Perception is Reality
Real or fake?
I’ve long perceived The Market as the best place for fresh food.
By choosing it over grocers and supermarkets, this perception has been my reality.
Unfortunately, things aren’t always as they seem, i.e. walk2 ≠ talk2.
Market Driven
For years I’ve shopped at one of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest fresh food markets.
One stall has consistently garnered my custom.
Given there are so many stalls, how could this be?
Perception.
Stalling Tactics
This stall has perfect displays of pristine products.
Around them hover attendants wearing latex gloves.
When you arrive, an attendant waits on you.
By this, I mean they discourage you from touching your selections.
Rather, you indicate your choices, which they reverently cradle from display to scale to bag.
Though mildly annoying, the summary effect is that the produce seems precious and the people seem proud.
I therefore don’t mind paying top dollar.
Card Sharp
My business coach does a similar thing with his business cards.
Instead of yanking grubby units from a sweaty wallet, he withdraws them from a special holder that keeps them crisp and clean.
He then presents them with the care and respect of a Japanese tea ceremony.
Recipients feel they’re getting not a mere piece of printed cardboard, but a passport to a world of first-class business advice.
In Winston’s case, reality matches perception.
Last week at the market, however, a house of cards collapsed.
Three Strikes
I went to my favourite stall with my sharp-eyed wife. Three things shattered my perception:
- We asked for ten snow peas. The attendant added an extra five (inferior) units when we weren’t looking.
- Before handling our next purchase, the attendant wiped her gloved finger across her unloved nose.
- When we got home, we found withered changelings in place of the plump, shiny capsicums we’d chosen. On dissection, the green one showed a grub’s ingress and circumscription.
Lettuce Leave
We’re of course very lucky to have any capsicums at all. The point is that when perception no longer matches reality, it dies.
I now see the attendants as dirty cheats who use the premise of service to foist bodgy food.
This is sad for me. It’s also very unkind to the entire market, which I now view with jaded eye.
I can handle average service, so long as it’s honest. But when firms pretend one thing and do another, they strike at trust – the heart of commerce.
Do you concur?
Or am I a limp, thin-skinned, vego whiner?
Paul Hassing, Founder & Senior Writer, The Feisty Empire
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Working at the fruit markets each morning, you see all kinds of little tricks and sleight of hand to get a better price or a lesser cost. It used to infuriate me, then i relaised it is all a part of the game and if you are not switched on and paying attention, you deserve to pay more/get less.
Thanks, Brendan. Great to get your industry perspective. Looks like caveat emptor is alive and well!
Aahhh. The Great Capsicum Conspiracy. Up there with the Snow-Pea Swindle….
))
On ‘perception is more important than reality’ – Absolutely! Perception is at the heart of all branding.
I must say, however, that you must have really held that particular small business in very high regard in deed if you think that they had gone to the effort to implement a strategy of produce swapping…That they have trained up the staff to switch the shiny vine ripened tomato for the bruised pale one at the Till – distracting your attention with some fancy slight of latex-gloved-hand, whilst up-selling you to ‘…try a custard apple…’
Isn’t the ‘reality’ much more likely that they just haven’t bothered to train their staff….at all….
I suspect that you have thought much more about their ’service’ and ’serving’ than they ever have….
And it is this – the failure to address making sure that their staff understand the expectations of their customers and deliver upon them – that in turn has rocked your perception.
Hi, Bambi. You raise good points.
Seeing no staff turnover for a long time made me think this was a family business. Paranoia made me think they were all in on it.
It’s true, though, that I am a thinker. And I’ve been known to weigh things a bit too heavily and long. Thank you for your counterpoint!
1. Capsica?
2.
3. I agree wholeheartedly. I’d much rather average honesty than fancy spin. In fact, I’ll keep going back to honesty, in the hope that the service will improve (sometimes as a result of my honest feedback). But if there’s no trust, what can you trust?
Nice discussion Paul.
Thank you, Ad. It’s nice to be in your corner.
I was so disappointed with that film ‘The Invention of Lying’. They equated truth with blurting, which utterly ruined the premise.
