Batteries not included

On June 1, my son was celebrating a Polish tradition - Kids Day. We decided to buy him an expensive toy from one of the best learning centres in Malta.

Looking forward to seeing his happy face when opening the gift on a Sunday morning, we woke up quite early. When my son finally got up he was handed a huge bag with a remote controlled Formula 1 car. He could not wait to open it and drive it!

To our disappointment and his nearly hysterical reaction, no batteries had been attached to the car. I understand that the toy supplier is not obliged to provide the batteries for free but what surprises me and upsets me the most is the fact that shop assistants do not care to advise parents/customers that they should buy a box of batteries not to spoil the fun for a four-year old.

Besides the fact that it is nearly impossible to buy anything on a Sunday, how do I explain to a four-year old that he cannot have fun right away as the car requires eight batteries of a different type? Do I blame the shop assistant or do I spend hours on end driving around Malta looking for these batteries? Besides spoiling my son's fun, didn't the shop lose money, as I didn't buy the batteries from it?

This is just a simple message to all the shop owners/managers: Train your staff to ensure customer satisfaction. It costs nothing to say: "Would you like to buy the required batteries as well, or do you have them already?"

My four-year-old will, one day, be in need of a gift for someone and he will ask around which shop to visit. Shops are becoming more customer-oriented and we all now have a choice. Please do not rely on the fact that your brand name has credibility. This is one of the factors that any business can lose the easiest.