They Made My Day

The sky was sparsely covered with white cumulus clouds as the sun reigned supreme. The awning of trees provide a brief respite from the scorching heat.

Undaunted by the extreme weather, I tore out of my home, brisk-walked to the nearest bus stop, hopped on a short bus trip to the nearest MRT, and darted up the escalator just in time for a departing train.

The reason for my enthusiasm - meeting Frieda Pinto before Immortals descend on our local cinemas, I wish - lies in an assessment book voucher. At 30% discount, nothing beats this unbelievable offer, so that explains the extra spring in my steps.

I had an added incentive - Joshua drove me from Bishan to an old but friendly neighbourhood in the north-eastern part of Singapore. We parked under the foliage of a big tree and to my surprise, we were just in front of the shop's back door.

In a jiffy, we zipped round the HDB building and walked into the main door of Casco before the heat could melt us. The shopping concluded in barely 10 min, and it was as smooth as the smooth talk I received from the well-trained sales staff. It was easy to exchange smooth and PR lines with them, thanks to the smooth prata curry I gobbled at breakfast.

"You are buying so many books. You can't be a parent. You must be a tutor"

"Wow, so observant!" I cooed, eyes widened, "I will come back again! But I live very far away, you know. I live in Jurong"

"Jurong? It's fine lah," rapped the smart sales staff who must have felt she scored a potential big customer, "We even have clients in Woodlands. Did you come by car?"

"Of course!" I grinned, "But no worries, I can come again by the Circle Line. It's very convenient!"

Do you believe that curry sweetened my speech and slid me through Operation Small Talk? Well, the account is almost perfectly true, except smooth curry is the last thing linked with smooth speech, seriously! Be glad my stomach digested the spicy fumes and doused any potential eruption. For all the polite exchanges, praise, and smiles deserving of a pat by any PR guru, the staff knighted me and bestowed me with a 30% discount voucher.

It was actually the same voucher I brought along for my shopping spree.

"The voucher expires in 2012 Feb. What a waste to expend it now!"

O.o

Fine. Reason accepted. If only all shops I patronise are like that. Throw stinginess in the trash. Stinginess only breeds cold stares or fiery scorns - whatever that is opposite of the fickle weather.

Embrace generosity, will you sales staff out there, and your virtue will bring a warm fire on cold days, and a cool glass of lime on hot days to any customer. We, the so-called kiasu Singaporeans do appreciate goodwill. Surely, if you treat your customers well, they will return in droves with gratitude and glee, no?

In a nutshell, the staff at Casco made my day. =D