My Good Tailor

Posted on: September 26, 2017

   Written by Sylvia . O

      I have a bespoke tailor who makes beautiful Ankara designs; recently I was in search of a new tailor. I decided to change my tailor because sometimes tailors can be disappointing and annoying. There are so many good tailors in Nigeria.

As I drove past the neighborhood market, I saw a beautiful tailored made Ankara (African print fabric, usually beautiful and colorful) skirt and top hanged in a store. It was really lovely which made me to enter the tailor’s store.

I met a young lady cutting fabrics at the store, said hello to her but there was no smile on her face as she responded to my greetings. I told her I wanted a Buba top (Nigerian women’s blouse that goes with a wrapper) and asked for her style magazine to make a choice. She said that she does not have a style magazine, which of course was very strange, all the tailors I know have different style magazines and books to show their customer, the style magazine enables customers pick desired designs for their fabrics. I kept calm, and told her that it’s a regular Buba I want to make.

As discussion was going on, we got to the main point (price bargaining) her body language changed ,she showed  from her attitude that she was not in the mood for price bargaining. She simply said that she cannot bargain, and the price she gave me was her last price.

when I tried to get convinced that she will sew my fabrics to my taste,She made a comment that shook me and I quote “I cannot worship somebody and try to lick their butt because I want them to sew clothes.I do not need to beg, if I sew and you don’t like it fine, you can go and not come back, but if I sew and you like the design then, you give me more fabrics to sew.”

All the while we were talking she was busy cutting and ironing some fabrics without raising her head to talk to me.

I just smiled and walked away. In my mind I was pondering on her statement and wondering how many customers she must have chased out of her store due to lack of good customer service.

I told myself I did rather stick with my old tailor whom apologizes if he disappoints, and never hesitate to put up a smiling face when talking to his customers. He always assures both new customers and old ones that he will sew any desired style to satisfaction. He knows what it means to have good customer service, irrespective of the customers attitude.