“It depends on the circumstances.”
“The circumstances are visible on the footage.”
He exhaled.
“You’re right.”
Elena let the silence sit.
Daniel finally looked up.
“I’ve made mistakes in how I handled difficult customers.”
“That’s true.”
“I was trying to protect the store.”
“From what?”
“Negative publicity. Lost sales. Complaints to corporate.”
Elena nodded slowly.
“And who protected the staff?”
Daniel did not answer.
Sophie stared at her hands.
Mr. Chen adjusted his glasses.
Elena turned toward them.
“I want to hear from you both. Not about today alone. About how the store operates.”
Sophie looked startled.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Sophie hesitated, then began.
“Some customers are very kind. Most are. But when someone is rude, we’re expected to smile and keep going. If we tell a manager, sometimes they say we should have handled it better.”
“Can you give me an example?”
Sophie described an incident from the previous month, when a customer had accused her of losing a scarf that had never been purchased. The customer had shouted at her in front of other shoppers, then demanded that she pay for the missing item.
Sophie had checked the inventory records and proved that the scarf was still in stock.
But Daniel had told her to apologize for the confusion.
“I did,” Sophie said. “I apologized, even though I hadn’t done anything.”
Elena listened without interrupting.
Mr. Chen described a different problem.
“Customers often request alterations that are not technically possible,” he said. “We explain the risk, but management sometimes tells us to do it anyway.”
“Why?”
“Because the customer is important.”
“What happens if the garment is damaged?”
“The tailor is questioned.”
“And if the customer caused the damage?”
Mr. Chen gave a tired smile.
“Then we are still questioned.”
Elena looked at Daniel.
“Is that accurate?”
He rubbed his forehead.
“Not always.”
“But often?”
He hesitated.
“Yes.”
Elena wrote something in her notebook.
“Thank you for being honest.”
Daniel shifted in his chair.
“May I ask what happens now?”
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“Today, we complete the incident report, preserve the footage, document the garment damage, and ensure Elena—” She paused, then corrected herself with a small smile. “Ensure I receive medical attention if needed.”
Daniel looked embarrassed.
“Of course.”