Is The Customer Ever King (or Queen)?!

Yes, tell, me please, I want to know - is the customer really king? I keep thinking where I first encountered this adage.... well, wherever it came from, whoever said or wrote it, this tagline (or whatever you may choose to call it) has certainly caught on. But really and truly, is the customer the king of the pack? Or even the queen? Is he or she always right? Is he or she ever right, for that matter? Now, you (and even Richard, my twin brother) may wonder where this is coming from... well, it is coming from inside me, the customer/shopper/consumer who feels just so indignant at how unfairly we are treated by these establishments who depend on our peso power for their existence and sustainability!

The other day, as I was paying for my medicine, the cashier asked, "Ma'am, ok lang, kulang po ako ng 25 cents...." (Ok, I will translate for our non-Filipino readers... the cashier informed me that my change was 25 cents short, as she didnt have 25 centavos). To which I caustically I asked her, "If my payment were 25 cents short, would it be ok with you?" (It sounded so much more impactful in the vernacular! To wit, I said, "Eh kung kulang ng 25 cents yung bayad ko sa iyo, ok lang din ba?")

I mean, sure, it's just 25 cents, but the point of the matter is, if it's pro-business, these people just assume it's alright. But if it's for the customer or consumer, it's another matter altogether! Consider this: it is easy to buy anything, but try to return something - ah, the "protocols and procedures you have to go through. There is no time limit to when you can buy something (the only limitation is the store hours - shopping stops when the store closes. Plus, you, dear buyer, need to do other things, too. Such as sleep!); but you can only return something within 7 days of purchase (it means I need to wear my new blouse within that time frame! And if it shrinks after laundry, sorry!). A retailer or store owner can easily run to the police to report a trouble-making customer; most even have their own security to take care of such unpleasantries. In short, if the store or shop has trouble with your presence, there is closure as they can just throw you out. An nasty incident of mistaken identity that happened to an actress in the parking lot of a grocery comes to mind... But if you are hassled by inattentive sales clerks, or dubious store policies, you first need to write a formal (written!) complaint and send it to whichever government office has jurisdiction over the product concerned. I mean, just how difficult should life be?! For you, the aggrieved party, closure is delayed as you have to wait for the response from the govt agency. Heck, you even have to bring your letter there yourself! Could closure delayed be closure denied, too? I wonder what 'justice' has to say abou this...

Ok, ok, I will calm down... I am just venting becuase it can be so frustrating sometimes, really. Well, to be fair, the cashier finally found the energy (she was probably too tired from standing behind the cash register the whole day) to find 25 centavos so she can give me my complate change. Now, don't get me wrong - I consider myself a generous, giving person. But really, we, as consumers, deserve respect and the appropriate treatment, too, right?

Oh, enough said here.... What's the point? For my sentiments to make an impact, I would have to write a letter of complaint to the Trade Department, telling them about how this drugstore almost didnt give me accurate change. Do I really want to go to great lengths to air my grievance? I will just make do with this page.