Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The dark truth about salesmen


Good salesmanship is a dying trait.Which is why on-line trade has thrived over the years and its popularity is growing
globally.A recent visit to an electrical shop in Petaling Jaya's SS2 supported my claim.I was there to buy a piece of battery for my SDHC video camera. The brand that
the shop supports, is Panasonic.In Malaysia, this is multi-million Ringgit industry that is dictated by trend.My in-laws seems to have plenty of confidence at the shop's main outlet called
'Tong Kong' in SS3, Petaling Jaya.The place I visited was merely a branch managed by a guy who goes by the name
of 'David Tan'.I guess this was the same dude with the balding head who manned the counter
with an attitude.When I got there, I headed straight to a salesgirl and asked her about the
Panasonic SW-21 camcorder. Her reaction was a blank face and when I asked if
they have batteries sold as seperate accessories, and to get a clearer picture,
she referred to her boss. I can see his disgusted face from a distance, perhaps a no-sale issue is lingering
in the air.The owner told me that the store offers no discounts and that everything was sold
at a fixed price.What puzzled me was the discounts they gave and this particular store has the
reputation of charging fair prices.Not when I was there. He told me that batteries need to be ordered and it takes
about three days for the stock arrive.In my opinion, maybe walk-in customers who are not dressed to kill should not be
entertained.Salesmen it seems, has the knack to have double-standards.With an attitude like that, I won't be surprised to see the shop wind up.David Tan could as well be a statistic in failed businesses. So fuck him!After the episode with Tong Kong, I went across the street to ESH, another
electrical store.I asked about the same thing and what I got, was the runaround. This goes to say that the sales and service qualities in outlets as such has gone to the dogs.Way I see it, if they blame other factors for non-performance and poor sales, it all
points back to them for their own misgivings.

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