9/4/10 PAYLESS SHOES AND AIRASIA....

(16th Street Mall Denver yang mana segala biaya pembangunan adalah dari Kerajaan Pusat sebagai salah satu insentif bagi pertumbuhan Perlancungan dan 'Friendly Pedestrian Development') : Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman di KL sepatutnya melihat konsep pembangunan sebegini).

Dalam tahun 1997, semasa di Denver (Mile High City), Colorado, kerana biasiswa yang diberikan Kerajaan berjumlah US500/bulan tidak mencukupi untuk bayaran Apartmen dan segala utiliti yang mencecah US800/bulan dan gaji hanya sekitar RM1,500/bulan (pada kadar tukaran US1.00 : RM4.25) serta tanggungan lain yang tinggi, maka saya terpaksa bekerja sepenuh masa di beberapa outlet di sekitar kampus Universiti (UCD): kedai buku, stesyen minyak, kedai Payless Shoe dan 'melipat akhbar' pada hujung minggu. Pendeknya saya mulai kerja dari seawal jam 0730 pagi sehingga jam 17.00 petang. Kuliah saya hanya bermula pada jam 17.30 dan habis pada jam 23.00 malam.

(2) Kebanyakan masa kerja saya tumpukan di Payless Shoe di 16th Street Mall, sebuah Jalan Pusat Bandar yang menjadi tumpuan utama pelancung dan pelangan sewaktu 'lunch break' dan 'early afternoon'. Di Payless Shoe, biasanya saya ditemani oleh Store Manager dan seorang lagi pembantu. Namun, selalunya, saya hanya sendirian. Tugasan saya jika keseorangan adalah amat berat, dari memulai dengan bank-in cash sale semalamnya, sehingga kepada Cash Registry Managment (Point of Sale) kepada menyusun segala macam kasut mengikut sistem yang terkawal, melayan segala pelanggan bilamana mereka baru masuk, di dalam ruang kedai, dan bila mereka hendak keluar, dan pastinya bila saya terpaksa membuat 'closing' jika saya bekerja di hujung minggu, maka saya terpaksa menerima 'stock', meregister 'stock', menyusun 'stock' ke rak-rak, dan kemudian terpaksa mencuci kedai dan tandas, dan akhirnya membuat machine closing check-out. Semua pekerjaan terpaksa di buat dengan cepat tapi tanpa melupakan sentiasa 'tersenyum' biar hati di dalam 'panas nak rak'.

(3) Sesuatu yang amat saya kagumi mengenai Payless Shoe ialah bila suatu hari, Mamat Salleh dengan pakaian kotor, berbau hampak, pakaian compang campeng, gigi tak pernah berberus,badan kerempeng, rambut kusut masai, 'worst' saya tak berapa nak faham apa yang dia kata: Hey F*** you buddy, how are you doin'! I wanna change my shoe, man! Can you ring it for me!, Pardon me! Hey you are new ha? I said check the price of this shoe for me! Oppp, this torn shoe of yours? We can buy this shoe, we don't buy shoe, we sell shoe! Haaa...you f***ing don't understand. My shoe is life warranty! I can change it with any new shoe of the same price from this store. It is the Store policy, don't they f***ing tell you? Let me show you, hand me your scanning pen! You see, it original worth of US59.90 nad now with balance worth US19.90, so I'm returning this shoe, and I'm goona get another new shoe of that balance price! I told you, do you get me! (Deep in my throat I reply, dam f*** you are right, with a smile though it pain)

(4) Payless Shoe mempunyai suatu dasar pemulangan belian tanpa had waktu. Tidak mengira keadaan kasut yang hendak dipulangkan, Payless akan tetap menerima pemulangan tersebut dan sedia menukarkan kasut berkenaan dengan harga baki semasa kasut tersebut. Suatu dasar jual-beli yang amat anih dan mengkagumkan!

(5) (Maaf saya sudah tertulis dalam Bahasa Inggeris) The next day, I asked the Store Manager, how stupid is that policy? His reply is very interesting: You have worked here for at least six months, and that is the first personn that did such thing, probably would the oly one that you would encounter, and how much shoes have you sold, definitely thousands. So what is one out of thousands! You see that man on the Street there, is he not he one, and see how pround he is talking about being well taken care by us. That is the cheapest adverstisement strategy that we have and the most effective. We know educated American are honest and only very very small fraction of the society will do harm to our store. In fact he did more good than harm to our business!

(6) Thus when I board AirAsia on my normal business trips, I wonder how could Tonny offered a price even up to RM9.90 from Kota Bahru to Kuching. I got a visit from two old friends coming to visit me in Kuching last couple of weeks. They just paid RM9.90 each for return tickets. Yes, definitely they had booked the ticket over a year.

(7) Later then I realised, that AirAsia and Payless Shoe are just doing the same business trick. With such differential price offer, peole are rushing to buy Air Asia tickets in advance. Even for as long as three years period ticket to some sector are sold out, and if one do the analysis, surely those are not favorite seats and are very limited. As the time to travel becaming shorter, the ticket price definitely will be higher. Favorite and hot seats are always sold at the very last minute to get better value. On averange, Air Asia still make 'profit' though probably lower, but as volume mounted, the total sum of the year slaes would still remain high.

(8) Accordingly since, tickets are bought earlier they are able to make some detail and much precise forecasts of the business growth and performance. With the present 'speculative' business system, Tonny plays his 'speculation well' so much so, he has good stream of money to expand his business. All these in fact are busniess 'acuteness' and business 'foresight' that seem to 'treat custmers well' for 'loyatly' and royalty gain!

(9) If one study about Muhammad saw, his business 'acuteness' is through honesty, quality products, punctuality in service, fair price and excellenet treatment of the customers. That is Muhammad, the Islamic way, and that is nothing difficult. Thus I would believe, if Muslim business persons emulate Muhammad ways of doing business, we would be a better business person! But, we are more 'comfort loving' rather wanting to do business so much so, we are left with 'just as bystanders!', and blaming others for not being good! What a sad we!

Kuching, Sarawak
22 April, 2010