God's Gift

Within moments of starting the sore sunday shift today, a teenage girl wearing a pink polka top walks into the store. She’s looking for a present for someone. “Someone special ma’am?” I enquire. She tells me it’s for her mother, I suggest her a bottle of perfume, and lead her to the fragrance section. After sampling a few perfumes she settles for a nice Hermes fragrance with jasmine and vanilla overtones.

“That’s a really nice fragrance ma’am, I’m sure she’ll love it”, I politely compliment her choice while making the invoice, “Is it her birthday today?” I ask.

“Oh, no, its mothers day today, so I thought it’ll be nice to gift her something”, says the girl.

As I put her perfume in the shopping bag, I start thinking about my own mother, the woman who taught me how to stand on my two feet, the woman who taught me to be strong in the most difficult moments and never give up in life. (and the woman who bought all my underwear till last year) I haven’t called her for weeks and spend most of my free time royally ignoring her emails and voicemails. A sudden fit of guilt hits me and I dial home. Mom answers and I realize that her voice is something I’ve been wanting to hear for decades. Suddenly her complaints and to do lists do not seem so bad...

Happy Mother’s Day Mom. Love you

PS: The girl in pink top, thanks! Hope your mother liked your gift…

Shopaholics Anonymous

Sales assistants love shopaholics, even if they are ugly, one eyed, and have stinky breath. We remember their names, sizes, colour preferences, contact details and we even wish them on their birthdays. One of my colleague has a diary with numbers of ‘devoted patrons’ which comes in very effective in stretches when the sales turn lean, and targets become tricky. With a short phone call, he lures in the compulsive shopper straight from her home to the store (well, I don’t know a male shopaholic yet!). All he needs to do now is to bring in some ‘Fresh Arrivals’ from the backroom storage to the shelves and play the perfect host to the store loyalist, a few shopping bags later, both him and the customer are happy, and so is our store manager.

Here are few pointers to discover if you are a shopaholic based on my knowledge:

• If shopping accounts for more than your food, house rent and electricity costs put together
• If you think the best place to go for a date is a mall, you could even drive your car to the mall blindfolded from your house.
• Your dreams often involve buying expensive articles of clothing. If you dream about those red stilettos on sale at the store or the black evening dress on the window display at the mall last week you’re surely a shopaholic!
• Your homepage is set to Ebay or amazon.com
• Your wardrobe could easily qualify as the national museum of fashion history, it is a blatant testimony of your impulsive indulgences over the years.
• Stepping into the footwear section gives your heart palpitations; images of stilettos, sandals and slingbacks are like porn to you. (in other words, shopping gives you multiple shopgasms!)

Welcome to the store...

I’ve been here at the glamour house for more than a year now. . 15 months and ten days to be precise… It’s the longest time I’ve spent with any employer. I still remember my hesitation when I’d taken up this job.. it wasn’t a dream job by any measure.. but when destiny is intent on stumbling you even before you learn to walk properly, you cant do much.

Last year, when I had joined, I could barely differentiate between a shirt and a trouser; women’s clothing was a totally alien territory to me. How was I going to give fashion advice to customers, when I struggled to strike a harmony with the clothes in my own wardrobe? Luckily Shalini came to my rescue, she had been at the store for a while then, and knew the store inside out. She and I became good friends; Shalini shared her knowledge and experience with me, and supported me like a well fitted lycra bra.

Shalini now supervises the sales staff, and is occasionally called in to train the dozen odd novice sales guys who join the store every month. I now walk around the store with a badge of “Sr. Customer Sales Associate” though my job description is pretty much the same! Folding clothes, getting sizes, making invoices, and playing barbie with the pretty female shopaholics..its all in a days work for me.

Our posh store offers chic, upmarket merchandise on its two floors. The finest Italian cotton shirts, the warmest merino wool pullovers, the most elegant evening dresses, exclusive designer creations, classy Nappa leather handbags and wallets, gold plated accessories, and french fragrances to satisfy all your fashion cravings.

The valet takes your car keys, the gate security opens the glass door, and I warmly welcome you to the store. Wipe off your sweat, relax in store’s cool air, and enjoy the music being played, while I help you transform the way you look. A world of materialistic utopia awaits you...