Following a recent law here in Ireland, selling of alcohol was (slightly) restricted.
For many weeks/ months after, all around a certain supermarket there was a long, boring notice that ended with the words “This is in appliance with recent government regulations.”
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I didn’t say anything the first time I was in. I’m not that pedantic, honestly, but a couple of weeks later I was in there again and the signs were still up all over the shop. I stood there in front of one sign, looking confused (I’ve been perfecting that look for a while now), when I saw a manager type guy approaching. He seemed concerned and asked if he could help me.
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I asked him who made the signs and let him read it (just to punish him a little bit). I pointed out the error and told him an appliance was a fridge and the word they were looking for was compliance. He became flustered and apologetic. He began to sweat and laughed nervously like Jimmy Cagney being grabbed by the brass coppers. He assured me the signs weren’t done by anyone in-store. They came from head-office. “You mean there are thousands of these all over the country!?” I asked him, incredulously.
He quickly ran off in an overly-agitated zig zag, dazed motion. I feared he would run into stack of briquettes on special offer (16 for the price of 15 and a half), but he somehow avoided calamity. That’s what makes him manager no doubt.
Two weeks later I was back in the store (it was Super-Valu if you must know) and were those signs to be seen anywhere? …
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Now believe me, I don’t spend all my days worrying if someone mis-spelt a word and making sure that they correct it, but the comical over-manic dance of retreat was intended for one reason and one reason only -to be seen to be concerned and clearly going to do something about it.
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Of course there was no change. Appliances abounded.
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That’s what makes him manager.
