hint: part-time "Oops, I forgot .." "Oh no, .."
Since I started working part-time at a grocery store, I have learned that a customer is more than someone who buy something. To me, a customer is a person whose memory fails entirely once he or she starts to push a shopping card. One of the first things customers forget is how to count. There is no other way to explain how so many people get in their express line, which is clearly marked 15 items or less, with 20, 25 or even a cart load of items. Customers also forget why they came to the store in the first place. Just as I finish ringing up an order, a customer will say, "Oops, I forgot to pick up a fresh loaf of bread. I hope you don't mind waiting while I go get it." Five minutes later, he's back with the bread, a bottle of milk, and three rolls of paper towels. Strange is that seems customers also seem to forget that they have to pay for their groceries. Instead of writing a check or looking for a credit card while I'm ringing up the groceries, my customers will wait until I announce the total. Then, in surprise, she says, "Oh no, what did I do with my check book?" After five minutes of digging through her purse, she borrows my pen because she's forgotten hers. But I have to be tolerant of customers because they pay my salary, and that's something I can't afford to forget.
自从我开始在杂货店里做兼职，我就学会了顾客的含义要比买东西的人的定义要深刻。同我来讲，顾客一旦开始实行他们的采购清单，他们的记忆力就会下降。顾客忘记的第一件事就是如何计数。除此之外，再无其他理由去解释为什么购物清单上清晰的写着15件商品或更少，但是购物车里却有20,25件甚至满满一购物车的商品。顾客也会忘记他们为什么去商店。当我清算完后，顾客会说：“哦，我忘记拿一条新鲜的面包了。我希望你不介意等我去拿一下。”5分钟后，他回来了，手里拿着面包，一瓶牛奶，3卷卫生纸。奇怪的是，顾客似乎也会忘记给他们的货物付款。当我清点货物的时候，顾客不是签支票或者找信用卡，而是等着，知道我说出价钱。然后，她很惊讶的说：“哦，不，我把我的支票簿放哪儿了。”5分钟的翻倒钱包后，她向我借了支笔，因为她的忘带了。但是我必须对顾客有耐心，因为他们给我薪水。这是我必须牢记的。 ——译文来自: n20092302