The litany of Guyana’s woes continue every day; we all know the instances, as we are regaled with examples coming from established columnists, various letter writers, and social media platforms. Wearing as the process may be, particularly to those being criticized, it is an understandable reaction and even, one would venture to say, a commendable one – we should complain, we should be critical, we should expect better.
At the same time, while I understand the outbursts when some sort of distress has been experienced, I’m not sure I follow why we don’t see more of the other side of the coin – when someone is relating a positive experience, an example of things working well, of a high standard being achieved. I suppose the old explanation of the squeaking-wheel-getting-the-grease is a big factor in the difference, because the good news stories are certainly about – perhaps, too, by their very nature they don’t draw our ire and therefore don’t get our attention. At any rate, I am simply noting that, rare as they may be, the positive experiences are there, and we should take the time to pass them on.
This week, with an appliance in the home acting up, I went back to the place I purchased it, Farfan & Mendes in Water Street. At the outset, I admit that I don’t have a lot of patience for inefficiency and disorder, and living in the atmosphere described above, I went there, as the Trinis say, “ready fuh dem”, or, as the Jamaicans put it, “wid me back well braced, sah”. Although it took me a while to realize it, as it turned out the brace wasn’t necessary at all. After I explained my problem, and while the lady who attended me was checking for parts, in a period of ten minutes or so, at least five different employees came up to me to ask if I was being attended to. In short order, checking her records, she informed me that they had the part, and that, to my surprise, my unit was still under warranty. She arranged for a service call to replace it, and I was out of there, as we say in Guyana, in labba time. Indeed, as my transaction was ending, yet another employee, this one from well inside the store, called out to me again asking if I was being attended to. Two days after I was in the store, two Farfan & Mendes service people showed up at the home and fixed my problem, more labba time, without leaving any mess on the floor. I have dealt with a number of trades people in my time in Guyana, and that was not a typical experience. Those Farfan & Mendes employees, in town and at my home, were friendly, attentive and efficient – an unusual bunch.
As I’m handing out bouquets, one should also go to the folks at Giftland Mall. As anyone who goes there can tell you, the place is spick and span throughout, and the stores are well stocked, but the most noticeable aspect for me was the unfailing courtesy and offers to help in store after store. Not once did I get the shrug of the shoulders or the uncaring “me en know” reaction to a simple question one often encounters in Georgetown stores. Even the security guard dealing with his obviously boring post at the cinema cashier booth, finds time to chat with you and make you feel welcome at the mall. The striking thing is that Giftland is an expansive enterprise, with many establishments, each with several employees, the place is often quite busy, and I was truly surprised to find this attitude of friendliness and willingness to help on display throughout. It was a noticeable distinction.
In both cases, the difference in the employees’ attitude is vivid; it is so not the norm for Guyana. What is at play here? The first reaction from my comedic mind was that Farfan & Mendes, and Giftland, have somehow been able to find a different type of Guyanese from the ones one encounters generally here; or maybe they recruited staff through some clever advertising in the diaspora offering them free house lots or some such enticement. But those are comical ideas that are obviously implausible.
Maybe, the serious answer is that those two companies have some sophisticated personnel screening psychological tests that they use to select their employees. If not, then it must be that they are creating this attitude by intensive training and motivational approaches not widely used here. Either way, they’re a joy to run into. Indeed, I may just show up at F&M or Giftland, this week; not that I have any equipment to fix, or to buy anything, but just to take in the friendly atmosphere.
