Unsolicited Advice from the sales desk...

I engaged a customer today who priced a gorgeous Ankara piece from our store. I told her that the dress is N29,500, and she told me it has over priced (her perception tho'), she gave me an almost logical reason to back up her argument by valuing the Ankara at N5,000 (assuming it's the best ankara) and the sewing at N5,000 (based on her local tailors charges) and she couldn't understand where all the rest of the N19,500 went into. Meanwhile, she didnt understand the complexity in the simple design, hence it couldnt have been sewn at N5,000 by a STANDARD tailor (please note the emphasis on standard tailor with proper finishing), she ignored the embroidery, on the neckline, maybe she missed out the dainty button on that neckline, the high quality YKK zip used, amongst other things. Those are a a few of the direct costs on the dress.

Of course, she didn't take cognizance of the indirect costs. So maybe somehow. she missed out the fact that someone was attending to her, and that, that someone is not running a charity organisation(hence she is being paid), somehow she forgot that she was standing in a fully air conditioned shop in Maryland Mall, obviously Maryland Mall is not our father's property, so they get their cut too, needless to say that we have a production factory with people working, hence they are being paid and that we also need some form of compensation to stay in business. Meanwhile, the compensation is only fair for the value we bring to the table- no stress of searching for Ankara, No Hassle of searching for the right tailor, no amendment Wahala, You Just take it off the rack as is. Our true customers appreciate our ready-to-wear model.

And then, she delved into the part of the discussion, i dread to hear... "It's cheaper Abroad". i have come to note that some Nigerians have not adjusted to the new exchange rate in their minds so they still value a piece sold at $100 abroad for N20k whereas, that dress is now N48.5k (Black market rate a few days ago $1=N480.5). Then again, only a shallow minded person will compare a foreign business environment to Naija's own... the major difference--- "POWER"

My take home to you is that "THE PERCEPTION OF CUSTOMERS OF A PIECE DOES NOT REDUCE THE COSTS OF A MERCHANT"

So next time, you go into a shop and you are shown a dress which you have valued at N10k in your mind and they tell you it's N25k, just keep quiet and walk out (if you don't have any value laden advice on how to cut the merchant costs).