Honesty is rare, yet it attracts few investors or prospectors. Guess we’ll just have to enjoy the fringe a bit longer.
Definitely not the latter – ‘thin-skinned, vego whiner’. All the flash marketing in the world won’t save you if your product or service is fundamentally flawed.
Oh and I think I know the stall you’re referring to, used to be my favourite too, for the same reasons. And here’s one of the other big problems with shoddy service/products – word of mouth. Just one unhappy customer can do a lot of damage. Really not worth the savings made by foisting sub-standard capsicums on unsuspecting shoppers!
Hope you had time to get a borek to ease the pain? Heaven in a paper bag.
Great to see you, Angela! And to hear I’m not the only one.
Many thanks for your endorsement and advice. I didn’t know what a borek was, but I now realise I won’t need a prescription for it. I’ll try one next time I’m in range. Best regards, P.
Take two borek and call me Ataturk in the morning.
You are very funny, Ad!
Out of interest Paul, was this the first time the problem occurred?
If it was there could be many reasons why the attendant didn’t deliver including as Bambi said no training.
As you were a regular customer, did you think of talking to the owner as he or she may not be even aware. Employees are not perfect and mistakes occur but if we don’t say something then it is tough for the owner to act.
Not excusing what the attendant did by the way.
Yes, Susan; it was the first time.
From my assessment, the owner was the stern man glaring at everyone from the van at the back.
Our attendant had very limited English. And from the way they communicated with each other, I sensed this may be the case for all.
I haven’t been back since the capsicum incident. Perhaps you’re right to say the owner deserves a chance to redeem his business.
But the whole thing has been so one way with this crew that I don’t like my chances of (a) getting my point across or (b) receiving satisfaction.
Writing this, I realise I may be acting a little harshly. Maybe I’ll ask the audience:
Have they done their dash, or is the onus on me to seek reconciliation among the endives?
Thank you, as usual, for making me think carefully about what I write.
It’s like any relationship isn’t it?
If the other party is really important to you; if leaving is going to be a big task; we tend to put up with disappointment – until such point as the weight of not having our expectations met is greater than that of the drama of seperating.
It’s why people stay in ho-hum marriages – and why most of us are Telstra customers….
The service is inconsistent, the pricing is not necessarily the best, our expectations are dashed….(or reinforced)…but it is just a hassle to have to move to another provider.
Our fruit/vegie stall however – A small disappointment and it is easy to move along to a new relationship.
As small biz folk we need to be aware of how ‘rusted onto our business’ are our customers; are we in a product or service category where it is really easy for our customers to go off and date our competitor; are they just sticking with us because frankly a divorce will take too much time….?
So, Paul, Will you miss them? Will you pine(apple) for them? Will you take up with a new stall and always think back with longing? Probably not. So, dump em!
I am not saying don’t dump them and Paul the onus is definitely not on you.
However no one is perfect, we all make mistakes. Ultimately it is how we treat the relationship over time, whether we will be forgiven or left with one less customer who tells others.
It also sounds Paul that the end of the relationship was coming anyway and this capped it off.
The clincher for me, Susan, was that the attendant in question seemed to be the matriarch. I got the impression (rightly? wrongly?) she knew exactly what she was doing.
I don’t miss them, Bambi. In fact, we spied a promising new stall on our way out that very day.
As fruit is a largely homogenous product (especially in a market) I agree the barriers to change aren’t high.
Given my pathetic failure to ditch Telstra BigPond cable broadband, your point is even more painfully true!
Thank you both for putting so much thought into this.
Oh Paul, you really have chosen to write about a concept dear to my wee beating heart!
Perception is Reality.
Some hear this phrase and think it is all about people who are duped into something they don’t really want.
It is about choosing a set of circumstances (whatever they are) that satisfies us.
You may have gotten better veges at a cheaper price from other stalls, but there are trade-offs to make there also. Rather than buying all your veges at one quick stall, you would have to spend more time. And by buying at a place you’ve perceived to deliver quality and value, it is one more thing you don’t have to worry about.
