Barking Mad

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This month Pramland’s John Barker gives us all a cautionary tale.

Hello one and all, I hope you are all well and business has continued to be good for you. This month I thought I’d share an experience that was a complete fi rst for me. It’s not the type of tale that will have Hollywood knocking on my door anytime soon, but it’s an interesting, cautionary tale for you all. So get the kettle on and let me begin.

It was a normal Friday and the lovely Katie (Venicci) was paying us a routine visit. We’d spent the best part of the morning catching up, discussing how we’d done and planning how we are going to move things forward, a routine store visit basically. Before you ask, yes biscuits and buns where involved, they normally are when Katie visits!

As we were drawing our conversations to an end I was approached by a “gentleman” asking for a price of our dolls prams we have on display in the stores window. This was strange as I was sat chatting with Katie at one of our tables in the store and members of my team had already answered all his questions. He spoke with a very strong accent and proceeded to ask me what the price would be for three of the dolls prams. I told him that the price on display was the best price I could off er him even if he wanted three of them. He didn’t seem to believe me and asked to speak with me in private, away from Katie’s ears.

We stepped to one side and he then proceeded to change his story. He started to tell me that he’d purchased three of the dolls prams from us before Christmas and that all of them had been broken when the boxes had been opened. Something that I fail to believe is true as we have sold them for many years and I can count on one hand how many have had faults. He off ered no specifi c details as to the damage, nor could he off er me any form of proof, either of their purchase or the faults he claimed plagued the items. I apologised for the problems he’d had and told him that if he could bring the dolls prams back to us I could either repair them or simply swap them for him, he would however need to bring them to me so I could look at them. I also told him that I had no record of him buying them and he would have to provide me with proof. This is when he started becoming a little aggressive, he told me that the prams where in Ireland and that it would cost him hundreds to get them to me, he also told me that it was my responsibility to fi nd his proof of purchase. As you can probably imagine he wasn’t quite as eloquent as that but I cannot stress the level of intimidation he was attempting He told me that I have a lovely big car park and that if he didn’t get his dolls prams I’d be finding it full of caravans! For a split second I couldn’t believe my ears, it took me a moment or two to process what he’d said to me

to apply, even at this early stage. I continued to refuse to assist him unless he could provide me with proof. It was at this point things took a real turn.

What happened next took me by complete surprise; it’s something I have never experienced before in my life. His tone had completely changed by this point and he was now telling me that I owed him three of the dolls prams and that I will give him them. I continued to refuse to entertain his ridiculous claims and was becoming a little bored by his stupidity. This was the point that he decided to up the odds. He told me that I have a lovely big car park and that if he didn’t get his dolls prams I’d be finding it full of caravans! For a split second I couldn’t believe my ears, it took me a moment or two to process what he’d said to me. I’m actually quite proud of myself as I managed to ignore the urge to grab him by the head and boot him out the shop. I actually took a step back and with a calm, raised voice told him firmly “I’m ending this conversation now”. I started walking back to Katie where she was sat, partly so I had someone that could hear what was being said and secondly in an attempt that if he felt out numbered he’d just rethink his life and leave. He actually followed me and the conversation continued. After a while he got the message that his demands would not be honoured and he took himself off out of the shop.

After a few minutes of us all expressing how astonishing the whole thing was I thought it wise to check to see if there were any signs of him parked near the store. I popped out to the gates of the car park and had a little look; there were no signs of him so I went back in store. As I returned in to the store the phone was ringing and low and behold it was our friend! As I took over the call it was apparent that he was in the street outside and he had been watching the store as he’d seen me looking down the street. I put the telephone on speaker so all present could be witness the barrage of abuse, language and threats he started to spout. Without giving specific details I can say the amount of abuse vomited down the telephone at me was a little unpleasant. I was told that he would be coming back to the store in a few minutes and will expect to see three of the dolls prams next to the door. . . .Failure to comply with his instructions would result in a swarm of travellers, ascending on the store – siege style. I was immediately concerned, not for my own safety but for that of the team and the customers that where in the store at the time. After what seemed like five or ten minutes of abuse, but in reality was probably only a couple of minutes I ended the call and immediately called the police.

The incident on its own wasn’t particularly harrowing or upsetting but it certainly spoiled my evening, I spent most of it glued to my phone watching the shops CCTV in case the cretin and his gaggle of cohorts decided to make good on his threat. It’s also made me increasingly concerned about how the situation could have unfolded had I not been in the store at the time, or would he not have threatened a woman in the same way? To be fair, I think he’d have regretted that as some of the

The incident on its own wasn’t particularly harrowing or upsetting but it certainly spoiled my evening, I spent most of it glued to my phone watching the shops CCTV in case the cretin and his gaggle of cohorts decided to make good on his threat staff here are a little frightening and I’d hate to have a rumble with them (Just kidding, they’re all lovely – honest). It’s frightening to think an individual believes that its acceptable to extort money, or in this case goods through the use of intimidation and threats. Luckily there were no repercussions and business has continued without any further unwarranted interruptions. We’ve had zero issues since and I’m sure it was just an opportunistic attempt to get something for free. Even still it shows these people are out there and you need to be on your guard. If nothing else has come of it we at least have a “siege procedure” in place at the store. All the team now have roles in the event of one of us shouting “CARAVAN”! Stay safe everyone.