Category Archives: Greeting & Rapport

A simple smile

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Version 2

A store marquis caught my eye as I walked through my local mall last week. The marquis belongs to a small jewelry store chain here in the Pacific Northwest and this particular chain of stores holds a special place in my heart.

Six years ago, I found these stores while hunting for a replacement wedding ring after misplacing my expensive first one. Fortunately for me, they happen to stock a nice choice of reasonably priced silver wedding bands so I could fulfill my commitment to my wife to wear a ring. The store was easy to shop and the staff had been friendly and helpful so I bought my replacement wedding band there and have managed to hang onto it ever since. But I digress.

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Stymied

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Version 2

As stores begin to make room for their summer assortment, they discount their winter outerwear making January a great time to buy.  I decided to take advantage of this and headed to the mall to find my next winter jacket. (It did not hurt that holiday weekend sales events were in full swing.)

Walking towards the storefront of one of my favorite brands, I saw signs proclaiming “EVERYTHING UP TO 60% OFF!” The signs only served to feed my expectations as I entered the store and walked past a salesman posted just inside the front door.  It was poor form of him to not greet me as I passed since he was not busy with anything. Continuing further into the store, I began checking out a rack of men’s winter jackets. The clerk finally called out a friendly greeting.

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No thanks, I am just buying

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Version 2I was on the road for the company I worked for at the time and after several flight delays had finally landed in Atlanta. If all went well, I had just enough time to get to my appointment with the Atlanta store manager.

As I was stepping off the plane, I hit my arm against a cabinet near the plane’s doorway popping my watch off my wrist. The watch skidded across the floor and fell neatly between the plane and the gangway twenty feet to the tarmac below. In the post 9-11 era, I did not feel it would be worth the time and effort to try to get the inexpensive watch back.

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The Odd Question

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“Did anyone help you with the vest?”

The question was met with a confused look from the customer. So the cashier did what many Americans do when they are met with an uncomfortable silence, he repeated the question again but slower as if to encourage comprehension. “Did   anyone   help  you  with   the   vest   today?” Looking around to see if there was someone else the cashier may have been talking to and continuing to look confused, the customer finally offered “No, I don’t think so.”

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