Irritated customers and the fruit of the Spirit

Wale Akinyemi loves writing about today’s entitled customer. I think he should add that they are easily irritated.

I woke up today to get irritated (that word again) by an online seller. I ordered for something and said I’d pick it up at a particular time, today. She said I can only reserve something by paying for it. Then she went quiet.
I guess my nerves were raw. Because I proceeded to school her on selling 104. The thing I was buying was not a need. Neither was it an emergency. And these days even in both cases, there are a variety of sellers to choose from.

I felt that it is in her interest as a seller to seal the deal before I changed my mind and decided the item could wait another week or another month. It is in her interest to make me buy before I realised I could get the item elsewhere. But she dragged the selling process. She made me ask how to reserve, how to pay and I even forgot to ask where the shop is located. She made it hard for me to buy. She made me feel like she doesn’t trust me, or doesn’t want me to buy from her. So I started questioning myself- if I really needed the item, if I really needed to buy the item from her (I’ve already assumed it’s a she), if I shouldn’t just complicate the process and tell her to organise the delivery and payment will be after the item arrives.
I guess I was a bit desperate as a buyer too.
After a lengthy exchange, she finally gave me the details I thought she should have given me immediately I expressed interest in the item.
“To reserve this item, please pay 50pc to this till number and organise for pick up within X amount of time at our shop at xxx. Otherwise we will not guarantee availability of the item…. For deliveries blah blah blah.”
I want all this information on one’s sale policy first hand so I make a decision if I want to go ahead with the terms and conditions ama nitembeze vidole to the next online shop.

I guess I’m just Wale’s today’s customer and an irritated one. And irritation is not a fruit of the Holy Spirit. So God, today give me a tender heart. Help me be kind, patient, long suffering…

On long suffering, juzi we got terrible service from a waiter. And we wanted to cause a ruckus. But I felt that with our sense of entitlement — you know the “I am paying for it I deserve better service na si ati tafadhali” attitude — the bad service was God-orchestrated for our character growth; so we can shut up about our rights, our money, our food. Wouldn’t we rather be wronged?

By swallowing our pride, a greater work was happening in us. We were exercising gentleness, kindness and love. Telling off the waiter would have been the easier thing. But at what cost?
I guess even today I should have just bitten my tongue and let this seller run her business the way she likes. Demanding customers may not be her target.