Ok well Christmas is here and I've been shopping !!!

Ok well Christmas is here and I've been shopping !!!

So what paragons of good service have you encountered this week john? I hear you groan.

I'm sorry to say that the best bit of customer service I've had this week was at ASDA in Beddington Lane, I went in to buy some Christmas presents for my wife and of course cards.

Now my wife's birthday is the 27th of December so as you can imagine it's an expensive time of the year for me as I have both Christmas and Birthday presents to buy my own birthday is the 8th of December so I know what it's like to have your birthday and Christmas presents rolled into one and I've always made sure that this was not the case for M.

Anyway back to the story, I went in to buy some presents and made my way to the cards, now ASDA have a huge selection of cards so don't get the idea that I couldn't be bothered to go to a proper card shop, anyway I was staring bemusedly at the racks and racks of cards when I noticed a pair of young ladies refilling the racks.

Now these two ladies are not ASDA employees but are employed by the card suppliers to keep the displays full and tidy so they have no need or requirement to help customers.

I approached them with some trepidation and asked if they wouldn't mind helping me, one young lady looked up and smiled asking what it was I wanted.

I explained that I was looking for a birthday card for my wife from me and one from the cats, she got up and found me two perfect birthday cards, when I asked her if she wouldn't mind doing the same with Christmas cards she led me to a fine selection and suggested a couple for me to choose from.

I thanked them both and took my cards off to pay with a smile on my face.

Now I haven't given M the cards yet as it's neither her birthday nor Christmas but I am sure she will love them, and I already do because they were given to me with pride.

Last week I was lucky enough t0 be sent to Edinburgh by my company to look at some stores and judge them for a competition.

It was lovely to see the old town again and also to see some examples of finely turned out stores, while I was judging I saw 6 stores and I couldn't help comparing them to the one in Croydon, I'm sorry to say its not a flattering comparison.

Every store in Edinburgh was imaculate, the staff were cheerful and attentive, if not the best dressed I've ever seen, I saw example after example of pride at work, even the store rooms were tidy and well laid out.

So what did I learn in Edinburgh?

Just this question.

Does pride have a place in modern retailing?

The americans in their usual way have coined a phrase for pride and as usual I hate it !

"Take ownership" yuck !

But if we get past the appalling use of the Queen's english and see through to the nub of the matter, we will see the good old fashioned word pride.