If nothing else goes well today I can say I found my silver lining. Here in Moscow nothing ever goes as planned. There is no such thing as multitasking. You pick one thing you want to get done in a day. If it happens, great! If not, oh well, there is always tomorrow. In both cases something usually never works out. Today is no exception. Food is on my list for today, but not just any food....food for Christmas dinner. I am a bit late in starting this shopping. It takes many days to collect food for a regular shop much less a holiday! Diamand Lady called to see how I fared at the supermarket. "Great!" I told her excitedly. "Wow! You must have gotten all the bits and pieces you need then!" She replied. She was just as excited! That's what we do here. We get excited about food and finding that missing bit. "Actually, I didn't. In fact, I didn't get much of my list at all ( yet still managed to spend $125)." Diamand Lady was confused until I explained I had THE BEST shopping experience ever in Moscow. I was looking for caraway seeds. A store employee came up to me and asked me if I needed help. Let me repeat....an employee came to me! I was shocked. Due to the language barrier she went to get a piece of paper and asked me to write what I was looking for. She disappeared and I looked for an app on my phone with new Internet (!) to help me translate. She came back with another lady and now I had two ladies helping me! With the help of my phone I try explaining for what I am looking. They take me all over the store, but in the end I say thank you so much and keep shopping. Evaporated milk was on my list. I have seen this before at another market so I know it exists. I don't see the packaging. The First Lady who came to help me walked by and could see I needed help. She asked me again. Am I on candid camera?? Service in a store? Willing service with a smile? With my phones help I show her and she hands me sweetened condensed milk. Then a man walks up who happened to be the manager and speaks English. He wants to help. So I explain what evaporated milk is. Next thing I know there are five ladies around me, who all work there, and the manager all trying to help. Seriously, pick my jaw up off the floor. I mean really! I explain it really isn't that big of a deal and I don't need it that bad. One of the employees leaves and goes to get a sixth lady who happened to be the baker in the store. She looks and within seconds hands me what she thinks I need.
All I can say is thank you so much in Russian. I was speechless! I tell the manager how kind and friendly the store is, how grateful I am. He smiles. I say thank you to each lady and continue on. I should also add I felt compelled to put this item in my cart with everyone looking. I bought the item and have no idea if it is evaporated milk. This is one of the few items I bought. No, I did not get everything on my list. Yes, it is beyond freezing cold outside. Yes, I need to hit another two stores at the very least to complete my list and I don't want to because it is freezing outside. But you know what? That is okay! Because if nothing else goes right today (and it probably won't), I had the most amazing customer service experience ever in Moscow this morning. My silver lining is shining brightly...along with those ice crystals!
This is a picture of the store in the distance.
All I can say is thank you so much in Russian. I was speechless! I tell the manager how kind and friendly the store is, how grateful I am. He smiles. I say thank you to each lady and continue on. I should also add I felt compelled to put this item in my cart with everyone looking. I bought the item and have no idea if it is evaporated milk. This is one of the few items I bought. No, I did not get everything on my list. Yes, it is beyond freezing cold outside. Yes, I need to hit another two stores at the very least to complete my list and I don't want to because it is freezing outside. But you know what? That is okay! Because if nothing else goes right today (and it probably won't), I had the most amazing customer service experience ever in Moscow this morning. My silver lining is shining brightly...along with those ice crystals!
This is a picture of the store in the distance.
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