There's a shop close by to where I live that is quite exclusive and very expensive, but the clothes it has are simply gorgeous. It's a "fashionista" type place, an independent, small shop, one that is suited perfectly in its location.
Anyway, I walk past this shop often as my local supermarket is situated just round the corner. Whenever I do walk past, I always gaze at the outfits they have in the window, and on several occasions many of them have really caught my eye. So last week on my way back from the supermarket I popped in. There are two women who work there, not together however - one is the owner and the other an employee who is working there much more frequently than the owner is. The day I popped in was the day that the owner was there.
It was quiet, only one other customer in the shop who was browsing, and the owner came up to me and asked me if I needed any help. I was looking at the gorgeous fur gilets they had and she asked if it was for a present. I said I was shopping for myself. She said give me a moment while she sees to the other customer, and in the meantime told me to pick out what I wanted. Anyway, the other customer paid for her items and left, so the owner came across to me and gave me her full attention. I selected several gilets, tops, and jackets, and we walked to where a full length mirror was towards the back of the shop and I tried them on. She gave great advice on what looked good on me, and didn't bat an eyelid in doing so. Because it is such an expensive shop, I was unsure and said I needed a little more time to think about it, to which she responded by saying she could offer me a discount on a few of the items as they were the last items she had before she got their new spring collection in. Then she said if I wanted more time to think about it, then she would be more than happy to inform her employee that I would be coming back so that her employee wouldn't be surprised. She told me that her employee isn't as open-minded as her, so if I did call she would do her best to be there when I wanted to come back in again, just so that I didn't feel intimidated/uncomfortable. Well, that just sold it for me. I bought a fox fur gilet, and she reduced the price for me by over £150, even though it was already reduced because it was in the sale. Then she showed me a gorgeous evening dress that was also reduced in the sale they were having for "last seasons stock", and said that I should try it on. Which I did. I didn't buy it however, saying that I wanted to think about it and she told me that she would keep it for me if I wanted to put down a refundable deposit. I declined, saying that it would be unfair on her if someone came into the shop and would be prepared to buy it at the sale price (she had reduced it even further for me), to which she replied was incredibly thoughtful of me.
Anyway, I did go back a few days later and the dress was still there, so I bought it. The owner wasn't there, but she had told her employee that I may be back, and even though she was quite cold towards me, the warmth and acceptance I felt from the owner meant that I simply didn't care.
All in all, a wonderful experience.
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