summer. And I | | | | potential villains? |
| complied with the request. Although I noticed that | | | | A couple of weeks went by and, just by chance, |
| the petrol stations of other supermarkets and oil | | | | we had to buy our shopping from a different |
| companies had no similar condition. | | | | supermarket. We went to Marks & Spencer. |
| But when the colder weather arrived, I started to | | | | Although it was a little harder to locate all the |
| wear a thermal balaclava under my crash helmet. | | | | things we needed in a strange store, we quite |
| And so now this petrol station wants me to | | | | enjoyed the adventure. And then I spotted that |
| remove my crash helmet and my balaclava. To | | | | Marks & Spencer sells sushi. And I've been a |
| do so means first removing my gloves. Then I | | | | sushi addict for some time but our normal |
| take off my glasses and store them safely. Then | | | | supermarket doesn't sell it. |
| I am able to remove my crash helmet, undo my | | | | So guess what has happened? We now visit |
| jacket, remove my neck tube and finally take off | | | | Marks & Spencer on a regular basis. And I |
| my balaclava. | | | | notice that my wife is coming home with food |
| To put everything back on really means taking | | | | from several other stores too. Maybe we've not |
| my jacket off otherwise I cannot get the various | | | | switched allegiance to any one particular store. But |
| layers to lay flat and comfortably. And where do | | | | we've certainly switched away from the one that |
| I store everything that I've just taken off. On the | | | | we spent approximately £10,000 with |
| floor??? | | | | every year. Over 18 years, that's a lot of money. |
| I mentioned to the cashier how inconvenient this | | | | What can we learn from this story? |
| was for me. She seemed to be very | | | | I suggest that you let your team think about this |
| understanding but explained that this was | | | | situation and how it could have been handled |
| company policy. | | | | differently. Let them come up with the ideas and |
| I then suggested that they might like to ask | | | | suggestions. That way they will feel more |
| motorcyclist to use the payment hatch to her | | | | involved and any ideas that could be applied to |
| side. The one that would allow motorcyclists to | | | | your business will be their ideas. |
| pay from outside the shop without even having | | | | The sort of things that I'm thinking of include |
| to enter. "That's a good idea," she told me. But I | | | | listening to customers, understanding lifetime |
| could tell that it wasn't going to go any further. | | | | value, following up a customer complaint |
| I also asked her how many fewer robberies they | | | | suggestion, making it easy for customers to buy |
| now had as a result of this policy. "It hasn't | | | | from you. |