It Never Hurts to Ask
By Rachel Schwarz
After graduating from college and becoming financially responsible for myself, the first luxury to go was my shopping addiction.
A month into this new reality, I walked into one of my favorite stores to browse and fell in love with a casual top, which was unfortunately priced above what I could afford. I noticed, however, that there was a rip in the sleeve. It was a small hole, and I was confident I could fix it with relative ease.
I showed the cashier the hole, and asked if there was any discount since the shirt was damaged. I was careful not to yell at the person helping me or insult the quality of the goods that the store sold. I had decided ahead of time what price I felt comfortable paying, and with the discount they indeed afforded me, I was able to buy the shirt.
I ended up with a new top just because I asked if there was anything the store could do. It was as easy as that. Yes, I was the customer, but showing courtesy to employees who get yelled at all day will help everyone stay calmer and work cooperatively towards the end goal.
Whether you’re the customer or the storeowner, remember that you never know what’s going on in someone else’s life, and your respect can help everyone leave the interaction satisfied.
It never hurts to ask!
