Dave had offered to video the show in Reading tonight, just so I have a record of it for future reference, so we stopped off in Chiswick to buy a DV tape for his camera. Dave had spotted a little independent shop on the High Street that sold electronic equipment, so I popped in there whilst he got some petrol.
I was served by a slightly grumpy and weary man, who I am guessing from his arrogant air probably ran the shop. In attitude there was a little of the Basil Fawlty about him, as if I, his customer, was an inconvenience to his day, rather than someone who was helping to keep his business running and whom it might be an idea to impress so that I would shop there again.
I confess I don't know much about video cameras and had quizzed Dave to make sure that simply asking for a DV tape would be enough information. But the man said, "With or without a chip?"
"Oh," I said, "I don't know. It's not my camera." Dave had mentioned nothing about chips. "Um, I'd better give him a ring to check."
Dave wasn't answering his phone. Perhaps he was the only person in the country who actually turns off his mobile as requested, when filling his car up with petrol.
I was pretty confident that a chip was not required, but I asked, "Well, can I take two without the chip and then bring them back if I've got it wrong?" Provided I hadn't opened them I couldn't see this would be a problem.
"No," said the man bluntly, "We don't do that."
"Oh, right," I said not able to mask my surprise, "Not even if they're still in their wrapping."
"No, because we do the accounts at the end of every day and if you bring them back tomorrow everything will be out of sync," (or words to that effect).
I thought about telling him that Dave was in fact just twenty metres away and that I'd be returning the tape immediately if it was the wrong one.
"Yes, that seems fair," I said sarcastically. What happened to providing a friendly service. And if I came back I would be exchanging the tapes for a much more expensive version which could only be good for him. Surely he could write up an invoice for me that would tally his accounts. It was no skin off his nose.
If we hadn't been in a rush I would definitely have taken my custom elsewhere and even though this is not a big deal, this refusal to cut me a minor bit of slack have convinced me that I wouldn't go back to that shop again. I wouldn't want to put him to the inconvenience of complicating his records or giving him additional work at cashing up time.
