They open at ten o’clock but the staff personnel arrive half an hour earlier in order to prepare for the day. Afterwards they do banking account by simply going to the bank and giving them the money that they earned. The manager told me that because of the fabric, 70 per cent of the money earned is during the winter season. At eleven o’clock they have a delivery from the nearby warehouse. When it comes one member of the staff has to be downstairs to unload and check it. As far as work is concerned each girl is responsible for a section and a specific responsibility. For instance the manager is responsible to call and order for items while another member is responsible for sending letters to their clients. But the staff is flexible; they work for all sections and help each other. They have a good relationship with each other and although there is a manager and an assistant manager, it is not hierarchical like other good shops and they behave like friends. Thus they coordinate with each other more subtly through mutual monitoring and awareness.
Every member of the staff personnel has to wear something from the collection. When clients enter, they take a first view of what the shop offers. All the staff have different tastes in their clothes. Thus the customers can see while shopping a range of different dresses. The manager and the assistant manager do not wear a batch and dress differently from other members. They all dress according to their style and have mutual respect with each other since they are not only colleagues, but also friends.
Participants account for what they do - the manager gives some things to the members and expects them to be done in a specific time. In addition the manager has a role of supervisor in the shop, to see if the other members are doing the job properly.
The manager is also responsible for any problems or emergencies that occur. For instance an exchange of a jumper without a receipt. The manager is the one who decides whether it can be replaced or not. For instance a month ago she received a telephone call informing her that somebody has broken into the shop.
They coordinate through the Internet, telephone and computer equipment between the shop, warehouse and customers. They have received a lot of publicity in magazines and also the bags they give you are very attractive.
Herbert Blumer has argued that “social action is lodged in acting individuals who fit their respective lines of action to one another through a process of interpretation; group action is the collective action of such individuals, seeking to achieve balance.” By a process of self-indication, the human forms a good interpretive behavior and judge things that surrounds him. Thus the issues analyzed will be their exceptional service, and treatment of valuable clients.
When the new season comes, either in spring or autumn, people buy new things. With Brora, you can (e)-mail, fax, or place a telephone order. In addition one can mail them from overseas. When you order something it is delivered within a week. Service runs quickly due to the large availability of clothes. However, once a person wanted a sleeveless polo neck, but because it was popular, they told her that it would arrive in 3 weeks. Any refunds or exchanges must be conducted within 14 days. Price is not altered during each season. They provide materials such as a brush to remove hairs in order to keep the cashmere in good repair. Also if you wish to send a gift to somebody, it can be wrapped and sent with a message card, and a fee of 10 pounds they send it by postage.
For each item they give you the equivalent UK size since they measure them in inches. So, if the smallest size doesn’t fit you, then they try to help you as much as they can by simply bring you a new jumper that has not yet being tried by somebody else. As Douglas argued in 1976, clients are sometimes dependent upon staff honesty and abilities to symbolize experience. By using a psychological approach they will identify your style and will bring the relative staff member. She will also recommend other accessories, such as scarves. As Boden says, members and clients search through alternatives until a satisfactory option is made. Choice and ambiguity shape the drift of decisions and related actions. For instance a customer wanted a v-neck cardigan but was informed that you should wear a shirt with it and thus she didn’t purchase it. In addition the staff inform the clients if they see that sometimes they over purchase things. For example a customer had purchased four jumpers of different colours, and wanted a navy cardigan and they told her that it was unnecessary. Finally there is always a special violet scarf in the dressing rooms for those women who are wearing make-up in order not to dirty up their jumpers. Goffman remarked that many services are offered to their clients, such as cleanliness in order to enhance the performance.
Furthermore if the staff see that certain customers are good clients, the staff then try to build relationships and are offering to them some benefits such as a 10% discount for each item they buy. Sometimes in order to thank a good client, they give them some of their accessories such as the soap. Members know most of their good clients taste and thus when they enter the shop, they will tell you what you should try on. For instance a woman came inside and she liked a claret polo neck. A member told her that it was needless to buy it. Another customer came in and wanted cobalt hooded top and the staff told her that she had already a pale blue and a garnet one. It is a policy of the shop to have stable and direct communication with their good customers. But some of the clients are not willing to take staff opinions. Goffman calls them cynical, as they don’t have any ultimate concern of the audience’s beliefs. It is obvious that they have a special treatment towards good clients. For example a person wanted a round neck in black but they only make it in peat and navy. However they did it only for her in the colour she wished. In addition a customer’s jumper was bagged incorrectly and was his fault because he didn’t take care of it properly. But the staff exchanged it with a new one. I also once saw a customer with some holes into his jumper and the staff took it and told him that they will fix it in two weeks. According to Goffmans report, notion of special treatment has to be exclusivity. He reports that if a gentleman comes to your house and treat him as nice like everybody else, then he will perceive that your courtesy is worth nothing and will feel some resentment.
From their good clients and through the publicity they receive in many fashion magazines Brora try to expand their marketing portfolio and bring more customers into the shop. Thus during winter season they provide the customers with an advent calendar that for each day offers a unique discount for each type of clothing and accessory. What Gaudhill, Gofman and Stinchcombe have argued is that an organization has to match people’s demands and expectations in order to continue accomplishing their goals.
If given more time and resources, I would have compared the other Brora shops with the one in Chelsea, and perhaps would have conducted a survey in order to ascertain customer wishes and demands. It would have also been beneficial to have perhaps have taken a part time job in the shop.
(1798 words)
Bibliography
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