I went to a local printing company today. I bought my Internet time up front and then printed 3 pages (@ 25 cents a page).
I gave the owner $1.00 to pay for my printed pages. He told me he did not have enough change to give me the 25 cents he owed me. He asked me if I had exact change and I didn't. So he only gave me back 20 cents. He then said I needed to go out and get change if I wanted what was owed to me or collect my 5 cents another day when he had it. I responded that was the most ridiculous thing I ever heard and if he's running a business, then he's supposed to have change to give back to customers.
He then got really nasty and told me that I don't deserve to use his computers in his store (the ones I paid to use as a customer btw). After that he somehow found the exact change to give me. I told him I would never come back (I've done copies and faxes there before btw) as his Internet service was inferior anyway. The only reason I went there was because it was cheaper than the Kinko's across the street. He then asked if I was rude to other people like him and I asked him was he such an @sshole to his other customers like he was being to me. (BTW I'm a black woman in a mostly white area and I don't know if his discrimination had anything to do with my race) Even though the owner of this store is Indian but there's not too many black people where I am.
Now I really didn't like this guy's nasty attitude and him trying to cheat me. It's just the principle of the whole thing that bothers me. What should I do about this situation (besides never patronizing him again)? This is not chain store but it's a mom-and-pop shop owned by South Asian immigrants.
How do I deal with this unprofessional situation with a business owner?
I think I understand where you're coming from, it's not about the nickel, but about his all-around rudeness. No one deserves to be treated badly by a business person. If he didn't have a nickel, he could have given you three dimes and made a customer happy. He never should have asked you to go get change, as a businessman, it IS his responsibility to make sure he is able to make change.
Your best bet is to never go there again, and if you want to make an impact, tell the owners about it, and make sure your friends know how you were treated. A business depends on it's customer base, and if their customers leave, they have no business.
I don't think it was racial, I get the feeling that the guy is an equal opportunity offender.
How do I deal with this unprofessional situation with a business owner?
All this drama over being shortchanged by five cents? Standing on principle is admirable, but this is ridiculous. Here's how you deal with it: ignore it. Life's too short for this kind of upset.
You find something else to get upset about. All that drama over a nickel was ridiculous. Do the man a favor and take your business elsewhere along with your attitude.
First off, how rude of you to assume he was being nasty because you are black %26amp; live in a mostly white area. Why do black people always assume every problem they encounter is because of their color? That is not true. Just because he was rude to you doesn't mean he isn't rude to anyone else %26amp; doesn't mean he was rude to you because of your color. You accusing him of being a racist is as bad as, if not worse, than him not having change %26amp; giving you attitude. Just don't go there again, %26amp; tell people what happened so they don't go there any more either, %26amp; do it without blaming it on you being black, just use the facts.
Forget about it and get a life.
This has cost you about $100 in emotional time.
