26/05/2026
I’ve thought long and hard about our end of week post, generally I prefer to keep things light and joyful with the occasional funny observation but yesterday nearly upended me!
So here’s a little dollop of honesty, after nearly 18 years in retail, here’s the thing that surprises me..
How quickly some people now go from zero to outrage.
Questions? Absolutely fine.
Problems? We’ll always do our best.
Things occasionally needing fixed, checked, explained or sorted? That’s part of running a business.
But what happened to basic civility?
The vast majority of our customers are genuinely wonderful — kind, patient, funny, understanding and supportive. We’re enormously grateful for that.
But there’s a growing minority who arrive instantly combative, accusatory or downright rude and are becoming increasingly exhausting.
Most independent shops are not run by shady tycoons speeding around in sports cars counting piles of cash. They are run by ordinary people working long hours, juggling rising costs, worrying constantly, trying to offer thoughtful products and good service.
In reality most if not all issues are small. Usually very small. Almost always solvable with a polite conversation.
At a time when people elsewhere in the world are genuinely fearing for their safety and survival, there has to be some perspective about a delayed parcel, a misunderstanding, or a shop query surely?
Retail staff and hospitality staff are to be valued we’re not here to absorb your bad mood.
A little patience. A little kindness. A little decency.
Finally to the customer who thought they could leave their manky glasses on our display in exchange for a bright shiny new pair, thank you - that’s just how I anticipated spending my Saturday evening scrolling though our CCTV to find the culprit!
There were many times yesterday when I considered my life choices, anyhoo we all survived the week. Our coffee machine deserves employee of the month and we’ll be back behind the counter from 10 am on Tuesday.
Have a lovely bank holiday weekend 🤍
