You don’t want to know what Dopson’s Roti Shop did me.

Let me start with a confession.  I like Dopson’s Roti.  I have followed it from Picton Street to lower Maraval Road and now to its present location on Maraval Road near Rust Street.  (I think they were also on Marli Street but I forget)  So I know this brand well.  I was first enthralled by their use of chadon beni; which came through in their cooking and they were one of the first way back when to use this herb in commercial roti.  There was also a Mom and Pop feel to the place that made me feel like I was home.

Here are the facts:

  • I’m a regular customer (breakfast and lunch) /probably at least once or twice per week.  That does not make me a heavy user but pretty regular.
  • Yesterday I purchased lunch and asked and paid for extra veggies.
  • When I got back to the office, just around the corner on Picton, there was no Pumpkin, as promised by cashier/owner (not employee, which makes it worse)
  •  After starting lunch (my first bite) I decided to return to retrieve my promised pumpkin
  • Cashier/owner asked me to go back for the box.   (I imagine so he could see that the pumpkin was not there or to have somewhere to put the pumpkin)
  • I told him I could not do that and assumed he would make alternative arrangements
  • After 3-4 minutes I told him not to bother and returned to my curry lunch, which was very good

Do you think for a $4 pumpkin that cost 25 cents or less in food costs he should put up that wall for any customer much less a regular who has spent many dollars during the past 15 years?

I like Dopson’s and will forgive them this stumble.  But we can all learn from the 25 cents pumpkin lesson.  How are we handling customer complaints in our bank, ad agency, shoe shop or market stall?   Are we turning complainants into Disciples?

Or is D for disappointment.