Adopting a reality is usually about relieving stress in the form of nagging thoughts (should I have got the celery from the other stall??? It was 50 cents cheaper…), so we can get on with our business of worrying abou other things we perceive to be more important.
I don’t mean to turn this into an essay, so I’ll wrap up now. People have always behaves this way, and always will. It is ‘bankable’ behaviour – you can rely on it.
As you point out, however, convincing others to adopt your preferred perception/reality is equal to making a promise – you have to make sure you deliver on that promise or you’ll have trouble.
Having said that, I’d consider giving them the chance to make amends. Furthermore, you’re not a whinger, but are you really a vego? If thats the case I’ll have to learn how to BBQ eggplants or something for the next time you visit Brisbane.
Hiya Stephen H. I’ll just have that arrow back, if you don’t mind!
Your essays are always welcome. And I like your analysis. As our market trips are often done before work in the morning, they can be deadline driven. Thus the one-stop-shop is highly attractive. And yes, putting all my eggplants in one basket does beat lying awake at night wondering about lost pennies.
I’m not a vego, but I’ve greatly reduced my meat intake ever since someone said at a party: ‘I don’t eat anything with a face’.
I noted with interest on MasterChef last night that the trip to the farms for ingredients didn’t include drawing and quartering Larry the Lamb.
It’s one thing to herb and crumb, quite another to butcher. How many contestants would’ve buckled under that pressure?
I know if had to kill it, I wouldn’t eat it.
Thanks again for your insights, Cobber!
The truth of the matter that we’re all creatures of habit and find change difficult. That is why when service slips we will often stay with it because that’s the easiest option.
We all create emotional bonds with businesses (whether we know it or not) and the fact that you thought you were getting wholesome, fresh, grain fed, non battery capsicum made you feel like it was a very good thing.
It meshed with your values rather than buying one on a polystyrene platter wrapped in glad wrap and put in a plastic bag. Receiving sub standard produce destroyed that trust.
And the fact that is was underhanded so unless there was a big sign on the front of the stall reading ‘Serving suggestion only – contents of bag may differ from the advertised product’ I would find somewhere else to purchase my vego power.
You’re dead right, Malcolm. I can not abide underhandedness. That’s why I was so crap at paintball. I was the only one stupid enough to troop back to base for time-out when I was hit. The others must have killed themselves laughing … but that’s another story. Great to hear from you, as always.
Hey Adam? If I take 4 of those ‘boreks’ thingies can I call you whatever I like? ;-P
I love it! But alas good ol’ Adam, though your quip quintessential, I have to say that as impossible as it may seem, your great line became a lead-in for this: “You are very funny, Ad!”… It’s taken me 10 minutes to be able to see the screen again…’You are very funny’??? NOW THAT’S FUNNY!!!
Dear Paul, you’ve dare I say it, ‘innocently’, started out talking about peas and capsicums and within 2 comments Bambi’s into divorce and relationship counseling!
I’m a bit scared…
But in the vain hope that I’m not perceived as a complete cop-out, I’m with Adam – “But if there’s no trust, what can you trust?”
Cheers
Stephen G
Welcome back, Stephen G. Adam regularly sends me things that are funny and brilliant on 15 levels.
My record for deciphering them is 3.
Did you perchance penetrate deeper this time? If so, I’d love to know what I missed.
Re Bambi’s contribution, this blog is developing a theme of spearing tangents. They’re exciting, so long as you don’t get impaled while measuring your last riposte!
Interesting observations Paul!
I wonder whether anybody on that stall or any market stall for that matter has ever had a skerrick of training. And I don’t mean fully fledged, brilliant five star trainer training… I just wonder whether the owner and his/her staff have sat down and thought about what their customers expect and how to give it to them? Whether they have put themselves in the shoes of the customer and asked what they expect and then listed down a dozen or so ways they could deliver on those expectations?
Its often true that bad service, like bad manners, comes from the boss or the team members not being aware of their shortcomings and not knowing the right way to go about fixing it.
Maybe Paul you should have gone back to them and told them of your concerns (but I admit might not be good for your health in view of the hierarchy in markets!).
Thanks heaps for weighing in, Winston. The more this day progresses, the more I realise I didn’t consider things from the vendor’s perspective.
