FIFTH COLUMN

Sandy bread

By Sushma

Breads come in various flavours, sizes, shapes and price tags but nothing to beat the rye bread bought from a delicatessen in Kantipath. The delicatessen owned by a foreigner who has come a long distance seemed to have a long way to go in terms of nondiscriminatory and non-patronising attitude. When the native customer who bought bread in the shop returned to complain about the gritty, sandy contents in the bread; the response of the owner was - “We have washed the wheat many times, the sand is clean, you can eat it.” The customer replied, “We buy bread, not sand and we do not eat sand, though it seems you do so!” To this the smug owner had no answer.

In the same uppity outlet, when another customer asked for something to carry his goods in, he was asked to pay Rs. 6 for a paper bag. When the customer expressed his surprise, the owner said, “This is meant to discourage littering of the valley.” When the customer replied that he never had to pay for a bag after buying goods, the owner handed out a plastic bag, for which there was no charge. Did the man think that the plastic does not litter and paper does? If he was so concerned about the environment, he would have charged for the plastic bag and dispensed the paper bags for free. This proved just how much some so called environmentally concerned need education on biodegradable and toxic wastes. The man in case would have done well to take lessons on how to bake sandless breads and most of all, how to treat clients!

Both the clients of course, made sure they did not go to the indelicately run outlet again and let their friends know the treatment they were meted out. Both wondered if the owner thought that the natives are used to poor quality and can make do with gritty bread and are not aware of the hazards of plastic to the environment?

A five-star coffee shop in a prime area served brewed coffee with cardamom! And they expected the horrified drinkers to pay an atrocious sum for it. This goes to show it is not the status of the place that speaks for the overall quality of any restaurant, hotel, shop or any other place that conducts business. These and many other instances just go to show just how many businesses here lack professionalism and adequate knowledge on things they are dealing in.

If you do not know how to cut a cloth, why make a mockery of the word, ‘boutique’? If you do not know what a cheesecake is, why open a bakery, hot or cold, and attack sensitive tastes? Quality has to justify the price and customers of today, at last, are finally realising their rights and finding their voice. Many do treat their customers like kings and others who expect to earn their living out of their customers would do well to learn a lesson or two from such professionals who would not dream of discriminating on basis of race, nationality or wallet size!