customer loyalty

Many shops in Europe have loyalty schemes ... or at least they did when I was last there! Things work a little differently here! In the market, for example, I always buy my tomatoes from the same person, my onions from the same person, my peanut butter from the same person ... and in return I am often given a "gift" of a few more tomatoes etc., showing me that I am a valued customer. Other vendors give you a reduced price if they know you.

I think the classic example was when my onion seller once said to me, "Four onions for 250F, but for you 200F" ... and then gave me two free onions as a gift on top of the four I'd paid my 200F for!

On Saturday I was accosted in the street as I bought some flipflops for Simon by a young Nigerian woman who likes to speak English to me, and who wanted to ask me, "Why you not buy flour from me any more? I'm not happy!" This is a long story involving my flour seller who stopped selling flour for a while, but since I park in front of his place I would still go and greet him and he would tell me where to go to buy my flour - often just next door where this woman sells flour. My flour seller is now selling flour again, so like the loyal customer I am, I am buying my flour there again.

I racked my brains as to how to placate this young woman, and then remembered that she sells sugar, and that although I'd forgotten to put it on my shopping list, I actually really needed some. So I said, "Oh! I need sugar! Three kilos, please!" ... and she sent me to get it from an older lady who works with her who I always speak to in Monkolé since she doesn't speak French (or presumably English!). I should point out that she isn't Monkolé either, but is very pleased to have found a common language which we can use to communicate!

I am always a little stumped to know what to do when my usual vendor of something is absent, as I know that if I buy it elsewhere they will expect to see me back again. Sometimes I go to part of the market I don't usually go to, so that they won't see me again the next week, but this doesn't work for things like tomatoes, which are all sold in the same part of the market. Mind you, these days if my usual tomato seller is absent her neighbouring tomato seller recognises me and grabs me. She is deaf, so communication is reduced to pointing and showing money, but we manage!

 
My tomato seller and me last year when my parents were visiting. The new market hadn't been opened yet, and all the stands were temporarily out in the street (for four years!).