I wish I still had that smoking capsicum with the slug motif. I’d have something to talk around.
While we’ve got you, could you give us any stories about how your business card etiquette did or didn’t achieve its purpose?
Thanks Paul!
The little role play I go through when giving someone my business card works a treat mainly I reckon coz its a little bit of theatre and you know how theatre engages. Its a case of practise, rehearse and drill (as my mate Doug Malouf would say) till you can do it confidently and competently.
My purpose in giving my business card out in this fashion is to be remembered coz, if am following up later, I want them to know who the heck I am and not be struck dumb and not recall meeting me. It seems to work most times although maybe they’d still remember me without the card coz of my rough, brash Aussie ways!
The important thing to note is that, with all this electronic social networking stuff, the business card is even more important than ever because its a little social “ceremony” that opens the relationship which you may follow up in many ways… phone call, letter, e-mail, twitter, facebook, whatever.
So, instances where it works? Almost every time.
Instances where it didn’t work? To be honest, a few coz probably because they just didn’t like me (and that’s not hard to do!) or my approach.
Ripper response, Winston! Thank you for sharing. It’s nice to know that in today’s hurricane of change, some things stay the same.
I concur Paul. It’s time for a new vegie stall.
One of the joys of market shopping, in my opinion, is the smell and texture of the produce and the chats with the stall holder about what’s in season, where the produce comes from, what you’re going to do with it when you’re back in your kitchen and so on. We all need to be more informed about our food choices and the impact they have.
A mushroom stall holder at an inner city market in Melbourne is a great example – he knows his product, he talks you through your purchase and only stocks what is truly in season. His honest service and premium product generates loyal customers and great word of mouth – a valuable marketing tool.
What a treat it is, in our social media world, to enjoy a memorable interaction that ensures you return and recommend.
And yes, Ad, you’re very funny.
Good on you, Suey. What an uplifting comment with which to end our week!
I think if do a bit of chatting before the buying next time, I’ll be a lot happier with the result. Many thanks for your wisdom and have a beaut weekend!
I guess what surprises me about this is that you’d never experienced the “old bait and switch” technique at the market before. I want to be able to pick up my produce, turn it around, give it a sniff and compare it to others in the batch. If I can’t do that, I won’t buy. I refuse to purchase a cellophane wrapped tray of anything in the produce section and try to avoid doing it for meat, too.
Transparency is always the best policy for business regardless of whether you’re selling capsicums or white papers. It’s one of the reasons why I think it’s a good idea to open your content to anyone that wants to read it.
Hi, Sarah. Maybe I’ve been freakishly lucky these 45 years. Or maybe I’ve been so busy thinking about other stuff that I’ve been robbed blind all my life.
It’s certainly the first time I’ve noticed it – hence my obvious shock and dismay. I trusted these guys 100%. In doing so, I abnegated responsibility for checking my purchases. It won’t happen again! Thank you kindly for your comment.
Hi Paul, nice post. I like Susan’s point about talking to the owner. I used never to do that, but have started to lately, with generally excellent results. It might even turn you into one of their favourite customers, if they take the feedback to heart.
(And you’re still free never to shop there, if they don’t…)
I hear you, Joanna. As usual, I’ve learned more than I’ve imparted. I’ll be taking these lessons to my next purveyor for sure. Many thanks, P.
Hi Paul,
Joanna raises a good point. I drive my husband crazy by complaining about my food in a restaurant when it’s not to my liking or the way I ordered it. Depending on how the management reacts, I either become an extremely loyal customer or I never go back.
He just never goes back.
I think it’s fair to lodge a complaint and see if they can fix the problem. As a small business owner, I’d rather be given the chance to retain a customer. It’s possible the owner/manager doesn’t realise a problem exists.
In a former corporate life, a manager once said to me, “Sarah, we shouldn’t be afraid of customer complaints. It’s our chance to impress them with our service.”
Wise words, Sarah. I sure am grateful you choose to say them here! Thank you.
Great stuff! What do they say… “Customer feedback is the breakfast food of champions”?
Sounds good to me!