1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,840 Speaker 1: The fest of season Christmas of twenty five. The New 2 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: Zealand retail experience, as summed up by a frustrated Katherine 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Hawksby as of yesterday, so half a dozen shops visited. One, 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:13,320 Speaker 1: she reports, was decent, the rest were useless, useless for 5 00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: a variety of reasons, but the common theme service or 6 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: lack of it. How is it possible, continually possible that 7 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: we have one a sector crying out for supporting, yet 8 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: so unable to offer something worth spending money on, and 9 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: two a country with a lot of people allegedly happy 10 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: to go find a job, and yet the people with 11 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:34,200 Speaker 1: the jobs are so fantastically incompetent. We all know the story. 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: The story is not unique to Katy yesterday on the 13 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: early burst of Christmas shopping, retail tragically is filled with hopelessness, 14 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:43,880 Speaker 1: lack of stock, lack of desire, lack of professionalism. Which 15 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: is why the good ones are so welcome, and why 16 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: I've been able to tell you many times over this 17 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: past year. I can name you a decent number of 18 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 1: operators in a variety of fields that have weathered these 19 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 1: past few years with no real issues at all. They 20 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 1: are good at what they do, they want to do well. 21 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: Word of mouth and reputation travels far and fast, and 22 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: they are fine, thank you very much. Yesterday's highlight was 23 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 1: a liquor shop, a large one part of a chain, 24 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: a chain you will know. The woman behind the counter, slovenly, 25 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: full of tattoos on the phone, no interest in service 26 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: or acknowledging a customer when asked, because she did not 27 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: offer any help. She didn't, as it turns out, know 28 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,080 Speaker 1: what prosecco was. How can you work in a shop 29 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: that sells nothing but wine and spirits and not know 30 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: what prosecco is or where in the shop? Indeed you 31 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,839 Speaker 1: will find it. Who employed her? And why? And why 32 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: was there no training? This is a big brand to remember, 33 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: a brand I would have thought would be interested in 34 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: reputation and a decent customer experience. How does a person 35 00:01:37,440 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 1: with clearly no knowledge or interest in the thing they 36 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: are selling actually get work? And are you telling me 37 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: the people who can't get work are even worse than that? 38 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: The resentment Kate fumed is based on the idea that 39 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: we all work hard for the dollars. Handing them over 40 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: would be easier and nicer and more fulfilling. If you 41 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: thought the recipient, just for a moment, was even slightly grateful. 42 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: More from the mic Asking Breakfast Listen live to News 43 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: Talk SETB from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 44 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.