An Intriguing Tale Of Being An Owner

I was very tempted to put a picture of the whale for all to see.. then you will know that i wasn’t kidding when i called her a whale. And donch get me wrong.. there is nothing wrong.. with being bigger .. than most ppl.. i’m entirely A – OK with it, not like I am petite in size and all. But I called her the Whale because as the chinese saying goes.. “Eat human donch even need to spit out the bones” .. this is exactly what this Whale is like.

8 yrs ago, when i first arrived in Canada.. I met the Whale because he was working for PB. She had begged for a job.. because she wanted to get outta welfare. Outta giving back to society.. the man hired her on. In the short period that I had known the Whale, we had loan her money for her rent, let her bring her kid to work, send her home from work when the weather was bad and the list goes on.

She either didn’t show up for work or would come in at the time she wants to, with lots of excuses. One week she would tell us she can work only mornings, the following .. only weekends.. and then the week after .. not weekends at all. We had tried so hard to accommodate her.. but it still didn’t work out. But we still didn’t fire her but laid her off (outta the goodness of our heart).

And what she did..??? SHE CALLED IMMIGRATION ON US…!!! saying that PB hired an illegal immigrant.. to take over her position. Thereafter, continued coming into our store.. and bad mouthing us in front of our employees whenever we are not in. And yet after 8 yrs.. she still treats me.. like i was the enemy..!! *slap forehead* You tell me lah.. what kinda a WHALE is she..?? if not the “eat human donch even need to spit out bones”.

Customer who comes in sick are usually told not to breathe.. because we don’t want to get sick nor can we afford to get sick.  Owning your own business, you have to take special precaution . .so you won’t miss work.  A few weeks ago, while i was preparing for a major operation, i had to tell some sick customers not to breathe in our store.. and i kid you not.. i literally did tell the customer that.   Yes.. ! owning your own business.. does have its little perks.. whereby .. you can tell your customer.. to go .. if you find out that they are sick. .or like me.. tell them not to breathe.. muahhaha!!

I was back at the store today for abit .. after seeing the family doctor about my laparoscopic surgery and a possible infection.  In that short 40 mins that i was there… we had a family of 3 kids in the store.  While the parents were looking at console games.. the kids were going wild.  Yes.. !! literally banging on the glass cabinets.. with their parents right there beside them.  *slap forehead* ..!  i am just glad . .that my daughter. .is not this way.. nor will she ever be this way .. at someone else’s store.

When you own your own business, you know that the time at your store .. isn’t really your own. Almost 9 yrs in business, you gotta know most of your customers by first name.. and to some.. they actually become your friend. But for each customer that comes into our store.. we spend at least a few minutes chatting with them.. and finding out about their lives.. and what’s going on. If you are in the service industry.. you know.. that it is an art. In fact.. for someone like PB who was quite an introvert before opening his own business.. you would be surprised.. he is what he is now. Yes. .now he takes time and get to know them.. even the kids .. that comes to our store.