Flowers at night and selling more

These aren't two separate blog topics. I do mean that you can sell more if you learned from flower vendors, and bought from them at night, especially. Let me add, I strictly speak of India here.

Yesterday evening, I sent off someone to get some roses and gerberas from one of the make-shift florists near my place. I got the flowers, alright. But the vendor, taking advantage of the darkness, sent back flowers cleverly disguised to look fresh, but on the verge of sudden death within hours!

It was a trusting soul I sent off on my errand. Who assumed, as most of us unsuspecting customers do, that they will get goods in proportion to the vendor's promises and the money paid hence. Wrong assumption to make, I guess.

This country seems to be in such a tearing hurry to make a quick buck that dishonesty and deceit have turned into 'business strategies'. And I am not just talking about flower vendors here. I find this growing trend in education and medical care as well. Dangerous areas to be implementing the above 'business strategy'.

I ended up angry, wronged, and frustrated about being cheated so blatantly. I have a good mind to go back to the flower guy (with the dead flowers) and tell him that he's not cheated me, he's done a great dis-service to his business. Not only will I not buy from him in the future, I will make sure I discourage my friends, neighbors, and anyone who cares to listen that you won't give value for their hard earned money. And moreover, if you cheat me when it's dark, I won't trust you in broad daylight either. Trust, as it happens, is not a question of time of day. I want to tell him he's lost more than one customer.

Then I wonder if it will make any difference to him. He's small fry in the larger scheme of things. He's just selling flowers....at worst, they will wilt. The rest of us sell products/services that can do more damage than rotten flowers can.

Once we begin using the dubious business strategies afflicting most businesses here, celebrity endorsements and glossy ads saying otherwise don't stand a chance. Will we understand anytime soon that not giving value in return for money is the worst kind of marketing mistake we can commit? For the sake of our economy, I hope we do.