Latest update November 25th, 2024 1:00 AM
Sep 21, 2019 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
Well things happen in Guyana; we don’t like how and why they happen but we accept them. And life goes on. On Thursday night, our microwave oven began to smoke from the cord in the point in the wall. The technician advised we buy a new one.
So I knew Friday morning (yesterday) would be a busy day for me. Unless you are rich in Guyana, you just don’t walk into an electronic store and buy an item. At least I don’t do that, never did that and will never do that. You can save thousands, yes, thousands, if you shop around.
So Friday morning, I visited several stores to price a microwave oven. It took up a lot of time, but you save a few thousands, and I did save that amount. My wife called to say she was cooking fried rice and I must buy fast-food chicken to go with it. That same morning I had to do a few errands for my wife’s relatives from Wakenaam.
I was through with the city by 2pm. If I was going to buy chicken, then I had to buy breast for my dog, since I forgot to take out her meat from the fridge for my wife to cook. This dog is crazy about fast-food. I live across the road from the KFC in MovieTowne’s compound.
“Can I have a serving of chicken popcorn and one piece of breast, original, madam?” The young lady politely said, “Sir, the breasts are very small.” She showed me a piece and asked if I still wanted it. “Well if it is that small, should you not give me two pieces instead of one for the same price?” She showed no facial expression and just said, “No Sir, we cannot do that.”
I told her that I live one-minute drive from Giftland Mall, so I was going to buy the breast there, and she could keep the popcorn and I would return shortly for it. I took my dog for her customary morning stroll and I shopped for the microwave with her. Therefore, I parked closet to the southern entrance of the mall so I could reach Royal Castle quicker than from the western entrance.
This uniformed gentleman came up to me; “Sir, you cannot park there, if Mr. Beepat see you park there, you know what will happen to me.” Of course, I know. I know my country very well. I told him it was a very hot day and my dog was in the car, so I have to leave the engine running with the AC on, therefore I don’t want to park far away. He was an understanding fellow. He simply asked me to be quick.
“Can I have one piece of breast, original madam?” You are not going to believe what the cashier at Royal Castle told me. When you read what she said, you will automatically accuse me of embellishing my account here. I swear on my parents’ grave what came out of her mouth is the truth.
“Sir, the breasts are small, but I can give you two pieces for the same price.” What a contrast in the way different people treat customers. So I stopped by KFC to pick up the popcorn. I told the cashier what happened at Royal Castle. I showed her my bill, asked if she would like to see the two pieces of breasts, and requested to see her supervisor to advise that KFC copy the practice of Royal Castle. She told me the supervisor was tending to stocks.
I thought I would write about this contrast, because in Guyana there is no functioning consumer rights organisation. It cannot be fair treatment of customers if you are paying a specific price for a specific size of breast and it so happened that one day the breasts are tiny, then how can you sell that for the same price?
My daughter often bought Mario’s pizza on Middle Street. She liked the “veggie lovers” order that carries black olives. Many times, they told me they don’t have black olives, but they do not substitute another item and the price is the same.
New Thriving on Main Street sells an order name, “New Thriving fried rice.” It has several components including prawns. On one occasion they told my wife, they didn’t have prawns. So I said, “Well should you not add a replacement?” She said they didn’t have the authority to do that. I don’t know if I am knocking Guyana wrongly because that happens in other countries. But such a policy is not fair to customers.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)
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