It is all in the attitude.

Aruna left on vacation for India yesterday. She was fully busy with the last minute shopping for the visit, till she boarded the plane.

There was this incident the other day at Ross dress for less. She went there to return some of the items that she did not want to take. Among the items was a hand bag which she did not want. She had the receipt for the same and was only bought a couple of days before. At this moment the Store Manager steps in and says he can't issue the refund as the bag was not carrying the Ross tag. She tried to explain to him that the bag was without the tag when she bought it. But the Manager said they do not have any other item in the store which matches this bag. At times when such a thing happens the Associate is supposed to put another tag on the item at the time of billing. Normally when we shop, we buy in good faith thinking that they would take care of these things. But sometimes when there is a problem like this, the Store Manager is supposed to handle such issues with the care as, sales is their primary goal and it earns them their bread and butter. Customer is supposed to be the most important visitor to their premises.

This is where attitude is so vital for the success of any Organization or Individual for that matter. The Store Manager could have seen the problem and should have taken care of the refund immediately. I am sure any other Manager in his place, with the right attitude, would have done this. But not this person. He was so rude and condescending in his behavior. Aruna, in her anger, lost all her cool and said to him to keep the bag and sell it to someone else and make money on that. In her anger she told the other customers waiting, that these people were cheating. She left the store vowing not to return to a Ross store again. While she was leaving the Store Manager said "Madam, Please do not come back to the Store". All this while not even bothering to give the bag back to her. All this reeks of meanness of this person. When such a thing happens it is so difficult to get back on track and be calm. You want some kind of justice when you feel that you have been denied what is rightfully yours. It is not money that is important because it is only a medium with which we trade and becomes meaningless after a point in your life. Money gives you some of the comforts that we enjoy in life but the true happiness and contentment in life is priceless and has not value in terms of money.

She went online to the Ross website and sent a mail to the Customer service detailing as to what happened at this Ross Store. The Zonal Manager of this Store called the next day over phone and apologized to Aruna about what happened. He said that he will make sure that the refund is given immediately. Today I was asked to go to the Store to collect the refund. I went to the Store and was attended to by one Lady Store Manager and she was apologetic about this whole issue. She asked me to convey to my wife that she shop at Ross again. I said I would. I called in the Zonal Manager afterwards to appreciate and thank him for what he did and what it meant to us.

Any Organization is a collection of individuals. There are few bad apples here and there. But I believe people in general are nice, courteous and warm. We should not generalize others into the same basket which is nothing but stereotyping. In this incident because there was someone higher up with the right attitude, this issue was resolved promptly. But if the Store Manager was in the Zonal Manager's place, imagine what could have happened. Nothing. One of my friends, said the other day that for any Country to succeed, you should have the right leader at the helm. I believe that this is true and can make or mar a country or an Organization. We have a saying in Sanskrit and I quote "Yatha Raja thatha Praja" which means the "Public of a Kingdom will be like their King". Ultimately I believe it is all in the attitude.