‘Meaning...?’
‘OK... Imagine that you are a sales assistant, you love the product, and you know company policy is to listen to the customer and deliver “excellent service”, et cetera, et cetera. I am the customer. I’ve come in and I’ve tried on an outfit—a pair of jeans that are clearly a size too small for me and a tie top. The same outfit that is on one of your billboards, only the model happens to have super-skinny legs and a toned, flat stomach.’ She glanced down at her own midriff. ‘Trust me—I have neither attribute. So, are you picturing it?’
Oh, God. It had all been going so well.
Ben reached for his wine glass, changed his mind and opted for water instead. He told himself that the temperature in the room could not have gone up. ‘Um...yes. Um...’
Pull it together Ben. This is a serious conversation.
‘You want to know what I would say—would I give my honest advice or would I tell you that it looks great?’
‘Exactly. Because there are so many questions here. You don’t want to damage someone’s self-esteem. Women have enough issues with their body image as it is. But equally the truth is that different fashions suit different body shapes. So here I am, standing in front of you, an ordinary person in the changing room. I’m wearing a tie top that emphasises assets I don’t have and exposes a midriff that is less toned than it could be. What would you do?’
‘I’d tell you that as long as you’re happy with the outfit that is the most important thing.’
She raised her eyebrows. ‘But surely that would imply that you don’t like it?’
He had to get a grip. Unfortunately that was proving hard, because right now he liked it a whole lot—he was sure the outfit would look pretty damn good on her. But that wasn’t the point and he knew it.
Focus. And as he considered her words he realised exactly how difficult the question was. What would he say?
‘OK. The point of Sahara clothes is to make the customer feel good in themselves. So, personally, I believe that it doesn’t matter if your tummy is toned or not. The important thing is that you feel happy and comfortable showing off your shape or size. If you feel good about yourself you can carry off any fashion.’
It was his turn to trail off as he spotted her raised eyebrows.
‘That’s all very well, and I completely agree with you, but...’
‘But it doesn’t answer your question. What should I say to the customer?’
Disbelief touched Ben—why couldn’t he work out an answer? Instead he was sat here spouting manager-talk. Blah-blah-blah.
‘OK. I give in. What’s the answer? What would you say?’
Sarah speared a final scallop as she considered the answer. ‘I’m not sure there is a standard answer, because you have to consider each situation individually. You’d say something different to a teenager than you would to a middle-aged woman. But you could compliment her choice of outfit. So maybe, That’s a great combination—one of our best sellers, in fact. And then I’d ask questions—ask if she has any reservations, or what she wants the outfit for. Create an opportunity to offer a different choice. I might say, If you want, I can get you another of our most popular combinations, and I’d get her something more suited to her body type. Then I’d leave the choice to her.’
Ben studied her for a moment. Sarah Fletcher knew her stuff. She was intelligent, had a good grasp of fashion and customer service and could forge an excellent career in retail. At a guess he’d put her in her mid-twenties. So why on earth was she working as a cleaner when her interests were clearly elsewhere?
Not his business.
‘OK. I like that,’ he said. ‘I think it would be useful if we ran a few seminars for our sales assistants and put them through a few hypothetical scenarios like that.’
‘Another idea would be to have more ordinary-shaped mannequins in store. That way you can actually show that your new designs are really made for ordinary people.’
If they really are...
The words were unspoken, yet they echoed across the table and Ben stared at her. Had he really thought about that? Yes, he did agree in principle that the ordinary was extraordinary, that clothes should be designed for all shapes and sizes, and that had been his vision. But had he made sure that vision had been translated into the real world, where people came in very different shapes and sizes compared to the models he paid to advertise his products?
There were too many questions, and he certainly couldn’t get all the answers here and now.
Pushing his empty plate away, he looked up at the ceiling and then back at Sarah. She was a woman who made him think, and right now he needed that.
The idea that had niggled at the back of his brain suddenly came together. ‘I’ve got a proposal for you,’ he said.
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