So, I was in a supermarket the other night and was in line at the checkout. I noticed the manager of the store, a skinny, grumpy looking guy in his 50s, talking to a couple who was bagging their purchases. He had a clipboard and was writing something down as he and the couple talked. I only could make out bits and pieces of what was being said but it sounded like he was conducting a survey.
I could hear the husband(?) telling the manager that they didn't have any kids, that they lived in the neighboring town and drove to the supermarket, etc. Soon, he was done asking questions and moved onto a man who'd just arrived at the bagging counter asking the same kind of questions. It was late in the evening and the place was not crowded and as I finished paying for my bags of chips and 2 liter bottles of Coca Cola Zero, I knew I would be the next subject for the survey.
I started preparing my answers in my head. First, I tried to come up with a profile.
Age : 40
Marital Status : Married
Children : 2 (Boy/6yrs old, Girl/3yrs old)
Occupation : Construction worker
Ya know... a regular Joe. I would tell him that the discounts on the pre-cooked meals and entrees should start a little bit earlier than 9 pm. Also, they should have a sliced-to-order deli meat counter. Oh, and they should instruct their cashiers to ditch the phoney put-upon smiles and that annoying mannered way of speech that they ALL seem to have. What else... Yes. The bakery really should stop ringing that hand-bell every 10 minutes. It startles the hell out of me every time.
The manager was still asking the man questions but the man had to go because his wife was waiting outside in the car. OK, I was up!
The manager looked up from his clipboard and our eyes met for a brief second. I gave him one of those tight-lip smile (which he returned), subtly signaling to him that I was ready for the survey. But he just walked away!
I give them plenty of business. I mean, I am there all the time! I KNOW the manager remembers my face by now. Doesn't he want to know what I had to say? I felt like I just had been rejected by a date, and wanted to know why. Was it the way I was dressed? My dirty baseball cap and the full beard that I had been working on for 2 weeks didn't exactly give off that "Family man" vibe? Or did he remember that one time when I complained about the annoying jingle they play non-stop and I had been put on his list of "difficult customers"? What!?
Come to think of it, I never get stopped by the "survey people" on the street. Those young women who give out complimentary packs of tissues at the mall never approach me. It could be very disappointing when you walk by these people, anticipating to be stopped and even preparing go, "What, for ME? Hey, thanks!" with a feigned look of surprise, then they just ignore you. You know they saw you. How could they not? They CHOSE not to give you the free pack of tissues for whatever reason.
Take yesterday afternoon at this mall in the city of Sano. SOFTBANK, one of the major cell-phone service providers in Japan, was doing a big promotional event in the courtyard. They were handing out tickets to the shoppers for prize giveaways. I was curious as to what they were giving away and walked by them a few times. Still, out of 4-5 people who were working the event and handing out tickets, none approached me to gime me a ticket. Not that I really wanted the prizes, which were cell-phone charms, tote bags, stuffed toys, etc... It's true that I am not sure that if they had given me a ticket and won something, I would have had the courage to walk up to the make-shift stage to claim my prize in front of everyone. It's just a matter of principle.
I know some of you'd say that I should just go up to them and ask for a ticket/a pack of tissue paper or whatever. I can't. I even have a problem reaching for food samples in supermarkets. I guess I just don't want to appear... greedy or something. I know it is stupid but that's how I am.
I could hear the husband(?) telling the manager that they didn't have any kids, that they lived in the neighboring town and drove to the supermarket, etc. Soon, he was done asking questions and moved onto a man who'd just arrived at the bagging counter asking the same kind of questions. It was late in the evening and the place was not crowded and as I finished paying for my bags of chips and 2 liter bottles of Coca Cola Zero, I knew I would be the next subject for the survey.
I started preparing my answers in my head. First, I tried to come up with a profile.
Age : 40
Marital Status : Married
Children : 2 (Boy/6yrs old, Girl/3yrs old)
Occupation : Construction worker
Ya know... a regular Joe. I would tell him that the discounts on the pre-cooked meals and entrees should start a little bit earlier than 9 pm. Also, they should have a sliced-to-order deli meat counter. Oh, and they should instruct their cashiers to ditch the phoney put-upon smiles and that annoying mannered way of speech that they ALL seem to have. What else... Yes. The bakery really should stop ringing that hand-bell every 10 minutes. It startles the hell out of me every time.
The manager was still asking the man questions but the man had to go because his wife was waiting outside in the car. OK, I was up!
The manager looked up from his clipboard and our eyes met for a brief second. I gave him one of those tight-lip smile (which he returned), subtly signaling to him that I was ready for the survey. But he just walked away!
I give them plenty of business. I mean, I am there all the time! I KNOW the manager remembers my face by now. Doesn't he want to know what I had to say? I felt like I just had been rejected by a date, and wanted to know why. Was it the way I was dressed? My dirty baseball cap and the full beard that I had been working on for 2 weeks didn't exactly give off that "Family man" vibe? Or did he remember that one time when I complained about the annoying jingle they play non-stop and I had been put on his list of "difficult customers"? What!?
Come to think of it, I never get stopped by the "survey people" on the street. Those young women who give out complimentary packs of tissues at the mall never approach me. It could be very disappointing when you walk by these people, anticipating to be stopped and even preparing go, "What, for ME? Hey, thanks!" with a feigned look of surprise, then they just ignore you. You know they saw you. How could they not? They CHOSE not to give you the free pack of tissues for whatever reason.
Take yesterday afternoon at this mall in the city of Sano. SOFTBANK, one of the major cell-phone service providers in Japan, was doing a big promotional event in the courtyard. They were handing out tickets to the shoppers for prize giveaways. I was curious as to what they were giving away and walked by them a few times. Still, out of 4-5 people who were working the event and handing out tickets, none approached me to gime me a ticket. Not that I really wanted the prizes, which were cell-phone charms, tote bags, stuffed toys, etc... It's true that I am not sure that if they had given me a ticket and won something, I would have had the courage to walk up to the make-shift stage to claim my prize in front of everyone. It's just a matter of principle.
I know some of you'd say that I should just go up to them and ask for a ticket/a pack of tissue paper or whatever. I can't. I even have a problem reaching for food samples in supermarkets. I guess I just don't want to appear... greedy or something. I know it is stupid but that's how I am.