Hospitality

I'm the kind of person do excessive research when I wanted to buy something new, specifically electronic components and more specifically computer parts. I am the kind of person who love to do things on my own so I do my own research, buy the components, and assembled it myself. From this I get better understanding of the things I use, I rarely ask anyone to help because this is sunnah, Rasulullah do everything on his own, he even sew his own shirt himself if there is or or get damaged so with the great mind Allah gave to me I feel guilty if  I'm asking from anyone to help me.

So what is this have to do with hospitality, you might ask. Well, during my last purchase of new graphics card I come upon one shop and seemingly young Chinese guy which I presume is SPM level doing part time job come and greet me and asking what I going to buy. And so I pinpoint directly what I going to buy, but then again he say the graphics card I wanted to buy is not available, as all of them has been sold out. I just read along the pricelist and without being asked he ask me what my budget is, and what are my system spec. I raised my eyebrow slightly, because no other shop assistant ever asked me such question, and so I answer honestly and he gave me another alternative for the unavailable graphics card I chosen. More surprises, the card he chooses are the good ones, the one inside my alternative list of card to buy. And when he say I should change power supply, he is right in that aspect as well. This kid know his stuff, and after thinking for a while instead of buying one powerful graphics card I buy one cheaper ones but just as fast plus a new power supply. I could always just neglect that shop and browse around and confident I will get the card that I wanted but no, I wanted to help him by buying stuff from that shop. It's just as simple as that, his hospitality buys me. Previous shop just asked me with a long face and seems like I have no interest of buying, maybe he thinks I have no money or something, but I just guessing by the look of his face.

Yes, in business its not a matter of pricing that matters being nice to customer plays important role as well. Another example is during lunch time one stall with an old uncle as the shopkeeper, he is just plain nice and generous. Come to me, shaking hands with me and greet me like his old pal. He treated all his customer like that. Very, very surprising behavior. That simple courtesy and hospitality just buys me at that moment, I said to myself just because of that, I will eat at his shop frequently. And I did, till he know what I going to eat each time I get there.