Friday, April 30, 2010

Of Chickens and Business Owners

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A few days ago I shared about three uncooperative roosters who positively refused to lay eggs. Our neighbors had asked for four laying hens and were given one hen and three roosters. This past Saturday Alice took the three roosters back to Hertzlers in Powhatan and asked that they be exchanged for hens – this made sense to her since she had requested hens – the exchange went something like this:

Alice: I’d like to exchange these rooters for hens. When we purchased them we requested hens and they’re roosters.

Proprietor: You must have asked for roosters; that’s why you got roosters.

Alice: No, we asked for four laying hens.

Proprietor: That couldn’t have been or you would have gotten four laying hens. You must have asked for one hen and three roosters.

Alice: No. Can I please exchange them?

Proprietor: No. You must have asked for them or you wouldn’t have them.

Alice: Well, can I leave them here? I don’t want them.

Proprietor: No. They might infect the other birds. (One wonders if the proprietor thought they’d turn hens into roosters).

So with that Alice left. She did find somewhere else to purchase two hens, she took one rooster home; the other two roosters have presumably found other accommodations.

Contrast Alice’s experience at Hertzlers with her husband Patrick’s at Tractor Supply on Hull Street Road. He retuned a defective lawnmower – and not only did they give him an upgrade, since coming back into the store the manager made a special effort at another apology.

Contrast Alice’s experience at Hertzlers with mine at Wild Birds Unlimited on Midlothian Turnpike. I went into the store on Monday afternoon in regard to a problem with a purchase, and Bruce, one of the owners, spent about an hour making things right – this included speaking with the manufacturer of the product I had purchased.

People forget that the most important product they sell is service.

You may have noticed that there is no photo of chickens above, but only feathers. It seems the chickens are out and about on a hot Spring day – I’ll see if I can find them.

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“Gromit,” (this is Nature Boy’s brother in the Revere family), “have you seen the chickens?”

“No, Uncle Bob, I haven’t seen the chickens.”

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“Seth,” (one of the Revere twins), have you seen the chickens?”

“No Uncle Bob, I haven’t seen the chickens.”

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“Hey gang, any chickens here?”

“Eat more chicken! Eat more chicken! Eat more chicken Uncle Bob!”

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“Any chickens?”

“Chickens? Chickens? Keep those chickens away from my corn.”

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“Lily, have you seen the chickens?”

“Dad, you know I don’t do chickens…now sheep and cattle that’s another thing. But if I see any I’ll let you know. Wanna play ball or Frisbee?”

Well gentle reader, what can I say?

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