Yesterday was the day I finally
stood up to TUSKYS. Yesterday was the day I got the courage to refuse their
oppression. They forced me put my activism cap on outside of my regular
environment. I pride myself at being an activist for the rights of women and
children, refugees, the poor and I am very confident when am demanding for the
rights of others. However, I usually shy away from standing up for myself,
unless I am pushed to the limit.
Here is how it all went down.
TUSKYS have the freshest bread in town so usually pop-in and pick the bread
just as it is coming from the oven. I decided to also shop for some other
items. If you have ever been to Tuskys at this time of the month you know that
their tills are usually crowded with long queues of end-month shoppers. Surprisingly,
that was not the case so I was served pretty fast.
My shopping was worth Ksh 2, 346.
I gave the cashier Ksh 2500, so I expected Ksh 154 in change. He asked me if I
had 6 shillings so that he could give me 160. I didn’t have the coins, so
instead of 4 shillings, he gave me 3 tropical sweets.
Now this has happened before.
TUSKYS always claim to have a shortage of coins. I am usually in a hurry so I
never have time to complain about the sweets. I remember putting my frustration
on Facebook. It only attracted other angry customers but it didn’t accomplish
much. So yesterday I decided enough was enough.
Me: Why are you giving me sweets?”
I didn’t buy any sweets.
Cashier: Madam, we don’t have any
coins, so that’s your change.
Me: Is that so? How much are the
sweets worth?
Cashier: 4 shillings.
Me: Kindly tell me when the
Kenyan government, through the Central Bank of Kenya approved sweets as a
medium of exchange. I think I missed the news that day.
Cashier: (getting infuriated)
Madam! Chukua change uende zako. Kuna wengine
kwa line. Take your change and
leave, others on the queue are waiting.
Me: (very calmly) Ok. Just one
more thing: If I come to TUSKYS with sweets, will I be able to use them to pay
for my shopping?
Cashier: (very frustrated) YES!
Just go!
I calmly took my shopping. As I
was leaving, I overheard the cashier on the next till say: Huyo anakuwanga
customer mpoa sana kwetu ma cashiers, kwa nini haukumpea coins tu. That
customer is usually nice to cashiers, why didn’t you just give her coins?
Oh, so they actually had coins?
An idea hatched in my head immediately. I took the shopping to the customer
care desk and went back inside for more shopping. I bought bananas worth 48 shillings.
I came back to the same till and queued. I had so much time on my hands!
When I got to the cashier, I gave
him Ksh 40 and 6 sweets. He looked at me like I was crazy.
Me: What!? Why are you looking at
me like am crazy? You gave me 3 sweets instead of 4 shillings. So I assume that
if I give 6 sweets that will equal to 8 shillings (I had extra sweets from a
previous exchange).
The other customers were
cheering. One of the men in the next queue said out loud.
“Actually, I also have sweets
from last week. I can use them to pay for my soda. What a brilliant idea! Thank
you lady! If they expect us to take sweets as change, they should also expect
to receive them as payment.
The cashier didn’t know what to
do so they sent for the manager. He came and the customers explained their dissatisfaction
with sweets as a medium of exchange.
The manager apologized and
brought a bag of coins.
I was not done.
Me: So you have coins, but you want to make money out of us by forcing us to buy sweets? That is a shrewd plan. But it isn’t going to work on me. If I shop here, I expect coins for change not sweets. Where you get them is not our problem. We don’t give you excuses if we don’t have enough coins to buy whatever.
I left with my shopping, humming
to myself the mapambano song. I may
not have made a great difference by my defiance and TUSKYS may still give
other uncomplaining customers sweets instead of coins for change, but I am pleased
I stood up to them. I did not insult anybody, I was not rude, and I did not
even raise my voice. I was calm, but I made my point. It is just a drop in the
ocean, but I am proud of it.
