So Long And Thanks For All The Service

Please accept my apology for my rudeness yesterday when I came into your store to buy a phone and interrupted your conversation with your three workmates. When I did that I was thinking purely of myself and the fact that I needed more information to better understand the difference between the iPhone and the Nokia 8110 so that I could make a choice between them and buy one. Selfish, I know.

When I had time to reflect on my day I realised that I was thoughtless and that I wasn’t thinking of things from your side. Why I know I should not have been listening, I did not realise the impact on you all of Susan’s divorce, Mark’s coming out and the fact that none of the writers for “Days of Our Lives” can be trusted to leave the dead in peace. Those are things I don’t often think about and so I just wasn’t reading the situation from your side. Sorry.

I feel badly that, after waiting only fifteen minutes for one of you to notice, I let my impatience gain the upper hand. That’s when I coughed. I wanted to buy and go – I was meeting my wife. When you didn’t hear, I could not think of anything else to say except “excuse me”, and I instantly realised from the look that your friends gave me that I had offended them in doing that.

My apologies. My mother drummed good manners into me and she would be mortified at my behaviour.
I realise now that your conversation was important to you and didn’t leave room to see me standing there for all that time, so I can understand how my interruption must have seemed abrupt to you. It was clear from the way it startled you all that I had overstepped the mark.

Thinking back, I can understand that with the store as empty as it was you must all have been very concerned for your employer and were maybe discussing how, if sales did not pick up, you could all be out of a job. Hey, times are tough, I know. I can easily see how worry would distract you and why soapies are such a great escape.

I have to say, though, that when you did realise I was there, you did take time out from your conversation to give me a quick run-down on each phone before going back to your friends. I mean, you could have deliberately ignored me, right?

Unfortunately I wanted to ask you more questions so that I could feel comfortable making a quick decision, but I chickened out and said, “Thanks, I’ll think about it” instead. I’m truly ashamed that I lied to you, because I actually went to another store just down the road where they had lots of time on their hands. They spent 20 minutes answering all of my silly questions, so I bought a phone from them – out of a sense of obligation, I suppose.

One good turn deserves another (as Mum would say) so I’d like you to know that after I’d had a chance to think about the service you gave me despite my behaviour in your store, I realised that I should promise to never, ever, ever, ever bother you again. Promise!

Regards
Your ex-customer!